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EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

STILL UNDER

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lot of property has changed hands over the years. But, I can assure you that this is the first

time so many high-end condos have been available at the same time.

Why? Because those homeowners who snapped up Edmonton’s prime downtown real estate during

the 1970s and ’80s are moving on—many to assisted living. Back in those days, many of the condos

were larger than the average home… space wasn’t at the premium it is today. Plus, they offered

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has an ensuite bath. The gallery-style entry leads to the main floor living and dining rooms—

large by any standards, they afford ample freedom for entertaining. The well-appointed kitchen is

flanked by a large laundry room. Upstairs, there are two more rooms and a three-piece bathroom

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I also have two properties priced at $1.2 million: a 2638-square foot condo in the Arcadia; and

a 2016-square foot penthouse at 9929 Saskatchewan Drive. One River Park at 10035

Saskatchewan Drive offers a 2044 square-foot condo for $1.1 million. The fifth condo, priced at

$995,000, is 2400 square feet in Park Tower. Several other prestigious units from

$475,000 to $778,000 currently are available in Old Strathcona and the Oliver area. And I

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EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006 3


he high price of oil in Alberta hasdone much to change the streetscape ofEdmonton including frequent sightings ofLexus, Porsches, and Ford Lincolns, such as

those parked outside JuneWarren Publishing last month.CEO Colin Eicher hosted a party for a couple hundred ofhis dearest at the new 25,000 square-foot shack to house the100 employees working on the Canadian Oilfield Service& Supply Directory and six other oilfield titles.

The publishing house that hard work and black goldbought is a showcase of fine taste. The water-wall in thefoyer complements 10 original oil paintings by Bi Cheng,commissioned through Era Rowles. There’s one ofDirectory founders Joe and Ann Ramsay that hovers in theupstairs boardroom. Colin joined the Ramsay’s in 1983 tosell advertising and purchased the company a few yearslater.

“I haven’t retired,” says Colin, on the horn from the GoldCoast of Australia a few weeks later. “I still attend monthlymeetings when I’m there.” It’s a pleasant 25 degrees andhe’s watched the sun rise from his condo balcony DownUnder. At age 58, Colin has handed over operations topresident Bill Whitelow so that he and Lila can spendmore time going to the gym and walking on the beach.

Among the business luminaries at the reception wereGrant Lovig who presides over Company’s Coming,award-winning publisher Rob LeLacheur of Saint CityNews, yacht woman Claudia aka Sam Shaw’s wife, localprint czar Tom Caston, and Harold Banister,.

By the way, JuneWarren are the middle names of thecompany founders.

“That’s my girl,” whispered performance coachSteffany Hanlen from the sidelines. She watched intentlyas her friend and business associate, Olympic gold medalistskater Jamie Sale, delivered the winning performance lastmonth at Dancing for the Kids, hosted by the Rotary Clubof Edmonton Sunrise. Her clients, professional dancersDominic Lacroix and Delphine Romaire, also performedthat night in preparation for the renowned Grand Ballcompetition at Vancouver this month. Steffany has workedwith players on every team in the NHL since 1990 and, inMarch, her Canadian champion ice dancers Marie-FranceDubreuil and Patrice Lauzon took home silver.“Canadians have a reputation for being really nice andopening the doors for others to win,’ she says. “I’ve seenthis attitude in every sport.” Clearly, “good enough” arewords that do not make it in this gal’s lingo.

Now Steffany is turning her considerable chutzpa inOlympic training to the world of business. “I attractchampions—the top 10 of the top 10 percent,” in business,politics, philanthropy as well as sports. You think workingin a state of constant busyness is a characteristic of achampion? Not. “That racing energy creates cortisol orstress hormones.” Cortisol leads to a “fat lock down” in thestomach area… and possible coronary disease. And don’ttry to get by her with a “Big Fat Lie” about professionalwork habits or saying one thing and meaning another,which is rampant in middle management. “I bust mind

sets,” says the gal who believes she will coach only worldleaders in the coming years.

Note: Mayor Mandel, let’s make the City of Championsabout Business Champions and encourage our corporateleaders to sign up with Steffany.

I was lucky enough to hear Peter C. Newmanspeak on his latest book, The Mulroney Papers. His fightwith Mr. Mulroney has now been settled out of court... Nonumbers were given but it was a load off his mind. Peter Chas met most of the famous and near famous of the worldand shared some of his experiences from his days oftraipsing around the world.

Unfortunately, I missed hearing Mel Hurtig because Iwas caught in the Southside traffic shuffle and didn’t makeit to the TELUS Center at the university on time. I hope Ican track him down in Vancouver soon and get a rundownon his book.

3-D bonding: Peter C, Mel and I were all going throughdivorces at the same time. I can say with certainly I wasn’tthe third-party in either of their actions. Peter C. didn’t likedriving when he came to Alberta on speaking engagementsso I had the pleasure of chauffeuring him around. He claimsthat I tried to kill him—in fact, he mentioned it again theother day. Two things Peter liked to do while being drivenwas to write and listen to jazz. I had to make sure that I hadample jazz on board.

About that time, Mel and I ended up in the same high-rise condo. He was always writing, even in those days.Most nights, I’d get either a phone call or a knock on thedoor and there was Mel, slightly bedraggled, looking for acigarette to get him through the night. I should have gottena mention for my role in the book he was working on.

Since our mutual divorces, Peter C and I have remarried.He married a PhD… I married a PhD. Both work inacademia. And we both introduce our brides as “my lastwife.”

It’s going to be interesting to see what happensto our Eskimos’ coach after breaking a 34-year tradition ofmaking it to the finals. I’m sure Mr. M wasn’t the totalproblem, but it’s clear to me that he was no Knut Rockne

at half-time talks. He was given a Grey Cup team and itwent to hell in a hand basket. If you’re the head of a largecorporation and your gross numbers are down, chances areyou’ll be replaced. Hockey clubs don’t tolerate a bad seasonfor very long. My own impression was that the team playeduninspired football. I gave up my seats a number of yearsago—after the night I got hit (in the face) with twosnowballs and had beer poured down my neck. But I stillenjoy watching. I hope the team can get its act together.(The Eskimos are one of sports that bond a city together.)

You can tell that Edmonton businesses are doingwell: Bavaria BMW moved into its new $11-milliondealership. It’s kinda isolated, but it’s like being in a palacein the Sahara Desert. Klaus Maier built a showroombefitting the very expensive autos he sells. You can tell it isa classy affair when Rob Christie wears a tux. I had a fewlaughs with Robert Modeste who owns Royal Deliveryand has two BMWs; Ronda Weiss, the very attractiveyoung lady who handles the financial and insurance mattersfor the dealership; my old friend Don Badger, a CA, andhis buddy Rob Poole, a teacher with Harry Ainlay HighSchool. The Beemer is a car that begs to be dissected byowners… You could hear talk about the class of the motors,what kind of tires (run flat, very expensive), the seats, andall manner of pieces and parts. It was quite a crowd andnow you’ll find new GM David Minty on site. The foodand drinks for 800 were handled by Century Grill Group.

Two very close friends were buried in the lastcouple of weeks.

First, well-known pilot Joe McGoldrick who taught forthe Edmonton Flying Club. I was among the many that gotour licenses from him. He ended his flying days with PWA,then spent most of his retirement at the Aviation Museumshowing school kids how airplanes fly. Joe was a terrificafter-dinner speakers, regaling us with tales about flyingcharacters in days gone by. Sadly, one day he walkedbehind the car parked on his inclined driveway when itpopped out of gear or the hand brake failed, rolled back,and knocked him down, running over his head. After aboutfour years of struggling with Alzheimer’s, he passed to thegreat airport in sky. Condolences to Joe’s wife and daughterErin.

Another friend was taken away too soon. CrystalBeach—isn’t that a great name?—and I were in a playcalled Tony & Tina’s Wedding for about six months atNorthlands Park about four years ago. Crystal was only 43years old when she suffered a massive stroke. She wasmore than attractive, a great dancer (we did a dance acttogether) with a terrific sense of humour. She leaves twochildren and two grandchildren. She, too, will be missed. ✔

Additional reporting by Edmontonians staff.

Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail [email protected]

TT

FUNNYpompous & unfair

By Muggsy Forbes

City of champions? Think business

Jamie SalePhoto by Gerry Thomas

4



DO YOU EVER DONATE GOODSTO CHARITY THRIFT STORES?To start, we asked respondents if they had everdonated “gently used” clothing or householdgoods to a charity or not-for-profit organization.An overwhelming 96 percent of respondents saidthey had, with more than two-thirds (69 percent)of respondents donating items because theywanted to help the less fortunate. A further 10percent said donating was more convenient thanselling the items themselves. Other reasons fordonating included not needing an item anymore(six percent) and not wanting to throw somethingaway (five percent).

DO YOU EVER MAKE PURCHASES AT THRIFT STORES? WHY? WHY NOT?Survey participants were then asked if they hadever purchased clothing or household goods atone of the many thrift stores operated by a charityor not-for-profit organization. More than half (57percent) of respondents had made a purchase,while 43 percent had not. Interestingly, about two-thirds (64 percent) of women had purchased froma thrift store compared with 48 percent of men.

Fifty-four percent of the respondents who havepurchased at a thrift store indicated it was prima-rily because of price. Nineteen percent saidselection was their primary reason, while sevenpercent said they shopped at a thrift store lookingfor costume items. Convenience (five percent)and helping a charity (four percent) were othercommon reasons for purchasing at a thrift store.

Respondents who had not purchased from athrift store were asked to indicate a reason. Theirresponses were varied, however, about one-quarter (23 percent) said that they had no need toshop at a thrift store. Other reasons cited included:a preference and the ability to buy new clothes(16 percent), and a lack of time (nine percent).Seven percent said they never think of it. Sixteenpercent were unsure why they had not purchasedsomething at a thrift shop.

DOES/WOULD THE CHARITY’S MISSIONAFFECT YOUR DECISION TO THRIFT SHOP?All survey participants were then asked if theywould shop at a thrift store more often if theywere aware of (and supported) the organization’smission. Less than one-third (31 percent) saidthey would be more likely to shop there, while 53percent said knowing the mission would not makea difference. Fourteen percent said they mightshop more often at a thrift store if they knew andsupported the organization’s mission. Forty-threepercent of women would shop there if they knewand supported the organization’s missioncompared with only 16 percent of men.

