Volume 27, Summer 2006
ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
IHM Conference 2006 That 70’s Housing Show Celebrating 30 Years
Inside President’s Message . . . . . . . . .2 Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . .2 Changes to the Tenant Protection Act in Bill 109 . . . . .3 Conference Report . . . . . . . . .4 How to Exert Power and Influence When You Have No Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Attitude at Work . . . . . . . . . . .9 President’s Commentary . . . .10 IHM Graduates & New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Distance Learning Application Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
P r e s i d e n t ’s M e s s a g e
Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!
I recently had a discussion with a retired property manager and long-time IHM member and friend of nearly 30 years. I asked her what she enjoyed most about her retirement ? Her response was, “I no longer have to make so many decisions that have an impact on so many people”. Interesting statement ! How many decisions do you make through the course of the day as property managers and administrators? Having been there for many years, I can answer that in one word, “countless!”
Some decisions are planned and some are last minute. Many of our decisions are carried out by others, some decisions are programmed, and some are not. Under conditions of certainty you bear the consequences of your decision. Under conditions of uncertainty there is some risk but you can mitigate a bad outcome by reaching a satisfactory outcome as opposed to the ideal outcome. And for those of you who like the adrenaline rush, you can procrastinate! Not always the best practice in decision making but it can be exciting and perhaps euphoric!
However, procrastination can become a habit and impact your ability to be a professional. Reward yourself, your tenants, and all your customers! Make timely and informed decisions! This is the best you can do and after all, You are the Best of the Best !
Greg Grange, B.A., F.I.H.M. President
2006 Board of Directors PRESIDENT:
TREASURER:
Greg Grange, FIHM Mgr., Housing Division Dept. of Community Services City of Kingston 216 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3 Tel: (613) 546-4291 Ext. 1265 Fax: (613) 546-3004 Email: ggrange@cityofkingston.ca
Harry Popiluk, FIHM Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen Street North Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Ext.215 Fax: (905) 527-3181 Email: hpopiluk@vpch.com
VICE-PRESIDENT: Deborah Filice, AIHM Co-Chair, Communications Committee Halton Community Housing Corp. 690 Dorval Drive, 7th Floor Oakville, ON L6K 3X9 Tel: (905) 825-6000 Ext. 4414 Fax: (905) 849-3568 Email: deborah.filice@halton.ca
SECRETARY: James Mellor, AIHM Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation 945 McDougall Street, P.O. Box 1330 Windsor, Ont. N9A 6R3 Tel: (519) 776-4631 Ext. 14 Fax: (519) 776-5510 Email: jmellor@wechc.com
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DIRECTORS: Lee Campbell, AIHM Co-Chair, Communications Committee Chair, Conference Committee City of Kingston 471 Counter Street, Suite #100 Kingston, Ont. K7M 8S8 Tel: (613) 546-5591 Ext. 105 Fax: (613) 546-9375 Email: lcampbell@cityofkingston.ca Joan Cranmer, FIHM Chair, Education Committee Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen Street North Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Ext. 213 Fax: (905) 632-5554 Email: dcranmer@cogeco.ca
Kevin O’Hara, AIHM Chair, Marketing Committee Regional Municipality of Waterloo Waterloo Region Housing #202–385 Fairway Road South, Kitchener, ON, N2C 2N9 Tel: (519) 575-4800 Fax: (519) 893-8447 Email: kevino@region.waterloo.on.ca David Chambers, AIHM Chair, Membership Committee CityHousing Hamilton 2255 Barton St., East Hamilton ON L8H 7T4 Tel: (905) 523-8496 ext 7897 Fax: (905) 546-2256 Email: dchamber@hamilton.ca Don White, AIHM Chair, Nominations Committee Toronto Housing Manager of Special Initiatives Asset Management 931 Yonge Street – 2nd Floor Toronto, ON M4W 2H2 Tel: (416) 981-4370 Fax: (416) 981-5960 Email: Don.White@torontohousing.ca
Lynn Alexander Candidate Representative Region of Durham Housing Services P.O. Box 623, Whitby, Ont. L1N 6A3 Tel: (905) 666-6222 Fax: (905) 666-6225 Email: Lynn.alexander@region.durham.on.ca
IHM OFFICE: Lynn Morrovat Administrator 2175 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 310 Toronto, Ontario M2J 1W8 Tel: (416) 493-7382 Ext. 254 Fax: (416) 491-1670 Email: ihm@taylorenterprises.com Josee Lefebvre Administrative Assistant 2175 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 310 Toronto, Ontario M2J 1W8 Tel: (416) 493-7382 Ext. 255 Fax: (416) 491-1670 Email: ihm@taylorenterprises.com
IHM News
Legislation Update
