DEcember 2012
PARO Announces Northern Ontario’s Enterprising Women of 2012 See Page 10
Janzen’s Pharmacy Continues to Grow With Fourth Location Festival and Event Management in the 21st Century GETTING A DONATION ON-LINE" Polaris Founder David Johnson Still Rides Snowmobiles People Seeking Financial Help on the Rise in Thunder Bay as Local Organization Celebrates National Credit Education
Third Generation Family In The General Contracting Business in Thunder Bay- RML Contracting See Page 2 & 3
Janzen’s Pharmacy Continues to Grow With Fourth Location See Pages 6 & 7
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
Third Generation Family In The General Contracting Business in Thunder Bay- RML Contracting BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS There is a youth movement happening in the construction business of Thunder Bay! Andrew Lindstrom, age 31, is President and General Manager and Matthew Lindstrom, age 29, Operations Manager and Secretary Treasurer of RML Contracting. Their grandfather started the firm Stead and Lindstrom in the 50’s and their father took over the firm in 1977 and ran it for 20 years. RML is now the third generation of the family construction work. “ We developed our own company in 2005 starting in landscaping work and then progressed into general contracting. I am a civil engineering technologist and my brother is an architectural and civil technologist. My dad kept the building we are in today in hopes we would take over one day. He closed down the business when we weren’t ready to take over yet and I ended up in Calgary working for a few years but came back to start our business from scratch. It has worked out well now.” said Andrew Lindstrom. RML Contracting offers a wide range of services with new construction and renovation in commercial, residential and indus-
trial. They do a fair bit of work with the school boards through out NW Ontario and the City of Thunder Bay. The firm offers landscape services on an larger scale for other large general contractors. Recently they did the landscape work on the waterfront for Tom Jones and next year have a landscape job for Bird Construction on the new court house project.
A new project just completed by RML Contracting is the new Mountainview Cemetery office building. “ It was a very competitive job with 7 bidders and similar pricing but we were low bidder. It was a very interesting project, very energy efficient with some new building techniques and some normal wood techniques. The HVAC system is state of the art. The lightning system is low voltage with motion sensors. The building envelope has sub-
Lindstrom. “ We started work in June of this year completing the first week in November. It went smoothly for us. We used a full array of sub contractors similar as you would on a larger building. It is the same idea as a $5 to $10 million project and a nice job for us with good complexity.” “ We are very pleased with the project and the customer is happy. At RML we want to treat all our clients well with our
stantial insulation and the roof system is a flat roof. There is lots of glass which provides the natural light,” said Matthew
work ethic. We have a really good staff of 10 employees who are mostly site people. We like a hands on approach. It is also good working together as brothers. We have defined our roles well. Matthew runs the bigger jobs and I handle the estimating work.” said Andrew Lindstrom. “ I love the business and am glad I moved back here from Calgary. Thunder Bay is a great place to live, especially with two younger children. The business climate couldn’t be better with lots of work coming up. 2012 was a little tighter but next year will be really busy.” “ The Site Development had to be scaled back due to budget constraints with the remainder of the site development concept expected to be completed at a later date. Also the building originally utilized a high ceiling over the Public and Administration spaces that was eliminated due to budget constraints. “ said Cory Stechyshyn, Architect with Form Architecture. “ FORM Architecture Engineering are extremely pleased with the performance and professionalism demonstrated by RML Contracting. Their ability to manage the project schedule and construction progress, quality workmanship and cooperative work ethic fostered a good working relationship throughout the duration of the project.”
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
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Polaris Founder David Johnson Still Rides Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner It was an absolute honour to sit down and have lunch with one of the three founders of the Polaris snowmobile, David Johnson. Mr. Johnson will turn 90 in February and is still an active snowmobile rider at his home in Roseau, Minnesota. “ We began working on the snowmobile in 1954. The name Polaris was there from the start as a partnership with Hetteen Hoist and Derrick in the site of the current liquor store in Roseau,” said David Johnson who had Alan and Edgar Hetteen as his partners in the business. “ We were the northern most manufacturing firm in the US at that time and made all types of machinery for farming and then started playing with snowmobiles. We were mainly interested in making something to play around with in the snow ourselves. We were lazy and didn’t want to walk too long.” smiled David Johnson.
Top : Andrew Lindstrom, age 31, is President and General Manager and Matthew Lindstrom, age 29, Operations Manager and Secretary Treasurer of RML Contracting. Below: The new Mountainview Cemetery office building.