Finally, all respondents were asked what couldbe done to encourage them to patronize a thriftstore more frequently. Forty-two percent saidnothing would encourage them to shop morefrequently at a thrift store. However, nine percentsaid better locations and accessibility wouldencourage them. Other responses includedknowing and supporting the uses for the store’sproceeds (nine percent), and the selection andquality of products (six percent). Four percent saidthey would shop more often at a thrift store if theybecame unemployed or lost a source of income.Twelve percent were unsure.

The Poll Station surveyed 100 City of Edmontonresidents on the topic and, while the results of theresearch are not statistically reliable, they doprovide a qualitative indication of whatEdmontonians are thinking. ✔

Linda Banister is a certified managementconsultant and the owner of Banister Researchand Consulting Inc., a full service provider ofmarket research and program evaluation services.Want a question included in the EdmontoniansPoll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

STATIONhen the economy is growing at afast pace, consumer confidenceseems unshakable. It is during thesetimes that spending often increases.

New clothing or household goods are purchasedwhile the old things are discarded. Many of theseitems get donated to charitable organizations thatoperate thrift stores. In this month’s Poll Station, weasked people about donations to charitable or not-for-profit organizations. We also asked aboutpurchases made at thrift stores.

WWWith Linda Banister

PollPoll

FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

NOVEMBER 2006Vol. XVII

Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of eachmonth at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reprinted or reproduced in any formwithout written permission from the publisher.

Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible forunsolicited manuscripts.

All stories Copyright ©EdmontoniansPublications Mail Agreement No. 40023292Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Circulation Department333, 10240 - 124 StreetEdmonton, AB T5N 3W6Email: [email protected]

SHARON MacLEANPublisher and Advertising Director

Telephone: 780.482.7000Fax: 780.488.9317

e-mail: [email protected]

INSIDEFUNNY, POMPOUS AND UNFAIRCity of champs/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3POLL STATIONThrift shoppers/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

COVERBest in Show/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-8iCARE/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

LIVELY LIFESTYLESAbsolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

CORPORATE ETHICSWisdom—a developing art/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

EDMONTONIAN IN EXILEPublic libraries/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

BIZINTELScience & Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

MAKING MONEYTax purgatory/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSNAIT goes global/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Cheryl CroucherJanet EdmondsonMuggsy Forbes

Ron HiebertBruce Hogle

Cheryl LockhartGreg Michetti

David NorwoodNizar J. Somji

FEATURE WRITERSJohn BerryLinda Bodo

Peter Drake McHughMichael O’TooleMarg. Pullishy

PHOTOGRAPHERSJohn Berry

Terry BourqueRocco MacriBarb Petryk

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Dr. Shoo LeeScientific Director, iCAREPhoto by Terry Bourque

No. 11

1717YEARS

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EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006 5


olitical leadership contests have a lot in common with big-time dog shows. Bothare intensely competitive and burn up big chunks of time, energy and money forthe folks involved. Success at dog shows and political leadership contestsdoesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of the breed of the contestant,

the pedigree, the skill of the handler, and the depth of the pockets involved.It’s leadership selection time for the Progressive Conservative party in Alberta, and the

PC Big Dogs are competing to be Best in Show. The current champion—Canada’s longestreigning top dog—Ralph Klein is slowly making his way to the exit, and the crowd isbusily appraising the contenders for the show trophy.

It’s going to be a heck of a show. The first round of voting will happen on November25th. If no competitor wins a simple majority on the first vote, a second, preferential ballotwill be held on December 2nd.

Who are the contenders? What breed are they? What are their pedigrees? What are theirstrengths and limitations? What are their show-ring styles? Edmontonians presents a comparison—somewhat irreverent, but without malice—of the

temperaments of the declared candidates to the strong suits of various popular breeds ofdogs. We leave it to the card-carrying Progressive Conservative members to determine whowill assume the alpha position.

The Show-Ring Lineup...

BREED OF COMPETITOR: GOLDEN RETRIEVERGolden Retrievers are powerful, active dogs that are sound and well balanced. They can bean ideal sportsman’s companion, family pet, an excellent gundog, and guide or service dog.Golden Retrievers possess a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident.

PEDIGREEJim Dinning was first elected to the Legislature in 1986. He served as Minister in theportfolios of Community and Occupational Health, Education, and Provincial Treasurer.

HIS HANDLERSDinning’s “brain trust’ is a blue-ribbon panel of Alberta’s business and politicalheavyweights. Thirty-four of the 62 PC MLAs are wearing his colours. Chief handler AlanHallman’s show ring strategy closely mirrors the image of the candidate: a smooth,professional campaign that only rarely wanders into “slick”. Its website—www.dinning.ca—is top-notch. The campaign’s biggest challenge will be to provide anerror-free tour of the ring that gives little opportunity for the others to present an alternative.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSDinning is poised and polished in the show ring. His track record and ability to focus ongoals explains his current status as Top Dog-in-Waiting. His record and his ability to stayconnected and relevant to the grassroots in the party have kept him in the front of the pack.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSFront-runner status has brought Dinning the attention of the other show dogs. It’s very hardto hold a lead in a long race when you start out ahead of the pack—unless you can build upan overwhelming lead in points. Particularly in front of rural groups, he tends to “playdown” to his audience.

SHOW RING STYLEDinning’s sense of focus keeps him square to the judges at all times. He is quick, upbeatand attentive to his handlers’ instructions in the show ring. They have worked hard toposition him to be seen as a winner who has earned the right to wear the blue ribbon.

THE ODDSDinning will not win a majority in the first round, and will move on to the second round ofjudging. In a three-dog field, it all depends on how the judges set up the competition. In acentre-left vs. hard right showdown, he wins in a walk.

BREED OF COMPETITOR: AMERICAN ESKIMO DOGThe American Eskimo Dogs—formerly known as German Spitz—are intelligent, alertand friendly, although slightly conservative. They are neither overly shy noraggressive.

PEDIGREEVictor Doerksen began his political life in 1993 as MLA for Red Deer South. In 2001,he was appointed Minister of Innovation and Science.

HIS HANDLERSDoerksen’s team came into the race late, and have been playing catch-up. Led byDwight Dibben, they are working hard to help their candidate catch the eye ofjudges. The website—www.voteforvictor.ca—is straightforward and user-friendly.The challenge for his handlers will be twofold: to overcome the late start and tocarve out a niche for their candidate in a field that already has strong socialconservative candidates.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSDoerksen has a strong record of involvement with the science and innovation file,which will play an important role in tomorrow’s Alberta. There is also evidence ofsupport from Central Alberta judges who are weary of “big city” politicians.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSDoerksen is not the most charismatic of the contenders. His late entry into the race isnot helpful, particularly as he was not originally perceived as a “top-tier” candidate.

THE ODDSA long shot. His candidacy now will raise his profile for future shows.

Who will take the Tory blue ribbon?

By Les Brost

PP

6 EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006


BREED OF COMPETITOR: CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERChesapeake Bay Retrievers are responsive and industrious... devoted to their familiesand make excellent hunting and guard dogs. Generally considered a country dog ratherthan a city dog, but will adapt to urban living if given exercise and space.

PEDIGREENow in his third term as MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud, David Hancock has served asMinister of Advanced Education; Justice and Attorney General; and Intergovernmentaland Aboriginal Affairs. He chaired the government’s Strategic Planning Committee.

HIS HANDLERSHancock is a bit of a “policy wonk”, and so are his handlers. The campaign website—www. davehancockcrew. ca—is well organized and congruent with the personality ofthe candidate. The challenge facing the Hancock team, led by Brian Mulawka, is tomobilize his natural constituency—the people in Alberta’s education community,particularly young people.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSHancock is an articulate, intelligent man with a long record of service to the party andgovernment. As a former party president, he is very well respected by members, andappeals to those “Capital P” Progressive Conservatives who are looking for a fiscallyconservative, socially liberal approach to government. Hancock is also the only metro-Edmonton-based candidate who is currently seated in the Legislature.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSHancock’s reputation as a policy wonk does not endear him to those AlbertaConservatives who are looking for an “Arnold Schwarzenegger” clone to lead them. Theperception of him as a social liberal will not be an easy sell to the hard right of the party.

SHOW RING STYLEHancock is working hard to convince the judges that he wants to win this show. He isshowing a feisty side in the candidate forums and is positioning himself to the judges asthe only alternative to the front-runner.

THE ODDSHe has the ring smarts to win. The challenge will be to make the final three. In a three-dog showdown, anything can happen. If Hancock can make the cut—and if the othertwo competitors are polarized—he will be the next leader.

BREED OF COMPETITOR: BULLDOGBulldogs are low to the ground, mastiff-type dogs with power. They are anideal pet that loves the companionship of its entire family includingchildren. While bulldogs are more than capable of taking care of themselves;they are not troublemakers but, as a last resort, will retaliate.

PEDIGREEGary McPherson has not held elected office. Cabinet appointed himchairman of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons withDisabilities. He served as executive director, Canadian Centre for SocialEntrepreneurship in the School of Business at the University of Alberta

HIS HANDLERSCampaign manager Deb Hagman of Mayerthorpe leads an eclectic mix ofindividuals on the McPherson team. They personify the can-do leadershipstyle of the candidate. The website—www.teammcpherson.com—isstraightforward and compelling… without the bells and whistles possessedby some of the competition, but it quickly tells you what this candidate is allabout. Their campaign challenge is to ensure that their message is clearlyheard by the party.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSMcPherson epitomizes the Alberta spirit of perseverance and tenacity whenconfronted with obstacles. His reputation as a successful businessperson andadvocate for people with disabilities gives him a tremendous amount ofrespect within the party.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSThe present power players within the party do not share the policy positionshe advocates. His first time in the show ring, but not the public eye.

SHOW RING STYLEMcPherson will enter the ring the same way he approaches life: full speedahead. He will not shrink from sharing his values and platform with thejudges.

THE ODDSThe longest shot in the bunch—but he will win the respect of everyone.

7EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006


BREED OF COMPETITOR: GREYHOUNDThe Greyhound is a swift as a ray of light and graceful as a swallow. One ofthe oldest and purest known breeds, it has been used on practically all kinds ofsmall game, but the hare is its natural quarry. While gentle with children, thebreed does have a natural tendency to chase anything small that moves, and itmay be aggressive to small dogs.

PEDIGREEAlbertans chose Ted Morton as Senator-in-Waiting for the Reform Party in the1998 Senate “election”. He won a seat in the Legislature as a ConservativeMLA in 2004.

