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T H E P E R S O N A L I T Y O F B U S I N E S S I N T H E C A P I T A L R E G I O N

2 EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2009

Proof__1_________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

THAT WAS THE OCTOBER THAT WAS

eorgie K all the way…Another fantastic CD fromEdmonton’s own GeorgeKoufogiannakis.

Generations—Greek Oud Jazz wasrecently released by the guitarist/songwriter/producer. George waseducated at Grant MacEwan, St. F.X.U. inAntigonish and, most recently,LCM in Leeds.

This release takes us to Greece andaround the world musically. The likes ofTerry McDade, Joel Grey, CharlieAustin and Jessica Rogers are among thetalents who join George on the disc. Solidperformances all around. Incrediblyinventive writing and outstanding soundfrom Cam Ambrose at Braindead Digitalin Fort Saskatchewan. This CD is one toget. Check it out at www.geok.ca

A grand shout out to IglooBuilding Supplies owner Barry Stewart.I had the pleasure of golfing with him,Mark Mercer and Habitat for HumanityEdmonton President and CEO AlfredNikolai at the 4th annual Habitat forHumanity golf tournament. Barry wasvery gracious to donate his sky suite to anOilers game this season as a throw-inauction item. The winning team at thisyear’s tournament was Al Skoreyko,Warren Fuller and Cam McInnis. Theorganization is one of the busiest of allHabitat for Humanity branches in NorthAmerica—as of July, 100 homes hadbeen built in our community since 1991.Outstanding.

“The Bare Facts: I was technically stillbornin Calgary but recovered only to be sent toRegina for my early childhood... I celebratedmy last birthday last year, but will admit tobeing just old enough to remember the RossShepherd totem pole being erected, JuliaKinisky’s hats, and the New Sarepta Tire andGarter Co. appearing daily in the Journalcourtesy of Yardley Jones.”

~ People You Should Know: David ManningAlberta’s Senior Trade Counsel, New York

1990

“Hello fellow taxpayers. This is a battered butnot bowed Alderman speaking. To thosebattered columnist that have labeled me a red-necked art boor, small-minded, thick-headed,against art, this is my opportunity to give myside of the story.”

~ Alderman Sheila McKay Guest Columnist1991

“Unscrupulous time marches on—even atsilly hall... Ron Hayter should consider 21years as an alderman enough.”

~ Dick MacLean 1992

“Happy Birthday? ...On October 20th, in themidst of their Fall Membership Campaign,ACCESS Television Network will celebrate 20years on the air.”

~ Fred Keating Arts & Entertainment 1993

“I was privileged to have supper with BrunoEngler, the world-renowned photographer.Bruno [of Cocrane/Banff] is 79 years old andstill working. He had three wives and hisyoungest child is now 12; he’s one of the fewpeople (one would assume) who collectsFamily Allowance and Old Age Pension atthe same time.”

~ Muggsy Forbes Funny, Pompous & Unfair1994

“There’s the legendary story about the Lifemagazine photographer who spent six weekson assignment in the Arctic... his claim forreimbursement of a $2000 fur coat wasrejected. On his return from anotherassignment, he submitted his expenses withdozens of receipts for tolls, taxi rides andmeals... Attached to the report was the note,‘There’s a fur coat buried in here. Find it.’”

~ Mark McCormack Taking the worry out of expense accounts 1995

“Incidentally, if you think my politicalcommentary is slanted, I have to admit thatno Liberals or NDs have called to share anyinteresting tidbits. Nope, not ever.”

~ Barb Deters Hot Flashes 1996

“We’re the best putters in the tournament,”boasted [Oilers’ coach Ron] Low. [Glen]Sather charged back: “Low doesn’t know whathe’s talking about. He putts with a shovel;used to be a farmer, you know.”

~ Edmonton Oilers Alumni9th Annual Golf Tournament 1997

“The worst roasters could drum up for theoccasion was a reminder that Bruce Hoglehad retired before... he would only agree tothe celebration if it were a fundraiser for hispet project, CFRN’s Good Neighbour Fund.”

~ Hogle’s Annual Retirement PartyPhoto Feature 1998

“Despite otherstudies, such as thatundertaken by theprestigious LaJollaInstitute in California,which ultimatelyselected Edmontonfrom 350 citiesexamined as one of sixurban centres in NorthAmerica (and the onlyone from Canada) ableto lay certified claim tothe smart city label,Edmontonians stilldisbelieve it.”

~ Dr. James Murray/DavidNorwood Smart City 1999

“Little by little, the wheelshave fallen off the old USSRsystem and Russian athletesare becoming more like Canadian athletes:under-supported, under-coached and under-valued.”

~ Ken Karpoff Business of Sports 2000

“The Globe and Mail said the ShumkaDancers’ Cinderella ‘promises to do forUkrainian folk dance what Riverdance did forIrish stepping: catapult it to big time.’”

~ Muggsy Forbes Funny, Pompous & Unfair2001

“The part I find fascinating is thephenomenon of personal blogs wherepeople document and describe all thevarious goings on in their personal lives. It feels like voyeurism...”

~ David Boroditsky E-Commerce 2002

“Nepotism is natural. Where would familybusiness be without it?”~ Marg. Pullishy Family Business Report 2003

“He is the scourge of politiciansand a media darling. JimLightbody’s stock and trade isanalyzing, criticizing and tryingto explain to voters what is atstake in Edmonton’s municipalgovernment. He comescomplete with a short fuse andhand grenade views that dodamage and sometimes hittheir target.”

~ Drake McHugh Focuson the Forerunners 2004

“We have more public artper capita than any otherregion in Canada. The(Economic DevelopmentEdmonton) studychronicles 171 pieces ofsignificance—and more

have been unveiled this past year.”~ Barb Deters Art Smart 2005

“I’m glad that I’ve started to wise up andappreciate how cool it was to grow up onHolger Petersen’s block. Listening to therange of roots music we have here, much ofit stemming from his work, marks a greatcultural opportunity for Edmontonians—eventhose who have never been chased by hisdog.”

~ Mackenzie Grisdale Growing upin the presence

of a music icon 2006

GGwith Mark & Marty

2007

2008

EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2009 3


s you read this, I’m far faraway on a cruise ship in theMediterranean. I’ve taken my wifeKim, and daughters Lauren and

Rayanne to Europe for an overseas holiday. We spent a few days in Barcelona, Spain,

then visited Cannes in France. We headed forPortofino, Pisa, Florence, Naples and Rome inItaly before hooking up with my step-sonJeremy, who is a DJ on a Celebrity Cruiseship. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetimetrips and I’ll chronicle our journey in futurecolumns.

October is a busy month for me withlots on the go. First off, we’re moving into anew home in the Windermere area. This is abrand new neighbourhood and will feature thefirst shopping village in Edmonton just off theAnthony Henday/Terwilliger area in our city.This is a concept that is prevalent in severalcities in the States, and is currently underconstruction.

We’ve been living downtown while our newhome is being built, which has provided mewith a bunch of strolling time. I had forgottensome of the true gems we have all alongJasper Avenue.

I decided to have a few months ofsupporting Mom and Pop businesses andremind you that there is great magic in thedowntown core with the amazing FarmersMarket, excellent restaurants, shops,bookstores, and specialty services; many havebeen here for decades. Please support theseoperations as they truly do add to the colourand diversity of our great city.

