BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Tourism indusTry AssociATion of Prince edwArd islAnd

Promoting and advancing the tourism industry in Prince edward island

IN THIS ISSUE

President's View ............................. 2Executive Director's Report .......... 3Top Notch Charters ..........................4Ferry Tales & Deep History ........... 5Reay to Work in the Tourism Industry / New Members ................6TIAPEI’s HR Champion, Jim Gertridge ................................... 8

PEI National Park - 75 Years / Tourism Training Courses / FAM Tours ....................................... 9Succession Planning...................... 10PEI Rural Beautification Society Competitions ................................ 11

For advErTISINg INFormaTIoN:Imageworks Communication Group 118 Sydney Street, 2nd floor Charlottetown, PEI C1A 1G4 (902) 894.7071 www.iwpei.com

PUblISHEd bY TIaPEI25 Queen Street, 3rd FloorP.O. Box 2050, Charlottetown, PECanada C1A 7N7Phone: (902) 566-5008 Toll-free: 1-866-566-5008 Fax: (902) 368-3605 Toll-free fax: 1-877-368-3605

PoSTmaSTEr: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40024264 3431657Return Undeliverable CanadianAddresses to:TIAPEI, Box 2050Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N7

Tourismmay 2012

1-800-761-2806 | www.NFL-Bay.com

Tides

T O U R I S M T I D E S - M AY 2 0 1 2

2

PRESIDENT'S vIEw

DEAR TouRism opERAToRs:

With the arrival of this beautiful spring weather i am sure you are all ahead of the game in preparing for the busy tourism season. i want to wish you a very successful and busy season and ask that you contact TiApEi if we can assist you in any way.

i am very pleased to report that this year's job fairs, offered through TiApEi, have been very well at-tended. The Charlottetown job fair had 900 attendees while the sum-merside fair had more than 500 in attendance. This year we were also

fortunate to receive funding for an additional job fair in the Cavendish area, to assist with seasonal job requirements in the surrounding region.

our tourism training courses are underway as of mid April. Training is being offered in basic cook, housekeeping, tour guide, food, beverage and wine server, super Host, Emerit and product knowledge. We strongly encourage your input for any future training needs that you feel would be helpful to your business. We would like to thank minister Henderson for supporting our training programs and leading by example with hav-ing all provincial park employees complete the super Host training program.

At TiApEi we will continue to work closely with all levels of government, industry, and the Human Resource sector Council to build a 3 to 5 year Human Resource

strategic plan for tourism, one that addresses the many challenges facing our operators in the coming years. We need your guidance, input and commitment to assist in building this plan.

TiApEi has openly lobbied for a HsT tax environment for pEi to allow our province to be on a level playing field with our sister provinces. on behalf of TiApEi, i want to acknowledge and thank the

provincial Gov-ernment for their plan to implement the HsT in 2013. We believe that the adoption of HsT will greatly benefit our smaller tourism operators who make up the

tourism landscape on pEi. We also understand that we must continue to lobby and support the HsT during this planning and imple-mentation period.

TiApEi continues to lobby gov-ernment to use the rate of inflation as a basis for any future increases to the minimum wage on pEi as op-posed to the recent larger increases which have had a heavy impact on small businesses. We will continue to ensure that the opinions of our industry are heard regarding mini-mum wage increases.

Now, more than ever, our industry needs to be vocal with any concerns facing our tourism sector. Recent budget cuts to all levels of government will continue to challenge our economy and our industry. We need to continually stress the valuable contribution tourism dollars make to our prince Edward island economy. We need your input and a unified voice from our industry to keep our concerns top of mind. please lead by example and become more actively involved as we work toward moving our tourism industry forward strategi-cally, into the future.