Changes to the Tenant Protection Act in Bill 109 By: Harry Fine That the Liberal government has delayed introduction of new landlord and tenant legislation for almost 3 years is indicative of the difficult divisions that exist over rental housing in Ontario and the complexity of the issues. The Liberals had promised to repeal the Tenant Protection Act within a year of taking office, and reform the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal. Promises included bringing back “real rent control” on vacant units. On May 3rd Bill 109 was introduced by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The changes include an end to the default order process, which had the Tribunal issuing orders evicting tenants if the tenant failed to dispute the application within 5 days of being served with the notice of hearing. This may have several unintended consequences. First, there may be long backlogs created in the system, now that every matter has to go to a hearing whether the tenant intends to attend or not. It’s ironic that now if a tenant wishes to have a hearing order overturned because he was not able to attend a hearing, he may have to file a review costing $75, where under the old system he could have filed a set aside motion at no cost to overturn the default order. Another change includes Tribunal orders preventing rent increases if there are serious un-resolved property standards orders against a property containing a rental unit. This will also lead to an increased load at the Tribunal, as parties argue about what is a deficiency of a
Summer 2006
“serious” nature, versus a minor maintenance issue. Having the most impact will be the inclusion of “costs no longer borne” provisions on “Above Guideline Rent Increase” applications. This will mean that if costs for capital expenditures have been paid back over the amortization period from a previous rent increase based on such an application, then that component of the rent increase that resulted from the capital expense will have to be rolled back. In other words, rents will go “down” for tenants whose rent went up years earlier. There will also be requirements to reduce rents if there were increases to the rent based on extraordinary increases in utility costs, and then the cost declines by a prescribed amount. Many in the industry are concerned that these changes will hamper the ability of landlords to modernize and update their buildings.
the Tribunal can provide remedies without the tenant having to file his or her own application • Interest on the last month’s rent deposit will be tied to the Consumer Price Index • Expanding the rules for discounting of rents used as an incentive • Increasing the time for evicted tenants to collect their property from 48 to 72 hours • Changing the name of the Tribunal to the Landlord and Tenant Board • Landlords will be required to give new tenants a pamphlet from the Landlord and Tenant Board when a new tenancy commences • Allowances are made in the Act and the Regulations for the coming of smart metering and sub-metering of hydro.
A major disappointment for tenants was the government breaking its pre-election promise to end vacancy decontrol and replace it with rent control. But tenants will still be protected with rent controls, now tied to the Consumer Price Index, as long as they live in the unit. When a tenant leaves, the landlord and new tenant are free to agree on rent of any amount.
All in all, the consensus is that there was a lot of tinkering that neither side is happy with, and doubts that the new Residential Tenancies Act will address legitimate and long-term public policy issues. The Bill is not expected to be proclaimed into law until the end of the summer at the very earliest.
Minor changes include:
Harry Fine is a former adjudicator with the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, and now appears on behalf of landlords at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal and the Small Claims Court. He also teaches landlord and tenant law at Humber College and at the Toronto and Mississauga Real Estate Boards.
• A fast track eviction process for small landlords when tenants cause damage or substantially interfere with their reasonable enjoyment • Tenants can raise maintenance and other issues at eviction hearings, and
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2006 Conference Report
That 70’s Housing Show Celebrating 30 Years Our Annual Conference was held in Windsor, Ontario this year and our theme was celebrating IHM’s 30th Anniversary. Although we were a little disappointed with the number of registrations we believe those who did attend were treated to excellent accommodations at the Hilton, informative sessions that were relevant to our challenges of today and, of course, an abundance of networking and fun.