As well, the Alberta Research Councilproject I’m working on goes mid-month.We’ve formed an ARC Grassroots AdvisoryGroup to help spread the good word about thisamazing complex.

I’m working with people like Chris Sheetzfrom CISN, Stewart Meyers from Astral,George Smith from Telus World of Science,Dr. Bob Westbury from Telus, BonnieLopushinsky, super lady about town; theamazing Sandra Woitas from EdmontonPublic School Board, Darren Krill fromNorthlands, Jennifer Crosby from GlobalEdmonton, Sharon MacLean fromEdmontonians, Kim Kerr from Sales

Visionaries, Lloyd Lewis from CTV, StuartKullum of NAIT, Debbie Walker of Santa’sAnonymous, Martin Salloum from theEdmonton Chamber of Commerce, GordonNorrie from Sun Media, Scott McKean fromthe Edmonton Journal, Alyson Hodson of G2Marketing, Eric Rice of Access, Raoul Bhattof Firetext, Diane Brickner from Peach HillsInsurance, and Mark Dorum from ShawCable.

Our group will be treated to a wonderfulevening of learning, idea sharing andcamaraderie, all arranged by ARC’s SteveHogle and Bonni Clark. Some big news willcome out of this meeting… glad to be part ofsomething this progressive and interesting.

I also have two other great publicservice projects underway.

The Santa’s Anonymous Warehouseprogram is coming along very nicely as webuild a community centre home for 630CHED’s Santas Anonymous program that myfather started back in 1954. Land has beenobtained and we’re busy raising funds behindthe scenes to build this $14 million building inthe northeast end of Edmonton.

More good Christmas season news camewith an invite from Diane Young, and JohnCameron of Keller Construction to helpresurrect the wonderful Edmontons SingingChristmas Tree program.

For more than 39 years, the SingingChristmas Tree was operated out of the formerPentecostal Church at 116th Street and 107thAvenue. The singers took a hiatus when thechurch was knocked down to make way forcondos on the site. Happily, the group nowreturns—bigger and better—from December18th to 20th at the Jubilee Auditorium.

There will be about 300 performers stackingthe tree this time around, with backupprovided by an orchestra of 25 musicians.Tickets should be on sale any day now. Profitswill go to a different charity every year. Thisyear’s beneficiary is Santa’s Anonymous,which obviously is very close to my heart.

Take your children... your parents... yourgrandparents… your best friend. Let’s sell outthis magic event so that we can enjoy it for atleast another 39 years.

Great to run into fellowEdmontonians columnist Mark Scholz on theLRT on the way to an Eskimos game lastmonth. I think Mark is one of our mostversatile talents, and certainly covers this citylike a blanket. He’s always got interestingprojects on the go, and is one of the biggestboosters around.

Back to the tapas... and touring the Mediterr-anean. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ilive a blessed life. See you next month. √

Marty Forbes is the recently retired VP andgeneral manager of The Bear, EZRock andThe TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. [email protected]

AAA beautiful day for HIVEdmonton’s Scotiabank AIDS Walk forLife. Over 400 walkers raised $119,438on a spectacular hot September 20th toprovide support, outreach, education andprevention services. HIV Edmonton willbe accepting online donations untilOctober 31st. You can donate atwww.hivedmonton.com. Everyone whoraised $1,000 or more was named to theExtra Mile Club. The first ever MileHigh Marshall was Nick Lees of theEdmonton Journal. He wasaccompanied by Sophie Sticke on abeautiful float. I heard through thegrapevine that Nick invited a strugglingwalker to join them on the float to finishthe walk. Good man… great people.

Two-timer… I ran into formerEdmonton Eskimo Emilio Fraietta atthe Esks’ alumni room. As I looked over,there he waswith aCheshire catgrin and twofingers in theair. “What’sup, Emilio?” Iasked. “Oh,not much...except I got ahole-in-onetoday.” Infact, it wasEmilio’ssecond-hole-in-one. Thefour timeGrey Cupchampion made his first at Indian LakesGolf Course on the 197-yard, par three#8. He hit a five wood, the ball bouncedonce, hit the pin, and in it went. Hissecond came on the 215-yard hole #3 atthe Barrhead golf course. He struck autility club, the ball bounced and rolledinto the cup. Congrats Emilio.

When I asked him what his thoughtswere on the Esks chances of winning theGrey Cup, Emilio didn’t hesitate. “We

have a great chance. We need a playoffgame at home to give us the energy… Iam confident we are going to win theCup. In fact, I am going to bet them onpro-line.”

It happened in Mashantucket,Connecticut... Greg Gazin received aPresidential Citation for his outstandingachievements in representing the goalsand ideals of Toastmasters Interna-tional—one of its highest honours.Greg—aka The Gadget Guy—is theproducer of Toastcaster.com and worksrelentlessly to further the organization’spresence in District

42, which incorporatesAlberta and Saskatchewan. Hespearheaded the use of digitalmedia, including websites andsocial media tools like Twitter.His podcast has a worldwideaudience and helps clubs buildmembership and furthermembers’ skills. TI has230,000 members in 11,700clubs in 92 countries,

including over 250 clubs and 4,000members in District 42. Greg is a regularcontributor to Edmontonians Visionaries.√

Mark Scholz, owner of MESCommunications Inc. offers a variety ofservices including production, creativeand entertainment. For moreinformation or to suggest a story idea,email [email protected]

Emilio Fraietta

Greg Gazin& Jana Barnhill,

TI president



STATIONt’s time to hang up your phone. Well, at least that may be the case this fall when theprovincial government plans to address the issue of driver distraction. To determinehow concerned Edmontonians are about driver distraction, this month’s Poll Stationfocused on the behaviours that take our eyes off the road.

With Linda Banister

PollPoll

FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

OCTOBER 2009Vol. XX

Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of eachmonth at C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th StreetEdmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8. ©All rights reserved. Nopart of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced inany form without 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 DepartmentC-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th StreetEdmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8Email: [email protected]

SHARON MacLEANPublisher and Advertising Director

Telephone: 780.482.7000Fax: 780.488.9317

e-mail: [email protected]

INSIDECELEBRATING 20 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

VOX POPMark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3POLL STATIONDriver Distraction/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

MEDIA MINUTEChoices/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

SIZZLING IN THE CITYOver-achievers/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

LIVELY LIFESTYLESAbsolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

PHOTO FEATURESizzling Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-10

VISIONARIESHassan/Gazin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11BioAlberta/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Briefs/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Social Media 101/Schwabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

CIVIC BUZZStout Design/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

CORPORATE ETHICSOilsands/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Marty ForbesBruce Hogle

David NorwoodErin RaynerMark Scholz

Walter SchwabeNizar J. Somji

FEATURE WRITERSCheryl Croucher

Barb DetersGreg GazinRick Lauber

Peter Drake McHughMarg. Pullishy

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry BourqueQuincey DetersCheryl Croucher

Rocco MacriCrystal Yuzyk

SPECIAL PROJECTSEdmontonians Transformers

Tom BradshawLes Brost

Steffany HanlenDr. Larry Ohlhauser

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Tabitha England & Naomi Benavides Photo by Terry Bourque

No. 10

2020YEARS

C E L E B R A T I N G

IIWHILE DRIVING, DO YOU ENGAGE IN DISTRACTING BEHAVIOURS?