At that time the small company had about 40 employees starting in 1948. “ In 1954 to 1955 we made a small snowmobile like those of today. Today at Polaris there are about 2000 employees. They are always trying to hire 200 more but they are hard to get. People don’t want to work anymore. We did not have any idea it would be this big when we started. Then it was the outdoors people wanting to get outside and ski, snow shoe or hunt and the snowmobile helped get them out in the winter,” said Johnson. “ At the beginning the sleds broke quite a bit. There is a lot of difference in making a snowmobile for your own use but when the public get on it you have to keep going and make it better and better which has been done well by Polaris.” The first person to buy a Polaris snowmobile was named Harley Jenson. He bought No 2 Polaris for $ 425. Jenson was
from Northwest Angle. He cut wood out on the Lake of the Woods and had to walk 3 miles on the ice to get out there and 3 miles back so used the Polaris to eliminate the walk. The No 2 Polaris snowmobile is now on display( see picture front cover) at the Polaris Experience Centre next to the plant location in Roseau. The company started in an old dance hall with about 1000 square feet of space
and right now there is 800,000 square feet in the plant. David Johnson was in the navy and sent $ 11 of his $ 20 pay each month back to partners Edgar Hetteen and Alan Hetteen to help run the business. He was in the business before he even got home from his service. It was struggle at first according to Johnson. You needed good backing and money. In those days the employees made 75c to $1 dollar per hour. The partners would sit down then and give them 25c cent more. To this day David and his wife Eleanor Johnson ride snowmobiles especially to their camp some 70 miles away. This year the couple will get a 2013 Polaris Switchback 600 and 2013 Polaris Widetrack. “ We can go to our camp there and back and ride some 200 miles. We have Nexus and a remote area bordercrossing pass so can go into Canada. I still love the sport,” smiled David Johnson who can put over 2000 miles on in a season. The Johnsons have 4 children and two of their youngest sons have worked at Polaris. “ I am waiting for the snow to come this year. We only made one trip to our camp at Northwest Angle last year because the snow conditions were so bad.” “ I think the snowmobiles of today are very good and don’t break down. I don’t go 70, 80 or 90 MPH anymore. 50 MPH or so is what about I like. Last year crossing the lake going to our camp I tipped over a couple of times because we came back in a snowstorm. I couldn’t see beyond the windshield. I would not recommend anyone riding in a snow storm on a lake because you can’t see anything.” laughed David Johnson. Johnson and his company started in the ATV business in 1983 with what they called a Trail Tractor. Today the Polaris Company has two models of motorcycles and David Johnson enjoyed riding motorcycles in the past. “ In the beginning if there was something to do we did it so worked long hours and 6 days a week,”said Johnson whose health is good. “ I will continue to ride snowmobiles and ATV’s although we like snowmobiles better because it is cleaner with no mud. Our life has been good through all of our history.” The Johnsons live about 2 miles from the Polaris manufacturing facility and David still visits the plant about twice a week.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
People Seeking Financial Help on the Rise in Thunder Bay as Local Organization Celebrates National Credit Education Week BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The number of people looking for financial advice continues to increase in Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay Counselling Centre is reporting a 28% surge in the number of clients accessing their credit counselling programming over the past year. Thunder Bay Counselling Centre and several agencies in Canada celebrated National Credit Education Week recently, dedicating to promoting sound personal money management through money resolutions.
“ In the past year we have seen a 28% increase in clients accessing our services after they have run into financial difficulty. I think it says people are looking for solutions after the problem rather than proactively before. We want you to be proactive in looking after your money,” said Sheri Fata, Thunder Bay Counselling Centre Manager.
“ The holiday season is in fact very difficult. We want to make sure people are setting goals ahead of time and establishing spending plans for the season and sticking to them. What we do is sit down and look at the facts of their current situation. You have
and knowing exactly your position,” said Fata. “ Then we take a look at your future goals and where you want to be down the road. Then we establish very clear next steps. The goal has to be very specific, measurable, reasonable, achievable and
Cyndi Sereda, Credit Counsellor of Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, Linda, client and Sheri Fata, Manager of Thunder Bay Counselling Centre to know exactly where you are at today and that is really looking at the numbers, tracking your expenses, tracking your income
time framed in order to get there.” “ We are seeing people from dealing with student debt to those reaching retirement .
