LOCAL 1669 CARPENTERS’ NEW HOME!
INSIDE It’s in the bag’: meaning - As good as done! 34th ANNUAL WESTFORT STREET FAIR Design Local Buy Local Build Local You Nailed It! North Superior Publishing @tbay25
Ontario Supporting Research in Health and the
Government of Canada Investment Supports Innovation in Health Sciences in Thunder Bay
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2016
It’s in the bag’: meaning - As good as done! FOR EVERY THING IT’S IN THE BAG!! By Sherry Aalto Origin: The term in the bag with the meaning of 'virtually secured' is American and came into being in the early 20th century. It is slightly predated by an Australian/New Zealand version of in the bag which had a different meaning. That was in use by 1900 and is defined here in a later citation: Sidney John Baker's The Australian language, 1945 - "A horse set to lose a race is said to be in the bag." Of course, that isn't the meaning of the phrase as we currently understand it. The current version was coined because of a tradition of the
New York Giants baseball team. This was recorded in May 1920, in the Ohio newspaper The Mansfield News: "An old superstition was revived at the Polo grounds, New York, recently when Eddie Sicking was dispatched to the clubhouse with the ball bag at the start of the ninth possession of one run lead. This superstition originated during the run of twenty-six consecutive victories made by the Giants in 1916, the significance of it resting in a belief that if the bag is carried off the field at that stage of the game with the Giants in the lead the game is in the bag and cannot be lost." So there you have it! A bit of history on an old
phrase! But the term still applies today and the pun here can be taken literally! When you go out shopping, don’t go with the absence of mind that it doesn’t matter where you spend your hard earned money! Go out to your community with the idea that with every penny…O.K.….nickel…you spend….that it is going to be a benefit to the bigger picture!! We all know that shopping local does so many good things and not just for our brave store owners who are trying to survive and compete again the big super stores! When you shop local, you are investing in YOUR own economy! You are ensuring that YOUR son, YOUR daughter, YOUR neighbours kids are going to have a job or career so that they can live where you live….play where you play and hopefully raise their family where you raised yours! And for everyone who thinks… ‘I want to go and live in a big city!!!’…well that is how the city got big…from people shopping in it!!! Not buying online! Not going across the border…like we all do at times! And that is O.K.….except for, when we make it the norm….then we are literally giving away OUR economy…we are giving away OUR security and then one day…everything closes up…and those we love move away…and we say…’Hey? Where did everybody go?!!!’
It is up to us as elders and examples to our young, to spread the word to shop local!! To encourage ‘charity begins at home’! To help others to see the bigger picture, instead of just what’s in front of them. Every day we have choices on what to buy and where to buy them from. We have to start thinking of our community as the place we want to invest in…for many reasons. We have to be the ones to start making the difference. This is not etched in stone that no one shall ever shop abroad or on line again but, we must make a conscious effort to at least take a part in securing our own destiny when it comes to our own municipal economy. If you want to pay less for things…ask the store owner to at least try to compete with other venues that are eager to get your dollars! Exercise negotiating and just see what happens. The local vendors also want you to feel you are recognized as an important part of the shopping process… THE most important part of their survival. Shop owners want you to have a great experience and they want you to tell your friends about them! So don’t tell yourself that, ‘Oh! They’re too expensive!’ Go and ask for a competitive discount! Just try it! And shop owners! You have a responsibility to help ensure that your customers stay shopping in your store….not just come in and browse and then let them leave! Give them your best!! Make them aware of all your specials in your store! Direct their attention to interesting and helpful items that are available at your place of business! Even though a number of items can be purchased elsewhere…give the customers the best…and I do mean the best service ever! Every customer!!! Not just the chosen few! People WILL shop even if the price is a little higher because of the great service they receive…that is a proven fact! And even though they are willing to pay more because of great service…offer them a discount anyway…you will have them coming back and they WILL tell their friends and family. This is also a fact! For both customers and local shop owners…We have to stop disillusioning ourselves about how important it is to keep our shops open…because if we don’t…pretty soon…the doors will close and then guess what? That’s right…the superstores will have a monopoly and then they will charge whatever they want! Welcome to their abyss! You want it? You will pay!!! You have to believe this!
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2016
Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner
Nitro Circus Performs In Thunder Bay
It was an amazing experience having the worldwide known, Nitro Circus, come to Thunder Bay with their travelling road show. As an avid motorsports fan their action packed show was a spectacle to see! 12 tractor trailers and a crew of 60 people set up this elaborate show of motocross, BMX, skateboard and contraptions. Brandon Schmidt, age 23, is a Professional Snowboarder and BMX Rider from Stockholm, New Jersey “ I grew up loving to ride bikes, skateboards or whatever and watching Nitro Circus. I told myself from a little kid on I was going to be part of Nitro Circus. So I had to decide do I go to college or find a job. I made an edit of my riding, sent it Nitro Circus and within 2 days I got an offer to come to New Zealand and tryout. I got a job offer and now 4 years later have been all around the world with my childhood hero Travis Pastrana- it blows my mind.” “ I will ride BMX and snowboard with wheels on it. People want to come out to see something that has never been done before. If there is injury my drive is to get back as soon as possible. It is the love, passion and the willing to progress in the sport.” Ricky Melnik is the Athlete Performer Manager with the Nitro Circus. “ Thunder Bay is our 28th stop out of 39 on our North American Tour. We are really excited to be in Thunder Bay. We have had a very good response with over 5000 people in attendance.” “ I started in action sports with snowboarding and got hurt in motocross etc so decided to get into marketing and worked my way up the ranks.” “ Today we will have about 30 athletes. Adam Jones is here who just recently competed in the World Games and X Games and is a multi X Games Gold Medal winner. Bruce Cook, Canadian hero, is here and has come back to ride the dirt bike after injury.” “ These guys start their own apparel companies for example and can continue on with the business after riding.”