To begin the survey, respondents were asked if they had a driver’slicense. Ninety-one percent of respondents indicated they did, whilenine percent did not. Those with a license were then asked if they haveever engaged in different distracting behaviours while driving. Mostcommonly, they reported drinking coffee or another type of beverage(84 percent); eating food (70 percent); or talking on a cell phone (53percent). Fewer admitted to writing, sending or reading text messages(15 percent); reading the newspaper, a book, or map (10 percent); ordoing their hair (seven percent), and one percent of respondents wereguilty of watching TV while driving. Female respondents with alicense were asked if they had ever applied make-up while driving, towhich 12 percent reported they had. On the other hand, males with adrivers license were asked if they had ever shaved while driving—all(100 percent) reported they had not.

HAVE YOU SEEN OTHERS ENGAGE IN DISTRACTING BEHAVIOURS?All respondents were then asked if they had ever witnessed anydistracting behaviours in other drivers. While 11 percent stated no, 88percent indicated they had. Respondents who had, frequentlymentioned behaviours such as using a cell phone, including texting(75 percent); applying make-up (21 percent); reading (14 percent); andgeneral lack of focus (14 percent). Other responses includeddistracting passengers (11 percent), eating/drinking (nine percent), anddoing their hair (six percent).

HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROBLEM OF DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED?When respondents were asked how serious of a problem they believedriver distraction to be, over three-quarters (77 percent) indicated itwas very serious (4 or 5 out of 5), while 16 percent indicated it wasmoderately serious, and five percent reported it was not serious (1 or 2

out of 5). Respondents were then asked if they had been in an accidentcaused by driver distraction. One-quarter indicated they had. Whenasked if it was caused by their distraction, or by someone else’s, fourrespondents said they were the ones distracted, while 19 respondentsreported it was the other drivers. Respondents who had not been in anaccident caused by driver distraction were asked if they had ever comeclose. Fifty-six percent stated they had, while 43 percent said they hadnot.

DO YOU FAVOUR LEGISLATIONTHAT BANS CERTAIN DISTRACTIONS?

Finally, respondents were informed that the government is currentlydeveloping legislation that focuses on all types of driving distractionand behaviours, including but not limited to cell phone use andtexting, Respondents were asked if they were in favour of a law thatwill ban distracting activities while driving. The vast majority (86percent) indicated they were, while eight percent were not. Of those infavour, 58 percent cited safety concerns, while 23 percent believed itwould make drivers more aware. When respondents who were not infavour were asked why, they most frequently mentioned too muchgovernment restriction on personal freedom.

Monthly Poll Station Online QuestionVisit www.edmontonians.com to register your opinion

Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll?Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail

[email protected].

Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner ofBanister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider ofmarket research and program evaluation services.Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

Perc

ent

Perc

ent

84%70%

53%

15% 10% 7%

86%

8%

1%Reported that

they had drivenwhile drinking

a beverage

Indicated that they werein favour of legislation

banning distractingactivities while driving

Indicated that they werenot in favour of legislation

banning distractingactivities while driving

Reported thatthey had

driven whileeating food

Reported thatthey had drivenwhile talking on

a cell phone

Reported thatthey had

driven whiletext messaging

Reported thatthey had drivenwhile readingmaps or books

Reported thatthey had driven

while doingthier hair

Reported thatthey had drivenwhile watching

television

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I’ve previously discussed choicesin life, and how the wrong one candestroy you. Such was the case withJames Roszko’s accomplices SeanHennessy and Dennis Cheeseman andtheir role in the murder of fourMounties, details of which you’re fullyaware.

Some 17 students are back inSedgewick Central High Public Schoolthis month after expulsion for hazing anumber of Grade 10 students. Thefroshes were duct-taped to a bridge,had their pants pulled down, and thenpaddled with a belt, goalie sticks andother weapons. Fireworks were alsoshot at them.

The abused students, understandably,did not rat on the bullies. Schoolauthorities, as best they can, haveoutlawed future threats sneakilyconveyed through such technologicalmeans as cell phones, texting or theInternet.

Canadian super model LiskulaCohen of New York discovered suchdangers when an unidentified Googleblogger called her a “skank” and “ho”,among other things. U.S. Supreme

Court Justice Joan Madden said suchterms carried a negative implication ofsexual promiscuity and ordered Googleto identify the blogger—which theydid.

The University of Guelph did a studyon Facebook and found the more timespent on this social networking site,

the more likely you are to feel jealousor betrayed. They cited GeorgiaHobbs-Meyer of the UK gettingdivorced after stumbling across herhusband’s Facebook correspondencewith a woman. Emma Brady was“shell shocked” when friends said herhusband had used the same site to posttheir breakup.

Edmontonians Publisher SharonMacLean faced similar choicesrecently. She was offered a lucrative

contract to publish a front page coverprofile and story, as well as anadvertisement, on a Canadianentrepreneur and his Toronto-basedwebsite promoting adultery. Sharonwas told the client in question hadalready been featured on Oprah, LarryKing, The View, and Time magazine.

While this year’s Super Bowl rejectedadvertising of this website, porn TVprograms, billboards and radio adshave succeeded in raising the site’sprofile.

Further, over four million membersnow regularly use this website. Onemonth alone last summer, a record679,000 (92 percent of the males and60 percent of the females are married)used the website to contact a cheatingpartner.

I’m no prude, but I have no intentionof revealing the name of this websitewhich openly condones and promotesadultery. While it would have beentempting and easy to accept the bigbucks offered during current tougheconomic times, both Sharon andEditor Barb Deters quickly agreedthat they couldn’t compromise theintegrity of Edmontonians—or theirown personal principles.

Knowing these ladies for some timeand admiring their personal qualities, Ithink both might have been guided bythe words of wisdom by ChristianLarson, who said: “Have pride in howfar you have come, and have faith inhow far you can go!”

Truly great advice for all of us,including all students at the SedgewickCentral High Public School—especially the 17 expelled forhazing—and for the wrong choicesthey made. √

Bruce Hogle is the formernews director at CFRN TVand retired head of theAlberta Press Council. [email protected]

ediaMinutewith Bruce HogleM

got lost on the way to this year’sSizzling Twenty under 30reception. The event was at theLexus of Edmonton dealership—

and has been for four years—and yet I stillmanaged to get lost. After responsiblypulling over to search my BlackBerry forthe exact address, I arrived in time for therecognition ceremony. I was reminded ofthe impact a meeting of the minds can have.This event is hard to explain to thosewho’ve never been. It is like walking into afirestorm of over-achievers.

The first people I bumped into were BenBlock and Krista Turko, a couple—literally—of 2007 Sizzlers who met at thereception two years ago and are nowworking together at Sundial, Ben’s graphics,print and marketing company. On the wayto the bar to grab a glass of wine, Ward 5City Councillor and 2008 Sizzler, DonIveson, wandered by wearing his newestaccessory—baby Dexter Chan Iveson—ina Snuggly.

Winding my way through the crowd, Ispotted 2006 Sizzlers Rishi Patel, andowner of Keeran Systems and Twist UltraLounge, and Chris Bolivar, owner ofOptamedia. They were discussing theeconomy and its effect on their businesses.Despite the downturn both are expecting astrong fourth quarter.

Having profiled the club late last year, Iwas curious about Twist. Although it isbeginning to get some recognition, theconversation quickly turned to theclub’s website. Until now, it hasn’thad a web presence to speak of,aside from a logo on the landingpage at twistultralounge.com.

