Business January 2016 by Scott Sumner

PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Formally Recognizes City Councillor

INSIDE Province Helping to Promote Thunder Bay as a Mining Hub What Can We Expect In Thunder Bay for 2016? OH PLEASE!!!... SHOP LOCAL – SHOP LOCAL

North Superior Publishing @tbay25

Tim Hortons Entrepreneurs Open New Restaurant in Thunder Bay

Ontario Proposing to Expand Black Bear Hunting Pilot

PAGE 2

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Introduces SENO Changemakers Following the launch of Social Enterprise Northern Ontario (SENO) CoStarter for Change this past June and an extensive application process, today SENO representatives were pleased to introduce the six successful applicants who will participate in the new program. Over the next twelve weeks, the future social entrepreneurs from throughout the region will receive mentorship, funding, and business education from the current SENO program partners, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, Nordik Institute, BDC, RBC, United Way, and Copperfin Credit Union, in an effort to

come stigma and assist those living with mental health & addictions difficulties.

grow and diversify social enterprise in Northern Ontario. The six SENO CoStarter for Change recipients are as follows: Cindy Crowe Blue Sky Social Enterprise Through Blue Sky’s Indigenous Worldview Training, One Tribe, the organization supports self-healing and self-discovery. Blue Sky also offers nine formal workshops which can accommodate industry, government, organizations, or individuals. Minna Koskela-Wild Wild Blue Mar 4 Change There is so much good when individuals come together with community spirit and take steps for positive change. Weaving together these people and their stories is really what Blue Mar 4 Change is all about - a collaborative effort for a brighter and kinder planet.

Karen Kerk Willow Springs Creative Centre

Social enterprises are broadly defined as organizations that make money and deliver social or environmental benefits. Rosalind Lockyer, PARO Executive Director, says; “At the SENO launch this past summer, we unveiled a blueprint to build a bigger and stronger social enterprise in the region. Today, we are introducing Northern Ontario to the people who will be taking this blueprint and turning it into reality. These six, carefully chosen entrepreneurs have extremely diverse business plans that strive to solve big-picture problems, ranging from community rejuvenation to job creation and self-discovery, through social enterprise.”

Willow Springs is utilizing the SENO grant to develop the social enterprise ‘arm’ of the organization. The generated revenue will be re-invested into programming and training/employment opportunities for those with developmental and other disabilities. Paul Amano Boreal Journeys Sled Dog Kennel Boreal Journeys Sled Dog Kennel fosters two-way relationships between our guests and our dogs, centered on adventure experiences and personal growth. Through the SENO program, we are seeking to strengthen our programming in the social realm by expanding capacity and providing corporate sector services and partnership opportunities. Dean Benham & Roger Griffiths Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op/Cloverbelt Country Meats Through the joint efforts of Cloverbelt and the current abattoir operator, and through the support of SENO funding, the local abattoir will remain open, and allow for greater food access and security in the area as well as allowing the hunting tourism industry to thrive. Creating a unique partnership between a non-profit lead Co-operative “Cloverbelt” and local area butcher puts this business into the hands of the community and will allow its continued, successful operation. Brenda McConnell The Beehive Cuisine

The recipients will report to the program partners as business resources for up to one-year after their initial incubating education period. “PARO and the program partners will be available to the SENO recipients throughout the entire process to help troubleshoot and ultimately get their social enterprises off the ground as fast and successfully as possible,” says Aleksa Shermack, SENO CoStarter for Change Program Manager. “The goal is to turn challenges into opportunities and foster social and public partnerships.” For more information about the Social Enterprise Northern Ontario (SENO) CoStarter for Change please visit paro.ca.

The Beehive is a consumer driven program. Our goal is to reduce and over-

Next Issue Deadline Thunder Bay Business January 22, 2016 Contact Sonia @ 631 -4244 or Sylvia @ 629-7599 www.northsuperiorpublishing.com

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner

A new year begins has begun here in Thunder Bay and NW Ontario. The question on many minds in the business community could be what type of an economic environment can we expect? It

What Can We Expect In Thunder Bay for 2016? our economy. The airport has a big influence on our region’s economy. It is impressive to me that we have so many direct flights ( 15 I think most days) to Toronto each day with Air Canada, Porter and West jet. Equally as impressive is the flights seem to be always quite

construction near the airport. That is our third new hotel in recent years, a definite sign of economic activity. Some of the automobile dealerships are is hard to say for sure but there are lots of good things happening. The landscape of Thunder Bay continues to change with a transformation of

PAGE 3

are having an immediate economic impact on Thunder Bay and will only increase as these projects progress. Mining has been a great growth area for our region and has helped during the

full and many are flying here to conduct business and then go home. There must be quite substantial interest in Thunder Bay.

underway or have finished upgrades to their facilities. The new Acura facility is very impressive.