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Jarryd McNeil, age25, is a motocross rider from Australia Kerang
“I started riding motorcycles at age 2 1/2 and racing motocross at 9 years old. Freestyle began at age 15 and I have been with Nitro Circus since the start in 2010. We have been to Australia, Japan, Europe and the US and Canada with South America next.” “ I still race some motocross races outdoors but mainly it is freestyle. Since April of this year last weekend was our first weekend off. I am based in the San Diego area about 1 1/2 hours away.” “I love Nitro Circus. There are not many other opportunities for people to travel around the world, ride motorcycles and do what they love, performing shows for the crowds. It has been a life changing experience being able to come on Nitro Circus and live our childhood dreams.” “ There is always fear say with new tricks but this is a very professional set up with the best portable landing and take offs.” “ I hope to continue riding Nitro Circus , X Games and Nitro World Games. I got
Gold Medals this year in step up and best whip at X Games this year.” “ Financially it has been ok with sponsorship and I could get ahead buying a property and having my own house and track. It will allow me to take my riding to the next level by waking up and just riding each day. Injury is part of the sport but drives you to get back on the bike again, it is just part of it.” Nitro Circus is the worlds top athletes coming together to put on extreme sports show with freestyle Motocross, BMX, In line skating, Skate board and Scooter you name it. Also there are contraptions going down the ramp and flying 40 feet through the air. It is a family show for everyone from 5 years old to 95 year olds. Nitro Circus started out doing little back yard movies posted to You Tube and then went Hollywood into productions including the MTV TV show. Then it went on the road live in front of thousands of people.
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A Post-Secondary Outlook By Mike Morrow, CFP This fall, more than a million university students are heading to university campuses across Canada with approximately 300,000 graduating and entering the workforce in 2017. Most students worry over tuition and living expenses as they head back to school. They're also afraid they won't be able to pay back debt once they graduate because they're concerned about finding a well-paying. Earning Potential Postsecondary graduates’ long-term earning potential is positive. A new study by Ottawa University indicates that graduates income grew 66 per cent after graduation over an eight year period. Statistics Canada data show that twenty-year cumulative earnings of post-secondary graduates, for both men and women, across all disciplines, exceed earnings of non-gradu-
ates. And more jobs are being created in the new “knowledge economy” for grads. Between March 2008 and March 2016 1,416,600 new jobs were created for grads. Post-secondary education is effectively a requirement to succeed in today’s labour market. In 2016, 80% of Canada’s top 25 jobs require a university degree. Education Costs Rise While the demand for education has increased, tuition fees have increased. From 1990 to 2014, national average tuition fees have seen an inflation-adjusted increase of over 155%. In Ontario, tuition fees have increased over 180%. For most students—often having spent little time fully active in the workforce— funding their education has become increasingly difficult. Many students must now take on significant levels of debt to pay for their education. Students requiring a Canada Student Loan now graduate with an average debt of over $28,000.
Employment Youth employment in Canada fell to 55.2 per cent last month, from 56.1 per cent 20 months earlier. And prior to the last financial crisis, nearly 60 per cent of people in this age group had a job. Education Saving The Federal Government offers incentive for parents and grandparents who save for their child's education with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The RESP is an investment account that can receive grants from the government based on the amount contributed. When you contribute to an Registered Education Savings Plan, the Government of Canada will contribute as well with what is called a Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG). A CESG is 20% of each dollar you contribute up to $500 per year per child. In order to get the maximum annual RESP grant of $500, you must contribute $2,500 per year or $208.33 per month to the RESP account. The maximum CESG entitlement is capped at $7,200 per child, as the CESG matching stops at the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17. The CESG is the biggest reason why RESP's are the best way to save for your child's education.
The RESP is flexible and can be used for a variety of different education costs. If a child decides not to pursue higher education, you can either name an alternative beneficiary or divide the assets in the plan among any remaining children. If you contribute less than $2,500 in any given year, your unused grant entitlement can be carried forward to a future year. The maximum CESG that the government will pay in any one year is $1,000 per beneficiary, based on contributions of $5,000 or more. An RESP can be set up for any beneficiary including children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews or even family friends. You can contribute any amount up to a lifetime contribution limit of $50,000. You do not deduct the contributions from your income but the investment earnings are taxdeferred. When withdrawn from the plan, they are taxable to the beneficiary (the student), who will have a lower or zero tax rate. For more information please contact Michael Morrow, CFP for all your financial and or group benefit needs: 200-905 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay 684.1805 www.morrowfinancial.ca
Halfway Motors Nissan Now Has a Sister Store: Halfway Motors Mazda! BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The long standing Mazda dealership in Thunder Bay now has a new owner. Well known Halfway Motors Nissan will now operate the dealership as Halfway Motors Mazda. “We are here today to introduce a change over of the Mazda store which has been in Thunder Bay since the early 70’s. We have purchased the dealership and been approved by Mazda Canada to run their store,” said John Trevisanutto, Advisor Halfway Motors Mazda. “ We hope customers will recognize our brand and our strive for great customer service.