Respectfully submitted by Elaine Thomson, TIAPEI President

CORE STaff:

Don Cudmore Executive Director dcudmore@tiapei.pe.ca

Colleen Bowes Co-ordinator Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership actp@tiapei.pe.ca

Kelley Keefe Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership UK Program Manager kkeefe@tiapei.pe.ca

Jamie Vander Kooi Technology Resource Coordinator jamie@tiapei.pe.ca

Dianne Bishop Executive Assistant & Board Secretary dbishop@tiapei.pe.ca

Fernanda FallesenFinancial Administrator ffallesen@tiapei.pe.ca

TRaINING & EDUCaTION:

Kathy Livingstone Director of Training & Education klivingstone@tiapei.pe.ca

Lori DesRoches Administrative Assistant ldesroches@tiapei.pe.ca

Rod Clark Marketing Co-ordinator rclark@tiapei.pe.ca

Andrea Boehner HR Advisor aboehner@tiapei.pe.ca

Debbie Mol Tourism Employment & Education Coordinator dmol@tiapei.pe.ca

ExECUTIvE COmmITTEE

President Elaine Thomson

Vice President Kevin Mouflier

Secretary Zubair Siddiqi

Treasurer Tyson MacInnis

Past-President Thom MacMillan

Executive Director Don Cudmore

Members at Large: David Anderson, Robert Jourdain

BOaRD Of DIRECTORS

Amanda BarlowCharlene BelsherAlcide BernardDarcy ButlerGeorge Campbell Roxanne CarmodyLiam DolanJane DunphyPatsy GotellDavid Groom Mary KendrickLeslie KwiatkowskiJudy MacDonald

Mary Lou MacFarlaneAmanda MacIntyreOralie MacKayRhonda MailletSheri Lee McKennaPat Notman Tom Rath Mitchell RennieDoreen SarkErskine SmithCarolyn Thorne Barb TrainorDarrin White

O n behalf of the Government of Prince Edward Island, I’m pleased to wish all operators in

every region of our province a successful 2012 summer tourism season.

This summer will see the return of some favourite activities such as the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, the Island Fusion Festival, Atlantic Canada International Air Show and the Charlottetown Festival. Prince Edward Island will also host some exciting new events, such as Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival, as well as the taping of an episode of the popular TV series Come Dine With Me Canada.

I want to thank everyone who works in our tourism industry for your commitment to our province. Tourism is built on partnerships. By working together I’m confi dent we’ll continue to build a stronger industry and economy for all Islanders.

Robert Henderson Minister of Tourism and CultureProvince of Prince Edward Island

Working Together to Build a Strong Industry

"...the adoption of HST will

greatly benefit our smaller tourism

operators... "

T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D

3

ExECUTIvE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

DEAR TouRism opERAToRs:

spring is in the air and many of you will be busy preparing for what we hope is a busy tourism season. i hope you all have a successful season and look forward to seeing many of you as i travel across the island this summer.

For many years the Tourism Tides publication has enjoyed great support from industry and indus-try suppliers such as Johnston’s Complete service Centre, Grant Thornton, West Can Group, A – 1 Vacuum, Caseley’s Tent & party Rental, service master Restore and Kwik Kopy, to name a few of the companies that have been very sup-portive of Tourism Tides and other TiApEi communication efforts throughout the years. i would like to take this opportunity to thank Northumberland Ferries Limited ("NFL"), new sponsors of the cover page of Tourism Tides, our indus-try newsletter. Not only is NFL a tremendous transportation partner, they continue to demonstrate their involvement in the tourism indus-try through regular attendance at TiApEi events, coming forward as sponsors when asked demon-strates an ongoing commitment to the industry. TiApEi welcomes submissions from tourism opera-tors and organizations for Tourism Tides, our e-news blasts and online newsletters so please contact us with your stories or ideas for any of these communication publications.

Communication, education

and long range goals are keys to the success of any industry and tourism is no exception. TiApEi’s yearly November Annual General meeting and march Tourism Con-ference are the primary forums for education and communication for the tourism industry. industry partners, the Tourism Advisory Council, Tourism and Culture pEi and ACoA are frequent presenters at these events in an effort to keep tourism operators as informed about marketing plans, long term goals and strategies and industry initiatives as possible.

We have been very busy at the TiApEi office over the past several months, concentrating on many issues that should help us move forward in trying times. our Hu-man Resources training division, along with the Tourism Human Resources sector Council, contin-ues to present excellent initiatives such a new heightened awareness of superHost training, profes-sional certification and short term training programs. We are pleased to announce, with the blessing and encouragement of minister Henderson, we have been asked to present our superHost training program to all of the provincial parks employees (over 80 individ-uals). We have also asked in our training funding request that the province of pEi take a leadership role with us and subsidize those employees who successfully com-plete the professional certification process. our goal at TiApEi is to increase the number of certified employees substantially over the next couple of years.