A drive in the downtown South core lets you see the massive new courthouse building complete. This $150 million project could help make a huge image change for the area. A drive to the North core waterfront will showcase the Prince Arthur's Landing with it’s new buildings, artwork and landscape. It gives a nice image for our beautiful waterfront. The condominium buildings are up and offer a very positive living environment for people to choose. Lets hope we see some construction activity with the new hotel soon. The developers have said a February start. The hospital/university area is in my opinion the most impressive of Thunder Bay. The TBRHSC facility is one we can all be proud of and Lakehead University has become a comprehensive institution. The St Joseph's Care group is just finishing part of a massive project on Lillie Street and working on a new addition in the downtown Northward. There is a new Hampton Inn well under

There are many great retail opportunities in Thunder Bay and more coming all the time. A lumber retailer is under construction at the Intercity Shopping Centre. We have much to offer the local citizens and guests when they need to shop. All of these developments giv me the feel of a more prosperous city. When I do my business interviews I hear quite often about the importance of mining in the city. The numerous developments that are happening in our region

forestry industry changing times. Perhaps we can see some definitive plans to get the ball rolling on the Ring of Fire. The private sector may just need to see some concrete action on transportation and energy infrastructure to get investing more of their capital. I think we have lots going on in Thunder Bay. The advance of technology is amazing to me and means that you can be living in our beautiful setting of Thunder Bay and do business around the globe. As the well-known phrase states “ The sky’s the limit”

PAGE 4

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

Province Helping to Promote Thunder Bay as a Mining Hub Ontario Releases Renewed Mineral Development Strategy Ontario recently introduced a renewed Mineral Development Strategy that provides a 10-year vision to position Ontario as the global leader in sustainable mineral development and will help promote the mining industry in Thunder Bay. The renewed strategy confirms the province’s commitment to attracting new investment and supporting innovation in the mineral exploration and development sector around the province and in Thunder Bay. The strategy consists of a 10-point action plan with four strategic priorities to ensure the mining sector is: * Competitive and innovative * Safe and environmentally responsible * Efficiently and effectively regulated * Positioned to ensure growth and prosperity for future generations. The strategy is the result of engagement with prospectors, junior exploration and mining companies, environmental organizations and Aboriginal and northern communities. They shared their input through written submissions and participation at workshops hosted by the province. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is investing $5 million in a Junior Exploration Assistance Program in support of the renewed Mineral Development Strategy. This program is expected to provide much needed financial support for mineral exploration projects. Supporting a healthy, competitive and sustainable mineral sector is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up. The fourpart plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives and building a secure

retirement savings plan. Michael Gravelle “The mining sector is a big part of the Ontario and NW Ontario economy. Last year we had $11 billion in mineral production. We do know there are challenges in the mining industry so we made a determination to renew our Mineral Development Strategy which was put in place 10 years ago.” “We are focussed on an innovative mining sector and being environmentally responsible. We are in challenging times and have come out with a $ 5 million program to help move the junior exploration sector companies. This exploration helps develop mines 10 or 15 years down the road.” “ We are pleased with the Ontario Mining and Prospectors Associations supporting this strategy. When a company decids to move forward on a mine project, say like New Gold, they will put forward $800 to $1 billion of investment before they pull out 1 oz of mineral from the ground. That is a big commitment.” “ The Ring of Fire is all part of this process. There are almost 20 companies that have a stake in the Ring of Fire and other organizations with involement.This report speaks to many elements to the Ring of Fire and it all ties together in a rather beautiful way in my opinion. The Ring of Fire will be one of the greatest resource projects the province has ever seen. We need to get this right.” “ The billion dollars for the Ring of Fire is specifically targeted for transportation infrastructure. What corridor will work best for the companies and the First nations.It is about opening up the North and getting access. We need investment from the Federal Government which is more optimistic now. The Ring of Fire is a nationally significant project. It is not just about a road to a mine site. It is a remote part of the project that has never seen development like this before.”

