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EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007

inally, the Journal has taken upthe cudgel against Shaw Cable’s attempt atbait and switch. Folks are lining up atShaw’s stores to buy digital boxes and add

more useless channels to their bills. I’ve golfed with JR Shaw, chairman of the board, at

the annual Shaw golf tournaments. His son, Jim Junior,now the president (and no longer called Junior) alsoplayed in the same tourneys. They probably get theirdigital converters at a discount.

According to the Journal article, Shaw had itsreasons for moving the Golf Channel to digital onlyaccess. The ploy is working. After the cable monopolymade the switch in September, fans rushed out to buythe boxes for about $200 each… supporting myoriginal premise that it was a “money grab.” TheChristmas special was a real deal at $98.

Not even I hold the Shaw family personallyresponsible. All I know is that it’s made viewing golf alot less convenient.

Gay Derk has watched a generation of menpass through the doors of Derk’s Menswear, the family-owned business that she runs with husband, Darrelland two sons, Sterling and Landon. “About 65 to 70percent of our customers are under the age of 25,” saysGay who celebrates 30 years in the business this year.

“They’re more interested in making the world abetter place than the previous Me Generation… andthey’re doing it,” says the retailer. “They’re concernedabout world peace, they go on help missions to Africa,they’re getting married earlier and want to have kids…and they’re into health. Just look at all the yoga studiosopening up.”

Something of a quantum thinker, Gay’s passion forthe company is shared equally by her desire to reach awider audience for her thoughts on Connections toSource—think God—a book she’s writing that’s about90 percent complete. Those who have heard her speakin public would applaud the plans of this fashionfirebrand.

Now, what about trends for men in 2007? It’s allabout the silhouette of the body. Says Gay: “Clothesare close and tight. Pants are not pleated and the lapelsare real narrow; denims are tight, too.” Darrel will beoff shopping to New York on January 21st, just hoursafter hosting their highly successful Bridal Fantasy thatdraws eight to 10,000 people to Northlands each year.

A reminder that the 32nd Annual JohannStrauss Ball takes place Saturday, February 3rd, at theWestin Hotel Edmonton. This is one of Edmonton’smost elegant black-tie affairs—an enchanting eveningof Viennese charm that starts with a champagne

reception, followed by the Polonaise. This is atraditional court dance presented by the debutantes andtheir cavaliers—very good looking young ladies areescorted by good looking young men. The ball raisesmoney to support deserving young Alberta musicians intheir endeavours. Tickets are $200. Contact BrendaDahl 780-467-8984. E-mail [email protected] orvisit www.johannstrauss.ca

I always wait around for Dr. Ollie whileshe’s getting her hair upgraded by Alex Peck of Texturesfor Hair. Alex has cut my hair, such as it is, sincepuberty—hers, not mine. We met 18 years ago duringone of my many single periods. I dated her motherLaurie Peck, who started her own agency for bookingsome of the best podium speakers in Canada. She hasbeen living in Nanaimo for a number years, and still hasa small stable of speakers.

Back to her daughter: I predict that Alex will be one ofour great Canadian artists someday. She is just finishingher fine arts program at the University of Alberta. Whileshe’s never shown her work anywhere of any signifi-cance, she sells most everything she paints. She’s indemand for commissioned portraits… but she tells meshe’s in her flower period at present. I have to admit thatI’m biased, but she is good.

Now if I can line up a meeting with my old buddyDoug Udell of Udell Gallery for one of his shows, theworld could fall at her feet.

Dr. Ollie and I have a hard fast rule: We dateevery Friday night, come hell or high water. It’s usually amovie, dinner and getting caught up. A few weeks ago, wewent to Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo diCaprio.Very bloody; I’d be surprised if you bought a diamond forany special occasion. As we walked out of theatre, we raninto friends who were kind enough to invite us for coffee.We joined Don Sr. and Marion Wheaton, Justice DougMatheson and his wife Peg, and Max and StephanieWard. It seems that when they go to a movie together, TimHorton’s is the place for coffee... something about theTimbits.

Both Ollie and I felt like the kids because most of themen are in their mid-eighties. Afterward, in retrospect, Iwondered why all of these men are so successful. I came tothe conclusion that they are successful couples. Their wivesare their partners—which makes home life conducive fordoing business. In the Wheaton’s case, Marion has done aheck of job of raising general managers for theirdealerships.

John Stanton of the Running Room hasgiven up helping little old ladies on airplanes. A fewmonths ago, on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto, an

elderly lady was struggling to put her carry-on in theoverhead bin when it started to go sort of backwards.John leapt up and took the very heavy bag into his rightarm. He felt some pain and, by the time he got toToronto, he knew that something was wrong. It turnedout the ligaments tore at the bottom of the arm,meaning that each one was pulled down and detached.Very painful. Now the athlete is doing one armedexercises.

The restaurant, 4th and Vine, offersinteresting Sunday fare—in addition to very good food,there’s movies and all-you-can-eat-popcorn. We saw AlGore’s An Inconvenient Truth, and Who Killed theElectric Car—both about corrupt corporations that willharm the population to protect profits. Everyone whosees the Gore movie will have a very different attitudetoward global warming.

Congratulations to our new premier, EdStelmach. As a writer, I’m going to miss Ralph Klein.There weren’t many months that went by without himsaying something interesting. I hope Ralph and his wifeenjoy their retirement. They both may have to learn todrive, carry their own luggage and buy their owngroceries. It can be done.. but it hurts.

By the way, Doug Zmurchok knows somethingabout diamonds. He’s a wholesaler in Western Canada—“one of the few guys on the road with credentials.” Dougtook final exams in 2001 from the Gemological Institute ofAmerica in California and passed with 100 percent; “…atough thing to do at my age.” This guy knows cut andcolour.

“The industry was 100 percent nervous about BloodDiamond,” he says. “I heard about it a year ago,” but notesthat things have improved since the atrocities recounted inthe movie in 1992.

“A true diamond shouldn’t leave the country,” says theveteran of 15 years. “Diamonds in Canada should be pulledfrom the ground, cut in Canada, and then sold anywhere inthe world. Each piece of the rock is identified andmonitored; otherwise too much speculation enters thepicture.”

Ever dealt with the dark side of diamonds? “I have beencontacted to buy rough diamonds.” There’s a long pause inanswer to “Who?” “People…but we’re not interested.” ✔

Additional reporting byEdmontonians staff.

Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or [email protected]

FF

FUNNYpompous & unfair

By Muggsy Forbes

Thinking diamonds?Think Canadian

EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007 3


HAVE YOU VOLUNTEERED IN THE PASTYEAR... PAST FIVE YEARS?To begin, we explained that volunteering includesdoing things on behalf of an organization or groupwithout being paid. This can include any unpaidhelp provided to schools, religious organizations,sports activities, or community groups. We thenasked respondents if they had volunteered in anyway in the past year. Fifty-seven percent ofrespondents said they had volunteered in theprevious year, and 76 percent said they hadvolunteered in the past five years.

Considering those respondents who had notvolunteered in the previous year, 23 percent saidthey planned to volunteer in the next year.Respondents who had no plans to volunteer werethen asked for a reason. The most prevalentreason was lack of time (64 percent).

WITH WHAT TYPE OF ORGANIZATION(S)DO YOU VOLUNTEER?Those respondents who had volunteered in theprevious five years were then asked to indicate thetype of organization they volunteered with. Overone-quarter (27 percent) said they volunteered fora social services organization. A similar propor-tion, 25 percent, volunteered for organizations inthe health sector, and 23 percent in the religioussector. Interestingly, women were more likely tovolunteer for a health organization than men—30percent versus 16 percent. Sixteen percentvolunteered for a sports organization. Notsurprisingly, 26 percent of men volunteered for asports organization compared with nine percent ofwomen. Finally, only eight percent volunteeredfor a cultural organization.

Again, respondents that had volunteered atsome point in the previous five years were askedhow many organizations had they volunteeredwith. While 38 percent had volunteered with asingle organization, 26 percent had volunteeredwith four or more organizations. Thirty-fourpercent of respondents had volunteered with twoor three organizations.

HOW WELL ORGANIZEDARE ORGANIZATIONS?Eighty-eight percent of respondents who hadvolunteered in the previous five years said thevolunteer managers at those organizations weresufficiently knowledgeable to effectively do theirjobs. The remaining 12 percent spoke about theneed for increased training for the volunteermanagers.

Less than half (46 percent) of the volunteers wespoke with said there is a reasonable number ofvolunteers available for organizations and events.However, only 27 percent said organizations havesufficient funds to manage the volunteers. Fifty-seven percent indicated there were adequatephysical facilities for their volunteers. An equalproportion—57 percent—believed that theorganizations they have volunteered with hadsufficient policies and procedures regardingvolunteers.

HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONSATTRACT MORE VOLUNTEERS?Finally, all respondents were asked to suggeststrategies that organizations could use to get morevolunteers. While 45 percent were unsure whatcould be done, 33 percent felt the provision ofdetailed information about the volunteeropportunity would be helpful. This informationcould include the required or expected timecommitment and hours as well as the responsi-bilities of the position. Eleven percent felt atargeted recruitment process would helporganizations get more volunteers.

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.

STATIONdmonton has a great reputation for thecapacity of its volunteer community.Whether in short, discrete commitmentsor through ongoing efforts, the success

of many events and organizations is due, in part,to the legions of volunteers. Recent literaturehowever, suggests that volunteer levels aredeclining. In this month’s Poll Station we askedpeople about their volunteer activities.