Everyone is facing very unique situations. There is a lot of social pressure in having things now and keeping up with the neighbours,” said Fata. “ We are here to help and our counselors are waiting to help. They are there to help you establish those goals on a drop in or an appointment basis .” Linda is a client of the Thunder Bay Counselling Centre “ I was afraid of what I was going to go through but I am really glad I did because once I got it rolling step by step, month by month I started feeling really good as far as paying the bills off. I knew I had goals to look forward to at the end. The day they told me Linda you are now debt free I stood up, kicked my heals and jumped out of my seat. I was very happy and it was like a boulder was taken off my shoulders. Now I can do a little bit more in the house. I recommend the program and wish I would have done it much early.” Visit www. tbay counselling.com There is no charge to do that initial assessment
Festival and Event Management in the 21st Century BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Paul Gudgin from the UK, internationally renowned festival and event specialist, was in Thunder Bay to speak and lead at a two day work shop organized by the Ontario Arts Council and the
Thunder Bay Funders Network. The theme of the event was festival and event management using 21st Century marketing and fundraising methods and social media for improved programming and bottom line. “ All the best festivals make you say it could only happen here. That is why Augusta is so good for the Masters. How can we make an event special for
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us. Also how can we make our program different with new approaches,” said Paul Gudgin. In addition the workshop talked about how to get sponsors
involved and what is in it for them including web site usage, social marketing and tactics as to how to get bigger. You can get your governments involved in the events as well. “ Thunder Bay is good with some real beauty here and some rough underbelly. In festivals and event terms it is great to have the contrast. Don’t ignore the underbelly as it makes it interesting. I came here from Winnipeg and you can say the same thing about them,” said Gudgin. “ Being geographically isolated can in some ways be a plus. There are many festivals that are quite inaccessible but can be an attraction. Isolation is not the dominating factor. Big cities may not have the energy to get the event going like a smaller setting.”
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
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Statement by Michael Gravelle, MPP - Thunder BaySuperior North and Minister of Natural Resources. Early in October, I had an appointment with my family doctor for a complete physical examination. As a result of concerns raised during that appointment I was sent for a series of other medical procedures and tests. Last week, I was presented with the results of those tests, which confirmed a diagnosis of a form of aggressive lymphoma. While this is, of course, very serious, I am heartened by the assessment of my oncologist that this is a treatable form of lymphoma and the prognosis for a full recovery is good. Having said that, I will require a number of chemotherapy treatments over the next several months, with the first one taking place tomorrow.
Certainly, I am more than conscious that these treatments will have an impact on my well-being and may, in fact, affect my ability to function in my usual all-out manner; particularly around the time of the actual chemotherapy sessions. However, I also know that many people receiving these treatments continue on with their regular lives, including work and, while I will be following the advice of my physicians' 'to the letter' as to how I can protect myself throughout this process, I am hoping that I will be able to carry on with my life as normally as possible. Therefore, it is my intention to continue on
in my role as MPP for Thunder BaySuperior North as well as Minister of Natural Resources. I may be relying on my staff a little more than usual during this period of time but I am looking forward to remaining an actively involved MPP and Minister. I had the opportunity to speak with Premier McGuinty recently about my health circumstances and he was, not surprisingly, strongly supportive, and he encouraged me to carry on with my duties. I am very grateful for his kindness and support. I want to also express deep thanks to my family and close friends, which includes my office staff here in the constituency
office and my Minister's office staff here and at Queen's Park for their love and fierce determination to see me fully recover from this new challenge. I am also grateful to my Deputy Minister who has offered to spend more time here in Thunder Bay, while I am receiving treatment, so that we can carry on the business of the Ministry here rather than at Queen's Park. Finally, I want to thank my constituents for their support over the 17 plus years I have had the honour of serving them. My job as MPP means a great deal to me and I truly feel that I have developed a personal relationship with my constituents. Today, I thought it was very important for them to know about my health situation. I also felt it was important for them to know that I am genuinely optimistic that I will fully recover from this battle with cancer But, most of all, I am incredibly grateful for the support I know I will receive from them as I take on this new challenge. Thank you. Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder BaySuperior North and Minister of Natural Resources
Wishing you all the happiest of holidays, and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