The Tourism Human Resources sector Council, as well as all other

pEi sector Councils, are being reviewed by innovation pEi and their original march 31st deadline has been extended to may 31st. We really need to embark on some substantial HR initia-tives including a 3 – 5 year HR strategy. The sector Council will be hosting a HR Focus Group on Friday, may 25th to look at what a HR strategy would include.

To update you on some of our ongoing activities:

The Arts and Heritage Trail was very successful last year and

we expect equal, if not increased success for this project in 2012.

The Book pEi TiApEi Advisory Committee has been very active and, led by Chair Robert Jour-dain, has been examining new initiatives that

would improve the existing sys-tem by adding features that allow the consumer to access more of our product with less effort. The packaging tool that was discussed in November was looked at by the Committee and it was felt more education and testing is needed before it is rolled out this fall.

The RTA process is going very well and it is becoming obvious to the TiApEi Executive that when this process is complete we will need to examine our Board structure to incorporate these new entities.

TiApEi has lobbied diligently over the past several years to promote the HsT in pEi. on April 19th, minister of Finance Wes sheridan announced plans to implement the HsT in April 2013. A huge thank you to the Ghiz government in listening! The adoption of the HsT is a sig-nificant, positive change for small business on pEi and we believe

the benefits are great.in closing, i would like to

make a couple of points i feel are important to the success of our industry.

First, we need to acknowledge and understand the realities of budget cuts on both the Federal and provincial levels and rise to the occasion by working closely together to “get the best bang for our buck” possible.

my second point is more of a call to action - Lead by example. i would like to challenge you to work together on initiatives that will be beneficial to your business as well as your neighbour’s and extend your knowledge to any new operators to help them estab-lish their tourism skills.

Best of luck with the 2012 tourism season and please feel free to contact either myself or any member of the Executive and Board of Directors if you have any concerns or ideas you would like to put forward.

Respectfully submitted, Don Cudmore, Executive Director

NEWLY CERTIFIED

Corey Veld Event Manager

Wendy MurphyFood & Beverage Manager

Melissa PollardSupervisor

Devon LeBlancSupervisor

Jeff JewellFront Desk Agent

Marc Brunet Wine Server

"Communication, education and long

range goals are keys to the success

of any industry and tourism is no

exception."

T O U R I S M T I D E S - M AY 2 0 1 2

4

mark Jenkins is the owner /op-erator of Top Notch Lobster Tours. He is a fourth generation lobster fisherman out of Fortune, p.E.i. Af-ter the spring lobster season is over, mark and his brother Cody, who also has his own lobster gear, move 'Top Notch' into the Charlottetown Harbour. These brothers run the lobster tours beginning July 1st until mid september. While on one

of their tours you will learn first-hand how lobster fishermen make a living here on prince Edward island. mark will touch on the sci-ence, history, biology, habitat and, most important to him, conserva-tion measures they have in place. To help you understand all this they will haul lobster traps and a crab trap. After you are full of new excit-ing knowledge of the great job they

have, Cody throws the anchor and you will enjoy a lobster meal aboard the boat. While you are digging into your lobster dinner, mark will talk about some of the other fisheries that take place on p.E.i.

This brother duo enjoy entertain-ing a maximum of 12 people which makes the tour very personable and easy for all to get involved as much as they choose. if you are looking to

learn and experience one of p.E.i.'s great traditions from the horse's mouth, join mark and Cody aboard Top Notch Lobster Tours.

4

Top Notch Charters

TIAPEI LONG DISTANCE PLAN

West Can Group and TIAPEI have been working together to provide excellent rates and services to TIAPEI Members for the past 10 years.

To register call our customer service department at 1-800-665-0384 or register on linewww.westcangroup.caPASSWORD: Greengables

Quality Telecommunications Products and Service at Competitive PricesTOLL FREE · LONG DISTANCE · CALLING CARDS · CONFERENCE CALLING

BOX 1137 WINNIPEG MB R3C 2Y4

A straight forward LD plan with No Hidden Fees.• 3.5¢ per minute within Canada • 3.5¢ per minute inbound Toll Free• 3.5¢ per minute to the USA • No Monthly Fees on Toll Free• No monthly recurring charge• Calls rated on at 30/ 6sec. increments, 24/7

Sign up for the TIAPEI Long Distance Plan before June 1st, 2012 and West Can will apply a $5 credit to your account!