EEWith Linda Banister

PollPoll

FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

JANUARY 2007Vol. XVIII

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 ©Edmontonians

Publications 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 UNFAIRDiamonds/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

POLL STATIONVolunteering/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

CORPORATE ETHICS2006 events/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

THE TRANSFORMERSWhat is leadership?/Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6The Stelmach factor/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Agents of change/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Values are signposts/Hanlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Conflict is inevitable/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Gift of the gab/Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10The bunnies within/Williamsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

MAKING MONEYThe arms race/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

EDMONTONIAN IN EXILEPublic places/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

BIZINTELScience & Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

LIVELY LIFESTYLESAbsolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Tom BradshawLes Brost

Cheryl CroucherJanet EdmondsonMuggsy ForbesSteffany Hanlen

Ron HiebertBruce Hogle

Cheryl LockhartGreg Michetti

David NorwoodErin Rayner

Nizar J. SomjiColin Williamsen

FEATURE WRITERSBarb Deters

Don HillPeter Drake McHugh

Michael O’TooleMarg. Pullishy

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry Bourque

Fred Katz

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Edmontonians launches The TransformersPhoto by Terry Bourque

No. 1

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t was a tumultuous end to 2006. So to set thestage for 2007, I wanted to share my assessmentof the various events and how they will impactwhere we are going in the New Year.

POLITICALLY SPEAKINGIn Alberta, we saw an end to an amazing era and asurprising start to the next one. While Ed Stelmach’svictory in the provincial PC leadership race was asurprise to many, it was not that different from whenRalph Klein surprised Nancy Betkowski during the lastleadership race. Of course, Ralph went on to leadAlberta for an amazing 14 years of growth. Federally,the year ended with another unexpected result withStéphane Dion claiming victory in the Liberal leader-ship race, and once again a Quebec federalist is at thehelm of the Liberal party. The result disappointed manyWesterners, who felt a Bob Rae victory for the Liberalparty would ensure new support for the Conservativeparty in Ontario.

From a federal perspective, the Dion victory does notsolve anything. While there may be some movement inQuebec, it will not likely result in a majoritygovernment, and an election is clearly imminent in2007.

While both victories were unexpected, the key forAlberta remains the ability for the government to makekey decisions to ensure that our current prosperity leadsto sustainable long term growth and opportunity for allAlbertans. Over the past two years, many of thesedecisions have been delayed in anticipation of newleadership. These must now become a priority.

BUSINESSAs 2006 drew to a close, we witnessed the abrupt endto the major push to convert cash flow-positivecompanies into income trusts. Many argue that this wasa necessary move as the government was losing taxdollars and was likely to lose many more if the trendcontinued. Unfortunately, businesses abused a modelwhich made sense for resource-based companies,enabling them to attract investment for continuedresearch and exploration. But as non-resourcebusinesses, especially retail organizations, switched tothis model, the government response was inevitable.

The impact of this decision was dramatic in the shortterm, but will likely find middle ground quickly.

The real challenge remains the future of “flowthrough” shares, used extensively by oil and gascompanies to fund exploration. In other parts of thecountry (especially British Columbia), they are alsoused by the film industry to fund various productionand marketing costs while a film awaits commercialrelease and the resulting revenue. This model hasgrown recently and, with the fall of the income trusts,this growth is likely to continue. While the governmenthas so far stayed away from these, any change to thismay create a more dramatic reaction than what we sawwith income trusts.

During the leadership debate, much discussion centredon how Alberta can enable local creativity and economicdiversification, and create an environment wherecompanies can remain and grow in the province. One keyarea is for the provincial government to match SRED—Scientific Research and Experimental Development—credits offered by the federal government. Alberta isone of only two provinces that does not offer matchingcredits today. This, in my mind, remains a priority.However, some early stage companies, especially in thebiotechnology arena, have opposed this model. SREDcredits benefit those organizations that make moneyand are willing to invest that money for continuedgrowth and development.

This is clearly the direction that makes sense.Without provincial R&D credits, Alberta will continueto be an incubator of technology companies, only tosee them leave for a better overall environment oncethey achieve commercial success.

PRESSING ISSUESThe most pressing issue in Alberta remains access topeople. While this has been a hot topic of conversation,very little has been done to take control of this issue.Not enough is being done to help local companies,especially the smaller companies, to bring short termforeign workers, both unskilled and skilled, to keepoverall costs down. There has to be renewed leadershipwithin the provincial government to facilitate this—decisively and urgently.

Enrolment in university technology programs,

particularly in computer sciences, coupled withgrowing global demand will make competition forpeople resources a key driver in the technology sector.Over the past few years, we recognized that the trendaway from training in the trades had a detrimentaleffect on our booming economy. In the future, if abalance is not struck and the swing of the pendulumchecked, we will be faced with the reverse problem. Inthe meantime, companies need to manage growingsalary costs and provide additional incentives whilefacing stabilizing or softening margins.

2007 IN ANTICIPATIONIn Alberta, we have seen unprecedented growth,especially in the real estate markets. Fortunately, weare seeing costs begin to stabilize, which is key forsustainable, long term growth. It is my hope that thehuman resource issue will be tackled effectively to helpsustain the development. Downtown Edmonton, withthe anticipated arrival of the university campus as wellas other development projects underway, will continueits renewal to bring us in line with other major centresaround the country.

The Alberta (and the Edmonton) Advantage—lowercost of living, a weaker dollar and lower salaries—hasdeclined over the past three years and completelydisappeared in 2006. So in 2007, we must start definingand building a new Advantage… one that is not basedon the lowest cost but on delivering the highest value.

As we transition from the era of “King Ralph” andusher in the era of “Steady Eddie”, my overallexpectation is that 2007 will be a steady year. We willhave a bit of a breather from the hectic pace of the pasttwo years. However, we will not see the major declinethat traditionally follows strong growth years.

To you and yours, the very best of 2007. Thank youfor your continued readership and comments. ✔

Nizar J. Somji is president and CEOof Jaffer Inc., a management/investment consulting firm; andchairman of the board of MatrikonInc., a company he founded in 1988.

By Nizar J. Somji

Events of 2006shape directions in 2007

II

ETHICScorporate

EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007 5


or small and medium sized businesses—affectionately known as SMEs—marketing isabout building sustainable, profitablerelationships. It’s also about educating the

community on new products, services and options thataffect their quality of life.

SMEs have an advantage that big businesses envy andspend millions of dollars trying to inspire or simulate.They are embedded deep within and trusted by theircommunities and can therefore access and educate them.

This column will speak with up and coming or newbusinesses as they start projecting their voices into thecommunity. Our first profile is of a new company in thehealth and wellness world: Heat 4 Health brings theinfrared warmth of the sunny beaches to Edmontonianswithout the hassle of airport security or the risksassociated with UV.

President Jennifer Murphy began the pursuit ofentrepreneurship a year ago by leaving her corporate jobin search of a franchise that served her belief in naturalhealing. Infrared heat was the way for her.

A WORD ON INFRAREDInfrared heat differs from UV ray heat of tanning salons byoffering the heat of the sun and the vitamin D wenortherners miss, without changing the pigment in theskin. As Jen said, “UV is the ray that tans and infrared isthe heat that grows vegetables.”

Heat 4 Health, operating since May 2006, has twolocations, one on 109th Street near the University ofAlberta and the other in West Edmonton Mall; both are inalready established tanning salons.

When Jen and I met, we reviewed a specific printmarketing piece she has been distributing in and aroundWhyte Avenue. The piece is a very bright, eye pleasing,full colour card extolling the health virtues of infrared heat.Then Jen pointed out to me that the card is actually worth$5 off all packages at Heat 4 Health. A discount on aregular price can serve as an incentive to try a new service.However, Jen had to tell me the promotional piece was a$5-coupon, I had not made the connection. And I had noidea what the $5 was “off”—$5 off $10 is considerablymore attractive than $5 off $100.

Many businesses make the mistake of not looking attheir marketing from the viewpoint of the consumer. As abusiness owner, all of the information is pertinent and itbecomes hard to distinguish what is most important to theconsumer. As a consumer, we only need key informationto become interested enough to ask for more. Once, webecome intrigued, the information from the businessmeans more to us. We’re more likely to use the product orservice because we’ve requested more info.

Based only on this one piece, I made some generalrecommendations to further Heat 4 Health’s quest tospread the word on infrared heat therapy: work with onekey message.

Aside from a visually interesting design, the piece needsto be easy to read and understood by someone who doesnot have the business owner’s understanding of theproduct/service.

What is the purpose of this initiative? To inform? Toinspire? To get traffic through the door? To sellmemberships? Be clear in your own mind and then answerquestion #1. How do I accomplish this with one keythought?

Remember, effective, expressive marketing begins witha clear message whether it is to educate the community ordrive traffic through the door – or both. ✔

Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing andCommunications Inc.

You can submit marketing materials for review; suggestyoung entrepreneurs to be profiled; nominate a Top Three;or ask a business developement question. Please [email protected]

For Young Entreprenuers

Here’s my favourite TOP THREE for the month—be theyassociations, books, events or websites.

Networking, if done right, can be the strength behind anew businesses’ referral strategy. Here are three that comewith great ups.

Canadian Association of Family Entreprise—CAFÉ:A great support and business building opportunity forfamily businesses. Information on the 23-year old nation-wide organization can be found at www.cafenational.org

West End Business Association: I hear business

owners raving about the effect this vibrant west Edmontonassociation has on their referral business and their bottomline. For more information visit www.weba.org

Leduc Nisku Economic Development Association:The drive out to Nisku in the heart of Capital Region’sinfluential international region at 6:00 am is definitelyworth it! It is the only organization I’ve seen to have atleast 150 people attend monthly breakfasts that start at 6:45am. For more information visitwww.internationalregion.com

my spaceE

FFBy Erin Rayner

Jennifer Murphy

TOP THREE

Dear ErinLike many businesses in Edmonton and Albertathese days, I am having a hard time recruiting andretaining the right people. It was hard before, butlately our turn- over has become unbearable andwill soon have a deep impact on our capacity toserve our customers. Can you offer anysuggestions?

LLDear Labour of LoveBased on your e-mail, I would assume you areeither in the hospitality industry or in theconstruction industry… although the currentlabour shortage affects more than these twoindustries. I would ask you a few questions:

Have you ever conducted an exit interview?We spend considerable time and resources to hirethe right people but, when they decide it’s time toleave, it’s important to ask why. In this hotmarket, it could be money or other benefits… or itcould be dissention within the ranks of yourcompany.