HIS HANDLERSMorton has a highly skilled team of handlers who operate under the guidance ofSam Armstrong. They have conducted a brilliant strategic campaign, runningearly and running hard. The campaign focuses on identifying and energizingMorton’s natural constituency on the right. The website—www.tedmorton.ca—isthe class of the field. The challenge is to overcome the deep reservations abouthis candidacy held by centre and centre-left Alberta Tories.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSMorton is a smart, articulate spokesman for the political “right wing” inAlberta—underscored by his endorsement by Alberta Alliance leader PaulHinman. He has the enthusiastic support of the heavy hitters in the province’sultra-right wing media. The show judges who support Morton will crawl over17 miles of gravel road to cast ballots for him.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSSee all of the above through the eyes of the centre-left wing Alberta Torieswho have deep reservations about a Morton-led Alberta PC party. He mayhave trouble staying on track in the competition because of the show ring’soval shape and his natural tendency to run hard and to the right.

THE ODDSThe odds are good that Morton will make the second round of the competition.There are some who are betting that he will either be the next leader of the PCparty—or the next Leader of the Opposition.

BREED OF COMPETITOR: BORDER COLLIEBorder Collies are highly intelligent, hard-working dogs that respond quickly and eagerlyto training. They are the world’s premiere sheepdog in terms of patience, agility andstamina. They thrive on games and are willing to please.

PEDIGREEMark Norris ran against and defeated Liberal Leader Nancy MacBeth in the riding ofEdmonton-McClung in 2001. He served as the Minister of Economic Development, withresponsibility for Tourism and Industry. He lost to the Liberals in the 2004.

HIS HANDLERSThe Norris team is a hard-working team guided by campaign manager Tim Shipton. Thefront-office group is very skilled at making visitors feel welcome. They have the support ofsome of Edmonton’s corporate leaders, which is reflected in a very business-orientedcampaign. The website—www.MarkNorris.ca—is congruent with the perception of thecandidate: businesslike, informal and hard working. The biggest challenge of the campaignis to overcome the impact of Norris’s loss in the 2004 election.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSNorris is a very, very good salesman, a trait that made him an effective Minister. He is alsoextremely focused, particularly on the “bigger picture.” Those who are looking atcontinued economic expansion will give Norris a long look in the show ring. He doesn’thave to defend the PC record over the past four years, and can appeal to those Tories whoare looking for a fresh face to lead the party. Norris also has the ability and energy to beable to use the word “passion” in a political context without appearing insincere, or “overlyleftish”—the kiss of death in current Alberta Tory politics.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSNorris’s political ambitions suffered a setback when he lost his seat in the last election. Thefirst rule of parliamentary leadership is that a leader delivers his own seat. Tories deeplyconcerned with environmental protection do not all see him as a champion. Norris,Hancock, McPherson and Ed Stelmach will go nose-to-nose for the attention and supportof the judges from the Edmonton area.

THE ODDSAs a sitting MLA, Norris would be going head-to-head with Dinning. Now, he has to dothe selling job of his life to make the final three. If he makes the cut, anything is possible.

VOTE Gary McPherson on November 25for Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party

and Premier of Alberta

WHY vote for Gary McPherson? Because attitudes cause limitations. Alberta needs a different attitude, a different approach, a new leadership style. Gary can provide this!

To learn more about this amazing candidate...please check out his campaign website at

www.teammcpherson.com

✔ Gary McPherson’s attitude, achievements and ambitions show his ability to engage andwork with people!

✔ He has been a member of the PC Party since 1968.

✔ Gary McPherson, a devoted father to two teenagers and husband to Val McPherson, has theleadership qualities that awarded him the Order of Canada, an Honorary Law Degree from theUniversity of Alberta, and a place in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

✔ He is an accomplished and much sought-after guest speaker, an author, an entrepreneur andbusiness owner, a lecturer at the University of Alberta, and he was appointed by the Premier asChairman of the Premier’s Council for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, a portfolio heheld for 10 years.

✔ McPherson is the candidate that ensures refreshing new ideas are the order of the day!✔ Gary McPherson was honoured as one of 100 Edmontonians noted for their contribution to the

City of Edmonton in the last 100 years and one of 100 Albertans during the province’sCentennial for his contributions to shaping Alberta.

It is no wonder then that he wants to continue that service by becoming new PC Leader and Premier.

Remember BUY a $5 PC membership from your localconstituency office and bring your PC membership card,

picture ID and one other piece of ID to your polling station.



BREED OF COMPETITOR: SMOOTH COLLIESmooth Collies are considered to be one of the most beautiful breeds because of theirelegant appearance. They are intelligent, gentle and social. They are considered very goodfamily pets—ideal with children and other pets around the house.

PEDIGREEEd Stelmach was elected as MLA for Vegreville-Viking in 1993. He has served as DeputyWhip, and as Government Caucus Whip. His ministerial portfolios were Agriculture,Infrastructure, Transportation, and International and Intergovernmental Affairs

HIS HANDLERSStelmach’s team wins top marks for their personable and friendly approach. Operationsmanager Elan McDonald has been very astute in positioning the candidate to takemaximum advantage of his attributes. His website—www.stelmach.ca—is excellent andmirrors the perception of the candidate. The challenge will be to broaden his appeal to urbanvoters.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSEverybody likes Stelmach. He puts people at ease and conveys empathy andunderstanding—and he is a master schmoozer. His background in agriculture, smallbusiness and the Ukrainian community are all assets. If pedigree and people skills count,Stelmach will be a strong candidate.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSStelmach has to prove he understands the concerns of young urban Tories. His warm yetlaid-back style may cause some judges to question the depth of his passion and vision forAlberta. He’s hampered by the perception that he is “too nice a guy to be premier”.

SHOW RING STYLEStelmach will show well in the ring. His personable approach will keep him centred to thejudges, and his people skills and pedigree will make him one of the sentimental favouritesas the show begins.

THE ODDSCan Stelmach peel off enough rural support from southern Alberta and combine it with hissupport from Edmonton and area to make it to the second round? If he can, and if the othertwo competitors are polarized, he will be the next leader. After all, everybody likes Ed.

BREED OF COMPETITOR: GERMAN SHEPHERDGerman Shepherds have a very high energy level. They are versatile workingdogs, highly intelligent, fearless, self-confident and make excellent watchdogs.They are very willing to learn and want to please their owners.

PEDIGREEDr. Lyle Oberg was first elected as an MLA for Brooks in southern Alberta in1993. He has served as Minister of Family and Social Services, Minister ofLearning, and Infrastructure & Transportation.

HIS HANDLERSIvan Bernardo and his team have run a campaign very different from the othercompetitors. They proved their flexibility early when Oberg clashed with hiscolleagues in caucus and was relegated to the backbenches. The ability to stayin the show despite that setback showed their depth and perseverance. Thewebsite—www.obergforalberta.ca—is in the top three. The challenge will be toshow the warm and caring side of Oberg.

SHOW RING STRENGTHSOberg understands the nature of the competition very, very well and is notafraid to take risks. His understanding of the current unhappiness bubblingunder the surface of the Alberta PC party led him to challenge the Premier’sretirement strategy. He is a smart, articulate campaigner.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONSOberg’s candor and quickness to respond can get him into trouble. SouthernAlberta is also home turf to Morton (the current poster boy for Alberta’spolitical right wing) and to perceived front-runner Dinning.

SHOW RING STYLEOberg is smart, hard-nosed and can get in the face of the other competitors...He is flexible and capable of a high level of strategic thinking. He’s not beafraid to do the unexpected.

THE ODDSIf Oberg makes the top three, he could come up the middle to win thecompetition, particularly if Morton is also in the final three.



t. Boniface had noidea that the chainof events that hewould set off in 7th

Century Germany would eventuallyinfiltrate almost every home atChristmas time. After all, he just wantedto spread the word of God to the people ofThuringia, Germany. To simplify things, themonk used the triangular shape of fir trees toportray the Holy Trinity. Soon the convertedlocals began revering the fir as God’s tree. By the12th Century, it was being hung upside-down fromceilings at Christmas in central Europe as a symbolof Christianity. As a result, Thuringia went on tobecome the cradle of the Christmas decoration industry.

Latvia lays claim to the first decorated tree in 1510. Theearly 16th Century found Martin Luther decorating a smallChristmas tree with candles, to replicate twinkling stars. Bythe mid-1500s, Christmas markets sprouted up in severalGerman villages, peddling everything from gifts to geese. Thebaker’s kiosk usually touted gingerbread cookies, wax ornamentsand boldly wrapped candies. These curios often ended up hangingfrom Christmas trees as decorations much to the chagrin of young’uns. Tinsel glitzed into the picture around 1610 when Germancraftsmen implemented real silver. The problem was that it tarnishedquickly juxtaposed to candle flames. Attempts were made to use amixture of lead and tin with little success; refinements finally occurred inthe 20th Century. In the 1870s, glass ornaments were gainingpopularity and the export commerce in Thuringia was thriving. Itbecame a status symbol to have glass ornaments on the tree—themore one had, the better one’s status.

The earliest form of Christmas lights were small white candlesattached to the branches of the tree with wooden clips.Unfortunately, this primitive lighting often caused a rash of house fires justbefore Santa’s arrival. Thank goodness for Edison, who constructed the firstcrude string of lights from wires and crepe paper.

You’ve come a long way, Baby!PENCIL TREESThese artificial Christmas trees are designed to take up less floor space than astandard tree and are sometimes referred to as ‘slim’ or ‘slender’ trees. Withthe trend in home building to have high, vaulted ceilings, many want the tallest

tree possible to accentuate theroom. A challenge arises when

trying to get the tallest tree withthe narrowest base width. The

taller the tree, the less stable it willbe. A tree with this dimension is a

great choice for a decorative, secondtree. If height is really what you want,

purchase a pencil tree that is somewhatshorter than what you are looking for and put

it on a platform.

UPSIDE DOWN TREESThese trees turn Christmas on its head—literally.

Evoking that 12th Century central European traditionof hanging a tree from the ceiling at Christmas, this

unique inversion ensures a smaller footprint for less-spacious areas, allowing more room for accumulation of the

all important presents underneath. Re-introduced in the 21stCentury for specialty stores to display ornaments using a

minimum of floor space, the unusual tapering shape displays thetree in places that do not accommodate a traditional holiday tree -

such as between furniture or in a corner. The tree’s weighted baseprovides extra stability to prevent tipping and leaning, and the inverted

shape makes it easier to see ornaments, which hang away from the denseneedles and do not get lost in the foliage. The only question to ponder:Where do you put the star?