Janzen’s Pharmacy Continues to Grow With Fourth Location BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The locally owned Janzen’s Pharmacy is bucking the trend to large big box national outlets by opening their fourth location in the former RBC branch in Northwood. Just two years ago the pharmacy operated only from their original location on Bay Street “ Our first expansion was to Westfort in 2010 which is going well. The community in Westfort has responded so well to us. The next expansion last year was to the Thunder Bay Medial Centre with our tiny store with two people and it is now giving Westfort a run for it’s money,”said Kathy Pratola, General Manager of Janzen’s Pharmacy. “ It took time for the people to see the change in staff and atmosphere and now it has taken off. We also rotate additional staff there. It is handy when you have your physician right there. We didn’t have that market before. The people who are in the area in the day, say working at the courthouse come in. It is a new clientele. There is a lot of traffic. It is organized chaos with just over 500 square feet!” Exciting news for the Janzen’s team is they bought a bank building on Edward
and Redwood that is conducive to their needs. “ We have always loved that location. It allows us to move into a neighbourhood where we didn’t have coverage before. People like to be close to their pharmacy even with delivery today. We are also going to try a drive through in this location as well. It is a convenience for people. People can call in and pick up their prescription on their way by. You could also drive up, order and we will it deliver later. The customer could also wait while we fill the prescription.’ said Brenda Adams, Owner and Pharmacist at Janzen’s Pharmacy. The approximately 3500 square building is being totaling redone with new flooring, ventilation systems and walls. It will include 8 exam rooms, as there will be 4 family physicians moving in to the building. There will be a nice waiting room as well as pharmacy work area. Many of the newer physicians coming out of school like the turnkey operation as they can get help with the business side according to Brenda Adams. The new location will have basic professional items like cold products and vitamins but stay focused on the health side. “ Our numbers show us it will work
well. We are quick and efficient at renovating buildings as we have done it many times now. The location here is excellent. The renovation is going well with Tony's Cabinets who we have used before as coordinator on our projects. Form Architecture completed the plans. ” said Brenda Adams. “ When we announced the new location we received many calls and support from peo-
ple to transfer in their prescriptions. Our focus is to take care of customers. Pharmacy was like this in the past. We are starting a whole new trend in multi team health care because we have a nurse practioner, physician’s, pharmacists and have professional relationships with other medical people in the community. We are expanding our scope into almost a one stop health care.” In this day of attracting health care staff the Janzen’s team has had great success in growing their team. “ We have had great results in getting staff and are now at about 75 people, including 14 pharmacists, with all our locations. Some have been hired in anticipation of Northwood opening. Our current staff have helped us by referring their friends and other people they know to work on our team.” said Kathy Pratola. “ We love Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay has been great to us. People in Thunder Bay still want the personal touch. We train new staff in our way such as when someone comes in with a problem we take care of it with our staff. If something drastic has happened in their life we have people on staff that will help them know what to do. For example we have a clinical coordinator that might help with areas such as smoking succession or diabetes. Our patient navigator that will help with our services and other services in the community to bring all the patients needs together and come up with a plan. We will them find the product they need. The goal is to guide them through the whole process even if we don’t offer that product or service.”said Brenda Adams. Continued Next Page
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS NOVEMBER 2012
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Janzen’s Pharmacy Continues to Grow With Fourth Location Continued From Previous Page “ We are always looking for growth to get good coverage for our clients. People were saying they wanted us to come to their area. Our growth is determined by the needs of the community. We listen to our customer or potential customers asking us to be in their area.,” said Kathy Pratola.
Brenda Adams and Kathy Pratola of Janzen’s Pharmacy
Vincent Disimone is the Owner / Operator of Tony’ Cabinets which was founded in 1968 and is project managing the whole renovation project for Janzen’s. “ We have been working with Janzen's for over 20 years now together on their projects. The renovation is on schedule and by the end of December we will be ready to go,” said Vince. “ Our company does
the millwork including cabinets for the exam rooms. We can do office retro’s and home renovations from start to finish and handle the whole job with other sub trades. At Janzen's we used a prefinished cabinetry designed for the pharmacy with specialized drawers for their RX’s. Over the years we have designed the cabinets for Brenda and her team and fine tuned them to meet their needs.”
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 012
Ray Williamson Wins Prestigious Safety Award sented each year to an individual who has made significant contributions to health and safety. The 2011 Phinnemore award was presented to Ray Williamson. Ray was the Project Development Manager for Stuart Olson Dominion in Thunder Bay and a long-serving member and management chair and co-chair of the Northwestern (Thunder Bay) LabourManagement Committee.