Do you conduct annual or bi-annualemployee satisfaction surveys? These arequestionnaires that are anonymously answered bystaff in each department and compiled by a thirdparty. This process enables staff to offer feedbackand insight into why they stay or are consideringleaving, and what motivates them to recommendthe company to others as a good place to work.

I believe in simplicity when it comes tomarketing and communicating with an audience—be it staff, customers or suppliers—and sometimesthe easiest way to find out why people do whatthey do is to ask. Don’t ever underestimate thepower of asking the questions and implementingthe answers.

Phot

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6 EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007

Proof__2________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

t’s a question put to over 50 leaders in a series ofconversations for a new CKUA Radio Networkseries about leading in the 21st Century.

“I heard it described on the weekend,” said TerryWickham, the producer of the Edmonton Folk MusicFestival, “as walking behind the herd of sheep. People don’teven know it, but that is what’s guiding them.”

Elizabeth May, with a nod to tradition, tells a great yarnabout leadership.

“Those are my people and I’m their leader,” the newfederal leader of the Green Party said. “So I must catch upwith them.”

There’s another story going around, no doubt you’veheard it. What’s happened to the leadership in our country?Where are all the leaders? Well… where are they?

Look around: That’s right—you are the leader. The leaderis you.

Preston Manning put it well after the opening of theManning Centre for Building Democracy when he declaredthat Albertans are in a unique position to demonstrateleadership in the country.

We have “complained about not having influence inConfederation for a long time,” Manning said. “But nowthe province has tremendous financial and political assets.The question is: How are you going to use it?”

Before we start telling the rest of the country what to do,we better closely examine what is going on in our ownbackyard in Edmonton, and especially in our neighbour-hoods.

What sets Edmonton apart from the other majormetropolitan city in the province is self-evident to anyonewho lives here. We enjoy a vibrant culture—world-class bysome accounts—and are noted for our strong sense ofcommunity. It is no accident of growth. Over the decades,myriad dedicated people built our neighbourhoods withcare and attention, and a vision that binds our city togetherto this day.

The past 18 months, however, have put extraordinarypressure on the distinctive communities we enjoy withinour city. The explosion of economic growth—likely to be

sustained much longer than the last boom—has come at aprice. Edmonton is changing very, very rapidly… to thepoint where nobody seems to be in charge long enough tochart a direction for the kind of community we have had inmind, let alone want to plan for.

“Leaders have to be able to develop a shared vision,”Eric Newell said in his pleasantly appointed office,surrounded by reminders of the city’s past. Now chancellorof the University of Alberta, the former CEO of Syncrudewas once in a key economic driver’s seat, steering theprovince through a major boom and a bust. Newell knowsthat a carefully expressed vision “engages people…motivates people to be better than something they currentlyare.”

The Alberta Advantage has worked too well. We’reswamped with development. Perhaps it’s time for another“shared vision” for our city and the province—not so muchabout what we don’t want, but rather what we can designfor ourselves.

Harold Nelson is the founder of the Advance DesignInstitute, an international organization based in Seattle. He’salso the co-author of The Design Way, a book thatchallenges the basic assumption that leadership and leadingare mostly about problem solving.

“Design is a big deal,” Nelson said, pointing out thatmost leaders think their primary job is to resolvetroublesome issues brought to their attention. The realproblem, he argues, is that leaders create the conditions toonly discuss problems. “People have a difficult timeactually stating what they desire. And it’s very easy forthem to say what they don’t like, what they don’t want.”

What would happen if opinion polls, for instance, wereframed with questions about what we want in Edmonton—what we desire as Nelson put it—rather than what weobject to?

It is certain true leaders need to engage us with adynamic sense of themselves. But “charismatic leadershipis vastly overrated and fundamentally destructive,” warnedMichael Percy, the Dean of the School of Business at theUniversity of Alberta.

A public policy economist by training, Percy is a veteranof provincial politics. He’s also been inside the minds ofleaders at the federal level—politicians who have left theirmark on the country. While a populist leader with a smartsense of what works at street level can captivate headlineswith sheer charisma, Percy points out that in the long run,“very little will survive, in terms of successors and indepen-dent action behind the charismatic leader.”

Henry Mintzberg, the Cleghorn Chair of ManagementStudies at McGill University in Montreal agrees. Recog-nized worldwide as one of the leading commentators onmanagement, and with many highly-regarded books on thesubject to his credit, he admittedly is weary about the hypearound leadership.

“It’s not this great one riding in on the white horse,”Mintzberg said during a hasty meal between sessionscounseling a visitor, an advisor to the Bush Administration,and later, a roomful of high-profile business leaders.“Despite all this hype about leadership, we’re not getting it.And maybe we’re looking in the wrong place. Maybe weshould be looking for community-ship… looking for peoplewho will take things in their own hands, and take care ofit.”

Community-ship challenges each and everyEdmontonian to take responsibility as leaders.

Leadership comes in many flavours. Whether you’remanaging in the middle, running a small business or a largemultinational—perhaps you’re a volunteer at the localcommunity league or a coach—I will be talking aboutcontemporary leadership, best practices, and leading in the21st Century on Inspiring Leadership, a series of radiodocumentaries beginning January 20th at 8 AM on theCKUA Radio Network. ✔

Don Hill, pictured above left, is a ‘thought leader’ withLeadership Development at the Banff Centre. He is also anaward-winning writer and broadcaster with a largefootprint on the internet. For more details visit:http://ckua.com or http://appropriate-entertainment.com

d Stelmach landed one of the most important positions in Alberta.The interview process was long and arduous. That Steady Eddieeven made it to the shortlist surprised many… that he got the nodfrom the majority of people on the selection committee shocked the

perceived favourites and stunned the media. As premier, Stelmach is the new president of Executive Council which

essentially comprises the senior management team—his vice-presidents—ofthe equivalent of the biggest business in the province. And make no mistakeabout it, government is big business.

Stelmach vaulted into the seat of power amid much debate, heateddiscussion and hand-wringing angst. His every move is analyzed anddissected. His cabinet minister appointments have generated outrage andconcern. The pundits worry that previously unknown backbenchers lack thewherewithal to run this province as it should be… to understand thecomplexities of big cities… to manage economic growth and unprecedentedrevenues.

Stelmach didn’t really have a transition plan developed before he movedinto the east wing of the Legislature Building. Yet, to his credit, he hasreorganized the power structure and downsized government ministries as hesees fit. He has made some surprise appointments. And he has set thepriorities for each government department. He has challenged his caucus toget on board a new band wagon.

What kind of a leader will Ed Stelmach be? Honestly, only time will tell. What is clear is that Ed Stelmach is his own man. ✔

By Barb Deters

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The Stelmach Factor

By Don Hill

What exactly is leadership?

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Preston Manning Henry Mintzberg

Premier Ed Stelmach

7EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007


ndulge us for a moment. Edmonton is the self-described City of Champions—largely from theperspective of our thrilling sports teams. Lastmonth, we won a national award that we all know

belongs here: Cultural Capital of Canada. There’s ourinternational reputation for staging events: We can dothese in our collective sleep. And don’t get us started on theplethora of world-class medical and academic leaders whobuy a one-way ticket to be near their peers in our fair city.

Now take these precepts and apply them to our businessleadership. Yes, we have many fine, home-grown familyenterprises. Edmonton is full of savvy entrepreneurs—butwe can’t seem to sell the message that Alberta’s capitalcity is irresistible when it comes to finding investmentcapital, retaining promising young influencers, andrecruiting corporate headquarters. Our small business startups need attention, too.

So, maybe we don’t want to position ourselves asmultinational Neanderthals. We like our identity asindependent thinkers with a sense of soul. But think againabout the notion of creating a much wider circle for ourChampions of Business in Greater Edmonton. It requires afirm belief that our leaders—and leaders in training—belong in the winners’ circle.

We liked the idea so much that we’re doing somethingabout it. The strategy was ambitious, yet simple: Recruit ateam of executive coaches—recognized for theirexpertise—to inspire, motivate, and help change, ifnecessary, through Edmontonians in print, on-line, and inperson.

We’ve called them The Transformers. They are here tohelp grow your business and stay healthy doing it.

Meet The Transformers and then check out what theyhave to say to and about Premier Ed Stelmach.

Tom BradshawSince graduating from York University’s exclusive MFA(Acting) program in 1992, Tom has worked as an actor,director, voice and speech coach. He spent three years ingovernment, developing and delivering Performing Arts

programming. Encouraged by Dr. Walter Kaasa, Tomcompleted his Licentiate in Voice & Speech Educationfrom Trinity College London, UK., in 2001. In 2002 Tomtook over the voice and speech academy started by Dr.Kaasa in 1982 and became the official representative forTrinity/Guild Hall, the International Certification Board forthe Communication and Performing Arts.

Today Tom works with a growing number of WesternCanadian based companies, business leaders andprofessional speakers helping them to shape and delivertheir messages, while remaining active in performance.

Tom holds membership in two internationalorganizations VASTA, (Voice and Speech TeachersAssociation) USA, and STSD, (Society of Teachers ofSpeech and Drama) UK.

Les BrostLes is a third generation owner/operator of a largesuccessful family ranch in southeastern Alberta. Hispractical approach to problem solving grew out of hisearly years as a rancher.

Les spent 15 years as an elected public school trusteeand was given an honorary life membership of the AlbertaSchool Boards Association. His experience in the publicarena gives him great insight into the demands andchallenges of an elected official. Similarly, three decadesas a volunteer provide him first hand knowledge oforganizational dynamics.

In 2002, Les was selected by Alberta’s Minister ofAgriculture and the Alberta Agriculture and Food Councilto lead the Agrivantage Team and facilitate the agriculturalindustry to a new level of success.