PRE-LIT TREESThere cannot be a soul on earth who enjoys stringing lights on a

tree. Take the pain away by purchasing a pre-lit tree that has beenexpertly embellished with long-lasting twist-proof bulbs that areevenly spaced throughout the tree. The great thing with these bulbs

is that if one light goes out, the rest stay lit. Or, to be on the safe side,you can source pre-lit LED lighted trees that are guaranteed to light up your

Christmas with the longest lifetime of any lighting technology, greatly reducedconsumption rates, and lowered risk of fire with low voltage elements.

ABSOLUTE FACTS▲ King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the

tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas. The Egyptianswere part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshippedevergreens. They brought green date palm leaves into their homes to

SS

Oh Tannenbaum!with Linda Bodo

LIVELYlifestyles

Continued on page 16



with Chef John BerryMEN

UMagic

ime for a show of hands.How many of you

have put a dish in themicrowave or oven that

you had intended to serve as part ofyour Christmas meal, but forgot toserve it because you were harried andthere was too much to do… or youhad consumed too much red wine…or both?

How many of you have planned toserve a wonderful Christmas dessertand said, “Oh I really wanted to makea mincemeat pie, but I just didn’thave time.”

If you’re like me, I tend to putthings off until the last minute. Butthis year I’m turning a new leaf. BePrepared is my motto for thisChristmas so I’m starting to plan andcook right now. In the Berryhousehold, we’ll start planning ourChristmas meal right afterRemembrance Day: the menu,number of guests, special themes anddecorations.

My wife, Myrna, and her mother,Clara, would make Christmas cakesand pudding on Remembrance Dayand let them age like a fine bottle ofwine. Clara used to say that aChristmas cake was in its prime about three years aftermaking it. The longer you leave it, the darker and richer itbecomes. The science behind it isn’t fully known, but ittastes better aged.

Former CFRN-TV Live Eye cameraman—and adoptedbrother in our family—Al Girard, found one of his latemother’s Christmas puddings in his basement and broughtit for dessert a year or two ago. He couldn’t put an exactdate on it, but we figured it had to be 10 to 15 years old. Itwas sealed perfectly like a jar of pickles, so we thoughtwe’d experiment. I made my favourite rum sauce, weheated up the pudding and gave it a try. Other than anunusually deep and dark color, it tasted amazing. Now I’mnot suggesting that everyone leave their pudding that long,but the key here is to plan ahead and be prepared.

Louise Vandeleer, who sings in our gospel rock group atchurch, feeds up to 30 people in her home at Christmas.

“I try to get a good portion out of the way before the bigday, or face a mad scramble on Christmas day.” Louisemakes all of her sweets—shortbread, squares, puddings—inlate November or early December, and freezes them.

“The butter tarts and mincemeat tarts I leave until a dayor two before because they are the easiest to do.”

Many people have an aversion to Christmas pudding so,instead, she makes an old family favourite: a carrot puddingwith a hard sauce of brown sugar, butter, water, flour andvanilla.

“Even people who don’t touch Christmas pudding loveour carrot pudding.”

She also prepares her appetizers well before thefestivities. “I make my mushroom turnovers, meatballs,ham and cheese puffs, and sausage rolls ahead of time thenfreeze them. All I have to do is take them out and pop themin the oven and we’re set.”

Fellow singer Lynn Lepine agrees with Louise. She hostsan open-house for 40 people Christmas Eve and proudlyboasts, “I’ve never been stuck to the stove in my whole life.I’m prepared ahead of time so I can be with my guests!”She starts baking and preparing about a week before the bigevent.

You can also get a jump on the rest of your Christmasmeal. Potatoes can be peeled and cut up and easily stored ina small bucket of cold water in your fridge for two to threedays before cooking. Carrots, celery, onions and any othervegetable may also be cleaned and cut up days in advance,and sealed dry in Ziplocks or plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Make as many dishes as you can a day or two before thebig meal. Mousse, pudding, pies, seasoning mixes, stuffing,casseroles and sauces can be stored in your fridge.

One of the advantages of starting early is that most of theingredients you’ll need will be readily available in thesupermarket. If you leave your food shopping to the lastminute, a lot of your preferred products may have beendepleted, and you may have to start substituting—or gowithout.

I found these recipes in Myrna’s Unifarm Cookbook,circa 1971. They are among the ones our moms andgrandmothers used, steeped in tradition and family lore.

CARROT PUDDING1 cup shortening 2 cups cooked carrots2 eggs 1 cup currants1 cup raisins 2 tsp. baking powder2 1/2 cup flour1 tsp. soda dissolved in 2 tsp. water1 tsp. each salt, cinnamon and nutmeg1 cup brown sugar

1. Blend the shortening, sugar and eggs. 2. Put carrots through a ricer and add to the shortening

mix. (Mash carrots well if you don’t have a ricer.) Mix well.

3. Add raisins and currants. Mix well.4. Sift flour, baking powder and spices. Add to the carrot

mixture stirring thoroughly.5. Add dissolved soda in water. Stir.6. Bake in the oven at 350º-375ºF for 2 hours or steam in

sealers for 3 hours. If steaming, fill sealers less thantwo-thirds full and seal tight before steaming. Will keepindefinitely.

ALMOND CHRISTMAS BALLS1 cup butter 1 cup ground almonds1/4 cup icing sugar 1 tsp. almond flavoring2 cups flour 18-20 cherries cut in halvestsp. salt

1. Cream butter and sugar, add flour, almonds andflavouring.

2. Take 1 tsp. of dough and form into a ball around cherryhalf.

3. Bake at 325ºF for 35 minutes.4. Roll in icing sugar while warm.

Chef’s Note: My mother used this recipe, but omitted thecherries and formed the dough into half-moon crescents.We called them ‘white mice’—still a must in our householdeach Christmas. ✔

Contact Chef John Berry at [email protected]

TTChristmas is when?

LIVELYlifestyles

Louise Vandeleer



magine being rushed into the emergency room at anEdmonton hospital and being attended within mereminutes of arrival… of being given an acute carebed within a few short hours of diagnosis. It could

happen—sooner rather than later.Finding out why the wheels fell off the ER trolley and

figuring out how they can be put back on—and keep rollingsmoothly—is the first major investigative initiative ofiCARE. It’s conducting a comprehensive examination of ERwait-times, and the development of a definitive solution thatwill improve the movement of patients through the systemand—ultimately—the quality of health care delivery.iCARE is the Integrated Centre for Care Advancement

through Research, and is being touted as Canada’s firsthealth outcomes research centre.

Finally, someone is going to blow the dust off volumes ofbrilliance. Instead of conducting reseach destined forpublication in respected—although, oft-times, obsure—health care journals, findings will be applied to improvereal-world situations.

That this is a necessity is a no-brainer... that this ishappening in Edmonton is exciting... that this has taken solong is a mystery.

“Edmonton will be a unique national laboratory forstudying the best ways to treat patients and facilitatechanges in practice,” says iCARE’s scientific director, Dr.Shoo Lee, a world-renowned neonatologist and Harvard-trained health economist.

The centre will examine issues at the macro level toinfluence policy changes and address accountability, and atthe micro level to improve efficiencies in units of care athospitals.

For example, at the macro level, one of the problems isthe rising cost of delivering care: At nine percent annually,not even Alberta’s hot economy is growing at that rate tokeep pace. iCARE will identify cost pressures and developstrategies for implementation. Currently, the system isgeared to supply with no control on demand. Can consumerawareness increase knowledge of preventive actions and/orassociated costs of treatment to lessen inappropriate or over-use of services? Maybe the centre will find out.

At the micro level, it will focus on health careproductivity. It will assess new treatments and technologies,look at effectively reducing infections, and determine waysto increase patient satisfaction.

Created in partnership by Capital Health and theUniversity of Alberta, iCARE promises to fuel the advance-ment of progressive solutions for patient care over a broadscope… to change the way health-services research isdone... to harness the expertise and synergies of bothorganizations to improve the health system and the health ofthe community.

“This will be the first centre of its kind to uniteresearchers, care providers and health administratorstogether to ask questions about how to make services workbetter and then apply the answers to real-world programs.”

Such collaboration represents the bridge of opportunityfor iCARE’s success: Traditionally, advancements inresearch end with a published paper and fall short of beingput into practice at the clinic. This “knowledge transfer gap”is not only frustrating to researchers and care providers, butit slows progression in an integrative system. Dr. Leelaments the predominant lack of relevancy: “Research—while dear to the heart—is not necessarily important tohealth care delivery.

“We are changing the paradigm in research and healthcare. We want to create a single organization that doesresearch and implementation as well.”

Dr. Lee has a track record that proves it can be done. Asthe founder of the Canadian Neonatal Network that nowincludes members from 27 hospitals and 16 universitiesfrom across the country, he worked with multidisciplinaryteams on a three-year, evidence-based project thatconcentrated on infection rates in neonatal intensive careunits. His efforts led to a 40-percent decrease in infectionrates and changed health policy. This patented riskprediction and health informatics system raised the bar forneonatal care around the world, and was recognized withthe knowledge translation award from the Canadian

Institutes of Health Research in 2004.In a strategic move to continue this level of excellence,

Dr. Lee agreed to come to Edmonton in the fall of 2005.His expertise in applying research to real-world programswill serve as the framework in building Edmonton as thenational centre for health—a framework made possible bythe vision and commitment of Capital Health and theUniversity of Alberta.

“It’s rare. Nowhere else in the country do you have the

leadership and commitment of the research and health-service communities to develop such a centre,”acknowledged Dr. Lee, “Our arena is the Capital Healthregion… which provides tertiary services to NorthernAlberta communities as well. We’ll also collaborate withCalgary and other research networks. This is a greatopportunity to create a new model to solve health careproblems.”

It is a vision shared by Sheila Weatherill, president andCEO of Capital Health, who sees iCARE as a showcasemodel for how the academic, administrative and policyarms of health care can work together. It is expected thatmore than 200 people—health services researchers from thesix health sciences faculties at the U of A, plus managers,policy developers, clinicians, statisticians, epidemiologists,political economists, analysts and technologists—will

regularly be involved in the diverse work necessary toachieve iCARE’s objectives.iCARE is also applying research for improved health

outcomes through electronic patient records. Dr. NicolaShaw, iCARE’s first endowed research chair in HealthInformatics, is working with Capital Health on a strategiclevel to enhance the efficient use of patient information toimprove the quality of care and personal experience forboth patients and health specialists. As Canada’s foremostexpert on the subject, she also collaborates with groups—such as Health Canada’s electronic medical record (EMR)toolkit and Canada Health Infoway—to developunderstanding around the implementation, use and sharingof medical records.

