MARCH | APRIL 2018
Challenging Times for Business
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advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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features FEATURE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Bill Creighton
EDITOR:
17 Unforeseen Collateral Damage of Bill 148
Art Sinclair
Heather Hutchings
FEATURE
23 5 Minutes for Business - In Praise of Profit
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
M&T Printing Group
Jayson Myers
FEATURE
24 Success Through Innovation and Engagement Erwin Hymer Group
SPONSOR PROFILE
26 WLU Ranked First Nationally for Student Satisfaction FEATURE
28 2018 Membership Milestones!
PHOTOGRAPHY: Chamber Staff, Lisa Malleck, Snapd KW
ADVERTISING AND SALES:
David MacLellan – dmaclellan@greaterkwchamber.com Don Critelli – dcritelli@greaterkwchamber.com Karen Cross – kcross@greaterkwchamber.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Bill Creighton, Ian McLean, Jayson Myers, Jenna Petker, Renata Rusiniak, Art Sinclair, Nadia Todorova
CONTRIBUTORS:
Aislynn Cooper and Teri Egerdeen
FEATURE
30 Challenging Times for Business:
Consultation on Employment Standards Act Exemptions and Labour Relations Act Exclusions Nadia Todorova
ADVERTISING AND COPY DEADLINES:
March 16, 2018 for May-June 2018 July 20, 2018 for September-October 2018 September 21, 2018 for November-December 2018
SUBSCRIPTION AND BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES:
Darlene Jones djones@greaterkwchamber.com
SUBMISSION POLICY:
Proposals and articles are accepted via mail or email c/o Editor - Advocate. Please do not send originals. All contributors articles must be accompanied by a head shot in a jpg file and a 40 word author’s bio.
departments MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
4 The Chamber’s Strategic
Priorities Will Rise to the Challenge! Renata Rusiniak
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
5 Ontario Small Businesses
NETWORKING
10 Winter Networking NEW MEMBERS
12 December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018
18 Contractor Services
ADVOCACY
20 Mark Your Calendar
Art Sinclair
33 Chamber Members
7 A New Model for Corporate and Public Governance
PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH CARE
8 Welcoming the McMaster MD Class of 2020 Jenna Petker
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The Advocate is a bi-monthly membership benefit publication of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. Advertising content and the views expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not constitute endorsement by the Chamber. The Advocate follows the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (1990), copies are available through the Publisher. The Chamber cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur and has the right to edit material submitted. The Chamber will not accept advertising with competitor comparison claims and has the right to refuse advertising that is deemed to be false, misleading, or inappropriate.
advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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message from the chair
The Chamber’s Strategic Priorities Will Rise to the Challenge! Within this issue, you will read about the very real challenges facing business owners due to recent governmental policy changes. Several businesses in our community have submitted articles about what impacts these policy changes bring. For the most part, it’s not a good-news story. Businesses of all sizes are feeling crunched in way they haven’t before and in some respects, to an unreasonable extent.
The Chamber of Commerce strives to be the voice of businesses across the region. This means advocating for business and aligning our strategy to provide the best support possible. Change for business also mean change for the Chamber and we must be nimble to stay proactive during a rapidly shifting landscape. The strategic priorities of the Chamber aim to do just that. Let’s touch on 3 prominent priorities of the Chamber’s strategy.
Advocating for the Business Community
With so much change for businesses, being an active advocate has been a top priority for the Chamber. Working collaboratively with partners like the Ontario and Canadian Chamber to lobby all levels of government, the Greater KW Chamber takes an active position on corporate tax changes, the Better Jobs Act, transit/infrastructure needs, and the Supercluster bid. This magazine publication itself is evidence of the Chamber’s focus on advocacy.
Building Business Capacity
To help employers and businesses effectively, the Chamber works diligently to identify and analyze trends. With this information in hand, the Chamber then builds awareness and opportunities for education and professional development to all members. This ensures that businesses are well-informed of the changes that will impact them and can adapt in a timely manner. Many of the Chamber’s Point of View speakers have tackled these topical issues.
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Engaging Members through relevant Service Offerings
The Chamber believes that engaging members in various programs and offerings is key to long-term member satisfaction. A well-rounded menu of programs, events, rewards, and services is needed to cater to individual business needs. These offerings are constantly under review and evaluation to ensure they deliver value to all members. This year, in response to the changing business landscape, several new programs are due to be added which are sure to delight our membership. As a business owner, you are likely feeling all sorts of change afoot and hopefully, as a Chamber member, you take comfort in knowing there’s power in the collective. That’s exactly what the Chamber can offer: a collective voice that advocates in the best interest of local businesses. The Chamber’s leadership, staff, board of directors, and committees all work together to bring the strategy set forth to life. We believe in the strength of our strategic priorities to be flexible enough to support you during challenging times for business.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renata Rusiniak
CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Renata Rusiniak manages corporate giving at Manulife and believes businesses are set-up for success in Waterloo Region. Renata is an advocate for community giving and lives this value in both her career and personal volunteer commitments.
message from the president
Ontario Small Businesses Need Our Support 2017 was a particularly challenging and highly stressful for Canadian small business owners. For Ontario businesses, these challenges have continued to multiply in significance as new legislation adds complexity and costs. The CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce, Gerry Macartney, noted in a recent London Free Press column that businesses across Ontario increasingly feel like they are under siege through a barrage of government changes affecting small business, such as tax increases, ability to absorb new costs and succession planning. Business should be applauded for investing their money, sweat equity, hard work, and the belief that they make a contribution to our society and economy, not attacked by politicians.
During the early days of 2018, the Ontario government has attempted to pick a fight with provincial businesses that are simply reacting to the significant changes the new Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act such as the increase to the minimum wage that has been imposed on them.
From the perspective of individual businesses, Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade and other sector/industry associations, the job cuts, business closures and reduced hours for some employees were clearly predicted in a series of respected economic analysis. Most notably, the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) estimated that Bill 148 would cost Ontario employers $23 billion over the first two years of implementation. Their report further predicted that 185,000 jobs will be “at risk.” Derek Burleton of the TD Bank Group estimated that 80,000 jobs could be eliminated and the province’s independent fiscal watchdog, The Financial Accountability Office (FAO), predicted the potential loss of 50,000 positions with a warning that the number could be higher. But for the past year the Premier and her cabinet/caucus colleagues have used the views from a select group of economists as validation for the implementation of a higher minimum wage. Their opinion contains no serious economic analysis and asserts that increases to the minimum wage will automatically stimulate the economy. The CANCEA analysis argues that any gains from higher wages will be quickly offset and exceeded by additional costs to business and ultimately consumers.
The provincial government tabled Bill 148 in late May and in July, Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau proposed a reform of the small business tax system. This was a most unwelcome double whammy. Unlike the Ontario Liberal administration that did not provide any significant reforms to Bill 148, Minister Morneau did revise his revisions. But as many businesses and accounting professionals across Waterloo Region have informed us over the past year, the tax system for business is not simpler but far more complicated as a result of these changes. Owners and managers will be spending more time and resources dealing with government red tape than growing their businesses and creating jobs. As Jayson Myers, former interim Senior Vice President of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce notes in his enclosed article in this month’s Advocate, profits are good not only for business but all of Canada. Unfortunately governments at all levels appear far more intent on raising taxes and regulations on business rather than lowering both for the benefit of Canadians. Businesses need to make a profit so they can grow and ensure economic prosperity. Supporting this goal should be fundamental for governments at all levels. As Mr. Myers has noted, all governments must be aware of the negative impacts of higher taxes and regulatory costs. A letter from a coalition of national business associations to Finance Minister Bill Morneau indicated that most Canadian small business owners earn between $40,000 and $70,000 annually. These entrepreneurs need our support to grow, not politicians picking fights in an election year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian McLean
Ian is President and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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feature
A special thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event possible! EVENT SPONSORS
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S.G. Cunningham Ltd.
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Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning Libro Credit Union
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advocacy
A New Model for Corporate and Public Governance In late January as political resignations and surprise trade deals were announced in Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau was among the attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During a highly uncertain era of international trade in Canada any statements from the Prime Minister received considerable domestic media coverage. However, south of the border the focus at Davos was a letter sent from a Wall Street titan that called for a major re-examination of business and government principles and priorities.