Breakfasts. A Quizmas Quiz was completed by three Chapters and the winning Chapter received a 1970’s fly swatter with colorful flowers surrounding the actual swatter. The day continued with our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Gary Burge, and, to say the least, Gary was an incredible motivational speaker, bringing humor, audience participation and a strong message to the group. His topic of “Execute Your Communication Skills or They Will Die” revolved around the
premise that it is easier to change someone else’s behavior than it is your own. Thursday continued with sessions for the remainder of the morning and afternoon, covering such topics as ‘Senior Moment Program’, ‘Community Revitalization’, ‘Effective and Efficient Turnovers’ and a Legislation Update. Lunch was at the Casino (which was perfect for those delegates who were familiar with Continued on page 6
On Wednesday night at our Meet and Greet, we were spellbound by Mr. Parrott’s Trivia Pursuit Contest. Categories in General Knowledge, Sports, Entertainment and one other (you had to be there to enjoy the fourth category) tested various team knowledge and you could hear the discussions and disagreements on what answer was correct. In the end one team, headed by Jim Steele was victorious even though one of their answers in the mysterious category 4 was considered somewhat incorrect, but they were given an A for effort. Thursday was a very busy day for all starting at 7:30 am with our Chapter
The winning Trivial Pursuit team discusses possible answers to the elusive Category #4.
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Keynote Speaker, Dr. Gary Burge presents a motivational session to a packed audience.
Attendees at one of many excellent educational sessions offered at the 2006 Conference.
IHM News
2006 Conference Report
The Conference was enjoyable, educational and, as always, an excellent chance to see old friends, business associates and gather to show the strength of IHM. The Conference offered an excellent opportunity for networking‌
IHM President Greg Grange and Keynote Speaker Gary Burge — one of the highlights of he Conference.
The annual Banquet Dinner draws a good crowd.
Summer 2006
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2006 Conference Report the location of their favourite table or one armed bandit). Our President, Greg, did a head count after lunch to see just how many actually returned, and I don’t know if it was good news or bad news for the Casino enthusiasts; however afternoon attendance was great. To end the day’s events we had a wonderful buffet dinner and entertainment at the Hilton. Door prizes (lots) were received by many participants and we even had LAVA lamps to give away. A great deal of networking, conversation and laughs were had before, during and after the dinner. After two more sessions on Friday morning covering the topics of ‘Energy Conservation’ and PID/Personalities, we all gathered to hear some rather humorous stories from David McNevin, a local lawyer, and the closing remarks from our President, Greg Grange.
The 2006 Conference Committee (left to right): Jim Steele, Jim Mellor, Vickie Pocock, Bill Parrott, Gail Adcock and Karen Forbada.
Presentations
Special thanks to Taylor Enterprises, the Board of Directors, the local Windsor Committee, and the many companies that either sponsored the conference or donated door prizes. We were very proud of the $16,850 raised in sponsorships. Thanks for attending – and hopefully Lynn got a picture of our President in his 1970’ Canada Hockey Jersey??
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Barb Butler receives her five, ten and fifteen year service pins!
Barb Graham receives her ten year service pin.
Deborah Filice receives her ten year service pin.
Irwin Peters receives his ten year service pin.
Hope Lee receiving her five year service pin.
Mary Pinto (outgoing director) is presented with a plaque of appreciation at the Annual General Meeting.
IHM News
2006 Conference Keynote Speaker
How To Exert Power And Influence When You Have No Authority By Gary Burge, Ph.D
The reality of today’s workplace is that people are experiencing unparalleled pressure and stress. There are fewer people to do the work, less time to do it, more work to do, and expectations keep changing. So, what do you do when you need someone’s assistance and the other person won’t or doesn’t need to cooperate? Understanding and actualizing two very important relational principles — power and reciprocity — might help you be (more) powerful, especially when you have no authority: 1) Power is having something the other person wants or needs. If that is true, the time to ask for something —from a difficult or resistant coworker — is not when you need something from them but when they need something from you. Rather than resorting to being a “Jackhammer”, overreacting, becoming aggressive and pounding on people or on the other hand, being a “Jellyfish”, spineless, passive bending and contorting for everyone at our own expense and feeling resentful afterwards, think of yourself as a “Willow Tree”, strong, rooted, grounded, able to bend with the ferocious winds assailing you. When the persistent resistor or difficult person truly wants what you have, you will then be able to make a fair exchange. But use your power; wait for them to ask you first and then make your exchange.