QUOTES “Our government is committed to supporting a globally competitive mineral development and mining sector that provides significant social and economic contributions to Ontario’s economy and supports economic development for Aboriginal communities. The Mineral Development Strategy is a blueprint for how we will help the sector address the challenges of today and position it to grow and attract investment in the future.” - Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines “The OMA thanks Minister Gravelle for his ongoing commitment to the mining sector. The renewal of Ontario’s Mineral Development Strategy recognizes the sector’s value to Ontario as well as the crucial need to have a competitive operating environment. We look forward to working with the Minister to maintain a leadership position in sustainable mining.” - Chris Hodgson, President of the Ontario Mining Association "The introduction of a 10 year Mineral Development Strategy by the Ontario Government will provide a solid framework for mineral explorationists in Ontario. The components of the Strategy, when implemented, will provide greater certainty and preserve Ontario's position as the number one jurisdiction for mineral exploration in Canada." - Garry Clark, Executive Director, Ontario Prospectors Association "Ontario’s Mineral Development Strategy is charting the path for future resource development in Northern Ontario. Mining, anywhere in the world, has to focus not only on how to best get what we need from under the ground, but to make certain we push for the best from those above the ground, too. This strategy will help do just that and CESME looks forward to partnering with the province as

we work together to ensure sustainable mineral development that is to the benefit of all” - Dr. Pete Hollings, Director, Centre of excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration (CESME), Lakehead University "The renewal of Ontario’s Mineral Development Strategy and its subsequent implementation says that Ontario is interested in growing this sector of the economy in a sustainable manner through targeted investments in infrastructure, exploration incentives and improving the innovation and cost competitiveness of the industry while listening to the input and thoughts of the aboriginal and municipal stakeholders. This can and will continue to be a leading industry in the north. " - Doug Murray, CEO, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission QUICK FACTS * There are currently over 40 mines operating in Ontario, including 14 base metal mines, 16 gold mines and one diamond mine. * The value of mineral production in 2003 was $5.7 billion. In 2014, the value of mineral production was a record $11 billion. * Ontario accounts for approximately 25 per cent of mining jobs in Canada. * The mining industry supports more than 26,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs, and is the largest private employer of Aboriginal persons in Ontario. BACKGROUNDER Mineral Development Strategy 10-Point Action Plan The Mineral Development Strategy consists of four strategic priorities with a 10-point action plan to support these priorities. A Competitive and Innovative Industry Entrenching Ontario’s reputation as the leading mining jurisdiction in the world by: 1. Attracting jobs and investment 2. Fostering a culture of innovation 3. Increasing mineral discovery rates 4. Improving our cost competitiveness A Safe and Environmentally Responsible Industry Guiding Ontario’s mineral sector as smart, sustainable and environmentally conscious by: 5. Enhancing worker health and safety further across the industry 6. Protecting the environment, reducing the impacts of exploration and mining and addressing climate change An Industry that is Efficiently and Effectively Regulated Providing greater certainty for the mining industry by: 7. Improving regulatory efficiency, predictability and transparency An Industry that Provides Growth and Prosperity Supporting a healthy, competitive mineral sector to build a strong, prosperous economy for today and tomorrow by: 8. Enhancing Aboriginal voices and meaningful participation in economic development 9. Establishing socio-economic conditions needed to advance major mining projects 10. Building a highly skilled workforce

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

PAGE 5

Tim Hortons Entrepreneurs Open New Restaurant in Thunder Bay BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

Thunder Bay BUSINESS Brent and Jennie Prepp are the Owner / Operators of four Tim Hortons Restaurants in Thunder Bay. The couple are from Timmins, Ontario. Brent was managing three Tim Hortons stores in Sudbury for

King, Budweiser, Kraft Foods and more. It is a huge company but they really see what Tim Hortons is all about and very respectful of that and have been fantastic to work with says Brent Prepp. There are about 4000 Tim Hortons units or more in Canada. In Thunder Bay there are 12 main free standing Tim Hortons units owned by three groups. This Edward Street