Les is a trainer, facilitator and mediator with clients inthe private sector, government, associations andorganizations. His leadership role in corporate and non-profit boardrooms gives him a unique perspective onproblem solving and building organizational effectiveness.

Steffany HanlenSteffany is an Olympic and world class performance

coach. She graduated from the U of A in physicaleducation with specialties in athletic training andconditioning in 1986. For 16 years she was an NHLskating coach with the Edmonton Oilers and St. LouisBlues, and has worked with players on every NHL team.

With her training in neuro-linguistic programming andsix years of working as a performance excellence coachfor corporate clients, Steffany turned her focus to creativeentrepreneurs, successful inventors, world class athletes,and performers of all types.

During the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turino,Italy, Steffany became the first ever performance coach tobe accreditied by the COC and allowed to accompanyathletes. She joined the Canadian champion ice dancersMarie France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauson in their bid fora medal.

Steffany is committed to bringing out the innerchampion she believes everyone possesses.

Colin WilliamsenColin, president of The Wellness Coaches, Inc., combineshis passion for health and wellness with East-Westphilosophies that embrace the mind and body.

His core business value is that healthy people leadhealthy corporations. Clients include individuals andbusiness leaders who want leading-edge intellectual capitalon energy, strength, focus, and physical movement.

Think… Executive Muscle™. With 13 years experience as a mind-body movement

coach for executives, Colin has spent more than 25years researching and formulating innovative wellnesssolutions. He trained in financial accounting beforefollowing his dream of using a holistic model forachieving optimum mind-body health. His revolutionarystrategies for total health and wellness begin from theinside-out… considered to be unique in North America.

Colin holds two nationally recognized fitnesscertifications, and is a certified neuro-linguisticprogramming (NLP) coach and member ofToastmasters International. ✔

By Barb Deters

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ongratulations Mr. Stelmach. You have enteredthe winners’ circle… been selected “Best inShow” in the PC leadership competition. So, nowwhat? What is your vision for the future of this

province and its people?Vision is the trademark of champions. Champions aspire to

win and have achieved personal or professional goals, within acertain time frame. They are better than others at a time andplace or, in your case, received more votes than your nearestcompetitor.

Your win is the end result of a lifetime of hard work, study,rigorous training and years paying your dues. A similaritybetween world-class sports and big-time politics is thatcompetition and opposition are needed to really win big, togrow and do your best. The difference is that there is a slightbit (emphasis on slight) more politics in politics.

To hold a vision way beyond what you want for yourselftakes what I call “The Champion’s Paradox”. In order for youto win, someone had to lose. This is the conflict that facesevery champion—you know it well. And, you know that eachtime you make a decision or declaration that at least 50 percentof the population will be upset, feel left out or take offence. Ifyou are aware of this off the top, it won’t come as such a bigshock when the boo birds come out, which they will.

If your vision for your life is aligned with the vision youhold for the province, it becomes more motivating to you andyour team than merely mouthing a few tired and over-usedbranding terms. If you envisage how Alberta can play and winat a national and global level, we may finally be able keep the‘Battle of Alberta’ on the ice or football field. Wouldn’t it begreat to channel the energy now spent on one-upmanshipbetween north and south to becoming as great as we can be.

By embracing the big picture, you just might find thateveryone in our fraternal twin cities and rural areas will buy in.People can support a vision that connects and engagesstrengths to make us a major player if they can see what is in itfor them.

People love winners. People galvanize and dedicatethemselves to winners whose vision they share. Choose yourvalues very carefully; they define who you are and theybecome what you present to the world to be judged. Yourperformance, like an athlete’s, will have very obvious andtangible results. Decisions are a required element of yourprogram.

Each decision moves your vision closer to becoming areality. Use your values like signposts to guide you and get you

back on track when you get lost. Your vision is your ultimatedestination—the grand view of what you want for yourself andthe people of this province. Work backward from there and youwill find your to-do list. It will become very obvious whatneeds to happen.

You have a good start toward the vision based on yourvalues of integrity, honesty and teamwork. Let’s take a quicklook at those words.

Integrity is not morality. In politics, as in life, these wordsmistakenly get interchanged. Integrity is being true to yourvalues in all situations; it is based on who you are being whenno one is looking. Morality is up for discussion, integrity is not.

Honesty, Mr. Premier, is truth. But, depending on thesituation, you can be honest without necessarily telling thetruth— the whole truth and nothing but. Be careful with thisone as it opens you up to take shots from all sides. You alwayshave to remember what you have said in order to be consistent.It is easier just to tell the whole truth, than try to figure out theleast damaging spin later.

The role of the opposition—and, apparently, the media—isto point out your inconsistencies. They will keep you on trackwith what you say.

Teamwork is tougher to define: In some sports, we aretaught that there is no ‘I’ in team. In your case, this could notbe further from the truth. You need to be crystal clear with thewho you are (your values), in the what you do (your position).You have to have a very strong ‘I’ to be a leader of any team.

These words— integrity, honesty and teamwork—inspiredpeople to vote for who you were being, not what you said orhow your said it.

The PCs voted for something beyond your personality oryour decision not to point out the weaknesses and flaws of theother candidates. You took the high road and, in this case, “thegood guy won.” It also means that you will also be underscrutiny when it is perceived that you are not focusing on thosevalues.

Creating a vision for your leadership is important. Creating avision for your life is crucial.

As we say in Alberta: Stick to your guns… stay true to yourvalues… share your vision. Remember that you can’t please allof the people all of the time.

Walk the talk—everything you say and do will be tested. ✔

Steffany Hanlen is a personal performance coach whoconducts “The Champion Seminars.”Contact [email protected]

By Steffany Hanlen

CCUse your values like signposts

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Conflict is inevitableBy Les Brost

or you, Ed Stelmach, I have good news and badnews. The good news is that you have embarkedon a new and exciting journey as the Premier ofAlberta. The bad news is that you have won the

toughest conflict-management job in the province.You possess outstanding interpersonal skills and are

perveived to be an honourable and trustworthy man. That’sgood news. The bad news is that you will need all thosesskills... you will need to draw deeply from that pool ofpublic trust and goodwill you have created to effectivelymanage the conflicts that come with the premiership.

Your experience in municipal and provincial politics, andin real life—as a farmer, father and husband—has taughtyou that conflict is inevitable. But, is it really necessary?Shouldn’t there be a collective sigh of relief wheneveryone—caucus, staff or family—is “on the same page”?The answer is “yes”... and “no”.

Yes, you are right to feel relieved if you all share thesame values. The “no” comes when the focus shifts fromvalues to action, and when differing ideas emerge ondeveloping action strategies.

It all starts with your values. You are now the leader ofyour party, and it is essential that the members of your teamunderstand your personal values. They, too, have to be “onthe same page.”

What are your values? Take a quiet moment to sit downwith a piece of paper and list the core values that guide EdStelmach, Premier of Alberta, farmer, family man andhuman being. Review and prioritize them. Which are the“rocks” that you hold to most fiercely? Which are furtherdown the list and open to compromise?

Now share that list with Mrs. Stelmach. Ask for herperception of the values assessment that you have justcompleted. Is this what she sees? Use her observations tofine-tune the list.

Next, discuss your core values—minus the prioriti-zation—in separate meetings with your cabinet and caucus.

Both groups must clearly understand and support the valuesthat you bring to the Premier’s Office. Use the discussionsto develop a common understanding that will guide yourgovernment. Talk about the potential consequences forindividuals whose actions are inconsistent with thosevalues. This is tough work—but crucial for success inturning values into action. Creating this dynamic is whereconflict becomes a necessity.

Conflict at this level is to progress as yeast is to wine. Ifyou have 20 people around the table all saying exactly thesame thing, you have 19 people too many at the meeting.Having everyone “on the same page” in this stage oftenmeans that no one is reading the rest of the book. Take theadvice of Mao Zedong and “Let a hundred flowers bloom.”

How will you harness the different opinions of your teamin cabinet and caucus? This is where your interpersonalskills will serve you well. Your key tool will be yourexcellent listening skills. Ensure that everyone is heard andrespected—particularly the dissenting voice. That dissentingvoice has value and must be understood. Use probingquestions to find answers to important questions: What isdriving the dissent? Are core values or interests actuallybeing threatened?

Using that information, think about these key questions:How can the competing interests be reconciled? How mightyou resolve the situation? Are you prepared to sacrifice timeto reach agreement? At what point do you use your poweras premier to end disagreement?

For a premier, managing conflict in government can be afull-time job. The good news is that you can delegate yourpower to manage discord. The bad news is that you will beheld accountable for the actions of those exercising poweron your behalf. One of the key issues in the PC leadershiprace was the unhappiness of many party members with theoperating style of those who exercised power on behalf ofPremier Klein. Make your values and standards crystal-clear to those acting on your behalf, and hold them directly

accountable for their actions. Let them know that youexpect them to resolve conflict by listening to understand,to always treat others with respect, and to go the extra mileto find common ground.

Yes, you are setting out on a unique journey. Along theway, you will find bad roads and hard traveling. Your criticswill savage your mistakes, and the spinmasters andfartcatchers will slather on the smarm. The gritty reality ofpolitics will make it hard for you to stay centred on yourcore values. That’s the bad news.

The best news is that Albertans are ready for a new styleof leadership... for a leader who listens and who respectsthose who “read from the different pages.” We are notlooking for another “king”, or someone who is “one of theboys”. We are looking for a steady, honest leader who willbring out the best this province has to offer. That sounds alot like you, Ed Stelmach. Happy trails and enjoy yourjourney! ✔

Les Brost is head of Southern Star Communications.Contact: [email protected]

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oday’s executives are dealing with higherlevels of stress than ever before, thanks inlarge part to the current booming businessclimate in which they spend their days. They

are under a lot of pressure and have to respond quickly tolightning-like change to position their businesses tomaximize current and future prosperity.