Larry Fink is CEO of BlackRock, an asset management firm based in New York that possesses over $6 billion in institutional investment funds. As an article in USA Today noted, BlackRock is not the world’s most widely known investment company but the largest. And Fink is now the old EF Hutton commercial – when he talks, people listen. In correspondence sent to S&P 500 CEOs and others prior to Davos this year – which Fink attended and participated on discussion panels – the BlackRock chief emphatically stated his company will be examining more than profits for their investments. The new focus for business has to be a “positive social impact” where companies not only deliver financial performance but also a signicant contribution to society.
Fink’s letter noted that governments are failing to prepare for the future on issues ranging from retirement and infrastructure to automation and worker training. He is based on Wall Street however his preceding analysis concisely describes the challenges for Canadian business and government. As a result of pubic sector inaction, society is increasingly turning to business and asking that companies respond to broader societal challenges. Business must benefit all of their stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate. Fink’s analysis can be compared to Bay Street’s Tom Caldwell, who one decade ago made a similar appeal for Canadian business leaders to re-examine their culture and principles. Most notably, after Inco and Falconbridge went to foreign ownership in 2006, Caldwell criticized a Canadian obsession with quick returns to shareholders and business mangers through takeovers beyond and above the long-term impact these transactions level on the national economy. The return to shareholders is not the exclusive responsibility of a publicly traded enterprise, particularly with resource-based companies where minerals and trees are extracted from public lands in Canada.
Above all other factors, Fink is asking for a major overhaul of how the private and public sectors conduct business. In government, change is extremely difficult. During the 1993 federal election campaign former Prime Minister Kim Campbell said that an election is no time to discuss serious issues. Translated for today, Canadian political leaders generally don’t want to make the tough decisions and changes needed for 21st century global economies.
An example is Canadian health care. In late December last year, Andrew Boozary and David Naylor of the University of Toronto – Naylor was President from 2005 to 2013 – contributed an article to the Toronto Star arguing that a major overhaul of the national medicare system is highly overdue.
A central problem is that the federal-provincial framework for medicare hasn’t moved beyond covering hospitals and doctors. Doctor payments, which vary across the provinces, are driven strictly by the volume of service provided. Boozary and Naylor assert the system does little to reward better quality or higher value care. Efforts to implement value-based purchasing are very early stage and will be limited as long as medical budgets are placed in a separate “silo” - a term used more in health care than farming – negotiated between provincial governments and medical associations. The hard reality is that Canada cannot continue with the current delivery model in health care. And as Larry Fink indicated, the relationship between business, government and society needs a serious re-examination.
However as Kim Campbell observed, don’t expect it to happen during an election campaign in Canada. Whether we agree or not, businesses across the globe are assuming more responsibilities that were the traditional domain of government. The challenge for business is doing it better.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Art Sinclair
Art is Vice President Policy and Advocacy for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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perspective on health care
Welcoming the McMaster MD Class of 2020 The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Health Care Resources Council welcomed the first 15 undergraduate medical students – the Class of 2010 – when they arrived in Kitchener in 2007 to begin their first year studies at the new Waterloo Region Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Since 2007, we have welcomed ten more classes and have seen eight classes graduate and move onto residency programs. A number of these graduates pursue family medicine over other specialties and many earn placements in the K-W Family Medicine Residency Program.
This past December the Chamber again sponsored the School’s annual Welcome Dinner & Faculty Awards Gala for the 28 first year undergrads – the Class of 2020 – at the Inn of Waterloo. The event was also sponsored by Mac-Care, the Waterloo Wellington eHealth Centre of Excellence and our counterpart recruiter in Cambridge & North Dumfries, Doctors4Cambridge
Recognizing Outstanding McMaster Faculty Members & Staff
The Class of 2020 met some of their second and third year class peers and members of the local McMaster faculty and staff. They also joined them in recognizing physician preceptors and advisors who have made outstanding contributions to the
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medical students’ education experiences this past year. Nominations for these annual Faculty Awards come from the medical students and the recipients are selected by a student selection committee. There were 20 awards handed out that night.
The Waterloo Region Campus of the McMaster Medical School is truly privileged to have such high caliber physician educators and mentors among their faculty. They are to be congratulated for enhancing the learning experiences of these bright and aspiring young health care professionals. And we, as a community, are privileged to have these student learners living and training here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenna Petker
Jenna is Physician Recruitment Lead for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
Photography by Lisa Malleck
Photography by Adamski Photography
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networking
Winter Networking
THE GKWCC STAFF POSE FOR THEIR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PHOTO DURING THE CHAMBER HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE ON DECEMBER 14TH!
THESE MEMBERS ARE MAKING A NEW
CONNECTION DURING THE POPULAR MNP NETWORKING BREAKFAST SERIES ANNUAL SPEED NETWORKING EVENT ON JANUARY 18TH AT THE HOLIDAY INN KITCHENER-WATERLOO.
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THE PRESIDENT & CEO OF WATERLOO EDC, TONY LAMANTIA, OFFERS
OPENING REMARKS DURING THE THIRD EVENT IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEAKERS SERIES ON MODERNIZATION IN THE FOOD SECTOR ON JANUARY 23RD AT GOLF’S STEAK HOUSE & SEAFOOD.
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CEO OF DANBY, JIM ESTILL, TALKS ABOUT HIS IMPRESSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS IN SUPPORTING NEWCOMERS TO CANADA AT A POINT OF VIEW LUNCHEON ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2017 AT THE INN OF WATERLOO.
PIERRE LEMIEUX, BRIAN BAZELY, AND JEFF HORST HAVING A DRINK AT THE POPULAR LIBRO CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MENTOR MIX & MINGLE EVENT HOSTED AT MAXWELL’S CONCERTS & EVENTS.
THE LIBRO CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS HOSTED A FULL HOUSE OF MENTORS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS DURING THE ANNUAL MENTOR MIX & MINGLE HOSTED AT MAXWELL’S CONCERTS & EVENTS ON JANUARY 25TH, 2018.
Photography by Chamber Staff and Snap’d KW
networking
OVER 140 MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN THE MNP NETWORKING BREAKFAST SERIES ANNUAL SPEED NETWORKING EVENT ON JANUARY 18TH AT THE HOLIDAY INN KITCHENER-WATERLOO.
A FULL HOUSE CAME OUT TO SUPPORT KEVIN MARTIN AND ARNOLD DRUNG AS THEY DISCUSSED THE HOW INNOVATION
AND MODERNIZATION HAS HELPED ADVANCE THE FOOD SECTOR AT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEAKERS SERIES LUNCH ON JANUARY 23RD AT GOLF’S STEAK HOUSE & SEAFOOD.
VINCE VASCO, GARY BROWN, AND MARK WOLLE POSE FOR A SNAP’D PHOTOGRAPHER DURING THE ANNUAL LIBRO CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MENTOR MIX & MINGLE EVENT HOSTED AT MAXWELL’S CONCERTS & EVENTS.
LEADERS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY KEVIN MARTIN AND ARNOLD DRUNG OFFER THEIR REMARKS AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEAKERS SERIES EVENT, MODERNIZATION IN THE FOOD SECTOR, ON JANUARY 23RD AT GOLF’S STEAK HOUSE & SEAFOOD.
PRESIDENT & CEO OF WATERLOO EDC LEAD A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH ARNOLD DRUNG AND KEVIN MARTIN AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEAKERS SERIES LUNCHEON, MODERNIZATION IN THE FOOD SECTOR, AT GOLF’S STEAK HOUSE & SEAFOOD.
THESE MEMBERS ARE MAKING A NEW CONNECTION DURING THE POPULAR MNP NETWORKING BREAKFAST SERIES ANNUAL SPEED NETWORKING EVENT ON JANUARY 18TH AT THE HOLIDAY INN KITCHENER-WATERLOO. A GROUP POSE FOR SNAP’D PHOTOGRAPHER DURING A POINT OF VIEW LUNCHEON ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2017 THAT FEATURED JIM ESTILL, CEO OF DANBY, AS HE SPOKE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION AND BUSINESS.