Brent and Jennie Prepp Owner / Operators of 4 Tim Hortons restaurants in Thunder Bay

about 5 years while Jennie was a midwife. They had the opportunity to move to Thunder Bay and purchase their first Tim Hortons store on Waterloo Street about 10 years ago. “ When we moved here my wife was seven months pregnant. Today we both work in the business as we are on call 24/ 7 and have two young kids. We are in the Tim's family now.” said Brent Prepp. The couple now own Tim Hortons restaurants on Waterloo, Sibley Drive near Montana’s, Oliver Road and now the brand new Edward Street location. “They are all close by and really good locations so we are thrilled. We live out Hwy 61 which gives us a little reprieve from the business.” says Brent who has been with Tim Hortons for 5 years as a manager and 10 years as an owner starting his career at age 21. “ We were willing to go anywhere for Tim Hortons in Canada and Thunder Bay phoned us. My brother lived in Dryden and just recently bought the two locations of Tim Hortons in Kenora.” The Tim Hortons chain has a Canadian heritage and roots. It has recently been purchased by a US company called 3 G which owns Burger

store is their newest concept. “ I find it very warm and inviting with an open ceiling, LED lighting, fireplace with a TV, leather couches and

an open concept so you can see what is going on in the kitchen with theatre baking. The building is about 2700 square feet in size,” said Brent. “ On this property at Northwood Plaza, it is a perfect size. We opened on Saturday and it is going fantastic. Everyone seems to enjoy the feel of the store. The staff are having fun. Some of the staff are new so it is a challenge. It is a very demanding job to be honest but the staff are doing great.” Brent and Jennie have 35 to 40 full and part time at the new location. The other locations have staffs of between 35 to 50 each.

“ I think any business person will tell you staffing is the most important part of any business and you have to keep your staff happy for sure. We want to create a great working environment and have the staff stick around. We have some staff that have been with us for 10 years now. It is unheard of in the food industry but it all comes down to treating them well as we get the same respect back from them.” said Brent. Continued Next Page

PAGE 6

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

Newest Concept Tim Hortons Restaurant For Thunder Bay Continued from Previous Page “ It is a demanding job for us, 24/7 with phones calls and text messages. It might be an equipment issue, a guest concern or staff sick. There are always challenges but that is what we signed up for. I learned a lot working for

another owner in Sudbury but you are never really prepared for when you own the business yourself. It is a totally different animal then, your problem.” said Brent Brent and Jennie don’t take a day off and everyday are at a store or their office. They took their first vacation

after 5 years where they went somewhere not for business. Today they have a good supervisory management crew, a good foundation now. “ I work from 40 to 80 hours a week. I look at it like in life the more you put in, the more you get out. If you live by those rules you will do well in life, that is how I look at it,” said Brent. “It is a large investment. We have to pay for the business and all the bills. The expenses are very high but we do well. It is a great business to be in. My wife says 4 outlets is enough for us but if another opportunity comes along we will look it. When we first come here we were looking for two good locations and have doubled that now.”

The young couple are in Thunder Bay and it is home now.

“ It took a few years for Thunder Bay to feel like home. It is a great place to live. Thunder Bay is a Northern community like Timmins where I grew up. It is kind of secluded which I didn’t like at first but once your realize you are so close to the US border and the airport has so many flights to Toronto each day we aren’t secluded. The natural landscape beauty with Mt Mckay, Lake Superior, the Sleeping Giant, the canyon and Kakabeka Falls is beautiful. It is a great place to live and raise a family.”

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

RML Contracting Construct Thunder Bay’s Newest Tim Hortons in Record Time BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

Thunder Bay BUSINESS Andrew and Matthew Lindstrom are the owners of RML Contracting. Their family has been in the construction business in Thunder Bay for a long time. The name RML was taken from a previous company owned by a brother before 2005 with 2 other partners then. In 2005 Andrew moved back from working in Alberta, took over the company and kept the company name. The Lindstrom family had been in the construction business with Stead & Lindstrom since the 1950’s with Andrew and Matthew’s father then. Their father is now manager of the construction association of Thunder Bay. “ RML has done quite a bit of work since our beginning in 2005 and we are

exterior. Inside is drywall and a little bit of suspended ceiling,”said Andrew. “ We had many subtrades involved on the project and it went very well as you can see from the time frame. We opened a little ahead of schedule.” “ The Tim Hortons system is to ship up their own millwork pre manufactured, we just supervise the installation. All the equipment comes up and we just off load it and help set up. There is also a interior fit up done by Tim Horton’s which we oversee. It is a real system, a cookie cutter type system.” said Andrew. “ We like to do projects of this size, not the huge condos etc. We did rough frame the Holiday Inn Express on Carrick Street for a Sault Ste Marie company a few years back.” said Andrew. In the summer RML are up to 15 full time staff and run 10 full time all year