IHSA VP Ken Rayner (left), Ray Williamson of Dowland Contracting (centre), and IHSA CEO Al Beattie (right) Roy A. Phinnemore Award The Roy A. Phinnemore Award is named in honour of a past CSAO Executive Director whose dedication to construction safety inspired others during CSAO’s formative years. Established through a donation made by Oliver Gaffney and matched by the Phinnemore family, the award is pre-
Ray was also involved in promoting safety in the residential sector as a member and past President of the Thunder Bay Home Builders Association. During Ray’s tenure on the Labour-Management Committee, the committee sponsored several mock trials and safety conferences that attracted hundreds of participants from the local construction community. In the past year, Ray assisted IHSA in procuring and establishing a training facility in the Skills Development Building at Confederation College. Ray was a past Director of the Construction Safety Association and tirelessly represented the interests of Northern Ontario at Executive Council meetings.
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
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Employee Privacy meets Employer Rights © 2012 Brian Babcock
The Court reviewed the teacher’s privacy rights, given:
Employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy in personal use of employer provided smart phones, laptops or desktop computers. Many employers have assumed that because they own the devices, or because they post a “no expectation of privacy” policy, they can snoop whenever they want. Not necessarily so, says the Supreme Court of Canada. It showed some deference to employer rights, but those rights must be exercised reasonably. The Supreme Court examined whether a high school teacher had an expectation of privacy regarding pornographic pictures and other information stored on his school board-owned laptop. The pictures were discovered by the school board’s computer technician during routine maintenance and were later provided to the police
•
the school board’s own-
Legal Matters ership of the laptop; • the workplace polices; and • the school board’s having permitted of using issued laptops for personal uses. Workplace polices stated that e-mails would remain private but that “all data and messages generated on or handled by board equipment are considered to be the property of the school board”. The policies warned users that they should not expect privacy while using the
school computers.
of the devices, if any, is permitted;
The Court found that personal information stored on work computers often goes to the “biographical core” of the employee, often including sensitive details of health and family life.
· post policies which clearly state that devices will be monitored;
They found that the police should have had a search warrant. The school board’s actions were justified by concerns for safety. Other employer interests, such as maintaining system integrity; promoting workplace efficiency; and compliance with the law may also justify intrusion, depending upon the risk involved.
· if policies state that information will be monitored, follow through and ensure this is actually done; · promptly and consistently deal with any breaches of policy; and · always use the least intrusive method for the situation, preserving as much privacy as practical · be aware that police may require a search warrant to access material, even though the owner of the computer- the employer- consents.
Employers should: · recognize that allowing personal use of devices may give employees an expectation of some privacy ; · consider the risks specific to the position and workplace; ·
· cies;
act consistently with the poli-
At Weilers, we have provided cutting edge advice on employee rights to employers for over 65 years.
spell out what personal use
GETTING A DONATION ON-LINE" win in the long run if you buy local. Now that we're into the power-shopping season, even more people are thinking of avoiding human contact by making their purchases through their computer. I am well-aware that I may not be able to convince a lot of people that doing their retail in their own community is good but I am hoping that I may arm some of you avid "Support Local" folks with some additional arguments. My first is a challenge to those who from a reasonable economic perspective choose to shop through the Internet to try and get a donation for their charity, for their kids' sports team or youth group, for their community building fund, and yes for their flood relief. The answer is rhetorical as on-line is straight-line, there is no giveback! There may be personal rebates and there may be some cost savings but there will never be any dash of assistance for any cause that you may believe needs help. It surprising that with the huge increase in frauds and in substandard merchandise that the huge increase in online consumption shows no signs of abating. Indeed many of our local speciality stores are benefiting greatly from the supplemental sales that their online divisions are producing. So what is the dividing line for your decision to stay or return to local shops? I believe that you can safely say it is double-barrelled in that you the aware penny-pincher and you the caring community citizen will
And your counter-arguments are reasonable-why does the exact same stuff or even
you enjoy being with people and providing them with good advice about their purchases? I know, I know, I know that it is cheaper in the States, in the box stores, or through your computerized device- but really what does that mean for the future? A guartantuan warehouse covering hundreds of square miles shipping goods centrally to North American or a few huge ports transhipping mega-trucks and trains to a few distribution centers. Will there ever be manufacturing in Canada again? Only if we come to our own table and recognize that local jobs mean we have to support our own. It is the same for local food-in many cases fresh nutritious safe and close regionallygrown vegetables simply cost more
stuff made in Canada cost less just an hour away? In many cases it isn't the same but when it is I understand why you do what you do, so I can only ask that you ask for a donation and remember to claim it when you cross the border! Firstly, if you do not support taxpaying retailers then the tax burden will shift to both homeowner and renter to make up for lost taxes if a retail store ceases to be. Secondly, you cannot get donations from digital sources so who will provide the prizes for your shags, fundraisers, socials, teams, churches and clubs? Thirdly, where will you and your family work if
because of one critical factor------QUALITY ! To support a community we have to make a financial commitment to it. I'm not asking you to be as adamant as I am but just to consider your neighbour first.