30 Greenwood Dr., Summerside, PEI

Keeping your Travels, Worry FreeTrust us with all your RV service needs.

After Hrs: 1-902-888-9207Tire Care: 1-902-888-7604

1-800-670-1026

www.johnstonsPEI.com24/7 ON CALL SERVICE

T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D

5

“on the surface, the pEi Ferry is a means to travel between prince Edward island and Nova scotia – but in reality, it’s much more than that,” says Jessica Gillis, marketing and sales Coordinator of Northum-berland Ferries Limited. “it’s part of the island experience that makes prince Edward island as unique as its potatoes and seafood.”

in fact, the history of the ferry service between Wood islands, prince Edward island and Caribou, Nova scotia dates back over 70 years, to 1941. it is believed that discussions of ferry service were spearheaded by the Hon. D. A. mackinnon, Lieutenant-Governor of pEi during his term of office from 1904-1910.

The original ferry, named the m.V. prince Nova set sail for the

first time at 11:00 am on June 28, 1941 from Caribou, Nova scotia, under the command of Captain John Dicks. At that time, the ferry could hold only up to 14 automo-biles and the rate for an automobile was a mere $3.00 for a return trip!

many believed the project to be a bit foolish – but the numbers certainly proved them wrong. in its inaugural year, the ferry service carried over 25,000 passengers and by 1945, the traffic had increased by over eighty percent.

Creating a significant economic impact in Eastern pEi, Northum-berland Ferries Limited retired the m.V. prince Nova and brought in the m.V. Confederation and the m.V. Holiday island. Both ferries operate from may to December and sail across the Northumberland

straight in approximately 75 min-utes. Yet, anybody who has taken the ferry to travel between Caribou and Wood islands understands that this trip is more than simply saving on driving; it’s a connection to the island’s past, present and future.

The Wood islands ferry has provided transpor-tation for soldiers coming home from the second World War. its decks have become a common meeting ground for forging new friend-ships among onboard passengers. And while some look forward to 75 minutes of basking in the warm sun and taking in the fresh, sea salt breeze; others look forward to spending their lives with a special

someone after delivering a romantic wedding proposal onboard a ferry. in over 70 years of service, pEi Ferry has played the leading role in many fond memories of both locals and visitors alike. pay the toll and find your story – island style.

Why drive when you can sail?Call us toll free 1.800.761.2806

or visit us online www.nfl-bay.com

Ferry Tales & Deep History

DEPARTING WOOD ISLANDS, PEI TO CARIBOU, NS

2012 DATES

MAY 1 - JUNE 16

JUNE 17 - JUNE 28

JUNE 29 - SEPT 3

SEPT 4 - OCT 8

OCT 9 - NOV 10

NOV 11 - NOV 30

DEC 1 - DEC 20

SAILING TIMES9:00

6:30, 9:30, 13:00, 16:30, 20:00

6:30, 9:30, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 20:00

6:30, 8:00, 9:30, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 18:15, 20:00

6:30, 9:30, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 20:00

6:30, 9:30, 13:00, 16:30, 20:00

6:30, 11:15, 14:45, 18:15

8:00, 11:15, 16:30

Note: 18:15 departure from Caribou Dec 20th cancelled

DEPARTING CARIBOU, NS TO WOOD ISLANDS, PEI

2012 DATES

MAY 1 - JUNE 16

JUNE 17 - JUNE 28

JUNE 29 - SEPT 3

SEPT 4 - OCT 8

OCT 9 - NOV 10

NOV 11 - NOV 30

DEC 1 - DEC 20

SAILING TIMES9:00

8:00, 11:15, 14:45, 18;15, 21:30

8:00, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 18:15, 21:30

8:00, 9:30, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 18:15, 20:00, 21:30

8:00, 11:15, 13:00, 14:45, 16:30, 18:15, 21:30

8:00, 11:15, 14:45, 18:15, 21:30

9:30, 13:00, 16:30, 20:00

9:30, 13:00, 18:15

CALL 1-800-761-2806 OR BOOK ONLINE AND SAVE AT WWW.NFL-BAY.COM

T O U R I S M T I D E S - M AY 2 0 1 2

6

Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd

Whether it’s owning a quaint B&B or an award-winning restaurant – whatever dreams Prince Edward Island inspires in you, we want to help you achieve them. At Grant Thornton LLP we offer a full range of audit, tax and advisory services. We’re the largest accounting firm on PEI, and we know how to help you turn your dreams into reality.