Matthew and Andrew Lindstrom, RML Contracting getting our name out there. We just finished off the Tim Horton’s and have done the POW Wow Grounds recently at the Fort William Nations. We completed the Oasis Family Dental Clinic last year, Mountainview Cemetery and various other projects.” said Andrew Lindstrom. RML has just completed the Tim Hortons unit on Edwards Street. This unit design is built all across Canada. Tim Hortons are opening 30 new separate stores in December alone across Canada. The newest Thunder Bay Tim Hortons opened December 12th. The building is 2700 square feet in size. “ The store is an all open concept design where we just paint the ceiling. It is an industrial look and the newest model they have across Canada with some different colour schemes. The store owner can pick their colour scheme,”said Andrew. “ The electrical, HVAC and plumbing especially were intense on this project. Lots of the plumbing work had to be done in the slab before it was poured.” This Tim Horton’s build project started August 15 and took about 3 1/2 months to complete. “They like them up pretty quickly. We got very lucky with the weather here in Thunder Bay this year which was very nice. The building has a foundation wall or frost wall and then an infill slab. It is mostly post and beam construction, with a James Hardy board, brick and rosetta stone

round. They do mostly commercial work but do some residential or additions, say 1 or 2 decent sizes residences each year.

RML also built 2 four plexs for a client to rent this year . “ We have had a very, very busy last few years. I don’t know what the new year holds for us . It might be a little quieter than normal to start but the summer will

pick up. The Federal government change and Ontario government has affected the spending. We expect more private spending as well as public because of the stable government situation now.” said Andrew.

PAGE 8

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY

Ontario Proposing to Expand Black Bear Hunting Pilot Province Committed to Sustainable Black Bear Management Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Ontario is proposing an expanded spring bear hunting pilot program to gather further information to assess concerns voiced by northern communities about human-

bear conflicts, and to support economic growth and tourism in northern Ontario. The proposed spring bear hunt pilot expansion, now available for public comment on Ontario's Environmental Registry, would include: Extending the pilot by an additional five years, through to 2020 All 88 wildlife management units that currently have a fall bear

hunt Non-resident hunters Under the expanded pilot proposal, it would still be illegal to hunt bear cubs and females with cubs. Anyone convicted of this offense could face a fine of up to $25,000 and up to one year imprisonment. In most cases, each licensed hunter would only be allowed to hunt one bear in each calendar year. Baiting of bears during all bear hunting seasons would be regulated to help address possible public safety concerns.

Quick Facts Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population with up to 105,000 black bears living in the province. Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall bear hunt except Nova Scotia and Ontario, which only have fall hunts. For 2014 and 2015, Ontario held a two-year bear management pilot program in eight wildlife management units, all of which reported high levels of nuisance bear activities. The hunt was open to Ontario residents from May 1 to June 15. Communities in and around these units include Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay. Quotes “Managing the bear population responsibly

through an expanded pilot program would allow us to gather further information to assess the impacts of an early black bear season on concerns voiced by northern communities about human-bear conflicts, and to support economic growth and tourism in northern Ontario.” Bill Mauro Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources “ There are people on both sides of this issue, some who don’t think this is the right thing to do and I acknowledge that and don’t pretend to dismiss their positions. I do disagree with their positions when it comes to Northern Ontario specifically. If you look around you see 8 out of 10 provinces are doing this and all three territories. We always had the fall hunt. The five year pilot project we propose will include the non residents coming in as well. We manage animal population on a broader scale.” “ The previous pilot didn’t include all areas of Ontario and non resident hunters. The non resident population have the biggest impact on bear population. We will now see the connection between the number of human bear interactions more accurately. The regulations will deal with peoples concerns say with cubs being orphaned. It will be illegal to hunt cubs or females with cubs during this spring bear hunt and it has a significant fine and possible imprisonment.” “ We are posting our proposal on our web site for 30 days and looking for comments. I will give serious credibility to these comments. It will be a 30 day posting and we will then take the comments and if we move forward the time line will allow a way for me to get the project in place for Spring 2016 retroactive to January 2016.” Glenn Rivard, President of Federation of Ontario Anglers & Hunters. “ We have been quite active on this project since 1999 and are this is great news an extension of the pilot project. This is a great step in taking the black bear back to its status as an important game animal that it should be. This hunt will be sustainable and it is sound wildlife management which we need to see with all species. Hunting is a management wildlife tool, a step in the right direction.” “There are critics to all hunts. Female bear and cubs have always been protected. There has been a increase of bear attacks in Canada. We need to manage all the species.”