We hope to bring that here. The Mazda customers deserve this service. Mazda was always a top competitor over the years.” The son of John Trevisanutto, Partrick is moving over from his Sales Manager position at Halfway Motors Nissan and will run the new Mazda dealership.
“ The staff here at Mazda are very enthusiastic and looking forward to growing with us. We have the right people in place that can cary it on from where it is. We want to grow as much as Halfway Nissan has, which currently has 50 staff. Currently there are 6 people working at the Mazda store,” said John. “ If we can grow the dealership we may have to move to a new location. It will take a lot of work with our staff. We were very impressed with the Mazda Canada people. We will invest in the people here and invest in advertising to make the store grow.” “ We want to bring back Mazda growth and provide the service we currently provide at Halfway Motors Nissan.” said Patrick Trevisanutto, Dealer Principal and General Manager at Halfway Motors Mazda. www.hatch.com
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Investments in Post-Secondary Education in Northwestern Ontario Under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, our government has a clear priority – to grow the economy and help create jobs. To accomplish this, we’ve laid out a fourpart plan which includes making the largest infrastructure investment in the province’s history – more than $160 billion over 12 years, ensuring Ontarians achieve a secure retirement through enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan, fostering a low-carbon, innovative and high-growth business climate and by expanding access to high-quality and affordable college and university education. In this column, I will focus on what we’re doing here in the Northwest to fulfill the commitment to expanding access to highquality post-secondary education, for the more than 37,500 students who study across Ontario’s North. Students in our province will remember that earlier this year our government announced its plan to reform the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to better assist students with the greatest financial need. In fact, we announced that under the new Ontario Student Grant (OSG) changes will be made to student assistance to make tuition free for students whose parents earn less than $83,300 and would lower the cost for thousands of more students across the province. The changes will make things easier for all students by ensuring student debt is manageable and be made available to adult learners looking to return to school.
The new OSG will help thousands of local families and students realize their potential and attend college or university in Ontario. But to ensure our students are best positioned to take on the economy we must also invest in the institutions that deliver that education. That’s why I am so proud of some the recent investments made through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation into post-secondary education here in the Northwest For example, at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, we recently announced our investment of $1 million to support the engineering and design phase of their new Gichi Kendaasiwin Centre. The proposed new facility will help increase student participation rates among Indigenous people by advancing academic opportunities for First Nation, Metis and Inuit students. Once built, the facility will house classrooms, gathering and performance space, as well as housing academic departments devoted to delivering Indigenous-specific
programming.
ences.
Furthermore, we provided Lakehead with $814,000 to initiate a new Research Chair in Green Chemicals and Processes. The position will support an additional 16 research jobs and focus on ways the pulp and paper, and mineral processing industries can reduce their environmental impacts.
Additionally, in the 2016 Budget, the province committed $7 million to assist Confederation College with the construction of a new Technology Education and Collaboration Hub. The new facility will offer students preparatory, apprenticeship, trades and technology programs and include innovative workshop and laboratory space to help develop an employmentready technology and trades workforce for Northern Ontario.
Also at Lakehead, the NOHFC recently invested $1 million to support telepresence technology in Kenora and Sioux Lookout that allows students studying offsite, to be fully immersed in a classroom hundreds of kilometres away. At the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, we partnered with Discovery Air Fire Services to establish a five-year Research Chair position focused on health and the environment. The funding will allow researchers to use aerial surveillance to analyze waterborne blue-green algae for microbes that could be harmful to people and animals who use the water. And we’re not just investing in Lakehead, we’ve also increased funding and support at Confederation College. Including our recent NOHFC investments of $3 million to build a new student wellness centre at their Thunder Bay campus and partner with the Keewatin-Patricia School Board to develop a campus in Sioux Lookout that shares lab and shop space with the new Sioux Lookout High School. The new campus will teach the skills that local employers are looking for including hospitality, culinary arts, and environmental sci-
And finally, we’ve partnered with all six colleges in the North (Confederation, Cambrian, Sault, Boréal, Northern and Canadore) with an investment of $3 million to support a joint marketing and recruitment effort. The three-year Study North program is working with industry partners and community organizations to identify labour shortages, needed skills and employment opportunities to attract students to their campuses. Our government knows that investing in high-quality post-secondary education will better position the people of Ontario to face the challenges of the global economy head on. I am so proud of the investments made by the NOHFC that are supporting that effort at Lakehead University, Confederation College and across Northern Ontario. Michael Gravelle is Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Chair of the NOHFC and MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North
Ontario Supporting Research in Health and the Environment Province Investing in Aerial Detection of Waterborne Microbes Ontario is supporting a new five-year Research Chair position at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) focused on health and the environment. With an investment of $1 million from the province's Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), and in partnership with Discovery Air Fire Services, the Research Chair and their team will develop remote sensing technology to identify harmful waterborne microbes. The technology will allow the researchers to conduct aerial identification of waterborne cyanobacteria (blue green algae). Waterborne blue green algae can pose a health risk to both people and animals, who may drink or bathe in contaminated lake water. Investing in research and innovation is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement. QUOTES “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is a tremendous success story in our part of the province, with the majority
of their graduates staying in the North to practice their craft. But, there is much more happening at NOSM, which is why we are so pleased to announce support
today for a new Research Chair at the School; one that is focused on developing remote sensing technology to identify harmful waterborne microbes. This cutting edge research will improve the health of all Ontarians as we also help to build up the economy through innovative projects like this.” — Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Chair of the NOHFC “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a shining example of Northern innovation. The groundbreaking research being