Respectfully submitted, Ken Boshcoff Director of Business Strategies Crupi Consulting Group Sent from my BlackBerry® PlayBook™ www.blackberry.com
PAGE 10
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
PARO Announces Northern Ontario’s Enterprising Women of 2012 BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The Enterprising Women awards presented by PARO were given out in Thunder Bay on November 15, 2012. Some of the winners were present at a recent news conference. Donna Brown is the President of PC Medic Computers Inc. and won the Best Business 2 to 4 employees presented by PARO. Donna has been in business for 18 years and previously worked for Bell Canada as IT administrator for 15 years. “ When they downsized at Bell Canada I had 4 children to raise so I took that as an opportunity to go out on my own and be in control of my job situation from there on. I love being my own boss and feel like I am retired. It is about independence and going from being home based to an office and then employing people, so a lot has happened. It is awesome to provide employment in Thunder Bay. My client base is large and networking is huge.” “ You need technology in business and even to apply for a job today. We get many people coming in who have lost their jobs and need training and we are happy to provide that. We sell and fix computers, do virus removal which is probably about 60% of the job, data recovery for systems that have crashed, computer upgrades and on site house calls, as well as networking of computers printers etc. There are so many different devices and OS 8 has just come out. I like to keep up on technology.”
Donna Brown, Zabine Rattansi, Rosalind Lockyer, Stephanie Ash Sandra Hay and Penny Carpenter milestone. We must be doing something right. At Firedog we have a great team of 9 people and it works well for us. I tend to be a HR manager when you get bigger so the key is getting the right people who can manage
themselves, work independently and not be micro managed.” “ We have clients in NW Ontario and beyond. Yesterday we secured a new client out of Toronto so you don’t have to be based
Sandra Hay a certified reflexologist. It is a specialized type of massage that works on reflex points on your body that we have all over. She won in the Social Entrepreneur division. “ I specialize in foot, hand and facial to effect your well being. I work on arthritis, cancer, just to relax, MS and all sorts of different requests like migraine headaches. We make you feel better and the people are so happy and feeling better than when they came. Our field is growing because we see more ailments and are living a more stressful life in general. Part of my job is to eliminate stress.” Stephanie Ash is the CEO, the chief cook, cleaner and bottle washer at Firedog Communications and won in the established business division. She came to Canada in 2001 from London England. “We started the business in 2003. I was waiting to get my residency in Canada and as soon as I got it started the business which is coming up on our 10 year anniversary. I can’t believe it. Previously I worked in London, England for a large PR agency for some large Fortune 100 clients. I also worked in Australia doing the same thing.” “ We have grown at Firedog. 10 years is a big
Above: The Creative Crew and the Thunder Bay Public Library were exhibitors at the event in Toronto to do work there. We also have clients in Quebec. Our clients are small businesses like women who use PARO Centre who we still like to service, as well as some large clients like Bombardier and Thunder Bay Hydro. There are also lots of not for profit organizations as well.” “ I believe if you want to take out of the community you have to put something into it, so you meet new people and learn about what’s happening. My mom wasn’t an entrepreneur but always was very active in getting involved as a volunteer or through her church. We were raised that way. My parents moved here from England to help me get my family started. It is a not a one women show.” “ I really enjoy living in Thunder Bay. I wish I could send everybody to London, England for a week to see what it is like to live and work in a large city in Europe. They would run home so quickly. The pace of life the quality of life here is just fantastic.” Firedog have their own office building on Court Street. which was another step in their