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

PAGE 9

PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Formally Recognizes City Councillor BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

Thunder Bay BUSINESS Representatives from PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise traded their blazers for ball gowns recently as Shelby Ch’ng, Owner/Operator of Unveiled Bridal Boutique and Northwood City Councillor, was presented with PARO’s first-ever Enterprising Women Alumni

ing them. The Awards are one part of a full-day event PARO has planned to grow regional businesses and inspire current and future enterprising women through unique business education opportunities. The goal is to impart knowledge and ignite a spark in participants that drives them to take action. Shelby is an example of a woman who has taken her knowledge and applied it

vator, leader and model for young people of finding what they most like to do, building what they love to do and staying here and leading the way. It is not only about building your business but wanting to do good in the community and finding ways to make positive change.”

Rosalind Lockyer, Founder and Executive Director of PARO Centre and Shelby Ch’ng, Owner/Operator of Unveiled Bridal Boutique and Northwood City Councillor Award. The recognition is one of ten awards that were presented at PARO’s upcoming Enterprising Women Awards, to be held on November 12th at the Valhalla Inn.

Ch’ng first received recognition from PARO’s Enterprising Women Awards as the 2013 recipient of the Young Entrepreneur Award. “Shelby has demonstrated her dedication to the community, her inspirational approach to business, and her support of PARO time and time again,” says Rosalind Lockyer, Founder and Executive Director of PARO Centre. “Since Shelby’s initial desire to become a small business owner, she has embodied the enterprising spirit of PARO women and the innovative spirit of northern entrepreneurs, making her the ideal recipient of the first Enterprising Women Alumni Award. Her success has also translated into the political world, as she just celebrated her one-year anniversary as a City Councillor.” Ch’ng adds; “I am very humbled to be recommended so highly among my peers. PARO is a great organization that lends credibility to new female business owners and I am proud to be considered within its ranks. I hope to see everyone out supporting one another at the upcoming Enterprising Women Awards.”

Enterprising Women Awards attendees had access to business education through networking opportunities, workshops, speed mentoring sessions, and a keynote lunch. Lockyer continues; “It is PARO’s focus to always educate women in the community, even when we are celebrat-

in a way that benefits the entire community.”

High-profile entrepreneur and Top Game Changer on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, Barbara Stegemann, was PARO’s keynote lunch speaker. In addition to her successful participation on the reality business venture show, she talked about her experience building an international, socially responsible perfume business; an industry traditionally dominated by men. Says Stegemann; “I feel it is our responsibility to swing open the doors, and allow others to rise to their potential through economic empowerment.”

Lockyer continues; “The Enterprising Women Awards, and everything PARO had for the full-day event, had something for everyone. The tag line of the Awards is “dream, share, succeed.” Whether you are looking for networking opportunities, business advice, or some inspiration, we encourage current and future enterprising women to attend this unique event each year to dream, share, and succeed together. If Shelby is any indication of the potential we find in Northwestern Ontario, this celebration is only the beginning for the enterprising women we are recognizing.”

Rosalind Lockyer, PARO “ Shelby is a model I think for young, professional people in our community. We want to encourage young entrepreneurs to stay in our community, to build our communities. Shelby has a wonderful business, been part of the SHIFT network, the Chamber of Commerce and been elected to council. She is an inno-

Shelby Ch’ng “ I was shocked to receive this alumni

award. It was very nice and heartwarming. Some of the success that I have comes from organizations like PARO. I used to sit at a desk, which was fine, but I starting thinking about a bridal business. PARO helped me build my business plan, secure funding through NOHFC and get the confidence and the ability to move forward. After I opened my business I realized there was no one on city council of my age or someone that represents me. I decide to run and it wasn’t easy but I got in.” “ I really love being an entrepreneur. I never want to work for somebody else again in my entire life which is odd now that I am on council and have 10,000 bosses in my ward. It gives me freedom and I really like the autonomy so when I make a decision I know I made it and nobody can lay me off or fire me. It’s really a powerful position to be in. I used to think it was the money that made you a success, but I can tell you I made more money sitting at a desk with benefits and a very comfortable life. But you start thinking is that all there is. I created opportunity for myself in business and politics.”