Photography by Chamber Staff and Snap’d KW
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new members
December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018 according 2 plans+ Business Development (Main) Business Consultants Doug Daymond, Founder, Managing Director Kitchener, ON info@according2plans.ca according2plans.ca Phone: (226) 971-3235
Alert Labs Inc Electronic Equipment, Supplies, Service & Testing Ruth Casselman, COO Kitchener, ON hello@alertlabs.com alertlabs.ca
Allstate Insurance Company of Canada Insurance Terri Meadows, Agency Manager 1187 Fischer Hallman Rd, Unit 606 Williamsburg Town Centre Plaza Kitchener, ON N2E 4H9 williamsburgagency@allstate.ca agents.allstate.ca/on/kitchener/1187fischer-hallman-rd.html Phone: (519) 578-9037 Fax: (519) 581-0978
Alternative Cannabis Consumption Awareness (ACCA) Education Tony Millar, Co-Founder & Communications Director tony.millar@accanow.ca accanow.ca Phone: (647) 550-0352
Alvarnet Corporation Computer Consultants Arlan Nugara, President 22 King St S, Unit 300 Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 agile@alvarnet.com alvarnet.com Phone: (888) 291-5178
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Babycatcher Photography Photographers Erin Michalski, Owner 125 Shaughnessy Place Waterloo, ON N2T 1C8 erin@babycatcher.ca babycatcher.ca Phone: (226) 789-9484
Bryden Marketing Marketing Consultants Andrew Bryden, Principal 453 Cabot Trail Waterloo, ON N2K 4C8 andrewbryden@rogers.com Phone: (519) 729-7003
Changency/Dale Carnegie Training Management Training & Development Gabriela Bernardo, Change Agent Business Owner Kitchener, ON info@changency.ca changency.ca Phone: (519) 569-1411
Connected Trade Services Inc. Electrical Contractors Andre Milosavljevic, Director connectedts@protonmail.com connectedtradeservices.ca Phone: (519) 496-9238
Creative Therapy Health Services Health Care Service & Supplies , Occupational Therapists Sheri Martin Soosaar, Owner 136 Moore Ave S, Unit D Waterloo, ON N2J 1X5 sheri@creativeot.com creativeot.com Phone: (519) 954-5026 Fax: (519) 954-6097
CSA Security Inc. Security Guard & Patrol Services Nenad Mirkovic, CEO info@csasecuritygroup.ca csasecuritygroup.ca Phone: (519) 800-6474 Fax: (888) 754-0478
CVE Mortgage Group Inc. Mortgage Brokers Sumedh Soni, Mortgage Agent sumedh.soni@gmail.com Phone: (226) 808-5716
Drayton Festival Theatre Theatres Amanda Kind, Marketing Manager 33 Wellington Street South Drayton, ON N0G 1P0 boxoffice@draytonentertainment.com draytonentertainment.com Phone: (519) 747-7788
DRF Poultry Products Farm Equipment Daniel Ferrari sales@drfpoultryproducts.com drfpoultryproducts.com Phone: (226) 792-8099
EJOT Construction Fastening Systems Inc. Fasteners-Industrial Lucian Tutu, CEO 50 Fleming Drive Cambridge, ON N1T 2B1 ltutu@ejot.com ejot.com Phone: (416) 951-4302
FlyGTA Airlines Aviation Consultants & Services Jimmy Nowrouzi, CFO Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Suite 100 Hangar #6 Toronto, ON M5V 1A1 jimmy@flygta.com flygta.com Phone: (416) 454-2988
Generations Financial Solutions Financial Services Anne Huntley, Advisor 570 University Ave E, Unit 1 Waterloo, ON N2K 4P2 anne@generationsfinancialsolutions.com generationsfinancialsolutions.com Phone: (519) 888-3300 Fax: (519) 888-9203
new members
December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018 Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge (formerly Dunfield Theatre Cambridge) Theatres Amanda Kind, Marketing Manager 46 Grand Avenue South Cambridge, ON N1S 2L8 boxoffice@draytonentertainment.com draytonentertainment.com Phone: (519) 621-8000 Huron Creek Development Corporation Real Estate Rick Martins, Vice President 1398 Bethel Road New Dundee, ON N0B 2E0 sales@huroncreek.com huroncreek.com Phone: (226) 240-3737
KW Titans Sports Associations & Organizations Jon Schell, Corporate Sales & Sponsorships 5 Shirley Avenue Kitchener, ON N2B 2E6 jon.schell@kwtitans.com kwtitans.com Phone: (226) 929-0754
Laser Quest Entertainment - Family Nancy McIver, General Manager 1381 Victoria Street North Kitchener, ON N2B 0A1 lq011@laserquest.com laserquest.com Phone: (519) 579-9999 Leading for Change Consultants Mike Edwards, Owner 19 Wisteria Court Kitchener, ON N2E 3T4 info@leadingforchange.ca leadingforchange.ca Phone: (519) 807-1367
Mega Cone Creamery Food Trucks Mike Dogantzis, Owner/President 189 Mountain Laurel Crescent Kitchener, ON N2E 4B6 megacone4@gmail.com megacone.ca Phone: (226) 929-2663
movemeRUGGIES Moving, Storage, Light Trucking Moving & Storage Richard Hanek, Owner movemeruggies@gmail.com movemeruggies.com Phone: (519) 577-3263
(Continued on page 14)
Mumby Insurance Brokers Insurance, Insurance Agents & Brokers Anthea Mumby, President 572 Weber St N, Suite 2 Waterloo, ON N2L 5C6 service@mumby.com mumby.com Phone: (519) 885-5956 Fax: (519) 747-2862
NHT Associates Accountants, CPA-CA, Financial Services Nader Tehrani, President 153 Country Hill Drive, Unit #3 Kitchener, ON N2E 2G7 info@nhttax.com www.nhttax.com Phone: (519) 742-5320 Fax: (519) 954-5320
No Slip Solutions Safety Consultants & Training Hank Davis, Owner 665 Colby Drive Waterloo, ON N2V 1C2 sales.noslipsolutions@gmail.com noslipsolutions.ca Phone: (226) 581-2575
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new members
December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018 Oculys Health Informatics Inc. Information Technology Amanda Chiarello, Project Coordinator 609 Kumpf Drive, Suite 204 Waterloo, ON N2V 1K8 info@oculys.com oculys.com OE Canada Inc Office Furniture & Equipment Glenn Thorpe, Director of Sales & Marketing 695 McMurray Road, Unit 3 Waterloo, ON N2V 2B7 gthorpe@oecanada.com oecanada.com Phone: (519) 579-1463
Overlap Associates Inc. Management Consultants Lisa Grogan, President & Chief Relationship Officer 305 King St W, Suite 1002 Kitchener, ON N2G 1B9 jackie@overlapassociates.com overlapassociates.com Phone: (226) 317-0305
Peninsula Canada Human Resource Consultants Ted Werner, Business Development Manager ted.werner@peninsula-ca.com peninsula-ca.com Phone: (647) 988-1583
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Performance Matters Training & Development, Coaching Hannah Brown, Founder 11 Earl Street Kitchener, ON N2M 2V5 hbrown@performancematters.ca performancematters.ca Phone: (519) 590-8027
Progressive Contractors Association of Canada Charitable & Community Organizations Sean Reid, VP/Regional Director, Ontario 82 Main Street East, Unit A Grimsby, ON L8E 0C5 sreid@pcac.ca pcac.ca Phone: (416) 768-4848
rare Charitable Research Reserve Charitable & Community Organizations Stephanie Sobek-Swant, Executive Director 1679 Blair Road Cambridge, ON N3H 4R8 rare@raresites.org raresites.org Phone: (519) 650-9336 Fax:(519) 650-5923
(Continued on page 16)
Region of Waterloo Water Services Water Equipment, Service & Supplies Colleen Brown, Coordinator Communications 150 Frederick Street, 7th floor Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3 cbrown@regionofwaterloo.ca regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnviro nment/Water.asp Phone: (519) 575-4757
Soroptimist International of the Americas Charitable & Community Organizations Jean Skillman, Governor 635 Saginaw Parkway, #68 Cambridge, ON N1T 0C1 jski@bell.net ecsoroptimist.org Phone: (519) 658-7479
St Jacobs Country Playhouse Theatres Amanda Kind, Marketing Manager 40 Benjamin Road East Waterloo, ON N2V 2J9 boxoffice@draytonentertainment.com draytonentertainment.com Phone: (519) 747-7788
Helping Us Make Our Vision Possible A special Thank You to each of these Chamber Sponsors.