Dr. Shaw was recruited from the Centre for HealthcareInnovation and Improvement (CHIi), Child and FamilyResearch Institute in Vancouver, where she had workedwith Dr. Lee. Under his direction, the CHIi groupcontributed to more than 87 articles and $12 million inresearch funding in its first year.

Most of the funding for iCARE will come from externalsources, agencies and private foundations.

The concept of a direct link between outcomes research andthe health system is not new. In 1990, when the Premier’sCommission on Future Health Care for Albertans releasedits Rainbow Report, it quoted the University of Alberta:

Solutions to some of today’s problems in health carehave appeared in the research literature but have not yetbeen applied to practice. The reason for this is changerequires some impetus or that energy to initiate thechange. Also, individuals tend to be conservative andavoid changes that are disruptive to the normal ortraditional ways of doing things.

It is recommended that incentives be provided to healthcare organizations to incorporate research findings intotheir operations.

Some 16 years have passed since then… and BillSturgeon passed away earlier this year. Nonetheless, thereshould be some satisfaction among surviving members ofthe Premier’s Commission who shared his belief that“you can’t manage if you don’t measure”. Perhaps, theywould be even more pleased if their recommendation thatthe Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research“…be expanded to include research into healthcaresystems, health status, intervention outcomes, andpromotion and prevention,” particularly as it related tofunding those activities.

The creation of iCARE is long overdue. It has attractedpeople of wisdom, integrity and commitment whose effortswould be better directed at clinically applied research andmeasurement of treatment outcomes than at fund raising. ✔

II

A no-brainerNew centre will apply research

to improve health care delivery

By Barb Deters

You can’t manage if you don’t measure.

Bill Sturgeon, 1989 Member, Premier’s Commission

On Future Health Care for Albertans

“ ”

iCARE Opening SymposiumLast month, with little fanfare, 200 of Edmonton’s brightestleaders in health service and research gathered at theJubilee Auditorium to formally toast the start of operationsat iCARE. The importance of bridging the gap betweenresearch and relevant, practical applications in healthservice was echoed by a national panel of leading experts inhealth outcomes and policy research at iCARE’s inauguralsymposium in October:

• Dr. Charlyn Black, a nationally recognized health-policy researcher who oversees research and data-development activities at the Centre for Health Servicesand Policy Research (CHSPR), spoke about the “power ofdata” and the importance of translating data intoinformation that leads to quality improvement in health-service delivery and policy.

• Dr. Sarah Muttitt, acting vice-president ofinnovation and adoption at Canada Health Infoway,focused on the process and importance of evaluation toidentify potential benefits when measuring the impact ofthe electronic health record (EHR) on the quality, accessand productivity of health care.

• Dr. Anne Sales, associate professor in the nursingfaculty at the U of A, provided insight on the significance

of evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) on thecollaboration towards, and the improvement of, patientoutcomes.

• Dr. Gary Lopaschuk,Scientific Director for theMazankowski Alberta HeartInstitute, identified iCARE asa critical collaboration toABACUS—the Institute’sAlberta Cardiovascular andStroke Research Centre—asit moves forward to researchcardiac-patient outcomes inpopulation health.

• Keynote speaker Dr.Colleen Flood, director of theCanadian Institutes of HealthResearch Institute of HealthServices and Policy Research(CIHR-IHSPR) and Canada Research Chair inComparative Health Law and Policy at the University ofToronto, stressed the importance of health-services researchto the sustainability of Canadian health care and howmultidisciplinary collaboration enhances the success ofhealth-services research.

Gary Lopaschuk

Photos by Terry Bourque & Barb Petryk

Nicola Shaw with Dr. Tom Feasby,

Capital Health VP of Academic Affairs

Carlyn Black, Sheila Weatherill,

Sara Mottit and Colleen Flood toast iCARE

Carlyn Black, Sheila Weatherill,

Sara Mottit and Colleen Flood toast iCARE



ETHICScorporate

recently heard an analysis of the value ofknowledge: Knowledge—when not actedupon—is simply information. Over the pastdecade or so, scientists, mathematicians,

economists and the like have spent an inordinateamount of time promoting the concept that data, ifnot transformed into information, has little or novalue. Others have argued that information enablesthe development of knowledge.

Today we have an abundance of information andwe have developed some knowledge from thisinformation. Unfortunately, knowledge—or inform-ation—on its own, while interesting, has no impactunless it is acted upon. So to enhance this thinking, Isubmit that it takes wisdom to act on knowledge—todefine the right action to be taken to yield realresults.

How do you develop wisdom? When do you knowyour wisdom has served you well? When do youknow you have taken the right action? And morecritically, how has your wisdom enabled you to takethe right action at the right time to deliver optimumresults? As scientists engage philosophers inanswering these questions, a new area of knowledgedevelopment will likely emerge.

Over the past decade, researchers developed theconcept of key performance indicators—KPIs—as ameans of translating data into information and thusgaining knowledge about a business or a process.Various organizations developed their own KPIs,used them to monitor business performance, and tiedbehaviour and individual compensation to theseKPIs.

In the fast food business, for example, franchiseestrack the percentage of clients who go from indivi-dual purchases to “combo” deals, and those who thenupsize or super-size the deal. By tracking the serverswho have increased the super-size conversion rate,they are able to develop strong incentive plans toencourage this behaviour. The salespeople at manymajor electronics and appliance stores could not careless what you purchase, as long as you buy theextended warranty package for the product. Theirvariable compensation and, in many cases, theirlivelihood depends on it.

As KPIs evolved and became the foundation onwhich an organization operates, the demand for real-time, on-line KPIs became critical, even for smallerbusinesses. The ability to track what is happeningon-line and make changes in real-time wouldfundamentally alter the business performance, notonly improving profitability, but also customerservice and satisfaction. Unfortunately, while thoseon the front line have the knowledge to make

adjustments, they may not have the wisdom to makethe right adjustment at the right time.

I have often pondered how an organization couldhire a high powered, seasoned sales person and yetthat person could not match the success of theentrepreneur who started the business. Many haveargued that the difference is the lack of training, aninsufficient understanding of the organization or theproducts it offers. I have never bought into any ofthese arguments. My contention is that theentrepreneur is able to adjust, in real-time, decisionmaking to match the real-time availability ofinformation.

And that ability is wisdom: The ability to make notjust the right decision or take the right action, but todo so at the right time. That requires two factorsinherent in an entrepreneur:• The ability to combine knowledge with

intuition—gut feel—to determine the right courseof action at that very second; and

• The authority—and, more critically, thecourage—to take that action.

So how does one go about developing this wisdom?The best way to get to know your way around anycity is to get lost in it. Wisdom, in life or business,comes from having no fear of making mistakes. Itcomes from having the courage to learn from thesemistakes. It comes from making your mistakes workfor you.

My philosophy, when young people came to workfor me, was to give them autonomy and responsi-bility… to allow them to develop and sharpen alltheir skills—data, information, knowledge andwisdom—not just technical knowledge. Developing“gut feel” comes from being given the opportunity toapply, learn and apply again.

During times of uncertainty or crisis, as variousscenarios and possible outcomes are analyzed, manyquestion: “What happens if?” “What happens ifnot?” My response, “I win either way,” puzzlesmany.

I believe in every crisis there is an opportunity.The fact that I have not yet found the opportunitydoes not mean I need to panic or worry about it. Ijust need to use that energy constructively… to findthe opportunity. ✔

Nizar J. Somji is president and CEO ofJaffer Inc., a management/ investmentconsulting firm; and chairman of theboard of Matrikon Inc., a company hefounded in 1988.

Wisdom – a developing artMake your mistakes work for you

IIBy Nizar J. Somji

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esolution number one: While in exile inCalgary, I will read all the books I haveplanned to read “when I have time”.And since they number in the hundreds,

getting a library card is an economical decision.The Calgary Public Library functions in much the

same way as Edmonton’s, with three interestingexceptions.

If you don’t want to line up behind… say… 112people who have placed a hold on MargaretAtwood’s new novel, Moral Disorder, you mightfind single copies in the New and Notable sections inCalgary libraries, or on the Bestsellers to Go shelvesin Edmonton. These are areas where lucky patronsmay be able to pick up popular novels today,avoiding the tedious wait. An Edmonton reader canchoose one designated bestseller, and is allowed oneweek, with no renewals, to get the book read.Calgarians can borrow three of the notables at atime, and keep them for three weeks, no renewals—abetter deal, in my opinion.

If I have the patience to wait for the 112 readersahead of me to plow through Moral Disorder—andeven with 27 copies in the system and everyonereturning them on time, that’s over a month ofwaiting—I can place a hold on the book. The folks atEdmonton Public Library will e-mail or call me, whenmy name comes to the top of the list. They will deliverthe book to my favourite branch, and wait a week forme to pick it up. If I forget, change my mind or don’tshow up for any reason, no harm done. They quietlypass it on to the next hopeful and, I assume, cancel myhold. The Calgary Library offers pretty much the sameservice, up to the no-show part. I will be fined twodollars if I fail to pick up my book or cancel the hold.Every year nearly 100,000 holds are not picked up orcancelled by the calgarians who placed them.

Now, here’s my favourite service—again, onlyoffered in Edmonton. When I finally get my hands onAtwood’s latest and become totally absorbed in it, EPLwill send me a gentle reminder to return the book, afew days before it’s due. This service saved mehundreds of dollars in overdue fines when I lived inEdmonton. The Calgary system makes it myresponsibility to remember when to bring books back,and charges me 30 cents per item per day (that’s fivecents more than in Edmonton) for each overdue item.

This Calgary library card maynot prove to be as economical as Ihad hoped. ✔

Janet and Owen Edmondsonmoved to Calgary in July. Janetcan be contacted [email protected]

Edmontonian Edmontonian IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondson

RR



Perry Kinkaide is one of those guyswho has far too much fun in life to eventhink of sleeping. And don’t bothermentioning the r-word—retirement.

You’d think that after a career thatincluded getting a doctorate in brain andbehavioural research, and stints as anassistant deputy minister for theprovincial government and a managingpartner of KPMG Consulting, you’dwant a little R & R.

Not Perry. His latest venture is theAlberta Chamber of Technologies.This grows out of a business advisorygroup he started several years ago whicheventually came to be known as the KEINetwork. From casual meetings incoffee shops, this evolved into dinnersand workshops for entrepreneurs.