Flash forward: When I gothome, I googled Twist UltraLounge. My search results were aclubzone listing with very basiccontact information and a facebook group

promoting $3 highballs and a list of Twist’supcoming events. There is no way to makereservations or buy tickets to events (like theHallowe’en Party) online, something Rishi’sclientele are demanding. A website is abasic tool the club needs. Without a fullyfunctioning website, Twist is not part of theonline consumer conversation.

Chris and I had a great time teasing Rishifor knowing the importance of the web fordirect e-mail marketing and generatingleads, but not yet devoting the resources tocapitalizing on this opportunity to continueTwist’s high-end branding. It takesskill and knowledge as well astime, money and creativityto make your onlinemarketing campaigneffective, but it is one ofthe most measurable toolswe marketers have to workwith. Later, Rishi and Idiscussed the benefits ofmonitoring thewebsite

to measure which pages have the highesttraffic and how long visitors stay with theinformation. He made a very good pointthat monitoring the online traffic flowallows you to treat your online customerssimilar to those who visit your bricks andmortar location.

Moving through the crowd I chatted withJason Reiniger, owner of Gravity Eventsand sibling of 2007 Sizzler CarissaReiniger. His colleague Brady Hedlund,owner of Life Before Work Tours,

mentioned they recently launched a newevent inspired by the infamous Full Moonparties in Thailand. Apparently, later thatweek, their second Full Moon Party soldout at the Edmonton Events Centre.

Just before I left, I met Lori Rebalkinfrom Magic 99 who was kind enough tointroduce me to another ’07 Sizzler, JesseLipscombe of P.H.A.T. Training. Theentrepreneur/athlete/artist has so manyprojects on the go, I don’t have space toname them all. Except to say that he and his

wife Shannon Tyler of Magic 99 areexpecting their second child inJanuary—a playmate for son Chile.

Basically, my night with theSizzlers reminded me that anyonewho calls Edmonton “Deadmonton”doesn’t feel the sizzle of these up-and-comers. √

Erin Rayner is president of EDMarketing and Communications [email protected]

IIwith Erin Rayner

Integrityvs.

Big Bucks

2008 Sizzlers Rishi Pateland Chris Bolivar

Realtor Alex Thomson of Avison Young,Jason Reiniger and Brady Hedlund

Photos by Quincey Deters



LIVELYlifestyles

Sizzling • Current & past Sizzlers

• Events • Nominations

• On-line features

www.edmontonians.comwww.sizzlinginedmonton.com

N E W SCHECK OUT

hey attend conventions in theround on manicured lawns orslumber in the rich loam of oaktree roots until rudely

awakened by well trained snouts. They’vebeen used for culinary, ritualistic andpsychedelic purposes since prehistorictimes. They can be stuffed, sliced orsautéed to complement recipes... or slylyrecruited as murder accomplices. Whowould have known that the gilled funguswe refer to as the mushroom has such avaried and colourful résumé?

While not all varieties of mushrooms arewelcome in our yards, concrete replicas canlend a whimsical statement to anylandscape. The vermiculite content anddetachable cap produce a lightweightornament simple to relocate and store.

MATERIALS for 12 mushroomsHollow plastic baseball bats 14” – 26”6” - 12”-plastic bowls of variousshapes/depths2 large bags Vermiculite or Perlite4 - 25kg bags play sand40 kg bag type 50 Portland cementDuct tape and electricians tape24’ rebar3’ - 1 /2” PVC pipeSpray silicone/vegetable oil (release)Acid stainConcrete sealantPlastic pails

TOOLSDrill with concrete paddleCut-off saw with metal-cutting blade orangle grinderTape measureUtility knife or band saw

CONCRETE RECIPE2 parts water 3 1/2 parts cement3 parts sand 3 parts Vermiculate or Perlite

Note: Cement becomes caustic when mixedwith water: Wear long sleeves, gloves, eyeprotection and a respiratory mask whenmixing ingredients together. Work outdoorswhen possible, or in a well-ventilated areainside.

STEP-BY-STEPS• Remove grip and top of bat, cut bat in

half lengthwise. Hold both piecestogether and hinge with duct tape alongoutside seam of one side of bat. Openmould and spray interior with release.Close mould and duct tape along otherside.

• Seal top of narrow neck of bat with ducttape and cut a small slit in centre of sealto accommodate rebar needed in nextstep. Wrap bat mould with electricianstape.

• For each stem, cut rebar with cut-offsaw or angle grinder 6” longer thanmould. Insert rebar into mould, pushing1 1/2” through slit at sealed end.Demark rebar with tape to indicatealignment to correct any shifting whencement is poured.

• Fill bucket with sand and bury neck ofmould.

• Cut PVC pipe 1/2” shorter than abowl’s depth to create mushroom caps.Seal one end with duct tape. Spraybowl interior with release.

• Mix up concrete recipe in pail, startingwith all the water first. Add dryingredients one cup at a time and blendthoroughly with paddle until mixresembles coarse oatmeal. Spoon mixinto bat mould and massage into neckby gently churning rebar until concretehas fallen into place, adding more ifnecessary. Position rebar in centre ofmould and tape into place.

• Pour concrete into bowl, press PVCpipe into centre taped-side down with1/2” of concrete between the bottom ofthe bowl and pipe. Ensure pipe is leveland keep concrete mix out of PVCopening.

• Cure 24 hours. Remove stems andcaps from moulds and apply acid stainaccording to manufacturer’sinstructions. Use mild detergent torinse and scrub off residue. Repeatstain/wash process until desired effectis achieved.

• Dry 24 hours, apply two coats sealant. √

with Linda Bodo

TT

Fabulous FungiFabulous Fungi

Linda Bodo is author of Enjoy LifeOutside. Visit www.absolutebodo.comfor upcoming appearances andproject demonstrations; view otherDIY projects; or order her book.Contact: [email protected]

Go to edmontonians.com and visit theLively Lifestyles blog.



ou either love them or hatethem. But there’s no denyingit: There is a growing interestin this province about all

things fungi. You see them when you walkthrough the Rocky Mountain foothills andSouthern Boreal Forest. They come in allshapes and sizes, with some of the mostvibrant colors you’ll ever see. Wild Albertamushrooms.

There are thousands of different speciesfrom microscopic size to basketball-sizedpuff mushrooms. And this is where it getstricky. A good number of them that areedible... some will make you really sick...others can be fatal. To say you have toknow what you are picking to eat is anunderstatement.

This is where Edmonton’s MycologicalSociety—often simply referred to as theMushroom Club—comes in. Founded in1987 as a non-profit society by ProfessorRandy Currah and Helene Schalkwijk-Barendsen, it is the only such club in theprairie provinces. It provides education topromote an understanding and appreciationof the Kingdom Fungi.

“People shouldn’t go willy-nilly pickingand eating mushrooms in the bush. Youshould go with experienced pickers or joina group such as ours,” according toPresident Martin Osis. He says they offerlectures, walks, mushroom hunts and aNAIT class that involves learning how touse and cook these delectable morsels.

Osis laughs when he calls mushroompicking “the intellectual outdoor activity.You have to put your brain into gear. If youlike problem solving, this is for youbecause you’re finding a fresh, edibleproduct, and you’re always findingsomething new.” He likens it to an Easter

egg hunt. “You’ll never know what you’regoing to find.”

Sorrentino’s Corporate Chef SonnySung agrees. He says a lot of peopledon’t understand mushrooms or how touse them. Add to this the fact that wedon’t see many specialty mushrooms inour grocery stores.