Summer 2006
2) Reciprocity is the basis of all human interaction. Most of us don’t like to admit it, but we have an invisible, little scorecard nestled somewhere in our brain and it is always working. The Law Of Reciprocity is the almost universal belief that we should be rewarded, paid, or compensated for what we do, i.e. one good turn deserves another. People generally expect that over time we will balance the ledger
…think of yourself as a “Willow Tree”, strong, rooted, grounded, able to bend with the ferocious winds assailing you.
too soon, i.e., don’t do what they have asked you until they have done what you have asked them. At the Conference in June, I mentioned that there are eleven corollaries to the Law of Reciprocity. As you read them you might want to make note of the corollary you most agree with and the one that makes no sense to you at all. Corollary One: As a matter of course generally and in a distressed relationship specifically, we always think that we are doing (giving) more than the other person… Corollary Two: We unwittingly sabotage the relationship, even though our behaviour is well intentioned, i.e., we are doing our best. In other words, most of our efforts to make things better make them worse… but we keep doing them anyway. A problem is a solution that doesn’t work.
In other words, the Law of Reciprocity states, “We Treat Other People The Way We Think That They Are Treating Us!” In a way, the Golden Rule is wrong; rather than treating others as we would like to be treated, it is even better to treat others as they would like to be treated. They in turn spontaneously, naturally, of their own accord will treat you as you wish to be treated. Again, make sure you don’t give away your power
Corollary Three: We labour and function with the illusion that meaningful and effective communication is a natural process, a given. In an intricate and ongoing relationship, communication is not a natural process but an unnatural phenomenon, an exception. In other words, we are not born knowing how to have a happy marriage or be a good manager. It is not part of our DNA. It is something that we learn to do over time. Left to our own devices, we make things up as we
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2006 Conference Keynote Speaker go along; sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. Corollary Four: People generally are not trying to do something (bad) “to” you but something (good) “for” themselves.
Corollary Nine: When we recall a conflict the recollection is usually a skewed rendering of the incident in question, which says more about how we feel now and our mutual history than about what actually happened then. Corollary Ten: We tend to overlook the positive aspects in our relationship, and overreact to the negative aspects.
Corollary Five: Most of us live by the credo, treat me “good” and I will treat you better. Treat me “bad” and I will treat you worse. Corollary Six: You can make somebody “do something” in the moment and they will do it; but inwardly they will cringe, become resentful and plot revenge. Corollary Seven: As a general rule, human nature is a constant, i.e., the way we do “anything” is the way we do “everything.” Corollary Eight: It is easier to change other people than it is to change ourselves. We cannot change how we feel, but we can change what we do. Because a relationship is an interactional system, the force-field in the relationship is altered and our actions change how the other person feels (their emotions certainly, their mood possibly, their temperament — never). Conversely, the other person can change how we feel — our emotions — by changing what he/she does.
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Corollary Eleven: To break a vicious relational cycle, realize that the goal in communication is, “What will advance or benefit the relationship?” So the question rarely is who is “Right Or Wrong, But Whose Moment Is It?”
ThankYou to the Platinum Sponsors of Our 2006 30th Anniversary Conference DOUBLE PLATINUM SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSORS
By “Moment” I mean: 1. “Who started the sentence”? 2. “Who is the most affected or agitated in that moment”? If we facilitate the other person, make the conversation their moment, they will (spontaneously and naturally) make it your moment, i.e., they will more likely see your point of view and respond accordingly. One last thing, think of someone with whom you would like to be more powerful, even if they have more authority than you and put the Law of Reciprocity to the test. In other words, don’t go “Jackhammer” or “Jelly fish”, stay “Willow Tree” and see what happens. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised! Gary Burge holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology. He helps companies solve hardcore people problems. He can be reached at garyburge@sympatico.ca.