As the new premier of Alberta, Ed Stelmachfaces similar challenges—albeit the stakes areconsiderably higher... the scrutiny of hisperformance more public... the scope moredaunting.

Successful executives realize that time is

not the key issue—it is having adequate energy to maintaina competitve advantage.

Where does energy come from? From a cellularperspective, at birth you are given one mitochondria(pronounced mit-o-con-drea) per cell which is where 90percent of your cellular energy is produced in the form ofATP—Adenosine Triphosphate. Think of each

mitochondria as an Energizer Bunny—the powerhouseof each and ever cell in your entire body.

The fascinating aspect of our cells—all 75 to100 trillion of them—is that they can replicateand maintain up to 1,000 mitochondria percell...that’s 1,000 energiner bunnies

throughout our life. The way to create moreenergy, or increase the amount of

powerhouses in each of our cells, is toincrease their workload by forcing

them to do more work than they arenormally used to. This can beachieved by incresing the amountof intensity and duration of anytype of physical movement thatyou are currently perfoming inyour life. Try pilates, yoga, alltypes ofcardiovascular

conditioning, orresistance/weight

bearing activities.You can alsoincrease the amount of

oxygen or cellularrepiration by doing

deep diaphragmaticbreathing (belly

breathing) whichincreases the amountof oxygen by 700

percent in eachof our cells as

compared to shallow breathing. Imagine a balloon in yourstomach: As you inhale throug your nose, you inflate theballoon; as you exhale through your mouth, you deflate it.

Another key factor in producing and maintaining a highlevel of cellular energy is proper hydration which plays avital role in the production of your body’s electricalenergy. Minerals from a well-balanced nutritional planand electrolyte supplements when required can providethe electrical sparks, while water creates the perfectenvironment to conduct the electrical energy throughoutthe entire body.

Optimal water intake varies widely, and yourrequirements can be far different one day to the next aswell as each season to the next. It is recommended thatyour minimum daily intake be at least 11.5 cups: That’s5.5 for the kidneys, two for the lungs, two for skin, 1.5for the breath, and .5 for the intestines. Your daily intakewill be decreased if you eat water rich fruits, vegetablesand sprouted foods. Daily needs will be increased byphysical activity, eating more meat, eggs or salty foods,as well as a fever, heat or excessive conditions, includingdry, hot or windy climates. The most important principleis to listen to your own body, and drink when you’re

thirsty. When water is used to re-hydrate or cool the body,

it is best taken 30 minutes prior to or 60 minutesafter meals. If large amounts are taken withmeals, the digestive enzymes and secretions are

diluted, resulting in the nutrients from thefood not being effectively extracted. If

you drink water with meals, it needsto be a few ounces of warm water inthe form of soup or herbal tea at theend of the meal.

Too much water can causesensations of coldness, and can also

weaken digestion and the energy of thewhole body. This is supported by Chinesehealing traditions which state an excess ofwater depletes the “digestive fire” of thespleen and pancreas, and hinders the ability

of your kidneys and adrenals to providewarmth and energy.

In her presentations, I have heard mental performancecoach Steffany Hanlen say, “Champions have no comfortzone.” Take that to heart, Premier Stelmach. Maintainingyour energy levels is probably more important now thanat any other time in your life. You will need to fuel yourinternal powerhouses to keep going… and going… andgoing. ✔

Colin Williamsen is the president of The Wellness CoachesInc. Contact: [email protected]

uring the recent Tory leadership race, I hadan opportunity to see some of the innerworkings of the political process whileproviding some basic advice in effective

speech communication. In early October, I attended anall-candidates forum hosted by the Alberta UrbanMunicipalities Association, observing the contenders inaction as they tried to drum up support at its convention.

I wasn’t there to judge the candidates on theirpolitical platforms, but to assess their abilities asspeakers and communicators and their impact on theaudience. One of the characteristics of leaders is theirability to move others through oratory. Let’s call it, “thegift of gab.” With the results still leaving manyAlbertans scratching their heads, my notes from thatnight gathered some interesting insights.

First the set-up. Each candidate—at that time, therewere nine—had five minutes to impress members of theAUMA. At the end of the evening, here’s how I hadranked the speakers’ abilities to positively impact theaudience: Dinning, Stelmach, McPherson, Hancock,Oberg, Morton, Norris, Doerksen, and Delong.

These are my comments on the performance of threewho squared off in the final round:

★★★ Jim Dinning—is an accomplished and well-rehearsed speaker. His speaking style encompasses awide variety in pace and tone. This makes it very easyfor the listener to focus on the speaker and the state-ments he makes. He also uses volume very effectivelyto build a sense of urgency and momentum.

While Mr. Dinning’s speech was well done, it shouldbe stated that he said very little and made no substantialguarantees. Overall, he was very well accepted by theaudience and came off as strong “leadership material.”

Mr. Dinning also remained focused during the entireevening. While others had the podium, he observedthem and, in many cases, drew focus from the speaker.

★★ Ed Stelmach—began his presentation ratherquickly, but he soon slowed to a very reasonable pace.This drew the audience in and allowed them to focus onthe finer points of his address. He also paused aftermaking key points, giving the audience time to evaluateand agree with much of what was being said.

I would be surprised if Mr. Stelmach has notpreviously received some training in speaking. He doeshave a slight tendency toward nasality which can reducehis positive appeal somewhat. He should also consider amoderation of volume or pace when delivering a list tobuild enthusiasm. I would also caution him againstleaning too much on the podium as this can make himlook unstable and unsure.

Overall, Mr. Stelmach made his points successfullyand was able to get a great deal of the audience on hisside.

★ Ted Morton—did a good job at speaking on theneeds of the audience. He also displayed a good senseof humour. However, his strong nasality made itdifficult for the audience to maintain focus. He alsoresorted to a number of stock statements, stating theobvious. Mr. Morton did, however, connect well withthe audience.

All great leaders are accomplished orators. RonaldReagan became known as a great communicator for hisability to sway the populace. The approval rating ofGeorge W. Bush continues to decline and his inability toexpress himself is the fodder of late night talk showhosts.

Will Premier Stelmach become the next greatcommunicator? Well, he has certainly made a lot ofpeople stop and start listening. ✔

Tom Bradshaw is the head of the Academy of Voice &Speech. Contact: [email protected]

By Colin Williamsen

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The bunnies within...

Gift of the gabBy Tom Bradshaw

Photos by Terry Bourque

Colin Williamsen



y father enjoyed a 40-yearcareer with AlbertaGovernment Telephones, firstin Calgary and later in

Edmonton. Years ago, he told me that everyhuman bodily function has been performed,with alarming regularity, in phone booths. IfDad were alive today, he’d have trouble findinga phone booth in either city. He would,however, approve of Calgary’s attempts to limitthe amount of revolting behaviour perpetratedin other public places.

Calgary’s city council recently enacted aPublic Behaviour bylaw that they hope will“regulate problematic social behaviours thatmay have a negative impact on the enjoymentof public places”. These target behavioursrange from the juvenile—standing or puttingyour feet on a table, bench, planter orsculpture—to the downright disgusting—spitting, urinating or defecating in public.

Loitering, fighting, and possession of avisible weapon will also be punished, withfines for all these nasty acts ranging from $50to $300.

Edmonton’s Public Places bylaw is a tadfeeble. Our fair city’s biggest concerns seemto be to regulate littering, throwing rocks orsnowballs, fighting, or depositing dangeroussubstances in public places—although theymight nail public spewers with that one. Wetend to overlook the really gross actions ofour fellow Edmontonians, and limit publiccensure to folks who don’t pick up after theirpets.

I’ve been walking a lot more since Imoved to Calgary and, while I have yet tosee a difference in the hygiene of thesidewalks, it’s encouraging to think thatsomewhere on the streets of this metropolis,a public spitter is being handed a ticket.

Spit does not have to happen. ✔

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

Edmontonian Edmontonian IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondson

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MAKINGmoney

enry Kissinger, America’s Secretary of Stateduring the Nixon era, predicted that theworld was going to become a much moredangerous place in the future. In the 1970s

and 80s, the U.S. was locked in an arms race with theSoviet Union. That was scary enough, as each side hadsufficient weapons of mass destruction to vaporizeevery human on the face of the Earth 100 times over,but at least in the Cold War world you knew who yourenemy was. In that neat little bi-polar world, mostcountries stacked up pretty neatly as either pro-westernor pro-communist. The superpowers talked tough butthey played by, what we would consider today,gentlemen’s rules. They only conducted theirskirmishes with one another in far away Third Worldcountries, they knew how many weapons each side hadpointing at one another and, if things got out of hand,they had hotlines installed so they could call each otherand defuse things.

THE WORLD IS BECOMING A COMPLICATED PLACEKissinger said that we would move from a bi-polarworld, where only two superpowers called the shotsand everybody played by their rules, to a multi-polarone. In this new age, the balance of global power, andthus the threats that would have to be dealt with, wouldbe split among many, many players. He predicted thatin a multi-polar world, it would be much more difficultto maintain peace because of all of the conflictingagendas.

In that kind of world, neither the U.S. nor Russiawould wield a big enough hammer to stop conflicts.Today, we have pretty much reached that point. Russiais virtually bankrupt and doesn’t have the ability toproject its political power much beyond its borders.Uncle Sam’s resources are stretched to the breakingpoint in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if they weren’t, theAmerican voter is in no mood to get sucked intoanother military conflict. In the political vacuum thathas ensued, countries like Iran, North Korea and Sudanhave been left virtually unchecked to pursue their ownagendas.

The only two powers besides the U.S. that couldexert some influence on the world stage are Europe andChina. Europe is a toothless tiger that has never had the

will to solve its own internal problems without outsideintervention, let alone tackle anyone else’s. China hasso much domestic corruption that it maintains a policyof not dealing in other country’s internal affairs for fearof bringing attention back on itself.