CHAMBER CHAIR’S CIRCLE
CHAMBER PATRON
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Academy
CHAMBER TRUSTEE
MEDIA PARTNERS advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2017
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December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018 St Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre Theatres Amanda Kind, Marketing Manager 11 Albert Street West St Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 boxoffice@draytonentertainment.com draytonentertainment.com Phone: (519) 747-7788 Tabot Tours & Travel Travel Agencies Redie Nerayo, Owner 3289 King St E, Unit 16 Kitchener, ON N2A 4A6 info@tabottours.com tabottours.com Phone: (519) 998-8392
True Blue HR Solutions Human Resource Consultants Julie Jamieson, Principal St Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 julie@truebluehr.ca truebluehr.ca Phone: (519) 590-3555
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True North Merchant Consulting Inc. Financial Services Jock Lowndes, President 632 Mill Park Drive Kitchener, ON N2P 1W1 jock@truenorthmerchantconsulting.com truenorthmerchantconsulting.com Phone: (647) 567-8760
Vasil Kuyov Photography Photographers, Video Production Vasil Kuyov, Owner 47 Janine Street Kitchener, ON N2A 4L7 info@vasilkuyovphotography.com www.vasilkuyovphotography.com Phone: (519) 830-4877
Verdigris Communications Communication & Public Relations Consultants, Writers Melodie Holmes, Founder & Chief Consultant 301 Edgewater Crescent Kitchener, ON N2A 4M1 info@verdigriscommunications.com verdigriscommunications.com Phone: (519) 501-3215
(Continued from page 14)
Wajax Industrial Equipment & Supplies Mike Donnelly, Branch Manager 815 Trillium Drive Kitchener, ON N2R 1J9 mdonnelly@wajax.com www.wajax.com Phone: (519) 893-2942 Fax: (519) 893-1068
Waterloo Minor Soccer Club Sports Associations & Organizations Paul Burns, Executive Director 2001 University Ave E, Unit 107 Waterloo, ON N2K 4K4 admin@waterloounited.com waterloounited.com Phone: (519) 578-9680
Wow 1 Day Painting Kitchener/Waterloo Painting Contractors Tyrone DeBrouwerOwner/Franchsie Partner 2 Ferris Drive Wellesley, ON N0B 2T0 tyrone.debrouwer@wow1day.com wow1day.com Phone: (519) 580-0717
feature
Unforeseen Collateral Damage of Bill 148 Chicopee is a not-for profit organization that was established in 1934, and is committed to providing "Unique Fun-Filled Experiences" to Waterloo Region and beyond. It serves on average 150,000 visitors in the winter season, 10,000 in the summer season, and 15,000 school students throughout the year. In the 84 years that Chicopee has been around it has seen many challenges, from the snowless winter of 1954, to the ‘almost bankrupt’ situation in the 80's, to the current changing weather patterns in Southern Ontario - but none seem as challenging as Bill 148. Of the 172 changes in Bill 148, the most impactful to Chicopee is, of course, the minimum wage increase.
The final report of "Changing Workplace Review” was released in May of 2017, followed by Bill 148 Fair Jobs and Better Workplaces Act on June 1st. The timing of this was tough for us since we had already released our pricing for the 2017/18 winter season and sold approximately half of our memberships for the season. Talk about having your skis knocked out from under you! We couldn't go back to those early bird supporters and raise the price, and we didn't want to risk our integrity by changing the next round of pricing that had already been published. So what do you do? You get up - brush the snow off and set a new course. Chicopee supports the implementation of a living wage. That said – to assist with planning, we ask that it be done at a rate and pace to which we can respond. Chicopee employs approximately 500 seasonal staff a year, with about 85% of those being students, and a large number of those people early in their working careers or with their first jobs. Students received the same 23% increase as servers and adults. This is hard for us to understand as this sector is not working to pay for mortgages and daycare.
Skiing/Boarding is a discretionary spend and Chicopee has worked to keep the price affordable with Full Memberships just $10 more than 14 years ago (this is an increase of 3% in 14 years - unlike the 32% in 1.5 years for the minimum wage). We believe keeping the price down is important as we are introducing new people to a healthy, lifelong activity. If you are a family of four thinking of something you can do together, and wanting to get your children active and away from sitting in front of a screen, we are one of the best choices... but as that price goes up, you start to look for other alternatives or you go back to YouTube. Our patrons simply can't handle an increase of 32% - it would certainly cause them to disengage from us. Wage compression between entry level, first time workers and returning positions is another mogul for us to handle. Many of our supervisors were working for wages below the current minimum wage. The increases to these wages have been causing all sorts of morale and engagement issues for us.
Chicopee has always been creative in trying to be a fun-filled place to work with incentives to keep employees motivated to grow. We have a Bursary Program in the Snow School that pays a $1.00 bonus per hour that can be used for continuing education and uniform supplies. We have given small increases each year for seniority (years of service), as a token of respect to people who come back while they are going through school. When minimum wage went up January 1st, it swallowed up years of respect, and now those frontline employees are wondering where that respect went. They are saying "why should I work hard, do more, help mentor the new person when I'm making almost the same as him/her," even though they just got a substantial raise themselves. The financial impact is expected to increase our payroll by $265,000 this year, not to even think of the increase coming next year. For a not-for-profit organization like Chicopee, that can be the difference between making money and losing money. It certainly makes it tough, with increasing hydro prices, paying $148,000 in municipal taxes and a licensing fee of $82,000 per year to the GRCA, all without receiving any level of government support. Over the last 5 years we have strategically reduced our workforce and changed procedures to become more efficient, and sustainable. Now with Bill 148, we are feeling increasing pressure to automate, and reduce staffing even further, which we are reluctant to do because, at some point, it will affect customer service. We suggest the Ontario government introduce a student work grant throughout the year like the Federal Summer Job Grant Program, and consider not increasing the Student Wage in 2019.
We find ourselves asking – how can we respond, be sustainable, grow into the future, while keeping skiing affordable, and bring people to this great Canadian sport? The answer is as clear as skiing down Applebowl in a heavy snowfall. We will - just as our founding members some 84 years ago - find a way to balance the ledger, and keep this valuable Recreational Centre in our community for years to come. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Creighton Bill is a father and husband, as well as being the C.E.O. “Chief Excitement Officer” at Chicopee. He is an active community member in Waterloo Region, former Chair of Marketing WRTMC, and Oktoberfest Board Member. advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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hi-lighting members
Contractor Services
Connected Trade Services Inc
Connected Trade Services Inc
17 Years in the electrical field we will ensure you are never left without a electrician to call on. No matter if it's residential, commercial or industrial, your satisfaction is our main priority and quality has been our focus.
20 Southdale Avenue, Kitchener 519-496-9238 www.connectedtradeservices.ca @connected_ts connectedts@protonmail.com
Reliance Home Comfort™
Reliance Home Comfort™
Reliance is a leading provider of heating, cooling, hot water, plumbing and water purification services to Canadian homeowners and businesses for more than 50 years. With over 1000 professional licensed technicians and service vehicles on the road, plus live telephone support services 24/7/365, we can respond to your heating, cooling, hot water, plumbing and water purification needs fast. Call on Reliance.
Bin There Dump That Bin There Dump That is the Region's premier bin rental service. We have a large inventory consisting of 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, and 20 yard bins. We protect driveways, sweep up at pickup, and offer fast and friendly service.
275 Thompson Drive, Unit 3, Cambridge 1-866-RELIANCE (735-4262) Mike Hoyer – Sales Manager Cell: 519-222-0610 mhoyer@reliancecomfort.com www.reliancehomecomfort.com
Bin There Dump That 576 Mill Park Drive Kitchener 1-877-474-3243 kw@bintheredumpthat.com www.bintheredumpthat.com
RMW Exteriors Inc.
RMW Exteriors Inc.
RMW Exteriors Inc. is an industry leading exterior company providing 30 years of superior service in siding, windows and doors. RMW efficiently offers the highest quality of workmanship specializing in various new construction/remodeling projects from residential to commercial/industrial and agricultural.
840 King Street North Waterloo, 519-669-1445 sales@rmwexteriors.com www.rmwexteriors.com
Clean & TidyTM Clean & Tidy is a residential and commercial cleaning company. Our mission is to make every home we enter shine. We believe in only using safe, natural, green products and hold ourselves to very high standards.