conducted at the School will help to create jobs and economic activity in our community and lead to better health care outcomes for residents not just in the North
but across Ontario.” — Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan “NOSM is committed to quality research and to improving the health of the people of Northern Ontario. We thank the NOHFC for investing in our Research Chair position in Health and the Environment, which we believe will help detect potentially hazardous algal blooms in an accurate and timely manner.” — Dr. David Musson, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, Northern Ontario School of Medicine …
“Through this project, we will conduct research to define more efficient and timely methods to identify harmful waterborne microbes. We thank the province and the NOHFC for their support of this important research.” — Dr. Gregory Ross, Principal Investigator and Faculty Member, NOSM "Our company is focused on the use of airborne detection of key environmental events, such as the detection of wildfires. Expanding the use of our remote sensors for detection of other critical events, such as algal blooms, is a natural progression of our product offerings.” — Mark Hill, President of Discovery Air Fire Services QUICK FACTS * Since 2013, the province has invested more than $406 million through the NOHFC in over 2,550 projects, leveraging more than $1.2 billion in direct economic activity and creating or sustaining over 9,170 jobs in Northern Ontario. * The aerial identification will utilize remote sensing, which is a general term for gathering information from sensors mounted on drones, aircraft and even satellites. * Some strains of cyanobacteria are harmful to individuals and animals, who drink or bathe in contaminated waters, and can also pose a risk to municipal water systems. * The NOHFC’s investments in research and innovation are part of the Ontario government’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2016
Design Local Buy Local Build Local You Nailed It! By Sherry Aalto DESIGN: When it comes to designing something for your home, no matter if it is a big project or a small one, local business people are there for you. They want to help you and you can tell they put passion into serving you! They can advise on the best design, best products and can help you save dollars and time! The best part is, you get to talk to actual people, either over the phone or in person. Many contractors and home improvement companies will come out to your home or site and prepare an estimate for you. In the stores, you can actually see and touch the products you are interested in, that way you can feel so much more confident when you can actually see the product or even take a number of the swatches home with you by shopping local. Local business owners want to help you. Yes! To get really honest…they are also in busi-
ness for the same reasons you go to your job….to make a living! Can you blame them? With Fall just around the corner, people like yourself, will be wanting to get a few projects completed before the snow flies. You may want to do some cosmetic updating to your home or your landscaping. You may want to install a wood fireplace or install new cabinets in your home. There are many things that you can do and so before you rush over to the computer to shop online or drive a couple of hours across borders, give your local business people the opportunity to show you what they can do for you, in your home and in your wallet! Everything from architecture, professional home designs and products for every part of your home. Kitchens, baths, recreational areas, patios, fencing, yards, driveways, garages, sheds, lighting, landscaping, bird baths, just about everything you can imagine, Thunder Bay has it all covered for you!
local business actually stay in business! But the reason they do is because a lot of you still believe in the ‘buy local’ pro-
chant! Give your very best to every customer, the first time and every time! Train your staff how be the best in cus-
gram! Everyone knows it is easy to get things online these days and have them shipped directly to your home…only problem is…if the wrong product is sent or you ordered the wrong thing yourself, or ordered too much, sending it back can be a little costly. When you deal with local business their services and expertise is all about getting you what you need, how much you need, when you need it with a price that is satisfactory and in a cinch. It is this simple…if there is a problem, they take care of it locally. If you need help with instructions or directions for applications, even though there is youtube, local merchants are happy to help you with that. Business relationships are built on great service and the merchants and contractors want to give you your monies worth. They want you to come into their store and feel like you know them personally! And merchants? Yes! You! The mer-
tomer care! You will at times have new people training under you or your store manager and staff. Your new employee wants to feel competent and even though they may be in the preliminary stages of product knowledge and applications, they CAN give the best customer service starting with the greeting, followed up with direction to other staff members who have the knowledge of what your customer is looking for. And your staff should all take part in the professional mentoring of the new personnel. Also bear in mind that when staff has been with you for a while, unknowing to themselves and maybe even yourself, complacency sets in. Complacency has no place in business! Period! Re-energize your staff with enthusiasm, make their what they do for you rewarding, even if it is simply by way of positive acknowledgment for their efforts. Con tinued
BUY: With all the competition out there these days, it is a wonder how
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2016
Design Local Buy Local Build Local You Nailed It! Con tinued Anyone and everyone can point out what is not right but, it takes that extra effort to offer up praise. Your staff is your front line. The first person the customers see when entering your place of business and the last person that the customer completes his or her experience with. You want them, the customer and the staff, to have a remarkable exchange so much that, everyone will want to work for you and customers with be telling everyone else about you! When it comes right down to it, your store is only as good as your staff and if invest in your staff well, not just for knowledge but for the best friendly customer service, you will gain more recognition and that can turn into some pretty serious coin! You feel great! Your staff feels great! And guess who else gets to feel great? That’s right! The customer! Your customer! Treat EVERYONE special! Because they are! BUILD: When you think of building, renovating, redesigning your home or business, performing repairs, landscaping for esthetics or drainage issues, repairing a basement or expanding or creating new decking for the recreational and relaxation part of your soul, you should consider LOCAL merchants, contractors and design engineers before anyone else! Also there could be some big or small projects that you may want to do yourself around your home and that is great
what exactly you want to do, or how much you want to spend…the people at these locally owned business can help guide you and give you the foresight and confidence you need to move forward with your design project and budget in mind. So give them a call. You won’t be disappointed! The entire process will be an informative and enlightening experience that will have you feeling confident, that you made the right decision to design local, buy local, build local! O.k! You can go online for THIS…the listings of the local merchants and contractors…but then…you have to at least promise to give your local suppliers, designers and builders a call first!