A NEW ARMS RACEThe global commodities boom is largely responsible forpushing the world into becoming multi-polar. Countriesand political groups that were aggressive in the pasttypically didn’t have the financial resources to back uptheir rhetoric. Sixty-dollar-a-barrel oil, $14-a-poundnickel and $3-a-pound copper have given some of theworld’s most morally bankrupt regimes a financiallifeline. Now they have the military muscle to not onlyput down armed rebellion in their own countries but tospread their style of government and philosophiesbeyond their borders.

According to figures released by the StockholmPeace Research Institute, global military spending hasgrown by 25 percent since 2001. Total militaryexpenditures exceeded $1 trillion last year. This worksout to 2.5 percent of the world’s gross national productor $173 per person.

The arms race is predicted to accelerate even morerapidly over the next few years unless global diplomacyhas an unexpected triumph. North Korea’s surpriseunderground test of a nuclear device is causing Japan,South Korea and even Taiwan to re-examine theirnuclear options. With China, Russia, and now NorthKorea posing a nuclear threat to the region, you can betthat none of the neighbouring democracies will allowthemselves to be bullied.

Central Asia, India, Pakistan and Israel have seriousnuclear capabilities. Iran is well on its way to joiningthat club and is scaring others into consideringdevelopment of their own deterrents. When thepresident of Iran talks about spreading jihad, countrieslike Egypt and Saudi Arabia know he is not just aiminghis threats at western powers.

Developing nuclear weapons is hideously expensive,but so is outfitting a modern army. Gone are the dayswhere you give a soldier a backpack, a Kalashnikovand a few rounds of ammunition before sending himout to fight. High tech weapons, electronic surveillancesystems, vaccines for biological and chemical weapons,

modern planes, ships and vehicles make supplying themodern soldier a very costly affair.

Terrorism has also changed the composition ofdefense spending. Before 9/11, homeland security wasbasically a customs official at the border checking yourpassport and making sure that you paid duty on goodsbought outside the country. Today, security at borders,ports, power plants, nuclear reactors, manufacturingfacilities, and water treatment plants has been beefedup considerably.

INVESTORS CAN PROFITThe arms race is back and unfortunately a great deal ofmoney is going to be made supplying the huge globaldemand for all things military. Whether an investorwishes to participate is a personal issue, but for thosewho want to profit from this trend there are someamazing opportunities. In traditional providers ofmilitary hardware like planes, ships and tanks, youhave companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman,Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics among the bigglobal players. Electronics and high tech should also bebig winners. Names to watch include BAE Systems,Raytheon and CAE. Even security firms like Canada’sGarda World Security should profit as a result of morepolitical pressure to beef up domestic safety. TheDepartment of Homeland Security in the U.S. is askingfor $58.3 billion dollars to fund its 2007 budget, andapproximately $20 billion of that is going to newinitiatives to secure its borders.

When global military spending broke $1 trillion lastyear, it became one of the world’s largest businesses.With tensions increasing globally, there is very littlereason to think that it isn’t about to get much, muchbigger. ✔

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

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The Arms RaceThere’s money to be made, but...

By Ron Hiebert



When I popped by the AlbertaResearch Council just before Christmasto interview John McDougall, I couldn’thelp but notice the big grin on his face. Sowe talked about that for a moment—twoevents gave rise to the extra bright sparklein his eyes.

One was his recent presentation at the100th anniversary of the Canadian Clubof Edmonton. “I haven’t been so excitedabout a talk in a very long time,” Johnconfided.

Titled Hindsight—The Key to EffectiveForesight, it was an opportunity for Johnto review Alberta’s history and give someinsights into where he sees us heading inthe future. And who better to speak to thisthan the president and CEO of ARC…

and great-grandson of fur trader John A.McDougall, a man who played a pivotalrole in the settling and development of thewest and Edmonton, in particular.

Here are two points worth highlightingfrom his talk because they so clearlydemonstrate what underlies John’s visionfor innovation.

• The future sustainability of Alberta andCanada is tightly linked to the ability ofits companies to develop and deploytechnology. Technology helps compa-nies remain globally competitive. Itmitigates the environmental and socialimpacts of industrial development. Itenables companies to grow, to generateexports and to provide well-payingmeaningful jobs. And this generates thewealth that supports a high quality oflife.

• The ARC is Canada’s oldest, largestand most successful research andtechnology organization (RTO) andplays a unique role in Alberta’sinnovation system. We focus on beingthe best in Canada in developing anddemonstrating leading edge technologyfor deployment through companies andother organizations. We do this in thepublic interest by effectively combininga businesslike approach with our socialand environmental agenda.

John finished his talk with a glimpse atwhere we could be in 2050. He foreseesAlberta’s population hitting five million,further stressing basic services. It will be atime when wastewater and solid wasteproduction will double… when demandfor electricity will triple, and nuclearreactors will be built to tap uraniumsupplies in the northeast. What are wedoing now to prepare for the social,economic and technological challenges?

What are we doing now to avert potentialdisasters?

That leads to the second reason for thatextra big grin on John’s face: Inno-ventures Canada, or I-CAN.

During the past year, he has workedhard to bring together a consortium ofresearch organizations from across thecountry. The founding members includethe Alberta Research Council, Saskat-chewan Research Council, ManitobaIndustrial Technology Centre, and TheCentre for Industrial Research inQuebec. John is president and foundingchair of this new federally incorporatedcompany.

Under the umbrella of I-CAN, saysJohn, “It basically gives us one seamlessnational brand and the capability to helppeople commercialize technology.”

Like many others, he is concerned aboutthe vacuum that exists between researchand full commercialization, that middlespace where Canada is so weak. “We’rebasically exporting value-added opportu-nities in science and technologyelsewhere. We’re exporting ‘technologylogs,’ to use a forestry analogy, rather thanputting value into them and making sureCanada gains the benefit of all thatactivity.”

So now, when innovators and compa-nies go looking for someone to help themwith the development and commercializ-ation of new products and technologies,they can go to I-CAN and gain thesynergistic expertise that comes from allthe member organizations.

One of the first I-CAN projects, to beannounced later this month, is a hugeendeavour to harness carbon dioxide andput it to work. While I am sworn tosecrecy until then about what it entails, Ican tell you it catapults into stardom the

lowliest of organisms to solve one of thebiggest environmental problems our worldfaces.

This plays very well into John’s visionfor 2050, when the commercialization ofR&D we invest in today lays the foun-dation for the new bio-economy—theengine of our future sustainability. JohnMcDougall’s future paradigm hinges onthe implementation of four concepts:Agriplex, Zero Emissions City, IntegratedCO2 Biology, and Fibre Refinery.Essentially, we take another look at whatwe are doing on the land… use all theparts from our crops and forests toproduce materials, chemicals, and fuels…and look at carbon dioxide as a resource,not a waste product.

I-CAN. Can do.

Another example of poolingresources to create something biggerthan the sum of its parts is the newIngenuity Enterprise program.Announced just before Christmas withan official launch scheduled for some-time in February, the program is acollaboration between AlbertaIngenuity, TEC Edmonton andUniversity Technologies Internationalin Calgary.

Alberta Ingenuity is contributing $3.2million over the next three years.According to Dr. Peter Hackett,

INTELINTELcience &Tech

with Cheryl CroucherSBizBiz

TORONTO – It’s cartoony, clearand cool. And it is finally ready.At the end of November, Microsoftofficially launched its new operatingsystem called Windows Vista, to thebusiness community. All flavours ofVista, such as the Home version, will bewidely available by the end of thismonth.

The official launch itself wasdifferent. It is a rare occurrence forcorporations to, as MicrosoftCorporation did, simultaneously releasea new operating system and a newversion of Office. It is extremely rare ifthe company ships a new version of akey plank in its backend platform aswell. Still, that was precisely whathappened as the Redmond giantannounced Microsoft Exchange Server2007 and Office 2007 at the same timeas Windows Vista.

Naturally, Microsoft wants us to buyall three and is pitching a softer“people-ready” angle that focuses onsimplifying how users work together;improved search functions, strongersecurity and better managed content.

Windows Vista—in versions such asEnterprise; Ultimate; Home, HomePremium, and Business—has plenty ofnew features in addition to the slick

looking, modern new interface. Despitethe colourful looks, it really is muchmore functional.

For example, the operating systemoptimizes file transfers by analyzingnetwork availability, and adjusts datatransfers to receive more or less data forfaster transfers over networks. TheWindows Imaging (WIM) format—ahardware-agnostic image file format—gives companies a ghost-like format toallow multiple images to be stored inone file. This means administrators cannow set up new computers on thenetwork in a hurry. Windows Vistapersonal firewall and Windows ServiceHardening are other new tools thatprevent critical Windows services frombeing used for abnormal activity.

New search capabilities help usersfind emails, applications, configurationsettings or documents anywhere on theircomputers or attached network drivesmuch faster than the simple Explorersearch. Vista ships with a premadesearch folder, called Recently Changed,which displays recently modified files.

Ever have a hardware crash in XP?Sure you have. Now Vista’s new DDM(Windows Display Driver Model) runsoutside of kernel mode; meaningincorrect display driver failures aren’t aslikely to bring down the entire system.The system also ships with built-inspyware detection software (WindowsDefender) and a new firewall that filtersoutgoing traffic and incoming traffic. In

addition, it has built-in support forspeech recognition and handles user/administrative rights far better than XP,where junior systems administratorssimply handed out system administratorrights to all users.

I also liked the Vista diagnostic calledReliability and Performance Monitor. Itdisplays a summary of the load on amachine’s processor, memory, disk andnetworking systems, and lets you drilldown for more details.

For mobile users, Vista also nowincludes a new control dialog, called theMobility Center, which collectsconfiguration options related to TabletPC or notebook PC use, such as battery,Wi-Fi radio and file synchronizationcontrols into one area. With this, userscan configure wireless connections, setbrightness controls, and specify power-saving options, all from one location.The Sync Center provides a single placeto control data synchronization: betweenPCs and servers and/or devices. A newcollaboration feature called WindowsMeeting Space enables peer-to-peervirtual meetings among as many as 10users, on or off the corporate network.