growth. Zabine Rattansi is the President and owner of a retail business based in midtown Toronto in Forest Hill Village,a nice area north of Bloor, St Clair and Eglington and was a keynote speaker at the event. “ I was in the corporate world in the financial services industry and also doing a lot of work outside of my job in women’s issues like gender equality and injustice. The more I worked with my women’s groups the more I enjoyed that work. One of our friends was selling a lingerie boutique and I had never even walked into one before. I made a decision to buy the store and in 3 months I was in my own business.” ‘It is going amazing. It was a declining business but in my first full year we doubled the revenue. It has been really fun and scary at the same time. Small business and big business in Toronto have lost the art of appreciating your clients. I treat my clients the way I want to be treated. People come in and we change their look. I send out personalized cards out to all my clients and they are blown away. My background is Indian and I’m from Tanzania which gives me a more personal touch I think. I am very passionate about the business and love my clients and feel their love back.” “ Today I am sharing my entire story that I have never shared in public before, from when I landed in Canada when I was 10 to where I am now. It was a journey and quite challenging. Now life is amazing. Life has it’s amazing points at every challenge. Remember the stars come out and shine when it is dark.” Rosalind Lockyer is Executive Director PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise. “ This is an exciting major event, being able to showcase and celebrate women entrepreneurs in Northern Ontario. We call then enterprising women. They have a dream and start that, but go beyond by contributing to the community and impacting the economy of Northern Ontario. We feel they need to be recognized. Across Canada women entrepreneurs are declining to 16% but in Northern Ontario it is steadily increasing. We are using Contact North distance learning, video conferencing through Knet so women anywhere in the province can participate. That is increasing the outreach to women entrepreneurs they could be in say Sandy Lake.” “ PARO was started 18 years ago. I have a lot of gratitude for the warmth and support from the women here and across the north. It is gratifying to see women take up the banner and start a business. It can be pretty scary along with everything they are responsible for like their children, parents and others. The small businesses in the community keep the community going all the time.”
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012
PAGE 11
City of Thunder Bay, Youth Centers Thunder Bay & Wasaya Group Partnership Launch New Youth Centre BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Youth in Thunder Bay stated they need safe places to hang out and socialize. It is a message that the Wasaya Group Inc and the City of Thunder Bay heard very clearly. That message has resulted in the opening of Youth Centre Thunder Bay which offers high school aged youth a safe place at 711 Victoriaville Center. Don Wing, Senior Vice President Ontario Division Dowland contracting Ltd. “ How are we going to create an environment for our youth? We are working on the accommodations facilities so when the young people come in to go to school they will have a safe environment to go to
school and live. The youth centre is also a large component in giving our young people some opportunities and choices. It is up to us as a community and corporate community to help give the choices to youth.” Quinn, young person “ Today is our day where First Nation’s and all youth have a place to go as a second home. There have been way too many of my friends lost. We can’t lose any more friends. This is my dream, a place where we can go. My friends are my life and I can’t lose anymore.”
Mayor Keith Hobbs, Thunder Bay, Tom S. Kamenawatamin, President and CEO Wasaya Group and Pierr Mapeso, Youth Centers Thunder Bay
Tom S. Kamenawatamin, President and CEO Wasaya Group “ The problem that the youth previously have had is high drop out rate from school.
The common goal of the parents and schools is more graduates. In order to accomplish that we have to have a safe, healthy environment for the students to learn. That means they need to have some
place where they can go after school hours instead of going to the street and getting into negative activities. They need a place where they can go after school hours, relax, call home or do computer stuff. There will be services if they need that such as counseling or guidance. This is where we are headed especially with the DFC residences for the northern students. We have the support from Confederation College and hopefully the transition from high school to college will be easier for them. We are trying to show them they have support to go to. It is a big change coming from their remote northern communities to Thunder Bay. This summer we had some orientation programs to help them know what to expect in advance.”
OUR MOOSE HALL By Sherry Aalto Though the Moose fraternal organization was founded in the late 1800s with the modest goal of offering men an opportunity to gather socially, it was reinvented during the first decade of the 20th century into an organizational dynamo of men and women who set out to build a city that would brighten the futures of thousands of children in need all across North America.