Shelby Behling, President 2016 Platinum Winner Reader Record Awards 2017 Diamond Winner Reader Record Awards Phone: 226-647-1990 Cell: 519-722-0040 www.cleanandtidykw.com
Catalyst General Contracting
Catalyst General Contracting
Catalyst is a full service residential contractor, specializing in designbuild projects, whole home renovations, and additions. We pride ourselves on high quality work completed in a timely and efficient manner, using innovative products and processes. Building Trust. Building Change."
8 Hoffman Street, Unit 1A Kitchener, 519-500-9395 info@catalystgc.ca www.catalystgc.ca
Westmount Craftsmen Inc
Westmount Craftsmen Inc
Westmount Craftsmen Inc provides renovation services in Waterloo and Kitchener Ontario. Our entire team is dedicated to a finished product that exceeds your expectations. We take the time to get to know you and your lifestyle. We want each room in your house to be welcoming and attractive while facilitating a stress-free lifestyle
2-1215 Victoria Street North Kitchener 519-635-7089 info@westmountcraftsmen.com www.westmountcraftsmen.com
Clean & TidyTM
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hi-lighting members
Contractor Services
WINMAR Bob Foster, CIP
WINMAR
11 Hoffman Street Kitchener 519-895-0000 bobfoster@winmar.ca www.winmarkitchener.ca
With 35 years of experience in insurance restoration and cleaning, we know what it takes to make clients happy. It’s simple: We apply the same standards of quality workmanship that we would expect ourselves. We always come through for you.
Frey Building Contractors
Frey Building Contractors
3435 Broadway Street Hawkesville 519-699-4641 lex@freybc.com www.freybc.com
Established in 1970, Frey Building Contractors is active in the industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential sectors. We offer a full range of services, including General Contracting, Design/Build, and Construction & Project Management. Frey employs highly qualified and skilled project managers, site supervisors, carpenters and labourers.
Bradley A. Straus Contractors Ltd
Bradley A. Straus Contractors Ltd
746 Snowcrest Place, RR #3, Waterloo 519-886-8865 brad3@gto.net www.strauscontractors.ca
Mr. Handyman of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge
We have been satisfying customers for 30 years with the expertise we developed in the building trade, through the renovation, and remodeling of homes and commercial units to make them look new again. We consider all projects, large or small.
Mr. Handyman of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge
7B-871 Victoria Street North Suite 305 , Kitchener 519-744-4544 john.mcquinn@mrhandyman.com www.mrhandyman.ca
Mr. Handyman technicians are highly skilled craftsmen with an average of 10 years’ experience in the trades. We’re home repair and improvement experts, and we are known for the quality of our workmanship and professional reliability, so you know the job will be done correctly and efficiently on the first visit.
Bavarian Windows
Bavarian Windows
Morgan Reay, Sales and Marketing Manager 2236 Shirley Drive Kitchener 519-578-3938 morgan@bavarianwindows.com www.bavarianwindows.com
Restoration 1 Kitchener 4 - 565 Trillium Drive Kitchener 519-505-4785 sharon@restoration1.ca www.kitchener.restoration1.ca
At Bavarian windows, we pride ourselves on the quality of our products, our design, and our people. All of our associates have a thorough understanding of each of our products, as well as the construction and design process involved in installation, so we can help you choose the window or door that fits your needs.
Restoration 1 Kitchener Water Damage * Mould Remediation * Fire & Smoke * Sewage Cleanup At Restoration 1 we have the state of the art equipment and trained technicians. Our 24/7 emergency restoration service can make the difference. No job is too big or too small.
Woodhouse Group Inc.
Woodhouse Group Inc.
2-207 Madison Avenue South Kitchener, ON N2G 3M7 519-749-3790 info@woodhouse.ca woodhouse.ca
GENERAL CONTRACTING | DISASTER RESTORATION | ENVIRONMENTAL “Your Full Service Contractor” delivering complete assurance for all your construction needs. Backed up by our 24 HR Emergency On Call Team, providing immediate mobilization and comfort for any disaster. Three generations of experience…a lifetime of quality workmanship. advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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events
Mark Your Calendar March 2, 2018
March 28, 2018
International Women’s Day Breakfast
7:00-9:00am Location: Crowne Plaza Kitchener Waterloo Member Ticket: $35 • Member Table of 10: $330 Future Member Ticket: $40 • Future Member Table of 10: $350 Join us in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding achievements of women in our community and around the world. Title Sponsor:
Silver Sponsor:
Bronze Sponsor: Event Sponsor:
Jewellery Sponsor:
Manulife Chamber Academy presents Cybersecurity & Network Health
8:00-9:30am Location: Kitchener Memorial Auditorium – Wright Auto Sales Lounge Member Ticket: $25 Future Member Ticket: $35 Member Series Pass: $85 Facilitated by Doug Grosfield, President & CEO of Five Nines IT Solutions Small and medium sized businesses need to know that cybersecurity is more than firewalls, passwords, and antivirus protection. Business Continuity goes well beyond just backups and disaster recovery, and that effective ongoing support is essential for business growth. Join us as we delve into cybersecurity and your business!
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Print Sponsor:
March 28, 2018
Point of View with Mike Doughty
March 22, 2018
MNP Networking Breakfast presents Sustainability at Borealis
Event Sponsor:
11:30am-1:30pm Location: Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo Member: $47 General Admission: $60 Table of 8: $375 Join the Chamber for lunch as we welcome the new President and CEO of Manulife Canada, Mike Doughty! Mike has returned to Waterloo after 5 years in Boston with Manulife’s US Division (John Hancock). He is excited to get reacquainted with the KW business community and address topics including Pharmacare, Mental Health, the need for local transit, Fintech and Manulife’s key priorities in the Canadian market.
Marketing Sponsor:
Title Sponsor:
7:15-9:00am Location: Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Members: $35 • Future Member: $45 • Table of 6: $205 Join us as we discover the behind-the-scenes operations of Borealis Grille & Bar and how they have implemented innovative solutions to keep the earth happy and healthy. Title Sponsor:
Media Sponsor:
We’ve Moved Lackner McLennan Insurance Ltd. and Erb and Erb Insurance Brokers are now receiving clients at 818 Victoria Street North, Kitchener. See what we’re up to by following us on Social Media: @LacknerMcLennan and @ErbAndErb
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events
Mark Your Calendar April 12, 2018
Home Hardware Business After 5
5:00-7:00pm Location: Inn of Waterloo & Conference Centre Members: Complimentary Future Members: $10 Exhibit Booths: $60 Come out to this casual B2B networking event with friendly faces and easy conversation. Title Sponsor: Host: Media Sponsor:
April 24, 2018
Manulife Chamber Academy presents Social Media & Content Development
8:00-9:30am Location: Kitchener Memorial Auditorium – Wright Auto Sales Lounge Member Ticket: $25 Future Member Ticket: $35 Facilitated by Jordan Snider, CTO & Founder of Token Creative Services This session will explore social media and how to effectively manage it for anyone from a digital marketer to business owners. We will take you top down to build an understanding of the intricacies of all varieties of social platforms. Learn about the various tools that assist in creating strong content, and utilize each platform to its fullest potential. Title Sponsor:
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April 19, 2018
Libro Chamber Young Professionals presents Swing into Spring
5:30-7:30pm Location: Golfplay Inc. Members: $10 Future Member: $15 Join the Libro Chamber Young Professionals for a fun event where you can meet other young professionals from the Region, play on the links, enjoy some drinks and have some casual conversations. Title Sponsor: Silver Sponsor: Marketing Sponsor:
advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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feature
5 Minutes for Business - In Praise of Profit
Article Originally Published on Canadian Chamber of Commerce Website, December 19, 2017 It may be politically incorrect to say this today. But, that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s good when businesses make money. Profits are important to the Canadian economy. They’re what generate jobs.
They’re the mainstay of prosperity for the middle class—and for all Canadians.
Profits Create Jobs 20
Next, look at the relationship between corporate profits and capital investment by Canada’s business sector. Changes in the amount businesses invest in non-residential structures, machinery and equipment follow closely on changes in after-tax profits. Simply put, profit drives business investment. The most effective thing governments can do to incent companies to invest more in innovation, productivity enhancing technologies and improved environmental performance is to leave more money in the hands of business to make those investments. The role profits play in driving business growth and assuring economic prosperity for Canadians should be a fundamental
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It’s a fact all too often forgotten in today’s policy environment. Governments at all levels seem more intent on raising taxes on business rather than lowering them. Regulatory compliance costs are rapidly increasing. Governments are getting ready to unleash a flood of new charges and user fees for regulatory approvals. And, minimum wage rates and payroll contributions are being raised more rapidly than the cost of inflation. Whether it’s with respect to improving environmental performance, workplace health and safety or product standards, the first reflex of government is to regulate and penalize, rarely to provide positive incentives for business to make the investments they need to be able to modernize and comply.