For more information about our services or to contact a Grant Thornton adviser near you, please visit www.GrantThornton.ca

This island inspires dreams.We help make them happen.

This ad prepared by: ryan edwards ClienT: granT ThornTon File name: gT pei Tourism ad #: gT-10-002 publiCaTion: Tourism Tides Trim size: 3.75” x 4.8” (1/4 page) Colours: CmyK

Audit • Tax • Advisory

Charlottetown summerside montague(902) 892-6547 (902) 436-9155 (902) 838-4121

www.a1vac.capaul@a1vac.ca

Tel: 902-566-3131Fax: 902-628-1982

Toll Free: 888-566-3131

Sales & Service

A-1 Vacuum Carries the LargestStock of Hotel/Motel Supplies on PEI

• Room AmeniTieS• PAPeR PRoducTS• GARbAGe bAGS• LinenS• ReSTAuRAnT SuPPLieS• JAniToRiAL SuPPLieS

Why buy off Island? We are an Island company employing

10 Islanders year round.

2 Longworth Avenue, Charlottetown, PEC1A 5A2

Twelve participants were selected to explore career opportu-nities in the tourism sector during the eight week classroom portion of the TiApEi Ready To Work pro-gram for youth. During this time the participants had the chance to experience a wide variety of activi-ties including guest speakers from tourism operations, tours of local businesses, certification in First Aid, WHmis, & CpR, Responsible Beverage server Certificate, emerit Tourism Essentials certification and superHost.

in April, students gathered to celebrate their successful comple-tion of the classroom portion of the tourism course. overall the partici-pants felt the program helped them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the tourism job market. participants have started working

at hotels, gift shops, retail, restau-rants, etc. When employers hire from this group they can receive a wage subsidy for eight weeks.

one of the participants, Katie macQuarrie, summed up the program, “The Ready To Work program has helped me become more positive and made me believe that i can do anything i set my mind to…”

After eight weeks Colin Living-stone and mary peardon, program facilitators, saw participants gain confidence and cheering each oth-ers successes. The TiApEi Ready To Work program is sponsored by the Canadian Tourism Human Re-source Council and funded in part under the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment strategy.

Ready To Work In the Tourism Industry

New Members

MindSWEEP innovaTivE iT SoluTionSPEi Golf aSSoCiaTion

Welcome new TiaPEi Member

ATTENTION TRAVEL PARTNERS

Bay Ferries and NFL Ferries is pleased to continueMaritime Travel Saver, a program designed to allowtravelers to receive exclusive savings on accommoda-tions, golf, events/activities, restaurants, and more.

HOW IT WORKS

The Maritime Travel Saver program is a FREE programthat allows Maritime tourism partners to upload andshare great promotions and packages with ourpassengers. Travel deals can be featured in a variety of categories, including accommodation, events, andattractions and must be limited to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

What’s more, there is no cost or limit to the amount of promotions uploaded over the course of the 2012tourism season. You can manage your deals through the easy to use backend administration area and canhave 2 deals published on the Web site at any point in time.

All deals will be published on the high tra�c www.NFL-Bay.com travel portal and will be promotedonline and o�ine by Bay Ferries Limited at www.MaritimeTravelSaver.com.

GETTING STARTED

To begin entering your package or promotion in the online package manager, you must first register as auser. When your online profile has been successfully created, you can begin entering your travel deals atyour convenience. To create your profile visit the following link:www.nfl-bay.com/maritime-travel-saver/login/

It’s that easy! Bay Ferries and NFL Ferries is pleased to o�er this program to our travel partners throughoutthe Maritimes and hope that our passengers can experience the best of the three Maritime provinces viayour operation.

For more information, please contact:Jessica Gillis, Marketing & Sales Coordinatorjgillis@nfl-bay.com(902) 626-2538

T O U R I S M T I D E S - M AY 2 0 1 2

8

TiApEi would like to intro-duce, TiApEi’s HR Champion, Jim Gertridge. Jim has been working in the tourism industry for the past 39 years and during this time he has worked in many areas of the accommodation business. Jim is currently the Director of opera-tions for Rodd Hotels and Resorts.