PAGE 10

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

PAGE 11

In Ontario, most employees are entitled to reasonable notice of termination unless fired for cause. What is reasonable notice depends upon the circumstances of each termination. The basic factors were set by the Court of Appeal in 1960 - the age of the employee; character of the employment; length of service; availability of similar employment given the employee’s training and qualifications. “Character of the employment” is generally thought to refer to the fact that people in senior management positions might receive more notice than clerical employees, who are often thought to be better able to easily find replacement work. One

of the refinements in the law in recent years has been a narrowing of this gap, with some seeing it as elitist. There has, until recently, been some confusion in the law as to whether “character of the employment” also referred to the employer’s financial situation. This confusion arose from a 1982 trial decision

Legal Matters which recognized the need for an employer to be able function in an unfavourable economic climate. Exactly what this meant has been unclear until a Court of appeal

decision released in November 2015. In that case, several teachers were let go by a private school. The school argued that the teachers ought to have known that the school was struggling, and thus their jobs were less secure. The employer argued that this should reduce the reasonable notice period. The court clarified that an employer’s financial difficulties never reduce reasonable notice – the “character of employment” criterion refers to the employee’s circumstances, not the employer’s. This is consistent with the other factors that make up the reasonable notice matrix, and is also consistent with how other provinces approach the issue.

Although this decision appears to be good news for employees, giving them longer notice periods, it creates the risk that employers facing tough economic times might move more quickly to give working notice to avoid the cost of higher pay in lieu of notice. The court also emphasized that even when replacement work is scarce due to economic circumstances, reasonable notice does not guarantee payment until alternate work is found. In that way, “reasonable” does remain fair to both parties. Weilers has been advising clients on employment law, including reasonable notice of termination, for almost 70 years.

OH PLEASE!!!... By Sherry Aalto

If I hear ‘What’s my New Year’s Resolution’ one more time…!!!

Exhale! We are not going to ask you if you made a New Year’s Resolution. But know this! Sometime in the 12th month of each year, people are wishing to start the New Year off on a new journey, a new direction or planning a better place for themselves! So well intentioned! Most of us fall short of achieving our goals. We all dream of being better, doing better, feeling better, but to do this, it takes adjusting our HABITS, or giving them up completely. It also takes re-educating our MINDS for thought patterns and triggers. We should also want to look at SCHEDULES that keep us in our unwanted patterns!!! OMG! What an undertaking! But don’t be discouraged! Here is all you need to do! Start with the dream of YOU reaching YOUR goal! Imagine yourself feeling good about your efforts during your mindful, moment by moment achievement. Feel good each day about the journey you are taking to reach your goal! Imagine yourself feeling good about the strength you will be exercising on a daily basis, a moment by moment basis. Each moment, each day will add just that much more to you feeling good about moments of accomplishment. You have one day to live at a time…that is it…you sleep for maybe 7 of the 24 hours that are granted you. You work for maybe 8 hours of the 24 hours granted you. So? The habits you want to remove, change, adjust, eliminate or whatever you want to call it…only needs a simple adjustment during your ‘awake’ hours, when temptation rears its controlling head! No one said that this would be uncomfortable! And yes…you will have to get out of your COMFORT ZONE a little, but then imagine yourself getting through that MOMENT and that is all it is…a moment! Here it is! Most people want to either quit smoking for lose weight. First of all, in most cases, people tend to experience a, let’s say, silent shame about their addiction or lack of strength to conquer. Forget the shame! So what! Who cares! Get past it! Then the next experience is thinking ‘I HOPE I MAKE IT’…which is fear, personified! Forget it! So what! Who

cares! Let it go! That is why a lot of people don’t make it. They allow defeatist thoughts of ‘What if I don’t make it?’ ‘What if I can’t do it?’ dictate failure! And then they give up or say to themselves ‘See? I knew I couldn’t do it!” So right about now you are probably thinking, ‘This article is boring!’ and you are soooo right! It is! But don’t discount the message because you don’t like the message! It is this simple…you don’t need a personal trainer, a gym membership, the vote of your friends or family, approval or opinions from others. You don’t need anything but your own consent! Save your money! Don’t buy weight loss pills, diet programs, or anything else that you will pay to some OTHER business just so you can get someone or something else to push you along because, if you are not perfect at your newly chosen agenda, you will only add MORE guilt to the guilt you already carry. Forget it! Skip it! Let it go! Who cares! Imagine your new self in every detail as though you have already reached your goal. Imagine the journey getting there by way of feeling grateful that you have the mind set to achieve a DAILY goal. Pay yourself a debt of accomplishment for all the good you have achieved just for that one day! If you