Clearly, these are measures put in place by people who know nothing about business finance, who all too often think that higher business profits come at the expense of jobs and social policy goals. Just the opposite is true. It’s when businesses are profitable that they’re able to grow, create jobs and invest in the new products, processes and technologies required in order for them to meet more stringent stakeholder expectations while remaining competitive. The record of the last 30 years speaks for itself. First, look at the relationship between business profits and jobs. The more profitable Canadian companies are, the lower Canada’s rate of unemployment is. Changes in profitability (measured in terms of after-tax profits as a per cent of GDP) are followed immediately by changes in the unemployment rate. Canada’s unemployment rate goes up only when profit margins come under pressure.
Year-over-Year Per cent Change
Profits Drive Business Investment
0
80 60 40 20 0 -20 -40 -60 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 A"er-Tax Profit
Business Investment
tenet of all government decision- making. Our governments must at least be aware of the negative impact higher taxes and regulatory compliance costs have on profits, job creation and business investment. It’s an important message for all of us to convey.
So, let’s celebrate profit this holiday season! Let’s create jobs, incent investment and ensure greater prosperity for Canadians by championing a more profitable environment for Canadian business. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jayson Myers
Jayson Myers grew up in Fergus, Ontario and retired as President and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters in September of 2016. He served as interim Senior Vice President, Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce from August 2017 to January 2018.
advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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feature
Success Through Innovation and Engagement Erwin Hymer Group In early 2016, Erwin Hymer Group (EHG) —Europe’s largest motorhome and caravan manufacturer—acquired Roadtrek Motorhomes, Inc., a long-standing manufacturer of Class B motorhomes headquartered in Waterloo.
Roadtrek (now known as Erwin Hymer Group North America, Inc.) had caught EHG’s attention for a number of reasons. An industry leader for compact leisure vehicles with a 40-year track record, Roadtrek had a market share of 30% in North America— and a management team with excellent knowledge of the US and Canadian markets. Moreover, the company was well known for its innovative technology, including solar energy, heating, and air conditioning controls via smartphone or tablet. EHG’s acquisition of Roadtrek enabled them to expand their market penetration and successfully enter the North American market.
One year post-acquisition, EHGNA is situated in two locations across Waterloo: its original offices in Kitchener, Ontario, for manufacturing, and a former BlackBerry building in Cambridge, Ontario, for Research and Development and manufacturing. “The building was a big selling point for Erwin Hymer Group North America, because it’s close to our Kitchener location, and has the land for future growth,” says Lisa Phillips, marketing manager for EHGNA. All groups in the company have been growing significantly in the last year—and continue to do so. “We’ve now quadrupled our space for R&D, and we have a lot more area for prototyping things,” says lead innovation engineer, Charlie Rossi. “We like to incorporate new technology and get things to market as quickly as possible—and there’s a ton of talent and innovation in this area that we can pull from.” According to Rossi and Phillips, achieving business success in Waterloo is all about engagement. “It’s really important to talk to other companies and organizations, which can help you create new ideas,” says Rossi. “You can’t stay stagnant if you want to be successful. But, when you engage with others, even if they’re not in your industry, the information they share with you can help your business grow. Basically, the more you dialogue with others, the more you can ensure your company
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stays current and relevant.” Rossi points to the University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) as an example of how businesses engaging with academic institutions can lead to innovative partnerships.
“The university is one of the best in Canada for world-changing research and innovation, and on top of that, they’re very forward-thinking in terms of working with companies in the area,” he says. “When students come up with new technology, the school has excellent ways of linking up with different industries.” Engaging with other organizations in Waterloo has helped EHGNA increase its innovative capacity, stay on top of up-and-coming trends and get noticed.
“All the insight we’ve received has been really advantageous to our company, because we’re now getting a lot of attention and support from governmental officials,” says Rossi. “Being in this high-visibility tech quarter has afforded us many opportunities.” For businesses considering a move to the region, Phillips and Rossi only have good words about Waterloo and surrounding area. “The lifestyle here is very open and multicultural, and there’s a great variety of food and nice housing areas,” says Phillips.
“It’s also a convenient short distance to Toronto, so we have easy access to a bigger city if we want to visit it or do business with it,” adds Rossi. “But the really nice thing about Waterloo is you can still live in a smaller city and have all the resources and culture you need; plus you get that tighter-knit group feel than you would get in a larger city.” Rossi and Phillips also credit Waterloo EDC for helping to promote EHGNA, and fostering relationships in the area. “Waterloo EDC has put us in touch with a bunch of people and companies, and will even let us know if the university is doing something interesting or innovative there that aligns with our business,” says Rossi. “They really go out of their way to ensure we’re talking to the right people and getting a chance in the spotlight and being in the public eye.”
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
RBC Dominion Securities Waterloo is hiring new Investment Advisors RBC Dominion Securities in Waterloo is seeking motivated individuals for a fulfilling career in the wealth management industry. If you’re looking for the support you need to build a successful career, RBC Dominion Securities offers several advantages:
O O O O
Strength and stability Independence with support Powerful tools and technology Top-calibre training
With an independent focus that encourages and rewards initiative, industry-leading investment and
wealth management support, and the backing of Canada’s largest financial institution, RBC Dominion Securities is the premier choice for investment professionals who want to build a successful wealth management practice.
For more details, please contact Vice-President and Branch Manager Mark Hodson at 519-747-7790 or mark.hodson@rbc.com.
We value diversity in the workplace, are committed to Employment Equity and will provide reasonable workplace accommodation to applicants with disabilities. RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2017 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 17_90561_001
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advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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sponsor profile
WLU Ranked First Nationally for Student Satisfaction For the past two years Maclean’s magazine has ranked Wilfrid Laurier University No. 1 in its category nationally for student satisfaction.
It’s an accomplishment that means a great deal to us. Students are a university’s biggest customers, and our students love what they experience at Laurier. What’s so special about the Laurier experience?
It has a lot to do with community. Over the past 107 years, Laurier has evolved from its modest origins as a small Lutheran seminary to one of the best comprehensive universities in Canada. While the university has grown in terms of student numbers, academic programs, research activities, and campus locations, our faculty and staff still strive to maintain an intimate sense of community. We do this in many ways, from our supportive residence experience to our campus clubs, intramural sports, student leadership opportunities, seminarstyle classes for both first-year and upper-year students, research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students, a shared enthusiasm for varsity sports, experiential learning opportunities across all faculties, the top careerservices model in Canada, and an outstanding tradition of volunteerism among students, alumni, staff and faculty, to name just a few of the key building blocks of the Laurier experience. This shared sense of community is reflected in Laurier’s institutional proposition: Inspiring lives of leadership and purpose.
A big part of the Laurier experience is the quality of our academic programs and research activities. Over the years, Laurier has developed nationally significant programs in business, music, social work, water science, northern research and other disciplines.
Laurier’s highly ranked Lazaridis School of Business and Economics offers Canada’s largest business co-op program. Our educational model is based on “immersive” learning — engaging in case competitions, working in teams to address real-world challenges, and learning from leading academics and practitioners in all aspects of business and economics. In addition to the university’s renowned Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program, the Lazaridis School offers numerous graduate programs, including the part-time Lazaridis Executive Master’s in Technology Management (EMTM) and a range of MBA and Master of Finance programs taught in both Waterloo and Toronto.
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Through the vision of BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis, the Laurier-based Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises is the Canadian leader in research and programming aimed at empowering current and emerging technology firms to scale rapidly into globally competitive companies. The nationally recognized Lazaridis Scale-Up Program identifies 10 of the most promising technology companies in Canada each year and brings them together as an elite cohort for specialized training and support.