“I’d throw the party and people wouldshow up,” says Perry, still a bit bemusedby the popularity of his events. “Acommon interest developed and the wordspread. It was a place for new enter-prises to show off what they were doing.We’d talk not just about their businessbut about the pain of getting to wherethey were. Let’s not be naïve. Birthing abusiness is an incredibly hard process.You can’t do it alone. There are a lot ofmidwives here.”

A few months ago, KEI Network andECAT—the Edmonton Council ofAdvanced Technologies—anotherbusiness network, decided to join forces.They now comprise the new EdmontonChamber of Technologies, which is thefirst chapter of the fledgling AlbertaChamber of Technologies. Chapters arealso forming in Calgary, Medicine Hat,Pincher Creek, Red Deer and GrandePrairie.

Perry’s efforts are centred around hisgrowing appreciation for the strugglesmall and medium size companies go

through in their early stages. “We’re trying to help SMEs grow and

survive and, in so doing, encourage

diversification of the economy throughtechnology. After all, it’s really smallbusiness that brings new technologiesinto the market. Large businesses willtake advantage of these once theymature, but all the early work is done bysmall business. They’re the laboratory ofenterprise.”

Along with developing support forSMEs, Perry is keen on establishing apresident’s council which will bringtogether visionaries from many discip-lines to set priorities for action oneconomic and technological deve-lopment.

Says Perry, “I agree with Eric Newell’sperspective that many of Alberta’s bus-inesses zero in on some aspect of carbontechnology. That’s Alberta’s resourcebase… meat, wheat, oil, gas, fibre andtimber. Even the new bio-based tech-nologies and businesses are all aboutbuilding successful carbon-basedindustries.”

There’s lot of food for thought there.And Perry promises plenty of support

and advice for Edmonton’s entrepreneursand start-up technology companies.

The next get-together of the EdmontonChamber of Technologies will beNovember 21st at the Royal GlenoraClub. Pre-dinner seminars will start at4:30 pm with the reception and dinnerstarting at 6 pm. Register online at www.abctech.ca, and sign up for its newsletterwhile you’re there.

Edmonton is host this year to the2006 ASTech Awards Gala. Set forNovember 3rd at the Shaw Conference,this black-tie, Oscar-style event willhonour some of the brightest minds inAlberta’s science and technologycommunity.

This year’s nominees include a healthylist of Edmonton innovators. There’s Dr.Bill Gunter, a distinguished scientistwith the Alberta Research Council andone of the world’s preeminentresearchers on the geological storage ofcarbon dioxide. And, anyone who hasbeen to the Royal Tyrrell Museum ofPaleontology will recognize the name ofDr. Philip Currie. His discoveries havechanged the way scientists around theworld think about the dinosaurs.

Vying for awards on the technologyside are the Alberta Ingenuity Centrefor Machine Learning, and a softwarecompany called Code Baby.

Two finalists in the Leaders ofTomorrow category are PhD candidatesChristopher Barton, a computerprogramming specialist, and EmadGhafoori, already a world expert onnew technologies for animal wastedisposal.

Every year, the ASTech Foundationsingles out one person who has reallymade a difference in building the scienceand technology community in Alberta.This year that honour goes to Dr. CyrilKay.

A member of the Order of Canada, anda Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at

the University of Alberta, Cyril is just asbusy in retirement as he ever was duringhis teaching and research career. He isvice-president of research with theAlberta Cancer Board. He is alsoinvolved with the development of acancer research institute which will besponsored by the $500 million CancerLegacy Endowment Fund recentlyannounced by the provincialgovernment.

Cyril’s research focused on proteinswith a strong emphasis on the structure-function relationships of muscle andcalcium binding proteins. One of theinteresting things he told me aboutproteins is the way they misfold, and therole that can have in the development ofdisease in general and cancer inparticular. (Makes you wonder aboutthose misfolded prions behind Mad CowDisease.)

His collaborative work with theMedical Research Council contributedsignificantly to our understanding ofproteins. He was also a foundingmember of PENCE—the ProteinEngineering Network of Centres ofExcellence. After his retirement from theUniversity, Cyril then co-chaired a taskforce which developed a strategic planfor health research for the province to2010.

Congratulations to Cyril and all hisfellow scientists who will share thelimelight at the ASTechs.

When TEC Edmonton and itstenants at the current Research TransitionFacility on the U of A campus movedowntown next summer to take upresidence in the refurbished Bay building,its new digs will come with a new name.RTF will be renamed as the TEC Centre.This is all in the spirit of promoting thebroad range of services TEC Edmontonoffers under technology, entrepreneur andcompany development umbrella.

INTELINTELcience &Tech

with Cheryl CroucherSBizBiz

Encrypt-Stick USB Memory KeyLike most people “in the business” I use asmany hi-tech gadgets as possible includinga Blackberry and a notebook PC with an“air” card.

This means I can use a cell phone, checkmy e-mail and, above all, get to the Internetfrom anywhere. For me, being connected iseverything.

However, in order to remember some ofthe log-on information, or for quick anddirty PC fixes, I also had a 1-GB USBmemory stick attached to my keychain.

In addition to containing anti-virussoftware and anti-spyware downloads, thedevice also held various documents withsensitive client information. This includedmy personal passwords as well client VPNand Remote Desktop connections, com-plete with IP addresses, log-on user namesand stored administrator passwords.

If I ever lost my keychain, I wouldn’tsimply lose the keys to my car, office andhome. Indeed, the person who found theUSB key would have the ability to accessthe information systems and networks ofover 100 file servers, several hundredpersonal computers and thousands of e-mail accounts.

Did somebody just say yikes?

That, however, was then. Today, I stilluse a USB key but it comes with encryp-tion—it’s pretty much impossible for othersto get into this removable drive if it fallsinto the wrong hands.

The device I use is called Encrypt-Stick,a combo USB drive and special softwarefrom ENC Security Systems, Inc. of PittMeadows, near Vancouver, B.C. Accordingto the product information, no one has everbeen able to hack into an ENC-encryptedfile.

Here’s how the Encrypt-Stick works:Peel the USB key out of the package, insertit in a spare USB slot, unzip the applicationfiles and you’re halfway there. Like mostother USB keys, it shows up as aremovable drive on your system.

Now, run the application file (anunzipped executable file that is on the key)and a Windows Explorer-like box opensand displays the drives and folders on theleft hand side and the corresponding fileson the right. Below is a third pane whereyou simply drag and drop the files youwould like to encrypt or protect. That’s it.

The Encrypt-Stick application protectsyour files with a unique algorithm key that,once encrypted, makes the files unreadableby anyone. The Encrypt-Stick applicationsoftware is run from an Encrypt-Stickenabled flash drive and, unlike otherencryption software, is never installed onyour computer.

Retrieving the protected files is just as

easy. Go to another PC, insert the Encrypt-Stick and run the application; remembering,once again that it is ON the stick. Anauthentication screen appears where youenter your password and when the nowfamiliar three-pane window appears, selectthe encrypted file and remove it from thelist or decrypt it to another location on thatPC. Yes, you can select more than one fileor folder at a time. There are a few moreoptions, including overwriting of existingfiles, removing them from archive and, ofcourse, the ability to rename the newlydecrypted file.

OK, so what happens if I actually DOlose my Encrypt-Stick? Well, first, youmust have backed-up your Algorithm keyand your Password. Both pieces ofinformation are required in the event ofloss. Naturally, you don’t store this backedup file on your computer. Burn it to a CDor floppy and store that media in a securelocation. ENC cannot decrypt your files foryou so you must back-up your algorithmkey. However, you will be able to getaccess to any encrypted files on your PC;provided you had registered with ENCwhen you did the set up.

The 512 MB USB device sells for (US)$99.95 and includes the appropriatesoftware. Alternatively, you can use yourown key and for (US) $49.95 can down-load the encryption software from the ENCwebsite.

ENC is the brainchild of former

Edmontonian Ed Rusnak, who has a 10year background in encryption technologythat includes the development of remotewellhead reading devices for Alberta’soilpatch. ENC began in 2005 when Rusnakrealized “The whole world is going tosecurity.” I’ll say. According to Rusnak,“ENC uses polymorphic ciphers whichhave sustained all types of cryptanalyticattacks by others in an attempt to break thiscode since 1999.”

Encrypt-Stick works with Microsoft’sWindows 98 SE, ME, 2000, and XP andyou can encrypt any file type.

Early adopters of the Encrypt-Stickinclude NAIT and Scientific Research andExperimental Development (SR&ED) TaxIncentive Program branch in BC. Otheradopters are people like me or any otherindividuals who are carrying the “e-keys”and passwords to several systems, servers,workstations and user accounts.

Check out the ENC website and watchfor other encryption systems that are infinal stages of development; www.encrypt-stick.com ✔

Gregory B. Michetti of theAlberta-based systemsintegration firm MichettiInformation Solutions, Inc.can be reached viawww.michetti.com

izIT 101with Greg MichettiB

Continued on page 14

Cyril Kay

Perry Kinkaide



The incredible speed of live television has foreverchanged news. Who will ever forget watching CNN’sunbelievable coverage of that second terrorist plane as itwas crashing into New York’s World Trade CentreSeptember 11, 2001? Ditto for live Cape Canaveralcoverage of that January 28, 1986, Space ShuttleChallenger launch which exploded 73 seconds after lift-off, killing all seven crew members. Or thedisintegration of the Columbia shuttle over Texas onFebruary 1, 2003, during re-entry into the Earth’satmosphere, killing another seven astronauts.

That’s why Canadians—and the world—have come toexpect almost instant coverage of the deaths or injuriesof any Canadian troops in Afghanistan, or of terroristactivities elsewhere.

Such media coverage was unknown in the two WorldWars and the Korean conflict. That’s because televisionwas in its infancy, and Canadians had to rely on heavilycensored and controlled newspaper and radio reports.Movie newsreels were often the only source of wartimefilm footage—also censored and often old.

But the immediacy of terrorist acts today inAfghanistan has thrown some Canadians into hysteria,with demands that Canada pull out because our militaryshould not be involved in peace-keeping if there isdanger to life or limb.

The problem is that such critics have forgotten—orignored—the incredible contributions that Canadianmen and women have made during wars and peacetimemissions. Such as the 100,000 who paid the supremesacrifice, and another 200,000 who were wounded,some so badly they never worked again.

The biggest family loss in Canadian wartime historywas that suffered by Charlotte Wood of Winnipeg.Mrs. Wood had 11 sons who all served in the First

World War. Only six returned home… the other fivedied in action.