“I really love to work with them,experiment, spend a lot of time on menudevelopment… a lot of time perfectingin the kitchen.”

People tend to overlook the medicinalproperties of mushrooms. That’s right,they’re just not fungus. According toChef Sonny, “The Cancer Institute ofJapan states that the Hon-Shimejimushroom, which grows on wood,contains medicinally active ingredientswith strong anti-tumor activity.” What’smore, he adds, some mushrooms containanti-oxidents; some are good to fightgout, and others have been found to helpin the fight against breast cancer.

Due to public demand, Sorrentino’slaunched the Annual Mushroom Harvest15 years ago, on the heels of the highlysuccessful Garlic Festival which raisedenough money to build CompassionHouse. It’s a great way to try somefantastic mushrooms that aren’t alwaysavailable in our markets. It’s also a goodway to try exotics that sell for anywherefrom $60 a pound to $500 a pound.Alberta grows a Pine Mushroom in theFort McMurray and Smoky Lakeregions. Here they cost $10 a pound—inJapan, they sell for $400 a pound.

Chef Sonny created an incrediblemenu for the Mushroon Harvest. He waskind enough to share this single-servingrecipe:

RISOTTO WITH LOBSTERMUSHROOM AND WILDGRILLED SHRIMP1 oz. extra virgin olive oil2 oz. chopped white onions8 oz. Carnaroli rice (or Arborio)3 oz. lobster mushrooms diced 1/4 inch2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated1 Tbs. butter5 pieces of grilled shrimp2 cups or more of chicken stocksea salt and pepper to taste• Add oil to heated sauté pan.• Add chopped onion and sauté until

translucent.• Add in rice and sauté until husks are

coated and heated through.• Slowly add in chicken stock, a few ounces

at a time and bring to a simmer. Stir untilliquid evaporates.

• Repeat adding more liquid until it’s allgone and risotto is to your desireddoneness.

• Add the diced mushrooms.• Cook until all of the liquid is evaporated.• Add cheese and toss.• Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.• Add butter and toss. Rice should be

creamy not dry.• Spoon the rice in the center of a bowl and

garnish with shrimp, fresh herbs and moreParm-Reggiano cheese.

If mushrooms are your passion, make sureyou mark your calendar for the 16th AnnualMushroom Harvest in early September nextyear. Can’t wait? You’re in luck:Sorrentino’s Annual Truffle and WineDinner happens November 4th. For ticketsand details, call Priya Bhasin at780.474.6466. √

Contact Chef John Berry [email protected] Go to Edmontonians.com and visit theLively Lifestyles Blog.

YY

with Chef John Berry

MagicM

ENU

2

1

1

2

3

4

5

3 4 5

Hon-Shimeji mushrooms in MoscatoDʼAsti white ice wine with yellowChanterelle Biscotti

Honey Balsamic Portabello, stuffedwith goat cheese and walnut oil

Seared Cape Capensis fillet withsautéed Morels

Risotto with Lobster Mushroom andGrilled Wild Shrimp

Seared Veal Striploin Steak withKing Boletus Mushroom andMarsala glazed

Sorentino’s PureMushroom Heaven

To‘cap’ it all off...Chefs John Berryand Sonny Sung



They came… they saw… they cheered.The Lexus of Edmonton showroom sizzled with energy asmore than 400 people attended a reception to recognize theachievements of Edmontonians Sizzling Twenty under 30,featured in the September issue. Since 2002, 160 dynamicindividuals have been feted.

Bright Ideas Group—BIG The annual Sizzling Reception is organized with the assistanceof representatives of sponsoring companies and institutions,and former Sizzlers.

Edmontonians also acknowledges and thanks: theConcordia Ambassadors—students who greet guests at theSizzling Reception; the Public Relations students from theMacEwan School of Business who assisted the photo-graphers throughout the event; Floral Occasions for theSizzlers’ red roses; Divertido for name tags and receptionembellishments; Broadcaster and 2007 Sizzler MelissaDominelli who emceed the event; 2008 Sizzler Cara Albofor her song stylings; the Dave Burner Trio; and everyonewho made this Sizzling Soirée the biggest and best.

Photos by Terry Bourque, Quincey Deters,Rocco Macri and Crystal Yuzyk

Ben Block, 2007 SizzlerSundial Graphics

Jana ClarkeMacEwan School of Business

Chris Curtola, 2005 SizzlerJunior Chamber InternationalCENA Development Corp.

Tad DrinkwaterSchool of Business NAIT

Karen FaulknerJanice MooreCommunity Relations NorQuest College

Rhonda HalarewichCreative ServicesSara KlapsteinCommunity RelationsGlobal Edmonton

Dr. Jumana Jarrah, 2008 SizzlerNew Balance Chiropractor Clinic

Bruce KirklandLornel LutzLexus of Edmonton

Sharon MacLean Barb DetersMaria PolittiEdmontonians

Kerri McKinnonFaculty of Professional EducationConcordia University Collegeof Alberta

Roberto Moreno, 2009 SizzlerElisse Heine, 2009 SizzlerDivertido Urban Jauntsizzlinginedmonton.com

Ward 6 Councillor Dave Thielebrought greetings from the CityWard 6 Councillor Dave Thielebrought greetings from the City

Sorrentino’s catering chefand manager Chris Hrynyk

Sizzling sponsors Kerri McKinnon ofConcordia University College, and KeelyBrown of the Edmonton Oilers

Sizzler Rebecca Jonesand Sylvain LeBourhis,co-owners of CurvesFort Saskatchewan andManning Crossing

“Girls just wanna have fun...”Elizabeth Blomert and Nykie Starr

Elvie Clarke of Edmontonians with son Michael

and his friend Kathleen De CaenElvie Clarke of Edmontonians with son Michael

and his friend Kathleen De Caen

2008 Sizzler Ward 5 CouncillorDon Iveson with son Dexter



Emcee Melissa Dominelli,2007 SizzlerEmcee Melissa Dominelli,2007 Sizzler

Laura Mitchell, co-ownerof Details Plus executivehome management, andTracy Hartson of DirectHome Décor.

Katherine Hutton of Concordia UnivesityCollege with Jon Hall, marketing directorof the Realtors Association of Edmonton

Sizzler Neville Wright and his bride Wendy were joined by friends Fitz Barnet, (far left)Charmain Walters and Andrea Stobbe. The Wrights married on the Saturday before theSizzling Reception, and left for their honeymoon cruise the Saturday after.

Winnie Bogosoff, assistant toEdmonton Castle Downs MLA ThomasLukaszuk, shown here with NejollaKorris, Honorary Consul for Lithuania

Tad Drinkwater of NAIT,one of the event’s sponsors

Sizzling dad Steve Hogle of the Alberta ResearchCouncil with Sizzler Taddes Korris, a double bassstudent at the Manhattan School of Music.

Ashton Paulitsch, VP of sales and marketing of AbsoluteBodo with Edmontonians columnists Chef John Berry ofthe Canadian Traffic Network and DIY guru Linda Bodo.

Pat McLaughlin, Oilers Brand VP and TandyKustiak, HR manager of the Edmonton Oilers

NorQuest President Dr. Wayne Shillington withTodd Odgers, VP of the NorQuest Centre forExcellence, who accepted for Jaimy Miller,currently taking her Masters in political scienceat Queen’s University.