He is a great supporter of HR and during his tenure as Gen-eral manager at Rodd miramichi River - A Rodd signature Hotel, the hotel won several HR Awards. For 10 consecutive years the Rodd miramichi River won Training and Certification Awards at the TiANB Annual General meeting and is the

only hotel in New Brunswick to have 100% of their staff superHost certified.

The TiApEi HR Champion will provide advice on HR topics from an employer’s point of view. HR is a topic that for many tourism operators can be very scary. To run or own a small to medium size tourism business requires a large number of skills. HR is often one of the skills where employers face challenges and could use some sup-port. TiApEi has an HR Advisor, Andrea Boehner, who is available to provide guidance and support to any tourism operator but some-times it takes words of wisdom from a fellow operator to hit home! Jim will use his many years of experience in the industry to share his views.

This time of year, tourism operators are gearing up to fill job vacancies, so we asked our HR Champion for advice on recruiting staff.

Q. Whatshouldemployerslookforinaresume?

A. A clear, concise story of work history, relevant to the position being applied for.

Q. Whatdoemployerslookforincoverletters?

A. A brief description of what the applicant can bring to the position.

Q. Isitimportantforemployerstohavejobdescriptionsforthepositionstheyarerecruitingfor?

A. Absolutely, we can’t ask our staff to be great at their jobs if we do not clearly state what they are and how to do them.

Q. Arereferencechecksimportant?A. Yes, as much for employers as

for our future employees. You want to make sure you have the right fit for your business and

the new employee and vice ver-sa. Criminal background checks are also becoming standard.

Q. Whatisthemostimportantskillemployersshouldlookfor?

A. Attitude, you can teach all the skills but you need the right attitude.

Q.Howimportantarefirstimpres-sions?

A. First impressions do count; a neat clean appearance, a firm handshake and eye contact go a long way when greeting a potential employer.

Q. Wheredoemployersadvertiseforjobvacancies?

A. on-line job banks seem to be most popular at this time as well as company websites and at job fairs.

Q. Whatlaboursourcesshouldemployerslookattofillvacantpositions?

A. seniors and early retirees are good options, as they are interested in part time positions to fit their life style. Newcomers are another great fit for many jobs as they are very interested in learning about and fitting into Canadian culture. We cer-tainly benefit from hiring High school and university students.

It’s EASY to post a job ad on our

www.choosetourism.ca website!

HR Champion

T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D

9

2012 marks the 75th anniversary of prince Edward island National park. since its creation in 1937, pEi National park has been an iconic destination that forms a cornerstone of the island’s tourism industry.

originally, pEi National park was created to provide a focal point for the island’s slowly growing tourism industry. The plan for the national park was to establish a “typical seaside resort” at Dalvay-by-the-sea. However, after a visit to pEi to view potential sites for the national park, the beauty of the coastline on pEi’s north shore inspired the parks Branch to submit a proposal for a national park which included a strip of coastline 25 miles long extending from Dalvay to Cavendish. With Cavendish in the plans for the national park, Green Gables house and Cavendish Beach were also included, as they had already become a vacation destination for readers of Lucy maud montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.1

With the establishment of pEi National park came the development of the land: the Gulf shore Road, campgrounds,

picnic areas, beach facilities and boardwalks. milestones include the construction of the Green Gables Golf Course, designed by well-known landscape architect stanley Thompson. The first nine holes opened in 1939 and

the remaining nine opened in 1940. The lifeguard service was established in 1948 in Cavendish and grew to include Dalvay in 1949.

The popularity of pEi National park quickly grew: from 2500 visitors in 1937 to 10,000 in 1938.1 Five years after being established, pEi National park was the fifth most visited national park in Canada.

Today, despite its small size, pEi National park remains one of the most highly visited National parks

in Canada and plays an important role in representing the natural and cultural history of pEi in our nation’s network of national parks: places that define Canada.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary milestone, parks

Canada is providing new and exciting ways for Canadians to connect with pEi National park. There will be a number of special events and initiatives throughout the year.

To mark 75 years of pEi National park, islanders and visitors are being challenged by parks Canada, go! pEi and the parks and people Association to get active and hike, bike or rollerblade 75 km in the park in the 75 for 75 Trail Challenge. participants can register online at

www.parksandpeople.ca, choose their challenge and track their success!