when you have the knowledge to fulfill the task, but when you also do not possess such skillset, seek out the knowledgeable services at your local merchants, contractor and supply companies. You are going to have to buy supplies or product for your task anyway…why not let the local merchants guide you with their knowledge. They really want to take care of you and they want you to come back again and again. There dozens of established local contractors, designers and builders just waiting for your call. Along with the aforementioned, you will also find painters, plumbers, electricians, professional window makers and window dressers, cabinetry designers and
installers, floor specialists for hardwood, laminate, carpeting, tiling, roofing, soffit and facia, need I go on? You will be amazed at the amount of information that will be given you when talking with any of these professionals. Here you will find many places that are waiting just to serve you. But with winter coming in so fast, you might want to start dialing now! Even if you have no idea
Everything you search for on the internet, when it comes to home build, home design or home improvement, is right in your own home town! You can search on the home pages for your product or service interest…just type in Thunder Bay at the end of your search word in the address bar and see what appears. You Nailed It!
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2016
LOCAL 1669 CARPENTERS’ – NEW HOME! “Measure twice…Cut once!” By Sherry Aalto Who isn’t excited about the new home for the Carpenters’ and Joiners Local Union 1669? Nearing to its’ completion, the new building for local 1669, is located at 1306 Capitol Way, Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Carpenters’ Union recognizes that an ongoing commitment to apprenticeship training is the foundation for a successful future for our trade. As the need for new construction grows, so does the need for more skilled tradespeople. Today, in addition to the true hands-on experience that is derived from on-the-job training, our educational facilities provide outstanding learning opportunities in the classroom as well. Carpenters today operate much more efficiently because of developments in technology and construction. Understanding the tools of the trade would be difficult without a learning environment that also takes advantage of the latest teaching methods.
‘The Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario is proud to operate a number of state-of-theart training facilities across the province at which apprentices can learn and perfect their trade. Our training courses and facilities are highly sought after by new students seeking a career in the trades and by established journeypersons seeking to upgrade their skills.’
missioned by Local 1669 for design and saw the opportunity to develop a great functional space for the local! According to Matthew Mills, Project Manager, the standard ‘square box’ design would be superseded by a welcoming and inviting space! FORM Architecture Engineering is the prime consultant responsible for architecture, structural engineering and interior
It would be accurate to say that anticipation and gratification is the mindset for everyone for the move from their old address, and rented space on Fort William Road, in the Lakehead Labour Board Building, to their
newly owned location on 1306 Capital Way. After 49 years and being in a rented location, an upgrade was definitely overdue.
design. The projected cost for the new site was slated at 5.5 million dollars. The building itself is impressive, not just in its’ design but also in the construction materials used to the advantage for ‘best use’ and cost savings efficiency. The entire project was designed using, what is known as BIM Technology (3D software). To explain: BIM Technology is firstly the acronym for Building Information Modeling, and BIMs
is: Building Information Models. BIM is a process involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building information models (BIMs) are files (often but not always in proprietary formats and containing proprietary data) which can be extracted, exchanged or networked to support decision-making regarding a building or other built asset. Current BIM software is used by individuals, businesses and government agencies who plan, design, construct, operate and maintain diverse physical infrastructures, such as water, wastewater, electricity, gas, refuse and communication utilities, roads, bridges, ports, tunnels, etc. BIM in Construction Management: Participants in the building process are constantly challenged to deliver successful projects despite tight budgets, limited manpower, accelerated schedules, and limited or conflicting information. The significant disciplines such as architectural, structural and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) designs should be well coordinated, as two things can’t take place at the same place and time. Building Information Modeling aids in collision detection at the initial stage, identifying the exact location of discrepancies. Continued Next Page
FORM Architecture Engineering was com-
Congratulations Carpenters’ Local 1669!