When Dr. John Henry Wilson, a Louisville, Ky., physician, organized a handful of men into the Loyal Order of Moose in the parlor of his home in the spring of 1888, he and his compatriots did so apparently for no other reason than to form a string of men's social clubs. Lodges were instituted in Cincinnati, St. Louis, and the smaller Indiana towns of Crawfordsville and Frankfort by the early 1890s, but Dr. Wilson himself became dissatisfied and left the infant order well before the turn of the century. It was just the two remaining Indiana Lodges that kept the Moose from disappearing altogether, until the fall of 1906, when an outgoing young government clerk from Elwood, Ind., was invited to enroll into the Crawfordsville Lodge. It was on James J. Davis' 33rd birthday, October 27 that he became just the 247th member of the Loyal Order of Moose. Davis, a native of Wales who had worked from boyhood as an "iron puddler" in the steel mills of Pennsylvania, had also been a labor organizer and immediately saw potential to build the tiny Moose fraternity into a force to provide protection and security for a largely working-class membership. At the time little or no government "safety net" existed to provide benefits to the wife and children of a breadwinner who died or became disabled. Davis proposed to "pitch" Moose membership as a way to provide such protection at a bargain price; annual dues of $5 to $10. Given a green light and the title of "Supreme Organizer," Davis and a few other colleagues set out to solicit members and organize Moose Lodges across the U.S. and southern Canada. (In 1926, the Moose fraternity's presence extended across the Atlantic, with the founding of the Grand Lodge of Great Britain.) Davis' marketing instincts
were on-target: By 1912, the order had grown from 247 members in two Lodges, to a colossus of nearly 500,000 in more than 1,000 Lodges. Davis, appointed the organization's first chief executive with the new title of Director General, realized it was time to make good on the promise. The Moose began a program of paying "sick benefits" to members too ill to work--and, more ambitiously, Davis and the organization's other officers made plans for a "Moose Institute," to be centrally located somewhere in the Midwest that would provide a home, schooling and vocational training to children of deceased Moose members. (Researched from www.mooseintl.org/public/Area/History.asp)
ents, you might find a few pictures and stories of events that were held at the Moose Hall here in Thunder Bay! Many family, public and private parties are held in this particular hall because of the great client service and guests satisfaction. Every working and volunteer member of this order is dedicated to their single focus of ‘You’! First class service is what you will receive when you choose to host your event at the Moose Hall. From corporate meetings, large
staff. At this time, Governor Frank Lidemark and Administrator Patrick Cross, both volunteers of the Loyal Order of Moose, would like to extend a cheerful welcome to anyone wishing to enjoy an evening of celebration for bringing in the New Year on December 31, 2012. New Year’s Eve Celebration will be held at the Loyal Order of Moose Hall, #947 Port Arthur, located at 434 Fort William Road. Symposium will begin at 7 P.M.,
or small, to educational seminars. From baby showers to wedding showers. From shags to wedding receptions. From birthday parties to anniversary parties. From small guest events to large group gatherings, Moose Hall will be there for you, checking and working with you on every detail. Pricing is very competitive and service and catering is exceptional! Parties requesting specific and special cultural cuisine for their special events, are part of what the Moose Hall Catering has to offer and pride themselves in. All cuisines are prepared by Chef and Catering Manager, Ken Milenko and his
Serving Dinner at 8 P.M. and Dance the night away starting at 9:30 P.M. with music by the Sensational Hot Rods. For more details and to purchase your tickets, contact the Moose Hall at (807)345-5129 or eMail: lodge947@mooseunits.org Tickets are available at the lodge and Valente’s Music, located at 78 South Algoma Street. And remember…Before you book, have a look…at the Moose Hall!
When you think of the 100 plus years of dedication, organization and determination to survive every possible downturn in economic and social history, this organization must be doing something right! As far as anyone could say, there is a certain sense of modest pride when one is recognized as a respected member of the Loyal Order of Moose. The Thunder Bay lodge has been a part of this great heritage since the early 1950’s and for many of you who do not know it, our lodge, #947, has been serving charities and those in need for many years, in many places. Now that you have this little bit of history, let’s move onto the actual Hall! The actual Moose Hall…Every special occasion needs a physical place of meeting for a ‘larger than your house’ event and event halls have been in great need since the expansion of town and business for both Port Arthur and Fort William, (now commonly known as Thunder Bay). For years, a meeting place for celebrations, corporate and business meetings, social and public events, has been a growing concern. The Moose Hall had, through years of dedication to their clients and guests, become that place for hosting these special events, earmarking trusted service and fair pricing. This not-for profitorganization boasts history in event hosting in both public and political capacities. Could you imagine the number of wedding receptions that this hall has been host to? I bet if you checked in your family’s photo album, maybe dating back to your grandpar-
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2012