Laurier’s Faculty of Music has long been recognized as one of the best music programs in Canada. Our graduates routinely go on to national and international careers in performance, conducting, composition, education and other fields. In recent years the Laurier Faculty of Music has developed a reputation for innovative new programs in music therapy and community music. The latter draws on the faculty’s long history of working closely with musicians and music groups in the surrounding community, as well as with a wide range of international collaborators. Laurier’s Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work has a welldeserved reputation as one of Canada’s leading centres for teaching, research and field education in social work. Founded more than 50 years ago, the faculty offers programming in downtown Kitchener and Brantford, embedding its students close to the social service agencies with which they work. Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work is known for its innovative programs, including the Indigenous Field of Study, which is the first Master of Social Work program in Canada rooted in a holistic Indigenous worldview and contemporary social work practice.
In recent years, Laurier has made a strategic effort to increase its research capacity. A great example is the university’s growing expertise in water science and northern research. In 2013,
sponsor profile
Laurier opened the state-of-the-art Centre for Cold Regions and Water Science. Through the Laurier Institute for Water Science, Laurier researchers are active partners in collaborative research projects focused on both Canadian and global water issues, including the effects of climate change, the sustainability of healthy aquatic and coastal ecosystems, and the development of regulations and policy related to water use.
Laurier researchers have also worked for decades in Canada’s North. Of particular note is Laurier’s longstanding partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories, which exists to expand the Territories’ capacity to conduct environmental research and monitoring, and to train the new expertise needed to manage its natural resources for future generations. Last fall, Laurier opened a research office in Yellowknife to support the university’s substantial northern initiatives, many of which involve working closely with Indigenous and nonIndigenous local communities. As Laurier looks to the future, the university will build on its strategic vision as a multi-campus, multi-community university.
Ongoing plans will strengthen the Laurier campus in Brantford, Ontario, which has grown from one building and 39 students in 1999 to nearly 3,000 students and more than 20 buildings today. As well, the university has been working with the Ontario government to establish a Laurier location in the Town of Milton. Watch for more news on Laurier’s Milton proposal in the coming months. Laurier also has an office in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, located on the ground floor of The Exchange Tower at King and York streets. Laurier Toronto provides staff, faculty, alumni, and students with free work, meeting and event space in the downtown.
Beginning with its first campus in Waterloo, the key to Laurier’s success has been tied to community partnerships. Regardless of location, Wilfrid Laurier University is committed to the communities in which we operate and to partnerships with local municipalities, businesses and organizations.
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2018 Membership Milestones!
We'd like to thank all of our members for your support over the years and want to congratulate the following companies who are celebrating these Milestone Anniversaries in 2018.
10 Years
JOINED IN 2008
Advocate Insurance Group All-Risks Insurance Brokers Limited Andesign Inc. Anytime Fitness Balzac’s Coffee Ltd. Bench Craft Leather Inc. Bluewater Family Support Services Inc. BMO Bank of Montreal - Business Banking BMO Bank of Montreal - Glen Forest BMO Bank of Montreal - Highland & Patricia BMO Bank of Montreal - Highland Hills BMO Bank of Montreal - Hiway Centre BMO Bank of Montreal - Ira Needles & Erb BMO Bank of Montreal - King & Hickory BMO Bank of Montreal - King & Ottawa BMO Bank of Montreal - Ottawa & Strasburg BMO Bank of Montreal - Personal Banking BMO Bank of Montreal - Weber & Lincoln BMO Private Banking Buchanan & Hall Chrome Consulting Ltd. Community CarShare Co-Operative Inc Crabby Joe’s Bar • Grill Dryer Moisture Systems Inc. DTI Logistics Canada Edible Arrangements - Store 955 Emerald Homes Ltd. Fiddleheads Health & Nutrition Inc. Fowler Tire Golder Associates Ltd. House of Friendship Hydropool Waterloo Kingsdale Animal Hospital Professional Corp. Kitchener Utilities K-W Cornerstone Paving Ltd. K-W Granite Club
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Lantern Hill IT Inc Laurentian Bank of Canada Lemont Consultants Inc Libro Credit Union - Beechwood Branch Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Mark Harris Illustration Inc. Maxwell’s Concerts and Events McMaster University -Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine-Waterloo Reg. Campus ModernWorks Inc. Morneau Shepell Ltd. Paul Marshall Installs Permanent Paving Ltd Pestell Pet Products Randstad Canada Reis Information Systems S.T.O.P. Restaurant Supply Ltd. Sleep Management Group St. John’s-Kilmarnock School Stratford House of Blessing Sunbelt Business Brokers Supreme Basics Office Products The Delivery Guys Inc. Tire Team Centres Inc TNT Property Maintenance Inc. W2N2 Partnership Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation Wayne Berwick Office Furnishings York Custom Renovators Inc. IN 15 Years JOINED 2003
A & W Kitchener Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited Bereskin & Parr LLP BMO Bank of Montreal - Kitchener Main Business & Education Partnership of Waterloo Region Cambridge Label Inc Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) City of Kitchener Conestoga Chapter, Insurance Institute of Ontario Credimax Collections Canada Crosby Volkswagen Audi Culligan Water CUTtheRISK.com
Golden Disposal Waste and Recycling Services GoodLife Fitness - Weber Ikon Landscaping KW Habilitation Services Manulife Ministry of Economic Development and Growth Morning Glory Cafe & Catering Paul Ahrens & Associates Ltd Pinnacle Tree & Shrub ProcessPower Solutions Inc R. James Griesbaum Holdings Inc Recovery Force Inc. Ron Johnston Financial Streetseen Media THEMUSEUM Triak Mechanical Inc Unitron Hearing Waterloo Regional Apartment Management Association (WRAMA) Weber’s Fabricating Ltd Westervelt College IN 20 Years JOINED 1998
Active Towing & Recovery Services ACUTE Environmental & Safety Services Inc Aesthetica Face & Body Inc. Bavarian Window Works Child Witness Centre of Waterloo Region Communitech Corporation Corus Radio Kitchener 107.5 Dave Rocks and 91.5 The Beat Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo St. Jacobs Groundhog Divers IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc. Libro Credit Union - Northfield Lutherwood Paquette Travers Professional Corp. Primespec Inc Sorbara, Schumacher, McCann LLP Spectrum Global Communications The Roofman Inc. The Sign Depot Inc. TriOS College Business Technology Healthcare Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region
25 Years
JOINED IN 1993
AV Ontario Inc C.M.W. Ormston Holdings Inc Carizon Family & Community Services Concordia Club Heroux Devtek - Landing Gear Division K-W Fuel Injection Ltd Relectronic-Remech Inc Residence & Conference Centre -Kitchener-Waterloo ScotiaMcLeod Inc Viessmann Manufacturing Co Inc.