A new book, prince Edward island National park: past and present, produced by parks and people Association and published by Acorn press will be launched in June! This book celebrates the last 75 years of pEi National park through a blend of historical photos and stunning images from leading Canadian photographers, including John sylvester and stephen Desroches.

Don’t miss the biggest celebration of the year! The Brackley Beach Birthday party will be held on parks Day- saturday, July 21. This event will feature a sandcastle-building contest, a surfguard competition, live music and much more!

For more information and updates on our 75th anniversary events, check out our website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pei or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pEinationalpark and be sure to “Like” us!

1MacEachern, A. 2001. Natural Selections: National Parks in Atlantic Canada, 1935-1970. McGill-Queen’s University Press. Montreal & Kingston.

Prince Edward Island National Park is Celebrating 75 Years of Summer in 2012

June 2012 Familiarization Tours (FAM Tours)TiApEi will once again be

offering FAm tours to front line tourism employees. The tours are designed to give tourism employees and operators the opportunity to experience first-hand the products and services the island has to offer.

These fun and informative tours will travel to various locations, across the island,

to familiarize employees with various businesses, cultures and activities.

Western FAM Tour (1 day) – June 7th

Eastern FAM Tour (1 day) – June 14th

For more information call Kathy at 902-566-5008 or email klivingstone@tiapei.pe.ca

Tourism Training CoursesSuperHost (1 day) May 3rd, O’LearyRetail Training (1/2 day) May 4th, TignishRetail Training (1/2 day) May 17th, O’LearySuperHost (1 day) May 29th, SummersideFood, Beverage & Wine Server (1 day) May 30th, Mill RiverSuperHost (1 day) May 31st, AlbertonProduct Knowledge/ May 31st & June 1st Island History (2 days) CharlottetownSuperHost (1 day) June 5th, CavendishFood, Beverage & Wine Server (1 day) June 5th, SummersideFood, Beverage & Wine Server (1 day) June 7th, MontagueFood, Beverage & Wine Server (1 day) June 11th, AlbertonFood, Beverage & Wine Server (1 day) June 13th, CavendishSuperHost (1 day) June 13th, TignishSuperHost (1 day) June 13th, MontagueFor more information or to register, please contact Ashley at 902-566-5008 or email ahansen@tiapei.pe.ca

T O U R I S M T I D E S - M AY 2 0 1 2

10

succession planning is the key to selecting and developing the people you'll need to carry out the vision for your company. often referred to in the realm of family business, it isn't just about replacing the boss upon retirement. succession plan-ning is about proactively preparing for the replacement of any key oc-cupations within your organization. preparing for the next generation of vital positions is important for any business.

A well-defined succession plan will help your business endure in the event of a sudden departure. Apart from your own retirement, this may refer to key players in your company leaving of their own accord. High performers – like oth-ers – present a flight risk. And don't forget, an accident, illness or un-timely death is always a possibility. it is important for your company's

future that you are prepared to replace people – before they leave.  

A Canadian Federation of independent Business study reported that 48 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses plan for their future succession. of those, “the majority are informal, unwritten plans, which have not necessarily been shared with the intended successor.”

Why are so many business own-ers reluctant to plan ahead? it's true, most of us would rather not mull over the unpleasant thoughts of our own mortality. And for many, planning for retirement or the unexpected is far off enough that it is something to be dealt with later, much later. After all, there is always something more pressing that needs your attention. 

But to protect your hard-earned asset, you must prepare for the

unknown. A succession plan is a roadmap for your company's future. it means you won't be left in a lurch, financially or operationally, if the unexpected happens. Do the work now to give your business the best chance to survive in the future.  

What do I need to do?in grooming employees for vital

positions, you'll want to select someone who has proven that he or she is capable of dealing with a va-riety of challenging situations, and who shares your values and goals. To do this successfully:

• Plan ahead. The most im-portant aspect of succession planning is to start early.  plan-ning well ahead will permit you to select and train several suitable replacements, working with them over time so that the ultimate candidate will be ready for the job when the day comes.

• Determine who has the desire, skill and vision neces-sary for the job. You'll need to identify each candidate's strengths and weaknesses. Do they possess adequate leader-ship qualities? Test their abilities in different situations. Give them tasks that demand greater responsibility, and assess their capabilities in those roles.