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LOCAL 1669 CARPENTERS’ – NEW HOME! “Continued The BIM concept envisages virtual construction of a facility prior to its actual physical construction, in order to reduce uncertainty, improve safety, work out problems, and simulate and analyze potential impacts. Subcontractors from every trade can input critical information into the model before beginning construction, with opportunities to pre-fabri-
cate or pre-assemble some systems off-site. Waste can be minimized on-site and products delivered on a just-in-time basis rather than being stock-piled on-site. Quantities and shared properties of materials can be extracted easily. Scopes of work can be isolated and defined. Systems, assemblies and sequences can be shown in a relative scale with the entire facility or group of facilities. BIM also prevents errors by enabling conflict or 'clash detection' whereby the computer model visually highlights to the team where parts of the building (e.g.: structural frame and building services pipes or ducts) may wrongly intersect. The new headquarters for the Carpenters’ and Joiners Union will be 12,750 square foot and is ready for its’ members and trainees and is constructed in the new developing area for industrial business in INNOVA Park. The new building will lend way to an additional 7,000 more square feet of space which will in turn provide the training space needed to prevent potential skilled labour shortages. The double height (26-feet high) training area will house scaffolding and various types of lift equipment for apprenticeship and upgrade training. Also, there will be two 25-seat class rooms with a removable wall, allowing for a large class or special gatherings. The training space will showcase exposed structural glulam beams and columns highlighted with base details reminiscent of pile caps. The actual building itself is of a primarily wood structure. It will be a stick frame
building with a heavy timber frame component. The interior will feature tongue-andgroove wood ceilings, some paneled wood walls sections and large timber accents in the lobby. Without saying, wood was the choice for the construction of the building as it is the passion in the office for the Carpenters’ Union and because it is a significant building product from our area. The exterior will feature a natural stone façade around the central core (lobby), complemented by wood siding, glass and EIFS. Corrugated metal siding panels will clad the rear of the building. The design even calls for an area to the rear of the building land-
scaped with indigenous tree species (spruce, pine, fir and some hardwoods) typically harvested for their lumber for construction in the region. It will be called the Northern Forest Species Lumber Tree Plantation. Mills states “We wanted to emphasize a Northern Ontario design theme for the building.” While the building won’t be LEED certified, Mills says it will incorporate many sustainable elements, including a high performance building envelope with energy saving windows and doors and above-code insulation values in walls and ceilings. At FORM, Mills first started using BIM a dozen years ago and now the company
employs BIM on all of its projects. That is unusual among design firms in Ontario. As explained by Matthew Mills, “It really cuts down on changes to the project and helps the client visualize and understand what is being created,” he explains. “BIM has been much easier to get a feel for the project from a visual perspective and it has allowed members to offer instant input on the design.” Wayne Sohlman, President and Local Union Coordinator could not agree more. Wayne goes on to express, “They (FORM), clearly understood what it was that we were looking and listened to everything that was important to us!”
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Ontario Invests $1 Million in Trades Training Facility in Thunder Bay The province is investing $1 million through its Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to relocate the Carpenters' Local 1669 Training Centre to the Innova Business Park in Thunder Bay and construct a state-of-the-art training facility. The new building will have two classrooms,
an open workshop space as well as common areas and offices. It will also offer a modern, updated skills curriculum and courses with specialized equipment. The facility will help meet the demand for skilled tradespeople and construction trades training, connecting workers with good jobs and growing the Northern economy.
more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. Quotes
Investing in training and skills development is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its numberone priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping
“The Carpenters’ Local 1669 Training Centre is committed to investing in construction trades training and having a highly-skilled workforce here in the northwest. We thank the province and the NOHFC for sharing in this vision. Projects completed safely, injury free, on time and on budget will benefit all and strengthen northwestern Ontario’s economy and construction industry.” Wayne Sohlman President, Carpenters’ Local 1669
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Local Performer To Begin off Broadway production Attack Of The Elvis Impersonators "Time is on my side.” That is the metaphor surrounding the latest career achievement of Daylin James. It was over eight years ago that Daylin James, better known to most as the two time winner of the Canadian/International Elvis Tribute Artist Grand Championships, received an email from one of New York's up and coming theatre playwrights, Lory
Lazarus, that he had viewed several YouTube videos of Daylin's performances and wanted to employ Daylin as the lead in his new off Broadway production Attack Of The Elvis Impersonators. He sent the script, already in its ninth draft, for Daylin's consideration and approval, only to have to wait until last month, eight years late, to finally see this show hit the stage. The play revolves around Drac Frenzie, a famous middle-aged rock star, caught up in booze, drugs and women, who is spiritually recruited by the spirit of Elvis Presley to clean up his act and become an Elvis impersonator. Little does Drac realize that the antichrist is planning a takeover of the world, and the two spar off with his fan base, known as the “Hound Dogs,” in a battle between good and evil. "Seems like so many years ago that I had briefly perused this script and listened to a couple of the music tracks already produced for marketing purposes,” recalls Daylin. With the number of current local music projects and shows already on his table, Daylin shelved the script waiting for a more definite confirmation that this play would ever see the day of light. "In this business many opportunities come to my attention, but few ever get enough steam to materialize, especially knowing that for me, being an unknown in New York, let alone being asked to consider the lead as an actor/singer, this was too good to be true. I made a brief name for myself in the world of Las Vegas, but Broadway is a totally different thing. It's like playing a career in the NFL, and now being thrown into the NBA and being asked to play the game, when you don't have any idea what the rules are, how to play, and not knowing who the players are. It's very scary.” This summer, Daylin received a call that
after all this time, Mr. Lazarus finally acquired an investor and the play was a go, but to a limited showing as an opportunity to showcase it to producers from all over the world, in the hopes that this reading will someday become an “On Broadway” hit. "It was terrifying at first. All of these professional singer/dancers, actors, some cur-
rently performing on Broadway in hits like “School of Rock” and “Book of Mormon” working side by side with me. It was very intimidating. I have so little education in music, acting, and sight reading that I thought I might collapse the whole project. I only have my years of work experience to support me. That Mr. Lazarus had so much faith in my vocal ability, stage presence, and ability to adapt to any situation gave me the confidence to push forward. So I spent weeks familiarizing myself with the music and script so I was not going into this cold turkey. I was thrilled to hear that after I learned to ‘inflate’ (a term used to magnify or multiply a performer’s stage presence) that he thought I exceeded myself, as quoted, ‘750% beyond’ his expectations. One other director there told me I was a true natural as an actor and to pursue this as a new career goal." After returning home, to date Daylin has not received word on what is happening next. "These things take time. Even once a
production is picked up, it takes forever for it to materialize again as there are always a few projects that a producer has as ‘irons in the fire,' and each must wait its turn to grace the stage. For now, I will start to take on some local acting jobs and get more familiar with this new direction in my career. I do, however, look forward to the day I again receive a casting call for
this production. Truth be told, even if the play hits a larger stage, there are no guarantees that I would be considered again. It's a very close knit community in New York. They like to support their own, and rightfully so. I was an unknown coming out of left field. And as a lead, they may decide to go with a well-known actor to bump up the marketability. Time will tell.”