30 Years +
JOINED IN 1988 OR EARLIER
762432 Ontario Inc AECOM Canada Ltd. Airways Transit Service Limited All Ontario Financial-The Mortgage People Amber Steel Atlas Scale Baer Petroleum Marketing Ltd Bank of Nova Scotia - Kitchener Barber-Collins Security Services Ltd. Bast Tire & Auto BDO Canada LLP Bell Canada Berkshire Building Corp Best Western Plus - Waterloo Better Business Bureau of Central Ontario, Inc Bev Shearer & Sons Roofing Ltd Bingemans Inc Business Development Bank of Canada Cameron’s Flower Shop Capri Salon and Spa Centre In The Square Charcoal Steak House Chicopee Craftsmen (1999) Inc Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort Rogers Media Inc. CIBC - Wood Gundy Waterloo Cober Colt Canada Corporation Conestoga Cold Storage Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning Conestoga Country Club Ltd Cowan Insurance Group Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. Crown Courier Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo CTV Kitchener/Bell Media Inc. Deloitte Management Services LP Downtown Kitchener BIA
Dr. Kevin P. McSweeny Duncan, Linton LLP Dundee Country Club Economical Insurance EIWO Canadian Management Ltd Elite Air Inc Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada Erb & Good Family Funeral Home Erb and Erb Insurance Brokers Ltd Ernst & Young LLP FaithLife Financial Financial Horizons Inc Giffen LLP Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Grand River Hospital Foundation Guhring Corp H. Polzl Consulting Limited H. Wolynetz Investments Ltd Hallman Business Forms, Labels & Printing Heer’s Paint & Decor Heffner Lexus & Heffner Toyota Heine Instruments (Canada) Ltd. Hendrix Genetics Ltd. Hercules Tire International Hogg Fuel & Supply Limited Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel and Conference Centre Integra Homes Inc Italo Foods Ivanhoe Cambridge II Inc./Conestoga Mall John Howard Society of WaterlooWellington Junior Achievement of the Waterloo Region Kelly & Co Kitchener Public Library Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club Kitchener Waterloo Bilingual School Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. Kodiak Building Ltd KPMG MSLP Kuehne + Nagel Ltd. K-W Oktoberfest Inc Lackner McLennan Insurance Ltd. Lakeshore Service Centre Linda Hilts Interiors Ltd MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited Madorin, Snyder LLP Mark L. Dorfman, Planner Inc Marsland Centre Limited Marten’s Furniture Wonderland Masonry by Rasmussen Inc McBride Loudspeaker Source Ltd Metropolitan Pump Co Limited Miller Thomson LLP Minuteman Press MNP LLP
Moore, McDermott & Partners LLP MTE Consultants Inc. New York Rock (822773 Ontario Ltd) Northfield Racquet & Fitness Club Northfield Trim & Door Inc. Northport Landing Inc Nour Trading House Inc Onward Manufacturing Company Limited Parkway Ford Sales (1996) Ltd Petals & Pots PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Raytheon Canada Limited Royal LePage Scharf Realty Rubberline Products Ltd Safety-Kleen Canada Inc (Oil Recovery) Schiedel Construction Inc Spaenaur Inc St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation Steed and Evans Limited Strassburger Windows & Doors Sun Life Financial Sunrise Shopping Centre Swan Dust Control Ltd Swanson’s Home Hardware Building Centre Swiss Chalet - Weber Street North The C3 Group The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited The Food Bank of Waterloo Region The Pinnacle Group The Plant Lady Inc. The Shops at Waterloo Town Square/ Primus Property Management Inc. Topeco Coffee, Tea & Spices Inc Twin City Dwyer Printing Co Ltd Twinlode Canada Union Gas Limited | An Enbridge Company United Rentals Of Canada Inc United Way Waterloo Region Communities University of Waterloo UpTown Waterloo Business Improvement Area Walper Hotel Enterprise Inc. Waste Management of Canada Corporation Waterloo Catholic District School Board Waterloo Manufacturing Company Ltd Waterloo North Hydro Inc Waterloo Printing Company Ltd Waterloo Region Record Waterloo Regional Police Association Weber Supply Company Inc. Wesco Distribution Canada LP Westmount Golf & Country Club Ltd WHITNEY & Company Realty Limited Wilfrid Laurier University Wilke Movers Ltd William Knell and Company Ltd Your Neighbourhood Credit Union Youth in Conflict with the Law Zehr Group advocate MARCH | APRIL 2018
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Challenging Times for Business: Consultation on Employment Standards Act Exemptions and Labour Relations Act Exclusions In late 2017, the Province conducted consultations on the review of exemptions and exclusions under the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA).
The ESA sets out the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers in Ontario workplaces. It establishes minimum employment standards with respect to maximum hours of work; rest periods; eating periods; overtime pay; minimum wage; public holidays; vacation with pay; pregnancy and parental leave; emergency leave; and termination and severance of employment. The review focused on eight occupations that are currently exempt from minimum employment standards: architects; domestic workers; homemakers; IT professionals; managerial and supervisory employees; pharmacists; residential building superintendents; janitors and caretakers; and residential care workers. As part of the consultation for managerial and supervisory employees, the government proposed a legislative change to the current ESA exemption in the form of a salary-plus duties threshold to be applied before the exemption from the overtime provisions can apply.
With the passing of Bill 148 in 2018, two new parts were added to the ESA that apply to some of the occupations under review (architects; managers/supervisors; IT professionals; residential building superintendents, janitors, caretakers; pharmacists). These parts are Request for Changes to Schedule or Work Location (New Part VII.1 of the ESA) and Scheduling (New Part VII.2 of the ESA).
New Part VII.1 of the ESA would allow employees to have the ability to request changes to their schedule or work location after they have been employed for at least three months. Employers who receive these requests are required to discuss them with the employee and either grant them or provide reasons for denial. New Part VII.2 of the ESA establishes minimum standards regarding scheduling. These include the three-hour rule; minimum pay for being on call; right to refuse; cancellation of shift; and limit on entitlement. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), after outreach to its members and Chamber Network, developed a submission providing feedback on several of the occupations under review. On the occupations that the OCC could comment on, the advice to government was that the current exemptions should remain in place with no changes. The current exemptions are in place as past government have acknowledged that professions present certain scheduling and workload management difficulties. The work of IT professionals is highly mobile, short-term, project-based and
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needs to be performed within a tight schedule and often at times when there is limited usage of an organization’s systems. Given that, hours of work for IT professionals must be flexible and employers must have the ability to schedule employees to respond quickly to organization needs as they arise.
Similarly, for homemakers, considerations need to be made for the fact that hotels and most hospitality providers can have extremely unpredictable needs and as such staffing plans must work within these parameters. Changes to current exemptions for this industry could potentially translate to staff not receiving hours of work and loss of employment. For managerial and supervisory employees, linking the salary threshold to the general minimum wage does not provide an appropriate point of reference, but rather creates an artificial exemption simply by changing the manager’s salary. Mandating what a manager salary should be based on minimum wage takes away earning abilities from the employees and can impact their growth within the company. Pharmacists may structure their own hours of work as long as the full working day has coverage. Additionally, pharmacists currently earn significantly more than the minimum wage requirements as defined by the ESA.
If changes to the exemptions are deemed necessary, the OCC urged government to conduct a complete economic impact analysis of potential changes to the exemptions as well as comprehensive evidence-based research into the actual need for changing these long-held exemptions. The OCC advised that any changes to the current exemptions are phased in over time and there is no sudden change to the established status quo. Government should also be mindful not to enact changes to the current exemptions that hurt the very segment of the population it is trying to help. The government is currently reviewing received submissions. The full OCC submission can be viewed on the OCC’s website, www.occ.ca.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nadia Todorova
Nadia is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
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feature
Gateman-Milloy is a respected Kitchener-based construction company with a proven track record. What began as a small landscape contracting business in 1982, has grown into an award-winning construction firm. Our passion is creating places.
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commercial . industrial . institutional WWW.GREATERKWCHAMBER.COM
. recreational . residential . design-build . project management . gatemanmilloy.com . 519.748.6500
member notables
Member Notables New Board of Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors Announced
Tony Schmidt, Broker of Record with Howie Schmidt Realty, was recently elected as the new president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors.
Joining Schmidt as officers of the Association are James Craig of CBRE as Past President, Brian Santos of Peak Realty as 1st Vice President, Colleen Koehler of RE/MAX Twin City as 2nd Vice President, and Executive Officer Bill Duce.
New directors are Megan Bell of Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, Leon Martin of Re/Max Solid Gold Realty, and Jim Watson of Homes by Watson Realty & Appraisals Inc. Returning as directors are Jane Gardner of Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Nicole Pohl of Re/Max Twin City, and Charlotte Zawada of RE/MAX Twin City Realty.
Retirements Announced at Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospitals
In late January, the presidents of Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospitals both announced their pending retirements.
Don Shilton, who has served as president of St. Mary’s for 13 years, will retire at end of June this year. Malcolm Maxwell, who has been president and chief executive officer at Grand River Hospital since 2007, will depart at the end of September.
Mr. Maxwell and Mr. Shilton both demonstrated exemplary leadership in addressing our community’s many health care challenges during recent years of provincial funding pressures, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
Don Shilton
Malcolm Maxwell
Twin City Dwyer – 50 Years of Service
“When we began printing in 1968, this industry was a labour intensive industry. Today we are a capital intensive industry. What has not changed in 50 years is the strength of Twin City Dwyer Printing, that being customer service,” says Dave Potje, Vice President of TCD and Chair of the Ontario Printing Industries Association. “Focusing on our customer’s ever evolving needs has driven everything we have done for the last 50 years. Our web-to-print portal www.tcdprintingonline.com is a prime example. It allows our customers to customize products and place orders 24/7” says Joe Dwyer, President of TCD.
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Twin City Dwyer Printing Co. Ltd., a commercial printing company focused on products and services that help you promote your organization, is celebrating 50 years in business. Serving Waterloo Region and beyond, TCD recently relocated to 4-584 Colby Drive, Waterloo.
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Cushman & Wakefield Waterloo Region, Ltd. Brokerage 4295 King Street East, Suite 101 Kitchener, ON N2P 0C6 +1 519 585 2200 info@cushwakewr.com cushwakewr.com | @CushWakeWR
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The Power of Education
BY JOAN FISK
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