• Discuss your plans with top prospects. You don't want to plan around individuals who, for whatever reason, may not be in-clined to step into the role you've imagined.  Ask about their career goals, and ascertain their level of commitment to your company. identify high performers early and only with their cooperation, target them with career path training that will help them suit-ably replace key positions.

• Develop candidates for the job. make it a priority to train replacements well before you'll need to rely on them. use cross training techniques to ensure more than one person is capable of performing essential tasks. From doing payroll to using computer systems to inventory management, business continu-ity demands that another staff member can step in if there is a change to the status quo.

• Establish a timeline for specific events. Determine when training efforts will begin, professional development goals should be met, and primary responsibilities of a task should ultimately transfer. Whenever possible, handing over responsi-bility should be a gradual process to ensure a smooth and success-ful transition.   some managers will hesitate

to give more responsibility to high performers, for fear of being outshone. This does your company a great disservice. Remember that a leader's calibre is often measured by the strength of the team he or she employs. make the smartest move in regards to the well being of your business and plan ahead for the proper replacement of critical positions within your workplace to ensure the maintenance of their important functions. 

Source: www.go2hr.ca

Want Long Term Success? Succession Planning Considers What’s Critical

This project is funded in whole or in part by the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement

Visit HR Champion’s Corner

at choosetourism.ca

for more Human Resource tips!

Meet TIAPEI’s HR Champion

Jim Gertridge

With nonstop flights daily from Charlottetown to NEW YORK,you can take a bite outta the big apple sooner and experience all the shopping, theatre,dining, sightseeing and nightlifeof the City That Never Sleeps.

*Flights operated by Delta Connections® carrier, Pinnacle Airlines. Delta flights nonstop daily from Charlottetown to New York, July 1-Sept 4/12.

The Tourism industry Association of pEi sponsors a Tourist Accommodation improvement Competition through the island’s Rural Beautification society. The prizes of 1st $300, 2nd $200, and 3rd $100 are awarded on a provincial basis. The 1st place winner will be presented with the “most improved Tourist industry Accommodations” Award for the year 2012.

The Tourist Accommodations improvement Competition is open to any tourist accommodation’s operator in the province, (Hotels, motels, Cottages, B&B’s, inns, Resorts or Campground).

The competition is based on the improvements to make your operation more attractive to tourists and the public.

Criteria for judging based on the following;

• Repairs to and improvements of building(s)• Painting of buildings• Improvement to parking, identification, signage, lighting• Planting of/or preservation of existing trees, shrubs, etc.• Lawn construction and maintenance• Flowers, both annual and perennial, display, maintenance, care• Fencing, either decorative or privacy• Free of litter on highway frontage, with grass trimmed• General appearance of property• Flag flying

it is very important to compile a list of the improvements undertaken and also very important to take pictures of your property before you start work. For more information or to receive an entry form call Joyce (902)672-2039. The entry fee cost is $15 for the first entry and $5 for each additional entry per competitor.

Deadline for entries is May 19, 2012.

Enter Your Tourism Business In The Prince Edward Island Rural Beautification Society Competitions

Tel: (902) 629-1200 Toll Free: 1-855-344-1200

Fire & WaterDamage Specialists

Residential & CommercialSmoke, Odour, Soot Removal

Anti-Mildew TreatmentWater Removal

Carpet & UpholsterySpecialists

DuPont Teflon ProtectorDeep Soil ExtractionSensitive Fabric Care

Spot RemovalPet Odour Removal

EMERGENCY SERVICE

www.servicemasterpei.com

AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAYAVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY

Our team of estate and succession planning lawyers in Charlottetown can help make this your reality.

Start by calling Robin or David today.

For details on what you need to consider, check out our Estate Planning and Executor Checklists for Prince Edward Island residents at coxandpalmerlaw.com/peaceofmind

TRAMPOLINE BRANDING Contact: Larry Bootland 902 405 4809

Project: 9320C&P PEI Peace of Mind ad

Client: Cox&Palmer

Publication: Tourism Tides

Size: 7.6875 x 4.8

Insertion Date: May, 2012

Photos/Logos: Hi res

NOTE: All trapping is the responsibility of prepress

C M Y K

ProCess seParations

peace of mind

My will is complete. Power of Attorney determined. Health Care Directive organized. Guardianship

appointed. My executors know what to do.

Robin Aitken 629.3910

David Hooley 629.3903