IHM News
Management Skills
Attitude at Work [Excerpt from “Awakening the Workplace, Speakers Who Speak” series]
By Paul Huschilt, Tales, Talks, Training, Inc. Important News Flash: Everyone is falling asleep at work. An Ipsos Reid Survey which aired on CTV in 2002 states that 39% of Canadians have trouble falling asleep at night because they are thinking about work. What they don’t tell you is that the other 61% of Canadians are having trouble staying awake during the day because they are thinking about work. We have a problem here! If you have a 9 to 5 job, arrive on time and you don’t leave before you are supposed to, then you spend about twice your waking hours at work than at home with your loved ones. (This is true, by the way, regardless of how you feel about your loved-ones.) The time at work makes up nearly half your conscious adult life. This is a hugely significant piece of the pie. And yet, it seems people everywhere are just snoozing this time away. Here is a case in point: There was a beloved ex-colleague of mine with whom I gave several good years to the insurance industry — good years that we will never see again. He developed an almost religious practice of sleeping at his desk somewhere between the hours of 2 and 3 every afternoon. Let’s call him Rumplestiltskin. Early one afternoon, Rumplestiltskin’s manager roused him from his sleep, and coaxed him into his office. The dutiful manager inquired at length about Rumplestiltskin’s disciplined approach to sleep. “I am afraid that I cannot allow you to sleep at your desk everyday,” informed the manager, “If I let you sleep at your desk, everyone will want to. And since your sleep is so disciplined, you are making us all look bad.”
Summer 2006
This story certainly supports the argument that the workplace needs to be awakened. Even if it is not exactly true that everybody is falling asleep, we could probably agree that most workplaces could stand to be more fun. According to a survey of managers conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management, almost all respondents felt their workplaces should be more fun for employees. In addition, there was an almost unanimous agreement that fun had no negative effects on the workplace… Let the games begin! The fact that attitude affects how well a job gets done is a no-brainer. The following littleknown tidbit, though, is a good reminder never to let your attitude slip lest you should slip up. According to the Merriam-Webster online Dictionary (www.m-w.com), the etymology of the word ‘Attitude’ comes from the French, which comes from the Italian, which comes from the Latin ‘aptitudin’ which means ‘aptitude’. Learn to master a positive attitude and become a conscious master at what you do. Learn to awaken a work attitude so vital that falling asleep at your desk would be as unconscionable as sleeping through your favorite dessert. Learn to
have an attitude so delicious that everyone will want some. “The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.” - Martha Washington The simplest and most reliable way to be happy with our circumstances is to change the way we are with them. Practice this until it becomes habit-
forming. A positive attitude should not be an act of will. It should happen as naturally as a bad habit that’s impossible to shake. Then it will come as easily as falling asleep at your desk between 2 and 3 every afternoon. Only you will be awake to enjoy the benefits. Paul Huschilt is an award-winning professional speaker and storyteller and published contributing author of Awakening the Workplace. This article is an excerpt from the opening chapter of Awakening the Workplace. For more information, visit www.paulhuschilt.com.
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P r e s i d e n t ’s C o m m e n t a r y
CALLING ALL PROPERTY MANAGERS … with stories to share!
Managing the Stress Index ! Greg Grange, B.A., F.I.H.M. President Stress can be a killer if we don’t manage it properly and know how to spot the signs of high stress levels, not only in ourselves but in our employees. Support and early prevention for high risk employees will help prevent rapid deterioration in health and performance. Noticeable change in behaviour, friction with colleagues, reduced communication, and lack of productivity can be spotted early on as stress indicators.