truly want accomplishment, you are the only one that can grant yourself that! Really! So don’t set yourself up to fail by making promises that are already difficult even just thinking about them. Silently make your goal become a desire, a dream. There is no time frame, no schedule and no one is going to grade you on this. You are the master of your own accomplishments. Failure is to do NOTHING! Even if all you can do is think about it right now…get your strength from that and then begin. Begin slowly or quickly, the choice is truly yours. I can sit here all day and try to

drive this message home but really, you know you know already what you want…the feeling better you, the doing better you! Everything else that is noticed about your changes?...that is the EXTRA in the ‘Feel Good’ department! So, there is no real ending in this article because, you are the ending! You are the ‘closing’ statement and only you know how the ending is going to go! Thanks for reading it! Happy New Year! 2016!

Happy New Year!

PAGE 12

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JANUARY 2016

SHOP LOCAL – SHOP LOCAL – SHOP LOCAL! By Sherry Aalto Since the establishment of Thunder Bay, formerly Port Arthur and Fort William, local vendors have made it possible for the communities to survive by providing the opportunity to purchase life’s essentials! How it all started. FORT WILLIAM AND THE FUR TRADE - THE NORTHWEST COMPANY With the use of the Ojibway canoe as a vehicle for transportation, the natural junction of Lake Superior and its tributary, the Kaministiquia River, was an important terminus in the days of the fur trade. As early as 1678, a French outpost, Fort Caministogoyan, was established. Later, after a take-over by the Northwest Company in 1803, a new fort was born. Located in the east end of the current City of Thunder Bay, Fort William served as a the hub of the Canadian fur trade where Coureurs des bois, Gentlemen and Natives met to transact their business. When the Europeans arrived in the 17th Century, the local Indians called this site "Animikie", which translates as "Thunder." It was the French Couriers des bois, who travelled the region transporting furs and goods who would refer to the area between the Sibley Penninula and the North shore of Superior as Baie de Tonnaire, or "Thunder Bay". By the middle of the 19th century the fur

trade boom had long since faded and mining became the region's most important industry. Finds of copper, silver and later gold proved lucrative for those willing to take the risk. For more than a decade the famous Silver Islet mine flourished on a tiny rock in Lake Superior and, by its final years, extended 1250 feet below the level of the lake. A TALE OF TWO CITIES In 1867, the newly formed country of Canada, established under the British North American Act, was interested in expansion. As the Canadians negotiated with the Hudson’s Bay Company to acquire Rupert’s land, Simon Dawson was dispatched to Thunder Bay to select a starting point for a road to Fort Garry in the west. Among Dawson’s options were the Fort William location at the mouth of the Kaministisquia and "the Depot", a nearby site on Thunder Bay, across from the Sibley Peninsula. Used as a landing spot for ships since 1805, Dawson chose "The Depot" and a rivalry was born. Though a more established community existed at Fort William, the Kaministiquia River required dredging to accommodate ships and early ice formation would reduce the shipping season. Work on the Dawson Road through the rugged Northern Ontario terrain began in 1869. Colonel Wolseley, arriving in 1870 en route to the Riel rebellion renamed the depot Prince Arthur’s Landing in honour of Queen Victoria’s third son. At the end of the Rebellion, Prince Arthur (near the current location of the hotel which bears

its name) was left as a palisade with stables, sheds and supply shacks - a point on the new road to the west, and a starting point for the town of Port Arthur. The artist of this scene, William Armstrong (1822-1914) served as engineer to the Wolseley Expedition. Now when you think of all the advancements and changes that merchants strove for, we might be wanting to pay a debt of gratitude to our local merchants for all the products and services that they secure for us as a family, a person, a community and that, not to be rude but, that we might just be taking for granted. We have a strong city because the believers, the merchants we driven and they kept pushing forward. I’m not going to give you all of the history for the business and merchants of Thunder Bay, but the next time you are out browsing or shopping, take a good look around and just imagine the perseverance that our local vendors endured to make a life here and help us to make a life here as well. There is a lot of trust that goes into shopping local. You trust the local merchants to give you value for

your dollar and they trust you to frequent their shop and by doing this, everyone wins! SHOP LOCAL and give to your OWN economy.