For those who question our presence in Afghanistan:What, pray tell, were we doing in Korea? Hostilitiesstarted in Korea (which is as far away from Canada as isAfghanistan) on June 25, 1950 when the North invadedthe South. That war lasted three years… with anothertwo years of peacekeeping.

Some 26,791 Canadians fought in the Korean conflictfor two years and an additional 7,000 troops participatedin the ceasefire afterward for another two years. Some516 Canadians were killed in those four years in Korea,both during the war and while peacekeeping after theceasefire. Another 1,558 were injured. During the fouryears we’ve been in Afghanistan, more than 40 militarypersonnel have died.

So what were we doing in Korea? The same thing ourbrave and courageous military men and women did intwo World Wars and Korea… The same thing we’redoing today in Afghanistan: establishing and preservingthe basic human rights that we take for granted inCanada. Military personnel and their families don’tquestion their assignments, regardless of the potentialdangers involved.

God bless the families of those who lost loved ones orhad loved ones injured. God bless, also, those whocontinue serving our nation whenever and wherevercalled upon—be it wartime or peacetime. That’s what itis to be a Canadian.

November 11th is a special day of remembrance…a time for us to express our gratitude to our militarypersonnel—those who have given their lives, those whohave been wounded, and those who are serving today—all in the name of peace and freedom—wherever in the world they are posted. ✔

Bruce Hogle is the former news directorat CFRN TV and recently retired head ofthe Alberta Press Council.

ediaMinutewith Bruce HogleM

The whole U of A complex at the Bay building also willhave a new name and that’s Enterprise Square. As theuniversity’s President Indira Samarasekera said at theofficial unveiling, “This is about enterprising people…people marked by imagination, initiative and a readinessto pursue more education and advance innovations.”

There has been so much interest in the TEC Edmontoncomponent, renovations have expanded to include theaddition of a fourth floor.

At a recent meeting to update RTF tenants on themove, Pamela Freeman, TEC Edmonton’s VP forcompany development, boasted, “This will be the mostsought after penthouse address in the downtown.”

The top two floors occupied by TEC Edmonton willoffer flexible lab and office space. The rest of EnterpriseSquare will house the U of A’s Faculty of Extension, theprofessional development activities of the School ofBusiness, the Alberta Business Family Institute, and theDesign Gallery as well as the Art Gallery of Alberta(during its own multi-million dollar reno) and City TV. ✔

Cheryl Croucher is an Edmontonbroadcast journalist and host ofInnovation Alberta. You can hear theprogram on CKUA Radio Tuesdays at8pm or download it when you visitwww. innovationalberta.com

MAKINGmoney

By Ron Hiebert

he beauty of the RRSP is that it lets you protectincome that you haven’t paid tax on andcompound it for decades. When you can make100-cent dollars grow for long periods of time

without the deleterious effects of Canada Revenue Agencytaking half of your profits away every April, you truly havewhat has been billed as the greatest Canadian tax shelter.

Unfortunately, the money can’t stay tax-free forever. Theyear that you turn 69, your RRSP has to be converted into aRRIF or an annuity. From that moment on you start towitness the systematic destruction of all those years of tax-free compounding of your investments. The slide from taxheaven to tax purgatory starts when the mandatory annualwithdrawals from the RRIF or annuity are added to yourtaxable income, often pushing that total into a higher taxbracket. To make matters worse, high-income pensionerswill often find that the additional RRIF income theyreceive will cause their Old Age Security benefits to get“clawed back”. For low-income pensioners, higher incomecan make them ineligible for the Guaranteed IncomeSupplement.

Higher taxes and a loss of benefits can easily turn theRRSP from a tax benefit into a tax trap. Let’s look at somestrategies that are available that could help you lessen thebite when you are forced to start taking money out of thegreatest of all Canadian tax shelters.

STRATEGY 1: ROBBING THE CRADLEWhen you transfer your RRSP to a RRIF you are allowedto base the withdrawal calculation on either your age oryour spouse’s. So let’s say you are 80 and you robbed thecradle and married someone 10 years younger thanyourself. This can work out to be a significant advantagefor you because the older you get, the more as a percentageyou are required to withdraw annually from a RRIF. At age80, you must take out 8.75 percent of the market value ofthe RRIF in that year. If you had a spouse who was 70, andyou elected to base the withdrawals on his or her ageinstead of yours, the percentage you would be required totake out would only be five percent.

STRATEGY 2: THE SWAPWhat happens if you are facing the purchase of a big-ticketitem like a car or kitchen renovation, but find that the onlyplace that you have any liquidity is in your RRIF? Most

people just hold their noses, deregister a big chunk of cashand face the tax consequences at the end of the year. Well,there is a way around this. You need to have a self directedRRIF, cash available inside the RRIF, and an asset outsideof the plan that you are willing to swap in.

For example, let’s say you have $40,000 cash in yourRRIF that is sitting in a money market fund or cashableGIC just waiting for a good investment opportunity.Meanwhile, your car blows up and you find yourselfneeding a new one. You go shopping and find just whatyou want for $30,000. In addition to the RRIF, youcoincidentally have a $30,000 Province of Alberta bondyou bought years ago that pays six percent interest, butdoesn’t mature for another 10 years. Because the interestrate is much higher than is currently available in themarket, you have no desire to sell the bond.

The solution is to transfer the bond into the RRIF andtake an equivalent amount of cash out. This is called aswap. Because assets of equal value are moving in and outof the RRIF, there is no tax payable on the cash with-drawal. However, if the asset you are putting into the RRIFhas a capital gain or untaxed interest, the investment istreated as if it has been sold and you will have to pay taxon any capital gains or accrued interest at the time of theswap.

STRATEGY 3: THE RRIF MELTDOWNLet’s say you have to take $6,000 out of your RRIF nextyear. You want to offset the income this will create. Youcan do this by borrowing $100,000 at six percent andbuying stocks or tax efficient mutual funds with theproceeds outside of the RRIF. The $6,000 in interest costson the loan would be tax deductible and would offset thewithdrawal from the RRIF. The risks with this strategyinclude rising interest rates, leverage, and investments thatdon’t perform well.

STRATEGY 4: TAX PROTECTOR INSURANCEUpon death, unless you have a spouse or minor child, yourRRIF gets deregistered and tax is paid on the full value ofthe assets inside the plan. One way to lessen the tax blow isto buy insurance. The proceeds of the insurance policyflow tax free to the beneficiaries. They can then use theseproceeds to pay the taxes generated from deregistering theRRIF.

STRATEGY 5: FLOW THROUGH SHARESJunior resource companies can flow through their Canadianexploration expenses to their shareholders who in turn candeduct those expenses against other income. If you buy$10,000 worth of flow through shares, which gives$10,000 worth of deductions, you could use this to makeyour $10,000 withdrawal from your RRIF tax neutral. Thisstrategy is not for the faint of heart and should be done inmoderation, as junior resource stocks can be very volatile.

STRATEGY 6: THE PERSONAL DEDUCTION OFFSET Your personal exemption for 2006 is $8,839. If you haveno other income, you could withdraw that much out ofyour RRIF without having to pay any tax.

STRATEGY 7: GIFTINGIf a person wishes to keep the Canada Revenue Agency outof the picture at death, they can will their RRIF to charity.The charitable tax receipt will approximately offset thetaxes due on the RRIF.

Annual gifting also works very well to neutralize tax.Charitable donations of approximately the size of yourannual RRIF withdrawal will essentially reduce your tax tozero.

STRATEGY 8: PENSION CREDIT Taxpayers can claim a pension credit against pensionincome. This credit eliminates tax on the first $2,000 ofpension income. To qualify, you need to be at least 65 yearsold. Income from a pension or a RRIF withdrawal willqualify for the credit.

Used prudently—especially in combination with a good taxadvisor—these strategies can keep the Greatest CanadianTax Shelter from becoming a tax trap. ✔

Ron Hiebert, a director atScotiaMcLeod, teaches investmentclasses at Grant MacEwan College.The author of Wealth Building can beheard weekdays at 7:34 am, onCFCW radio (790 AM). Contact himat 780.497.3215 [email protected]

TT

From tax heaven to tax purgatoryProtect your RRF income from the CRA

Continued from page 13

U of A Enterprise Square



lberta’s boom means business developmentfor many local organizations: There is somuch domestic business that many are notactively searching for foreign contracts. Not

so at NAITwhere Dean of business development JefferySundquist focuses 25 percent of his efforts internationally.His $30 million-a-year department is tasked with infusingmoney back into the institute while aligning its programswith the human resource needs of the businesscommunity—the business community encompassing morethan just corporations in Edmonton, Alberta or Canada.

NAIT’s international perspective emanates from theapproximately 1,400 students from 60 countries that cometo study at the school each year. Once these students returnhome, they become ambassadors for the school andbusiness linkages evolve. It’s only natural that NAITreceives requests from alumni to develop programs in farreaching nations, so for 30 thirty years it has activelymanaged an international program. As Sundquist points out,“NAIT is not dabbling in international work, rather it is acore business activity.” Obviously, with offices—not justagents operating on NAIT’s behalf—in the United ArabEmirates, Egypt, India and China, the renowned institute iscommitted to providing education in business, advancedtechnologies and skilled trades in a diversity of regionsaround the world.

“NAIT focuses on countries and regions with a heavilyuniversity oriented marketplace and high industrial growth,”explains Sundquist. “In those places, as in Alberta,corporations are facing severe skills shortages at theoperations level and, as a result, most technicians aretrained on the shop floor. In some instances, the bulk ofpeople at a plant will be trainees.” For these corporateclients, there is real value in having a Canadian technicalinstitution provide instruction to their staff: They know thatthey are receiving world class instruction—the sameinstruction NAIT students in Northern Alberta receive.

To support this demand, NAIT has a roster of approxi-mately 1,000 instructors it can call on to provide training,whether it is a short-term course in China or a four-weekintensive program in Cuba. These individuals may beretirees, expatriates, current NAIT instructors or industryleaders but they have all completed NAIT’s Becoming aMaster Instructor (BMI) program, ensuring a consistentlevel of quality regardless of where or what the instructor isteaching. Its international training program has becomesuch a success that grads of these courses are nowbecoming instructors; some of NAIT’s training programs inEgypt are now being taught by Egyptian nationals whohave passed the BMI program.