Windows Vista comes in 32-bit and64-bit versions. For the 32-bit release,you will need an x86 processors of800MHz or better. The 64-bit version(which can also run the 32-but version)can run on Advanced Micro Devices’Athlon 64 and Opteron and Intel’sEM64T processors.

By the way, testing of Vista andrelated applications was extensive asbeta users of Windows, Office andExchange Server 2007 downloadedmore than five million beta versions ofthe three products.

So. Should you rush out and get acopy of Vista once it is available? Sure,but you probably won’t. My guess ismost people won’t buy Vista until theyget a new PC. At the same time, theywill pick up a copy of Microsoft Office2007 Basic (Word, Outlook and Excel)with OEMs probably included on themachine for at least a 90 day version.Most system administrators won’tdeploy Vista until Vista Service Pack 1is released; sometime in the second halfof 2007, or about the same time asMicrosoft’s Longhorn Server is slated toship.

Before you do anything, check out thevarious Vista-related websites and makesure your personal computer canactually handle the upgrade; especiallyrelating to a good graphics/video card.Visit the home page atwww.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx ✔

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

izIT 101with Greg MichettiB

John McDougall

Dr. Peter Hackett



Print and electronic media across theprovince have once again heralded the birth ofNew Year’s babies in their respective commu-nities. Proud and happy parents are ecstatic in theknowledge that their offspring, plus all others bornin this incredible province and land, or those whocome here from abroad, can truly becomewhatever they desire.

A case in point is Giuliano Zaccardelli, 58,who came to Canada from his native Italy when hewas only seven, and rose through the ranks tobecome Commissioner of the RCMP. ButZaccardelli blew his 30-year career out thewindow when he resigned last month. The reason:confusing and contradictory statements given tothe parliamentary committee on public safety,regarding the force’s tragic mishandling ofCanadian Maher Arar—erroneously labeled aterrorist and deported to Syria where he wasimprisoned and tortured.

Compare that utter stupidity to Ed Stelmach ofAndrew, 55, grandson of a Ukrainian homesteader,who is heading into his first full year as Alberta’s 13thPremier, and whose remarkable lifestyle is one weshould all try to emulate. Let me tell you why:

Edward Michael Stelmach never learned tospeak English until he started Grade 1 in Andrew.He sold Fuller brushes while attending highschool, dug wells in the summer, and worked atWoodward’s while studying law at the U of A. Buthe gave up his aspirations to become a lawyerwhen his older brother died. Ed returned to helphis father on the farm.

Ed and Marie bought that farm, raised fourchildren and, at a time when cattle and hog priceswere abysmal, went into mammoth debt as interestrates hit 24 percent.

Ever cognizant of community commitment, Edserved as Reeve of Lamont County for five years, andon the school, hospital and health boards. He becamean MLA in 1993, and Premier Ralph Kleinimmediately saw greatness in the then 42-year-old.

That’s why Ed was appointed chairman of theAlberta Agriculture Research Institute, TreasuryBoard member, Government Whip, Agenda andPriorities Committee member; and then, CabinetMinister for Agriculture, Infrastructure,Transportation, and International & Intergovern-mental Affairs.

Was there any other leadership candidate whocame close to matching those qualifications? Nonewhatsoever! Is it any wonder, then, that RalphKlein admitted he wasn’t the least bit surprisedwhen Ed Stelmach was elected party leader andpremier. And why Ralph voted for Ed, along with77,576 other Albertans, including former DeputyPrime Minister Don Mazankowski, CabinetMinister Iris Evans, businessmen John Chomiak,Barry Gogal and Harry Hole, among others.

By the way, I almost forgot to mention PremierStelmach’s other attribute: thick skin. He’s alreadyforgotten the barbs from columnists, editorialwriters and open line hosts who said he didn’thave a hope in hell… was too dull… had nocharisma or imagination. The same holds true forthose 38 Conservative MLAs who badly scrapedtheir knees jumping off the Dinning and Mortonband wagons… to climb aboard the one for SteadyEddie.

As for the future, the general public has alreadyforgotten about ex-RCMP Commissioner GuilianoZaccardelli. Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach, on the otherhand, will be well thought of for manyyears to come. ✔

Bruce Hogle is the former newsdirector at CFRN TV and recentlyretired head of the Alberta PressCouncil. Contact [email protected]

edia Minutewith Bruce HogleM

Ingenuity’s president and CEO, this will strengthenthe efforts of TEC Edmonton and UTI to cultivatestudent entrepreneurs at the U of A and U of C.

The funding will support five programs which willbe delivered by TEC Edmonton, UTI, and acornucopia of partners: the U of A School of Businessand Centre for Entrepreneurship and FamilyEnterprise, THECIS, and the U of C HaskayneSchool of Business, among others.

These include executive-in-residence programs; astudent entrepreneur development program whichmatches MBA students with mentors and internshipsto capitalize on technology-based opportunities; astudent technology business plan program; enterpriseoutreach activities; and graduate innovation studiesfocused on the technology commercialization process.

As so many have noted, it’s not enough to come upwith good ideas. Canada has to work harder to getthose innovations into the marketplace to help growour economic wealth. So researchers have to also startthinking about business along with their science.

For Paul Cataford, president and CEO of UTI, theobjective is to give birth to and nurture many morenew start-up companies. “In order to grow ourinnovation system to the point of self-sustainability,we need to develop out management base and buildstronger linkages to the research base. The creation ofIngenuity Enterprise will help us get there muchsooner.”

As Dr. David Cox, president and CEO of TECEdmonton, states, “This funding allows us tocoordinate Alberta-wide services from the two majorhubs to help university and college students and otherregional innovators capitalize on entrepreneurial talentand a wealth of regional opportunities.” ✔

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 Contact: [email protected]

By the time this column appears, Alberta’snew Premier Ed Stelmach will have settled into thejob; we’ll have a new cabinet, and we’ll likelyknow where 2007 will take us, provincially at least.But as this is being written, there are more than afew doubts, particularly amongst Calgarians, aboutwhere Stelmach and his government will take them.For most of us north of Red Deer, his election asPC leader and premier brought about an audiblesigh of relief, eliminating the threat of a sharpswing to the right at the hands of an ex-Universityof Calgary professor who called Edmonton the“capital of northern Alberta,” and the man whoreally did personify corporate Calgary, JimDinning.

What surprised many of us amateur politicalobservers, in discussions following Stelmach’svictory, was the outrageous sense of self-entitlement that emanated from the Calgarybusiness community. Edmonton Journal columnistGraham Thompson perhaps captured it best whenhe wrote about the first media conference thatStelmach held after being elected:

Their angst was reflected in one Calgarynewspaper’s headline on Monday morning: “Justsay ‘no’ to Calgary — Conservatives voteanything-but-cowtown.”With that in mind, one Calgary reporter askedStelmach: “Will things change for Calgary?”The question baffled Stelmach who respondedwith his own: “In which way?”“In the government’s emphasis,” said thereporter. Stelmach still looked puzzled and thenresponded with a line that drew laughs from theroom and stopped the reporter cold: “Was therean emphasis on Calgary?”How was the reporter supposed to answer? If heanswered “yes,” he’d be saying Calgary unfairlyhad too much political power under CalgarianRalph Klein — an admission that maybe it is timefor a rebalancing act.If the reporter said “no,” he’d be undermininghis own original question.It was a clever comeback for Stelmach, a flash ofthe wit and intelligence that his supporters say isthere if you just take the time to look.

How many years could we in Edmonton have said

that after an election, but just bit our tonguesinstead? The fact is that Peter Lougheed startedthe trend, but Ralph Klein perfected it: creatingtwo capitals in Alberta, and Klein’s preferred onewas Calgary. He made it possible for business andgovernment to do business with the Albertagovernment without ever having to come to theCapital. Premier Stelmach can be expected to domuch more government business in Edmonton. It’snot so much payback time as it is a “repatriation”of the province’s capital to Edmonton, where itbelongs. It’s a welcome change.

Speaking of Calgary, those of us who listento CBC Radio—and there are more than a few ofus—will have noted that CBC Radio One inCalgary can now be heard on both AM and themuch clearer FM frequencies. Earlier, the Corp.announced that Radio One in both Edmonton andCalgary would be made available on the FM bandas well as the existing AM one before the end of2006. Well, that happened in Calgary in lateNovember, accompanied by annoying (to me atleast) province-wide promos with the tag-line“Completely Calgary” (which tends to reinforce thenotion that CBC really does stand for “CalgaryBroadcasting Corporation”). But nothing wasforthcoming about Edmonton’s Radio One FMavailability. Not to blame the CBC people locally;they are controlled in these matters by powersbeyond our city boundaries, in both Calgary andToronto. So I recently e-mailed CBC Edmontonasking when we might also get the Radio Oneupgrade. I received a prompt reply from the CBCEdmonton communications department telling methat the launch is scheduled for early March 2007.Better late than never, but always, it seems, behindCalgary.

If Premier Stelmach and his governmentneed to justify increases in funding for the arts,they need look no further than a new studypublished by the Edmonton Economic DevelopmentCorporation (EEDC) and the Edmonton ArtsCouncil (EAC). The study, the third producedjointly by EEDC and EAC, demonstrates the ever-growing impact arts and culture organizations haveon the regional economy, not to mention quality oflife. The study surveyed 126 cultural organizationsin the metro Edmonton region, an amazing numberin itself, which provided information on their

operations and attendance during the 2005 season.Among other things, survey found that theseorganizations spent $44.7 million on goods andservices. Combined with regional visitorexpenditures of $79.1 million, these groupscontributed an estimated $123.7 million to theGreater Edmonton GDP in 2005.