Sizzler Annie Do with her mother Phuong,father Kiet, and grandmother Khanh

Presentation bySharon MacLeanto Sean Farmer

Presentation bySharon MacLeanto Sean Farmer

The ReNue Properties team:Krista Winkler, office manager;Sizzler Michael Christiansen,owner; and Niki Flis, secretary/personal assistant.

lor

Sponsor representatives from NorQuest College: Karen Woitas,

Wanda Bursey and Janice Moore with Maneesha Phelan of

New Image Cosmetic & Medical Centre.

Sponsor Janice Douville, owner, and SharonKokeof Direct Home Décor, with Darrell Ungstadof Edmonton Catholic Schools.

Sponsor Janice Douville, owner, and SharonKokeof Direct Home Décor, with Darrell Ungstadof Edmonton Catholic Schools.



Sizzler Karella Cummings, founder of the West IndianCanadian Culture Association, with Heather Robertson,Sherol Leslie, Shayla Leslie, Jennifer Robertson andAmanda Jackman.

2005 Sizzler Sarah York of PhloeDesign; sponsorreps from Global Edmonton Rhonda Halarewich,promotions manager, and Sara Klapstein,communications coordinator.

Sizzling momCharlotte Robb

Presentation by Bruce Kirkland toElisse Heine and Roberto Moreno.Presentation by Bruce Kirkland toElisse Heine and Roberto Moreno.

MaKami College instructor Stephanie Olson, studentKrista Gagne, and owner Sizzler Marija Pavkovic.

Kristina Little and Françoise Belzil Castellarin withSizzler Krista Castellarin and her husband Dwayne,Canada’s only certified feline master groomer.

Giona Chute with her son and daughter-in-law, Aaron and Sizzler Alexis Marie,and their friend Candace Schiebelbein.

Publisher Sharon MacLean

The stars of Room 322: Sizzler Robert Tyndale,Maria Kombejian, and Nathan Tyndale.

Jill Brock and Sizzler Tim Francisof JointVenture Alberta.com.

2003 Sizzler Sean Ouimet of RedmanTech and Nathan “Dog” McQuay of

Deloitte Touche LLP.

Dylan Touhey, co-founder of EnviroSpeak Mediaand Sizzler Nicole Sorochan with Sizzler Zac Hogleof Aquila Productions and his girlfriend Ava Totillo “The Gadget Guy” Greg Gazin,

Edmontonians Visiona ries writer,with Sizzler David Bayda of Ezemble



ucked away in a non-descript commercialstrip on 118th Avenue in Edmonton’snorthwest is a 1900-square footdatacentre. It provides web hosting, co-

location (server-hosting), web design and data back-upservices. You won’t see Telus, Bell or Shaw on thesign—just a rather humble white and red adornmentdisplaying 4Web.ca.

But don’t let that fool you. ”Inside you’ll find afibre-optic pipe—enough Internet capacity for theentire Whyte Avenue corridor. And it’s a long street,”says Ayman Hassan, president of 4Web.ca.

His company is like David in the land of Goliaths: Injust two years, it has experienced steady growth.Hassan proudly declares that he has a close ratio of 80percent among the people who walk through his door.

“Datacentre” sounds so 1970s. What with today’scomputers being so powerful and hard drives so cheap,it seems counterintuitive for people to use them.

“Keeping everything at your own location is great forCAD (computer-aided design) or web development but

for an average user, it’s dangerous for storing files.Desktops fail, laptops fail. Outages can happen anytime; the fire at Rice Howard Way… storms, tornadoes,not uncommon in Alberta…”

Loss of data can also mean lost business—but evenphotos, many of which are never printed, cannot bereplaced—so having back-ups are critical for everyone.

“We’ve really come full circle,” says Hassan. “Thinkof it as the datacentre of the future, rather than the old’70s mainframes,” except there is Internet galore—multi-homed (Internet redundancy)—with multipleconnections so, if one drops, the other kicks in withinseconds.

“We have enough for a neighbourhood likeCallingwood. It’s clean inverted power. Dirty power,spikes and surges are causes of equipment failure.”4Web.ca has an 80 kilowatt UPS (uninterrupted powersupply) and a battery backup that can supply amplepower for a full hour. System up-time is 99.9 percent.

Maintaining data safety security is critical. Allclients, regardless of their service needs, get a personal

tour of the 4Web.ca facility.Hassan sees a paradigm shift from desktop

computing toward “cloud” computing—the use of anyInternet-based application. Examples include gmail,Google’s e-mail, Google docs, and businessapplications like Collin Snowball’s Easy-Bill OnLine,featured in Edmontonians in October 2008.

“We’re going back to the days of the dumb terminalwhere information is stored in datacenters—anythingon the desktop can be pushed to the cloud.”

Even Microsoft Exchange Servers, traditionally keptin-house, are now moving off-site, further fueling thedemand for datacenters.

“For some businesses, e-mail is more important thanthe phone.”

Economics also affect decision-making. During thelast spurt, a major manufacturing customer of Hassan’swould have gone with everything in-house had the rallycontinued. “They would have brought in fibre fromTelus at a cost of about $80,000 plus $2-to-4K/monthlyplus power.”

TTBy Greg Gazin

Continued on page 14

Taking on

in the

Ayman Hassan

ioAlberta chose National Biotechnology Weekin late September to release its State of theIndustry 2009 Report. And, to no one’ssurprise, the long tentacles of the global

recession touched even Alberta’s biotechnology sector“It’s been a tough year,” says BioAlberta President

Ryan Radke.“The life science industry in Alberta is not immune

to what’s going on with the general economy, sogenerally I’d say a lot of the categories were downanywhere between 10 to 30 percent. Revenues weredown in the past year. Definitely investment was down.This is one area that is key to the life science industryin Alberta. For all elements of biotechnology, whetherit is health biotech, ag biotech, industrial, environment,the key element is for companies to be able to access

capital. And, unfortunately over the last year it justwasn’t there.”

This is the third time BioAlberta has surveyed itsmembers; the previous two reports wereissued in 2005 and 2007.

The 2009 report was developed incollaboration with Deloitte &Touche LLP. The results are basedon a questionnaire sent to theexecutives of 124 life sciencecompanies in Alberta. In all, 105companies responded, giving atleast partial if not completeanswers, providing a responserate of 84.7 percent.

“Essentially we werelooking to get in touch withour constituents, ourmembers and get a sensefrom them how things

adient Technologies Inchas pulled up stakes and ismoving from Vancouver toEdmonton.

This is good news for Edmonton’sbiotechnology sector which hasexperienced some tough times over thepast few months.

Radient has commercializedtechnology first developed byEnvironment Canada for use inenvironmental remediation. Called amicrowave-assisted solvent extractionprocess, it also has applications in otherareas including flavourings, herbs,nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, andbiochemicals.

An investment of $5.5 million fromAVAC, Foragen and Agriculture, andAgrifood Canada will boost Radient’smarketing efforts.

And the man leading that charge is Dr.David Cox. He was lured from his

position as the head of TEC Edmontonto become the new CEO of Radient.

According to Dr. Cox, “It’s a businessexercise in understanding the market. Wehave a nice problem. The problem is thereare so many things that you can do withthis technology. so many problems thatyou can solve. We’re spoiled for choice.And if we’re not careful, we can getdistracted on too many interesting thingsrather than the necessary few. So job oneis to understand the global market for thiskind of application and then target thosecompanies where the Radient solutionwill be transformative for them. And theydon’t know that they need us yet. It’s myjob to show them how they need us.”