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TBT Engineering Limited Champions Aboriginal Leadership Program In the North On Thursday August 25, 2016 TBT Engineering Limited pledged its support to area Aboriginal youth by signing on to Champion this year’s Aboriginal Youth Leadership Program – aimed at mentoring young people in the region towards their career aspirations. The $5,000.00 funding by TBT Engineering will help lead the way for 20 Aboriginal youth to get leadership training in Northwestern Ontario.
Rob Frenette, President TBT Engineering. “ Today we got to meet with several candidates for the Youth Aboriginal Leadership Program and the Co Chairs of the program. This program is generated around similar principals of Leadership Thunder Bay. It is a mentorship and training program that will give Aboriginal youth the opportunity to meet people, attend work-
way. We believe the candidates will find success after this program.” TBT have 184 staff as of today.
shops, gain skills and become more capable of becoming leaders of the future.” “ TBT was invited to partner with this program and we have a deep respect for and work with the Aboriginal communities throughout the north. We think programs like this need some community level of
Sage Laliberte is a student at Confederation College in the Native Child and Family Services program graduating after this school year “ I think this program is awesome. I want to take part in this AYLP program as soon as October.” “I believe there are monthly meetings and a monthly task to complete. You gain new leadership skills and meet other Aboriginal Youth with the 7 Grandfather Teachings. It will help my leadership skills.”
funding and partnership. We feel strongly that we can assist this program.” “ Our goal is to hire five of the people in this program. Aboriginal partners should be incorporated into all commercial activities in the North. Programs like the AYLP with help them participate in their
http://www.leadershiptb.com
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE… © 2016 Brian Babcock …and do you have access to yours? The value of many recreational properties depends on access to water. If you own or are looking to purchase a cottage or other waterfront property, you should investigate the ownership and location of the shoreline road allowance. The shoreline road allowance is a 66-foot strip of land along the shore of a lake or navigable river that was laid out by the original surveyors hired by the Province of Ontario lay out townships. These shoreline road allowances were not sold when lots were sold, but were retained by the Province to facilitate logging, shipping, and public access to waterfronts. Most of
them were never opened up as public roads, though some of them have access roads built on them, usually by adjoining owners or logging companies. The Province has now transferred ownership of shoreline road allowances to local municipalities. If there was no shoreline road allowance,
Legal Matters property owners have title right to the edge of the water. If there is or was an original shoreline road
allowance, in many places it has been closed up and sold to the abutting owners, thus giving them ownership to the water’s edge, but possibly creating access issues if your access road is shared with neighbours. Issues can also arise as to where the boundary is, because current high water marks often vary greatly from what existed when the lands were first surveyed, and landmarks or surveyor’s marks are often hard to locate to recreate the survey. As a result, docks, boathouses and even cottages might be built on the road allowance, which the owner might not actually own. Though these problems can often be fixed by applying to purchase the road allowance, that solution is not always available.
The Placebo Effect I can not possibly do justice to the topic of the placebo effect in just one short column. However, I can give a brief introduction and hope it stimulates you to read and search for more answers. The word placebo comes from Latin to mean “I shall please”. If you look up the word today you will see two common definitions : 1) a substance that has positive effects as a result of a patient’s perception that it is beneficial rather than as a result of a causative ingredient, 2) an inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug. On the surface you may consider these the same definition; but they are not. In the first definition a placebo is acknowledged to have a positive effect on someone. In the second definition the focus is on the drug’s effectiveness vs the placebo’s lack of effectiveness . The opposite of a placebo is called a nocebo meaning “I shall harm”. When a substance has a negative effect as a result of a patient’s perception it is called nocebo. There are countless examples in medicine and in our everyday lives that illustrate both the effect of placebo and nocebo.
One of the first medical documentations of the placebo effect took place in World War ll. At that time an American surgeon named Henry Beecher was in a desperate situation because he often was running short of morphine. This was a serious problem when operating on injured soldiers in the field. Without pain control during
surgery the soldier might go into shock and have a fatal heart attack. On one occasion while preparing a soldier for surgery Beecher injected him with a saline solution pretending it to be morphine. Immediately after the shot the
When buying waterfront property, an up to date land survey allows the purchaser to determine whether any structures have been built on the shoreline road allowance, establish where your boundaries are, and may flag potential access issues, to avoid nasty surprises later. Another option is title insurance with survey coverage and legal services coverage which may cover the cost of fixing any problems that are later discovered. Even when title insurance is purchased, obtaining an up to date survey will increase your peace of mind. Weilers has been providing peace of mind to clients buying recreational properties for over 70 years.