We know that a Property Manager’s job can be both challenging and interesting. How often have you come into work with your day all planned in your head, only to have something unexpected come along …… We are looking for some stories to share with your colleagues in the Property Management field. If you have an interesting story that you would be willing to author, please contact the Newsletter Committee… Lee Campbell at lcampbell@cityofkingston.ca or Deborah Filice at deborah.filice@halton.ca
As property managers and administrators we must create a culture that allows employees to acknowledge when they feel under stress without feeling victimized. This is particularly important to note with less seasoned younger managers who are learning the business. The independence that property managers-in-waiting have valued as students can conflict with the increasing demands made on them when employed at entry and intermediate property management positions. New property managers need to be nurtured in techniques dealing with high levels of stress and the fast pace in the property management profession and turn that stress into positive learning experiences. The manner in which they learn to cope will play an important role in influencing how their careers, as professional property managers, will unfold and evolve. There are several things that can be done to minimize stress for all staff in the workplace: • Entrench clear business objectives • Maintain good communication channels • Include all employees in times of change Physical and emotional damage, caused by stress, accumulate over time. As most of our membership are seasoned professionals, it is important that we share our learned coping skills with all our new recruits, to ensure their success as professionals and sustain a healthy membership in IHM. Be more than a professional property manager… Be a professional coach!
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IHM News
Member News
IHM Course Completions Property & Building Administration Bains, Kuldip Bouterse, Nancy Brajak, Michael Caliujnii, Iurie Chan, Andrew De Barrientos, Maira Dini, Majlinda Du Boulay, Richard Duncan, Pamela Ereqi, Xhevdet Feather, Kimberley Gamage, Dona Griffith, Carlton Khan, Rana Liao, Michael Lo, Jensen C. Mcbride, Gerald J. Miller, Josh B. Mixemong, Amanda Ndreca, Bardhok Nisbett, Deborah Pavlov, Pavel Puka, Vitore Rajapakse, Trevin Risco, Viorel Richardson, Jennie Smith, Timothy Taullaj, Sokol Toole, Elizabeth Vrgovic, Dina Wang, Zhilei Xhoxhaj, Feta Xhoxhaj, Mimoza
New Members
Markovic, Vladimir Muffels, Maria Nedyalkova, Ira Nishta, Valentyna Oliveira, Fernanda Orsatti, Terry R. Peleg, Benjamin (Ben Pental, Mariusz Sankiewicz, Adam P. Sherwani, Mashkoor A Smith, Margaret Spafford, James Tomsa, Octavian Tully, Trudy M. Vasile, Gabriel N. Yurev, Alexey
New Candidate Members
Human Relations For Property Managers Archer, Karen Bradimore, Julie Malitski, Max Shafe, Cathy
Altmar, Julie Bush, Scott Chouinard-Duguay, Chantal Ewer, George Frano, Josie Hislop, Dean Kiramathypathy, Daniel Lacelle, Allain Lyakhter, Mikhail Mantle, Jacqueline Pavlovie, Katarina Pelletier, Lorraine Ragbirsingh, Robert Rollins, Vanessa Vanderspek, Jeff Vuo, Kewin
New Corporate Members
Building Maintenance For Property Managers
Region of York Co-Operative Housing Federation Hastings County Housing Programs Branch
New Accredited Member
Goldband, Jeff Rollins, Doug Speer, Betty Thornhill, Charlene
Rawson, Arlene
Program Completion Certificates Racco, Steve Salaris, Nick
Strategic & Financial Planning Apnar, Arlene Baba, Veron Berezovska, Ludmila Carbunaru, Cristina Cherkashyna, Lyudmyl Coroian, Alin Dragan, Andrei Fernando, Sarath Gega, Mimoza Griffith, Carlton Hunter, Linda Ilo, Spiro Kotov, Yuriy Lahchakov, Yulia Li, Xia (Shirley) Manteiga, Shana
Summer 2006
Mark Your Calendars 2006 ONPHA Conference & Trade Show - November 19, 21, 2006 Visit the IHM Booth in the Trade show area Sheraton Center, Toronto, Ontario
2006 PM Expo - November 29 - December 1, 2006 Metro Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario Watch for details of the IHM seminar at PM Expo - coming soon on our website at HYPERLINK www.ihm-canada.com www.ihm-canada.com
2007 IHM Conference - April 17-20th, 2007 Holiday Inn, Peterborough, Ontario
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IHM News