Cox expects Radient will achieve thisgrowth through licensing its technology toother companies and by manufacturing itsown

~ Cheryl Croucherwww.radientinc.com

BRIEFS

BB



RR

By Cheryl Croucher

hat impact nutritionhas on the mental healthof pregnant women andthe development of their

babies is the focus of a new study calledAPrON—Alberta Pregnancy Outcomesand Nutrition.

This study, funded by the AlbertaHeritage Foundation for MedicationResearch, is currently seeking participantsfrom Edmonton and Calgary, and isdesigned to follow 10,000 pregnant womenand their infants.

According to Dr. Catherine Field, aprofessor of nutrition at the University ofAlberta and one of three principleinvestigators with APrON, depressionduring pregnancy is on the rise. Recent

statistics indicate about 12 percent ofpregnant women will either bediagnosed with or seek medical help fordepression.

Says Dr. Field, “There’s a growingbody of literature suggesting thatnutrition, even things like body weightgain during pregnancy, can influencemental health which, of course, can alsoinfluence what the mother is eating ifshe is suffering from some level ofdepression. We really don’t know thatassociation. And actually, there’s nogroup in North America looking atmental health and nutrition.”

The nutrition aspect of the study willfocus on three micro-nutrients that areoften deficient in western diets: Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and folic acid.

She explains, “If we look at theOmega-3 fatty acids, they’re in veryhigh concentrations in the brain. Andwe know from animal work, if they areinsufficient in the diet, we have effectson learning and effects on normal brain

development. Iron is very important forsome of the signals in the brain. And weknow in children, if there’s insufficient iron,there are effects on learning behaviour. Andthe B vitamins are also very important inboth the development of brain cells but alsoin the optimal function of brain cells.”

Dr. Field’s team hopes that, byuncovering links between nutrition anddepression during pregnancy, they candevelop intervention programs toprevent conditions such as post-partumdepression and attention deficit disorder.

Women interested in participating inthe APrON study can find moreinformation at www.apronstudy.ca or bycalling 780-492-4667. √

~ Cheryl Croucher

Leaves Lotus Landfor Edmonton

APrON Study

Pregnant Women

WW

RadientTechnologies

RadientTechnologies

RadientTechnologies

Ryan RadkePresident, BioAlberta

Dr. David Cox

Dr. Catherine Field

Canada’s largest biosciences clusterlacks adequate funding

Show us the money!

are out there,” explains Radke. “How is the economyimpacting the company? What could we be doingbetter here in Alberta? What’s working? What isn’tworking? Just to get a state of the industry and see howthings are going.”

Edmonton has the largest biosciences cluster inCanada and the city is certainly the life scienceskingpin for Alberta. The report shows that 58 percentof bio-industry companies are located in the Edmontonregion, 33.6 percent in Calgary, and 8.4 percent inother areas.

Health biotechnology and medical devices accountfor 60 percent of the bio-industry. Agriculturebiotechnology accounts for 12.3 percent. The rest ofthe industry is devoted to such things as specialtypacking for infectious substances, biologicalspecimens, natural products, industrial chemicals, andengineering services. What’s interesting is that mostcompanies are active in more than one sector.

About one-third of companies are involved inmanufacturing and another third in research anddevelopment.

As well, almost half have lead products that arealready in the market; 16.7 percent are in pre-clinicaltesting, and 20.8 percent of companies are testing theirlead products in clinical trials.

The State of the Industry report indicates somedisturbing trends. For example, two-thirds of Alberta’slife science companies were created before 1999. Onlyone-third of Alberta’s life science companies have beenformed since 2000. The report shows a downward trendin the creation of new life science companies, with only10.5 percent being established between 2005 and 2009.It’s not exactly the sort of thing you want to hear whenthe province says it is trying to build a strong lifesciences industry here.

Also on a downward trend is the ability of companiesto raise capital for ongoing operations and research anddevelopment.

Radke points out, “Here in Alberta the investmentsituation has always been a tough one. Even duringgood times two years ago, we weren’t securingnecessarily as much investment as the rest of Canadawas. I think here in Alberta in all of the technologysectors, we don’t see as much venture capital action aswe would like. Our public companies tend to struggle alittle bit on the Toronto Stock Exchange and theventure exchanges. And so we saw a fairly large dip inthis area for the 2009 report. We saw investment capitalraised was almost at an all time low. It was just over$100 million, which is okay. But for the technologyindustry that we have here, we should be securing a lotmore investment than that.”

This drop in investment is having a significant impacton cash flow for companies, most of which are smallwith fewer than 30 employees. The amount of cash on-hand for companies has decreased from an average of15 months to less than 10 months. Companies aretightening their belts by letting employees go, someshutting their doors, and most cutting their R&Dspending.

And revenues? The report indicates these will dropby 22 percent for 2009, although most companies alsoexpress a certain degree of optimism that they will seea recovery through 2010.

Radke suggests, “It’s not all terrible news, really.Some of the areas didn’t decrease as much as wethought they would. Employment numbers weren’tdown all that dramatically, about 10 percent. So,compared to some industrial sectors, that’s not bad.This industry has managed to weather the storm reallywell, actually.”

He says the report indicates that companies arelooking to a brighter future for the life sciencesindustry.

“When we started asking companies about what theysaw one and two years out, I think they see the end insight to the recession or the economic downturn. They

can see that perhaps lenders will be coming back intothe market, looking for good opportunities.

What’s significant is that the most common sourceof capital is what the report calls “government-facilitated programs”. Fully half the respondentcompanies have used these in the past and almosttwo-thirds intend to pursue these programs to raisecapital in the future. These include the ScientificResearch and Experimental Development (SR&ED)Tax program, NRC’s Industrial Research AssistanceProgram, along with funding from Alberta HeritageFoundation for Medical Research, Alberta IngenuityFund, AVAC, and the Alberta Innovation VoucherProgram.

The report concludes that the number one issue forAlberta’s biotechnology companies is securingfinancing. And, as for government initiatives, theybelieve the most important thing the Albertagovernment can do to stimulate growth for thecompanies is improve the provincial tax environmentthrough the SR&ED and other tax incentives.

“This kind of information gives us some solid datathat we can talk about with members of thecommunity, members of government, members of theindustry, and say, ‘What do we want to build here inAlberta?’ And then what we need to do is figure outthe roadmap of how we’re going to get there.” √

www.bioalberta.com

To hear Cheryl’s conversation with Ryan Radke, visitwww.innovationanthology.com

Cheryl Croucher hosts InnovationAnthology which is broadcast onCKUA Radio at 7:58 am and 4:58pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ordownload the podcasts atwww.innovationanthologyy.com

he two leading nano-technology research centresin North America are locatedat the University of Alberta

in Edmonton and at Rice University inHouston, Texas.

Now, thanks to a Memorandum ofUnderstanding signed by Premier EdStelmach and David Leebron,president of Rice University, these tworesearch agencies are combining theirexpertise to advance work on cleanenergy development.

Partners in the MOU are nanoAlberta(through Alberta Advanced Educationand Technology), The Richard ESmalley Institute for NanoscaleScience and Technology, and RiceUniversity.

The agreement encouragescollaboration on projects that canenhance sustainable energy developmentand the development of cleantechnologies, and improve efficiency in

renewable energy technologies andapplications of nanoscience.