Thanks in large part to an increase in annualfunding from the City of Edmonton, via theEdmonton Arts Council, from $1,653,000 in 1999to $2,766,000 in 2005, arts and culturalorganizations in Edmonton increased from 100 to126; combined attendance at their events grew from2.7 million to 3.9 million; and City of Edmontontax revenue increased from just under $5 million to$6.34 million.

Aside from the return on investment that theCity’s wise support provides, the survey offersproof that metro Edmonton is in fact a significanthome for the arts and culture in Canada. A balancedand vibrant city, in both good and bad economictimes, includes a thriving arts sector, one thatbrings together the arts, business, government andeducational institutions in a healthy, supportivemilieu. We’re fortunate to be in that situation here.

A copy of the full study is available atwww.edmontonarts.ab.ca/economicimpactarts05.pdf

A few quick words on Connect2Edmonton—C2E—where many of the discussion topics focus onwhat people want to see in Edmonton, realizable or not,demonstrating that indeed many people care deeplyabout this city. One contributor recently posted somerenderings of what the downtown skyline might looklike if new towers were built. While almost literally aflight of fancy, they’re impressive and do show thetransformation brought about by architecturallysignificant structures. There isn’t room to show themhere, but they’re definitely worth a look… under theForum topic Buildings and Architecture; subject: Top 5lots downtown to Redevelop/Build on:www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1525

To all Edmontonians readers, bestwishes for a healthy, prosperous andvibrant 2007 in an equally prosperousand vibrant Edmonton. ✔

David Norwood is a freelancewriter/editor. [email protected]

ivic Buzzwith David NorwoodC



t’s January. Holiday ornaments have beendutifully packed and stored. You haverecovered from the New Year’s festivities…breaking a couple of resolutions on the way.

The winter season stretches eternally before you. Theweather is stormy, cold and just plain miserable. Thedays are short. You wake in darkness and come homein darkness. It is a dismal time of the year. I refer to itas the January Blah, Blah, Blahs.

Instead of sitting around home, waiting for January tocome to an end, consider taking some evening coursesthat will create a diversion from the cold and snowoutside and enhance your home and lifestyle inside. Ihave done some creative investigating and sourced afew unique courses that are offered in the CapitalRegion.

METRO CONTINUING EDUCATIONwww.metrocontinuingeducation.caBlacksmithing 1 & 2

Get ready to get your hands dirty at abona-fide forge as you pound your waythrough learning the fundamental skillscommon to blacksmithing. Use you newfound talent to craft a custom doorknocker and be the talk of the block.

Welding Strap on the goggles and lace up yoursteel-toed boots and register for awelding course. Learn the basic skills aswell as theory and safety issues. Practicebrazing and cutting, and torch up aunique candle sconce.

Wrought IronTry your hand at forging steel tomanipulate metal with heat and the

almighty hammer.Forge a new hobbywith this class andcreate a distinctiveraised diner for Rover.

NAITwww.nait.caWood Working forWomenOne of the first hurdlesa new woodworker

must get past is the fear ofmessing up a project… oneof the best ways to tacklethat apprehension is to signup for a wood workingcourse specifically gearedtoward women. With yournew found passion for finewine, how about a winerack?

Furniture RefinishingYou’ve noticed a fewmore scratches andwater rings on thecoffee table since theNew Year’s bash. Noworries. Enroll in afurniture refinishingcourse that willrestore your furnitureto its original panache.

UNIVERSITY OFALBERTAwww.ualberta.caFeng Shui DesignWe could all use alittle more harmonyin our lives. Shuiyour way to the yinand yang of place-ment, energy, form

and materials in this creative approach to well being inboth interior and exterior applications.

GRANT MACEWAN COMMUNITY COLLEGEwww.macewan.caDanceSo you want to dance with the stars, twinkle toes? GMCoffers everything from Belly Dancing to Hip Hop. If thosedon’t get you tapping, sign up for ballroom dancing andfoxtrot, tango or rumba your way to creative expression.

A FEW MONTHS LATER…The balanced arrangement in the living room has affixed apermanent smile on your soul. The candles in yourhandcrafted sconces have been lit, and you have taken abottle from the wine rack… leaving it to breathe on therefinished coffee table. The new door knocker raps loudly.A few friends have arrived for an impromptu soiree. Roverlooks up from his splashy buffet and dashes to the frontdoor to greet the guests. The clear, repetitive beat of tangomusic wafts from the living room and you can’t wait to tripthe light fantastic with your partner. In retrospect, you haveto admit January was quite bearable. ✔

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

Beating the Blah, Blah, Blahs

with Linda Bodo

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II



k. So it’s January. Christmas is over. You’rebored. You’ve run out of gas. Can’t seem tofind anything to do. You’re looking for

something to motivate you. How aboutsharpening your cooking or mixology skills?

Look no further: Edmonton has a pantry fullof excellent evening and weekend coursesthrough NAIT and Metro ContinuingEducation.

Before you think these are just your average,ho-hum we-watch-but-can’t-participate-or-taste-classes, check this out. The Tour of… beingoffered by NAIT is an incredible series involvinglectures, hands-on participation and, of course,tasting. It’s absolutely the full meal deal.

The Tour of Mexico is a 12-hour course runningfrom January 29th to February 5th. No pre-requisites. You’ll be taught in class, allowed tohone your skills at the cutting board and taste asyou learn. Cost is $245 plus a $5.70 tech fee.Upcoming courses include a Tour of theMediterranean covering Northern and SouthernItaly and Greece; Tour of Asia featuring Chinese,Japanese and Malaysian cuisines; and a Tour ofWestern Europe focusing on Portugal, Spain andFrance.

If you are looking for something a little moreintense, how about Culinary Boot Camp atNAIT? They don’t call it boot camp for nothing.Five days of classes start at 6am and run until8pm. The $1,950 course includes a chef’s jacket, hat,necktie and apron, and dinners at the Fairmont HotelMacdonald, Sorrentino’s, Jack’s Grill and HardwareGrill. Food and wine pairings are taught, a tour of theNAIT campus is included, a walk-through thedowntown market—all culminating in an exam andgraduation celebration.

These courses are very popular. The demand is high.

Why? AbrahamWornovitzky,the marketingand businessplanner for theSchool ofProfessionalContinuingEducation-Hospitality &CTC atNAIT,believes thisis a trendnot a fad,thanks toFoodtv.The boominepicureansis also a

sign of thetimes. In the 1950s, the women did

all the cooking. Now it’s “cool” if a man cooks.“We have people from every walk of life… from

moms and dads who want to improve their skills todoctors and lawyers who want to take it to the nextlevel.” This is not only a chance to learn, but sets youin a social situation as well.

Chef John Setterland at Suede Lounge says he knowsonly too well the desire of his patrons to “go into the

kitchen.” So Suede is offering a one night cooking/mixology class through Metro College called “Cookwith the Chef.” The course is run from 7:00 to 9:30pm, and costs in the neighborhood of $85-$90. (DateTBA) The class size is an intimate 12-14 people whowill be split into two groups. The first group will headto the kitchen and learn the fine art of Tapas. Thesecond group will go behind the bar to learn how tomix martinis. Halfway through the course the groupsswitch venues.

The Chef says people are better educated in thekitchen today, and everything they have in restaurants,the public can now buy in stores. “Why pay $40 for asteak dinner, when you can make it at home for lessthan half the cost.”

The “social” aspect to cooking is stressed as well.“The idea is to have fun. Plus you get to sip on martinisto boot, all done in a sexy atmosphere.”

In case you think these marts are old school, thinkagain. New, innovative martinis are made with suchingredients as Chai Tea.

Sounds like a sure winner to me. ✔

If you want more information about these and otherprograms, contact:Abraham [email protected]: visit www.nait.ca/part-time

www.metrocontinuingeducation.com

Contact Chef John Berry at [email protected]

OOwith Chef John Berry

Magic

LIVELYlifestylesMoreM

ENU

Don Litven, his son Chris and Brenda Olsen mix it upat Suede Lounge.

“Birthday Girl” Tanya

and Suede’s Chef Hank Vanderbeek.



Carpe Diemall year long

Carpe Diem, is usually translated as “seizethe day”. Anyone living in our boomingprovince today is well poised to follow thisadvice. I enjoy listening to clients talkabout how they got started in and havegrown their businesses. Most began with adream, started small, took a chance, madesome sacrifices and worked hard to get towhere they are today.

One owner began her business as aresult of a divorce and termination of heremployment when her employer closedshop. Instead of panicking and taking thefirst job that came along, she decided totake control of her life and determine whatit was she wanted to do with it. Armedwith a modest divorce settlement, shedecided to become a partner in amanufacturing business in which she couldown at least 50 percent. Given herfinancial situation, she went looking for abusiness with revenues in the $1.5 millionrange. After a couple of weeks research,she came up with a list of 20 businessesthat fit her criteria and manufactured aproduct that interested her. Sheapproached each one, offering to buy-inand run the office and manage thefinancial aspects of the business.

She did not find immediate success butin the interim she had an opportunity tofind some potential partners that she feltshe would enjoy working with and couldhelp. She went back to one of thecompanies that had initially shown littleinterest in her offer and found that theircircumstances had changed. She ended upbuying half the company. Her partnerhandled the marketing and the productionand she did everything else. After 10 years,they now own their facility, have adiversified product range and a veryprofitable company and she is happy andfulfilled.

Another owner of a large truckingcompany was reminiscing how he gotstarted. Originally he was a driver and hada delivery in a small Northern town.Driving through town a number of peopleflagged him down and asked if he couldmake a delivery for them as the town hadno local trucking company. He quit his job,moved to the small town, lived in a trailerwhich served as his office and bought hisfirst truck with $400 down. He has neverregretted his decision and today he is theowner of a thriving multi-million dollartrucking operation.

By all accounts 2007 is going to start offat a frenetic pace and will continue forsome time yet. If you think you areentrepreneurial there is no better time togive it a go. Please [email protected] or call780.441.6793 to explore your options.

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

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES &

CORPORATE FINANCE

Edmontonians Jan07

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