I found it interesting that NAIT hasonly one Canadian government

funded project (inCuba), while theremainder are either

foreign governmentfinanced or paid for by

private companies. The Cubanexception is a nine-year project,which commenced in 2000,encompassing an initial needs

assessment, physical facilitydevelopment, organizational

structuring, the establishment of acurriculum, teaching and train-the-trainer

programs. Basically NAIT, with its partner,the ministry of basic industries, has designed an entiretechnical institute in a country that has one of the bestdoctor-patient ratios in the world, but doesn’t have enoughmechanics to service aging automobiles. (Incidentally, Cubais a net exporter of doctors. When I lived in Botswana,many of that country’s sick were being cared for by Cubanhealth care workers.) However, the urgent need formillwrights, welders, electricians, automotive techniciansand other skilled tradespeople has caused the governmentthere to recognize the need for a more balanced workforce,and for outside experts to come in and help meet that need.

FINDING FOREIGN WORKERSNAIT’s international activities come full circle withNAITfind which has a “mandate to match the labour needsof organizations throughout Alberta with highly skilledindividuals from across Canada and around the globe.”Essentially, NAIT can act as the global recruiter for acompany, tapping into its existing foreign student body thatis eligible for two year Canadian work permits aftergraduation, as well as overseas alumni and its network ofskilled contacts in other countries. Since its inception a littleover a year ago, NAIT has brought about 70 employees intoAlberta. Among them are eight German welders andstructural steel and plate fitters to Weldco-Beales, a localmanufacturer of specialized heavy equipment attachmentsand cranes for the construction, resource, mining, forestryand road maintenance industries.

“NAIT is able to offer more than other recruiters, becausethey really understand our needs and their staff can makein-country assessments by incorporating skills testing atlocal technical institutes into the recruitment process,”remarked Director of Human Resources Dawn Jacobsenduring a phone interview. For new recruits, Weldco-Bealesmakes the final recruiting decision and provides settlementassistance and safety training but it has come to rely on thestaff of NAITfind for employees who can hit the groundrunning, with all of their paperwork in place so work visasand immigration procedures are not an issue.

INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURINGI had the chance to walk about the Weldco-Bealesmanufacturing facility while participating in a bus tourorganized by Alberta Innovative Manufacturing Works. Ourguide for the day was Chris Buerger and, in addition toWeldco-Beales, we visited Flexxaire Manufacturing,Master Flo Valve and its sister company, Stream-FloIndustries. This tour, oneof five held throughout theprovince, was intended toshowcase “some of thebest companies in Albertamanufacturing in action,and to learn about theopportunities in a growingsector of Alberta’seconomy.” While oil andgas, and occasionallyagriculture and hi tech,garner the most attention,manufacturing is slowlygaining ground as a significant contributor to Alberta’sprosperity, with revenues increasing 12.2 percent in 2005 toreach $59 billion and employing close to 10 percent of theworkforce. And these companies have set their sights on

markets beyond the province and the country.Interestingly, each company had a different foreign

market penetration strategy, depending on the nature ofproducts and uses: Through its office in Portland, Oregon,Weldco-Beales services its American dealer network…Flexxaire works primarily with original equipmentmanufacturers and therefore its variable pitch cooling fansare found all over the world, in Caterpillar, John Deereand Komatsu, branded equipment (among others),otherwise direct international marketing efforts conductedfrom Edmonton. Stream Flo is expanding by pursing adirect sales route with its own staff.

Of the four firms, Master Flo has the broadestinternational market presence, with offices in Indonesia,Malaysia, France, the U.S., Brazil, the UK and the UAE.President Mark McNeill personally led our group aroundhis plant and was rightly proud of his organization, themodern manufacturing facility right here in Edmonton andits staff. He pointed out that “the only way Canadiancompanies will survive in the global marketplace is throughreliability, on-time delivery and superior technology.” Heexplained that Master Flo invests $4 to $5 million each yearin the most current of machinery and training for its staff,where everyone—including McNeill—starts out on theshop floor.

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND IN THE UKAs a researcher, I know that it can be difficult to obtainreliable, current market intelligence on trade opportunitiesin another country, without incurring the expense of travelto the target market. That is why I was so surprised by thelow turnout to hear Brit Howard Smith speak on the UKmarket for healthcare products. His in-depth account of thepurchasing channels was highly informative and wouldhave placed the UK on any would-be exporter’s priority listfor further investigation. Consider that the NHS is deemed

to be the largest employerin the world, offering “freecradle-to-grave healthcare,” and you have someunderstanding of the sizeof the organization… anorganization that is lookingfor everything fromnappies to diagnosticmachines and tests to thelatest informationtechnology. As Howardnoted, “The market issubstantial, it wants goodproducts, it can pay—

promptly; it is well regulated, cultural barriers are low andthe rewards are potentially very big.”

Unfortunately, he was preaching to the choir of only 15government and industry association officials in theaudience but it’s a message I hope more private companieshear through this column.

Howard was in Edmonton as the latest speaker sponsoredby Alberta Economic Development, in partnership withWiTec Alberta and The Business Link’s Export Link.While Canadian provincial governments continue to debatethe merits of electronic patient records, Howard detailed theNHS ambitious National Programme for IT which is billedas the largest IT project in the world with a $1.1 billioninfrastructure and $12.6 billion roll-out budget to connect100,000 doctors, 380,000 nurses and 50,000 other healthprofessionals. Work has commenced and it should be fullyoperational by 2008, meaning that doctors will be able toelectronically transmit prescriptions to pharmacies, or goon-line and book hospital and specialist appointments fortheir patients, without the usual exchange of referral letters.Every patient will have a personal electronic health record,which will even be capable of containing digital x-rays andother images. And, to think, the last time my doctor movedfrom one clinic to another, I had to pay a $25 fee to havemy records photocopied and transferred. ✔

Cheryl Lockhart owns InternationalStrategies Ltd., specializing in export-related planning and marketing. E-mail: [email protected]

By Cheryl Lockhart

AA

NAITGOES GLOBAL

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IN

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SNAIT

GOES GLOBAL

Howard Smith

Mark McNeill

Jeffery Sundquist in Dubai



Why does Tom Cruiseuse an agent?

Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Jim Carreyare part of a very exclusive club of actorsbeing paid more than $20 million perpicture. But, regardless of their star quality,each of these actors is represented by aprofessional agent.

Now, why would Tom Cruise need anagent? Surely he knows every producer andfinancier in Hollywood and should be able tosecure his own deals. Yet he uses an agent tonegotiate for him. This is because he acceptsa fundamental truth: it’s not about making adeal, it’s about making the BEST deal. In themovie business, the best deal is not alwaysabout collecting the biggest paycheque. It’salso very important to consider who your co-stars will be, what the reputation of thedirector is, and how profitable the projectwill be.

In the mergers and acquisitions world, anequivalent role to a Hollywood agent wouldbe that of the intermediary or investmentbanker. Here are some of the most importantroles an intermediary plays:

Knowing the deal makers. When we presenta divestiture opportunity to a purchaser, weapproach the best person in the organizationto view the deal (and this may not always bethe CEO). In some cases, our approach mightput the emphasis on the financialperformance of the company; for others, thestrategic fit with the purchaser may be thekey. Who we approach first, and how wepresent the opportunity will depend on ourknowledge of the buyer and their anticipatedresponse to the transaction. This is not thetime for a shotgun approach; a rifle usuallyworks best.

Understanding industry trends anddetermining how they fit with a purchaser’sStrategy. Carefully positioning the vendor’sbusiness so that it fits strategically with thepurchaser’s objectives is as much an art as ascience. Often, these synergies are notobvious and have to be pointed out to thebuyer. Knowing the transaction history andcreating a relationship of trust with thepurchaser and vendor enables us to openlydiscuss these synergies and how they willbenefit the buyer.

Marketplace credibility. An intermediary’sexisting relationship with his clients isextremely beneficial to the people who areinterested in getting to know those clients,whether they are vendors or purchasers.PricewaterhouseCoopers’ well known brandalong with its solid reputation and widerange of contacts, allows us access to someof the biggest boardrooms and decisionmakers in the country. Our experience andexpertise in matching buyers with sellers is ofgreat benefit to all of our transaction clients.

We would welcome the opportunity todiscuss how an experienced intermediary likePricewaterhouseCoopers can assist you withthe purchase or sale of a business. Please e-mail [email protected] or call 780-441-6793 to arrange a confidential meeting.

with Stephen W. Kent, CA(780) 448-9099

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symbolize life’s triumph over death on eachwinter solstice.

▲ The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with afest called Saturnalia in honour of Saturnus, thegod of agriculture. They decorated their houseswith greens and candles. And, they exchangedgifts—coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness,and lamps to light one’s journey through life.

▲ Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priestscalled Druids used evergreens during mysteriouswinter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly andmistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and placedevergreen branches over doors to keep away evilspirits.

▲ Late in the Middle Ages, Germans andScandinavians placed evergreen trees inside theirhomes or just outside their doors to show theirhope in the forthcoming spring.

▲ The Christmas tree tradition most likely came tothe United States with Hessian troops during theAmerican Revolution and German immigrants toPennsylvania and Ohio.

▲ America tended to have‘pockets’ of customs relatingto the immigrants who hadsettled in a particular area,and it was not until com-munication really got going inthe 19th century, that suchcustoms began to spread.

▲ A.F.W. Woolworth brought theglass ornament tradition to theUnited States in 1890.

Cool Stuff▲ You can now purchase battery

operated LED mini light stringsthat run on three AAA batteries.These are a godsend for tablecentre pieces, wreathes and smalltable top trees. There are twoversions: 4’ and 12’ long. ~Dansk,Southgate

▲ Battery operated flickering tea lights are alsoavailable in red, green, blue and white. That oldadage, “Don’t leave a burning candle unattended”just went out the window. ~Dansk, Southgate

▲ Ice cubes that change colour can jazz up your nextcocktail party. Just turn the battery operated cubes

on and watch your guests guzzlewith gusto. ~Dansk, Southgate▲ Greet your holiday guestswith panache. Fibre opticdoormats light up when steppedon and metamorphose througha variety of colours. ~Aroundthe Town, 10428 - WhyteAvenue▲ Ho-Ho-holiday. Amuse laBouche with a Santa fondu.Shaped like Santa, his hat isthe lid, his face is the pot,and his belly stores the keylight. ~Around the Town

▲ Looking for a lighted sculpture togreet guests at the front entrance? How about arunning goose clad in Santa’s finery? Greatconversation piece. ~Around the Town ✔

Contact Linda Bodo at [email protected] or visit absolutebodo.com.

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Ice cubes

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