- Part I
soldier calmed down and amazingly felt minimal pain. The surgeon cut him open, repaired the wound and sewed him back up. He repeated this on several occasions when there was no morphine, with similar results. Once the war was over Henry Beecher started to study this phenomenon back in Harvard and he was the first to demand randomized control studies (RTC) for all new drugs. This was just the beginning of a whole new era in research on what we call the placebo effect. In 1955 Beecher estimated that the placebo effect accounted for up to 35% of the positive outcomes from any drug or medical procedure. Modern research now shows that the placebo can be effective from 10 to 100% of the time, depending on an individual’s environment, suggestibility and most importantly priming. Priming is when someone, something or someplace in our environment triggers associations that are hardwired into our brains which then cause us to unconsciously act in certain ways. We will discuss this further in part II. It is true that the placebo effect starts in our heads. However, to dismiss the placebo as something not real or as being insignificant is doing the sub-
ject a disservice. It is all about how you think, how you perceive and how you process information and environmental cues. Our brains and bodies are filled with our own natural pharmaceuticals which help us heal. When we right it off and don’t appreciate the fact that placebo is real, that it can have long term beneficial effects, that it actually will change your brain chemistry, your body’s physiology and quite literally improve your health physically, mentally and emotionally, we are missing out on a glorious opportunity. The question then, which we will explore in part II, is how do we as individuals and also as health practitioners harness the power of the placebo to maximize its effectiveness.
James DiGiuseppe is a local chiropractor with a busy family and wellness practice. For more health information or to contact Dr DiGiuseppe visit www.portarthurchiropractic.com.
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34th ANNUAL WESTFORT STREET FAIR ARE THE HOTDOGS READY YET?! By Sherry Aalto August 20th marked the day for the 34th Annual Westfort Street Fair, Thunder Bay Ontario. Every year, literally thousands of people gather together to join in the fun
and activities showcased by the Westfort Merchants and Crafters as organized through the Westfort Village Association. This year, 2016 was no
different! The event started at 9:00 A.M. as it does every year and came to completion at 5:00 P.M. Frederica Street was closed to vehicular traffic from Ford Street to Brown for this well received event. Who doesn’t love a street fair? This was the perfect opportunity to enjoy neighbourly exchanges but also, to see and support YOUR LOCAL mer-
chants. Since ‘Shop Local’ is starting to make a huge come back, thanks to our knowledgeable and fair minded customers, what better way for the merchants to get to know the public and what better way for you to get to know your merchants. As every year as well, there was deli-
cious cuisine to be enjoyed from specialty vendors, crafts and handmade jewelry, lots of fashion wear and items for the home and lots of fun for the
kids that included face painting, blow up castles and let’s not forget the clowns, the balloons, mini putt, street hockey and the best…a ride on the cute little village train. It has grown significantly since its humble beginnings as a parking lot sale more than three decades ago. Bringing people of all ages to Westfort showcases an area that is evolving,
said Moro, who is the owner of J.B. Evans Fashions and Footwear.
“There are some new people really getting involved in the area and we have a nice core group of people who are interested in keeping it alive,” Moro said. “When you have good businesses up and down the street, that will draw others.” Westfort Councilmen, Joe Virdiramo said “The street fair is great for getting the word out about the business district.” “It’s important for people to know we’re here.” “Westfort has a lot of history and people should know about that and be aware of it.” He said “The Westfort area is particularly important considering the vast
majority of businesses are independent and locally owned.”
“It means money spent in the community stays in the community.” “It’s important we continue keeping our small businesses sustainable,” he said. “We’re all about small business…The more we have, the more we can move forward.” This event has been presented just for one day every year and it brings together all kinds of people of all ages and that is wonderful! Everyone seems to have a special energy about them and it is contagious! Continued
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34th ANNUAL WESTFORT STREET FAIR ARE THE HOTDOGS READY YET?! Continued So…if you missed out on the Westfort Street Fair this year…you might have to wait an entire year to enjoy one of those juicy hotdogs with all the fixin’s on top and a lot of other great things about this street fair. Make it a plan for next year for Westfort’s 35th Annual Street Fair in August 2017. The fair is usually on the third Saturday in August of each year. And, if you want to become a part of this annual event, just give Jack Moro, Chair and President of the
Westfort Village Association a call at (Business) 807-475-4755. It is fun, exciting and interesting. The event is drawing a lot of exposure and everyone is welcome to come and participate. Westfort is embedded in deep history and it is definitely worth knowing how this area got started, how it grew and how it sustained itself, even in the tough times…I think it had something to do with….locals supporting locals…it’s in there somewhere! ARE THE HOTDOGS READY YET?!
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Government of Canada Investment Supports Innovation in Health Sciences in Thunder Bay · RegenMed is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the highest quality tissue for transplant, fostering growth in the field of regenerative medicine in Canada. Quotes “The Government of Canada is committed to fostering an environment in which research and development is valued and nurtured with a view to not only improve the economy but also the health of all Canadians. Today’s announcement will help diversify the regional economy and grow the health sector services. ” The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of
Thunder Bay, Ontario – Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario - FedNor The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Minister responsible for FedNor, recently announced a FedNor investment of $494,968 in support of innovation in the Thunder Bay region. The FedNor contribution will enable the Lake Superior Centre for Regenerative Medicine (RegenMed) to purchase equipment that will help it increase productivity
and enhance quality assurance. RegenMed is a not-for-profit organization that recovers, processes and distributes tissue for transplant. This announcement will help RegenMed expand its product line and distribution base, as well as increase its promotional efforts, which in turn, will create jobs and diversify the economy. Quick facts · The funding announced is provided through FedNor's Northern Ontario Development Program, which supports projects that promote sustainable community economic development, enhance business development and growth, and facilitate innovation.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Minister responsible for FedNor “Today’s announcement demonstrates our government’s support for the health sciences field in Thunder Bay that is strengthening the economy and attracting highly qualified people to the region. This investment in RegenMed will enable it to better compete, attract more business and meet demand in a growing market.” The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North
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