“In both Alberta and Texas, energy isour foundation… and technology andinnovation are our future,” says PremierStelmach. “Combining the energy andnanotechnology expertise of teams inAlberta and Texas could help bring aboutenergy technology solutions that haven’teven been considered yet.”

Leebron says the Houston area andcities in Alberta have much in common,and he looks forward to an effectivepartnership. “The extraordinary scholarsand researchers of the Smalley Institute ofRice University are developing advancednanoscale technologies to solve some ofthe world’s most pressing problems.Collaborating with nanoAlberta…hasgreat potential to benefit North Americaand the rest of the world with newsolutions to energy and relatedenvironmental challenges.” √

~ Cheryl Croucher



TT

October 7Business Link:Small Business SeminarClient Retention StrategiesFor The New EconomyPresenter: Greg Gazin, Parallel 2000/The Gadget Guy1:00 - 4:00 pm100, 10237- 104 Street, Edmonton800.272.9675 (toll-free)www.canadabusiness.ca/alberta/eventsand 1:00 - 4:00 pm (via Videoconference)250-639 5 Ave. SW, Calgary 403.221.7800www.canadabusiness.ca/alberta/events

October 8The Business Link:Brown Bag SessionWeb Design That WorksSuite 100, 10237-104 Street12:00 -1:00 pmwww.canadabusiness.ab.ca/brownbag.cfm

October 14AWE Business LuncheonPresentationPresenter:Jessie Radies of The Blue PearUnion Bank Inn

10053 Jasper Avenue11:30 am - 1:30 pmRSVP 1-800-713-3558

October 27novaNAIT InnovationSpeakers SeriesBusiness Valuation12:00 – 1:00 pmwww.novanait.ca

NOVEMBERNovember 3-4Western Canadian Function Food and Natural Health Product Network11th Annual ConferenceDelta Edmonton South Hotelwww.collinsharper.com/wcfn

On the HORIZONOCTOBER

AlbertaandTexas collaborate on

Nanotech& Energy

Phot

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Chu

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Premier Ed Stelmach



The company decided to co-locate itsequipment; its on-site tech stillmaintains it, but 4Web.ca manages thefibre, power, cooling and security. In-house centres are costly to set up, theyneed managing, and qualified ITpersonnel are difficult to find.

So how does Hassan manage tocompete and snag business away fromthe giants?

“It’s not always easy, but can be done.Companies like Telus have money forpromotion and have funds to acquire anycustomer.” Even he purchases bandwidthfrom the giants.

“Ayman is an alternative to the bigguys who weren’t responsive,” says DanCharrios, president of Syzygy Research& Technology Ltd., which co-locates itsservers at 4web.ca for its ExamBank.

Hassan’s four-phase business planpositions his company right in themiddle—in size and price—and uses aconsultative, collaborative approach.Meaning, he educates his customers andgives them value, while developing long-term relationships. Collaborationincludes his competitors—smallerproviders who can better competeagainst the Golaiths by workingtogether. “This is the key to success inany business,” he believes.

Hassan was born in Egypt and moved toCanada in 1972, when he was four. Heunderstands sales and marketing. He

admits becoming a tenacious salespersonearly—selling ladies shoes andencyclopedias. It taught himdetermination.

To avoid leaving Edmonton in therocky mid-90s, he took a position atCompuSmart. Lacking computerknowledge, he got off to a shaky start,and wanted to quit after a week. ButHassan persevered, acquiring thenecessary technical understanding.

Combined with his customerrelationship building skills, heconsistently became one of Compu-Smart’s top performers. And when itssister company, Interbaun Commun-ications, decided to create anindependent sales team, Hassan becamethe vendor rep to develop and expandpartner channels. Soon, he waspromoted to vendor manager and salesmanager.

Hassan recalls the relationship hedeveloped with London Drugs which,for years had shown no interest in whathe was selling. “An exercise inperseverance and persistence. I wouldn’ttake ‘no’ for an answer. Friends jokeabout that, saying that’s how I caughtmy wife.” He eventually made theconnection by offering Interbaun’sproduct, a Retail-Box Internet DSLKit—the first in Western Canada. Itmeant retailers no longer had to sign upcustomers, they simply had to sell thebox.

Ironically, the retail kit also caught theeye of Vancouver’s UniserveCommunications which later acquiredInterbaun. At first, the synergy ofexpansion appeared to foster thepossibilities of positive growth.Eventually, Uniserve became adisappointment to Hassan. “They lostthe Mom-and-Pop feel... tradingcustomer value for shareholder value.”

This was totally against his principle, sohe took on the role of Mr. Mom for sixmonths. While pondering job prospects,phone calls and e-mails came in. Friendsand past customers were asking his adviceand recommendations for hosting,designers and developers. He realized thathe wanted to be his own boss.

Hassan envisioned setting up his owndata centre—the cloud would be here inEdmonton. It was a huge risk. “We werein debt… it was never a good time. But,if I didn’t try then, I may have nevertried.” But he and his wife, Kim, decidedto get a second mortgage and put theirsavings at risk so he could follow hispassion. In 2007, he started planning hisdatacentre.

“Ayman puts everything on the line,sets goals and gets stuff done,” saysShaun Betchuk. “(One day) I went overafter work in sweats and a T-shirt.Ayman shared his vision asking me toco-locate my equipment. Jokingly, hesaid, ‘I’m going to need a network guy...maybe apply for a job.’”

Betchuk went home, created a four-page proposal, got dressed-up, droveback to Hassan’s office, and declared,“I’m here to apply for the job.” Hebecame 4Web.ca operations manager.“We’ve grown together.”

Since then, Hassan has hired MarkPhilips, a designer, and two contractors;Kim helps part-time. He’s extremelybusy with design work for the next year,but never stops looking for newopportunities, including additionalCanadian datacentres. With a largenetwork of relationships, his goal eachweek is to reconnect with at least five.

“We don’t have large resources likethe big players, but we do have theyellow pages and get many referrals byword of mouth.”

Hassan has carved out a small niche.Perhaps it’s more about living inharmony among the giants rather thanbattling them. √

Greg Gazin, “TheGadget Guy,” is aserial entrepreneur,freelance technologycolumnist, smallbusiness speaker, anavid Podcaster andproducer ofToastcaster.com. Gregcan be reached at780.424.1881, gadgetgreg.com [email protected]

Continued from page 11

oes social media influencedecision-makers?

“I hope that governmentswake up and take notice,”

said Sue Huff, an Edmonton PublicSchool Board Trustee, when asked howgovernments should address theinfluence that social media seeminglyprovides. “There needs to be awillingness to share power and moregenuine communication by politicians. Ithink people have felt verydisconnected from governments.”

I got into this discussion when Ibrought up ChangeCamp Edmonton.After hearing about ChangeCamp inToronto, I invited some locals toparticipate on a steering committee withthe intent of holding a similar eventhere. I’m proud to say that on October17th at U of A’s Lister Hall,Edmontonians will get a chance toparticipate in a day of democraticengagement. People from all levels ofgovernment and areas of society canregister at changecampedmonton.ca forthis free event.

I believe ChangeCamp will helpcitizens discover, discuss and engage indebate over key issues that pertain totheir lives. Further, it is a demonstrationof our ability to self-organize and createa construct that allows for deepconversations about how to enablegovernment to serve us better. Huffliked the idea too, “ChangeCamp seemsto be based on the wisdom of thecrowd.”

I talked with her about many thingssocial media-related. She believes that“influence goes both ways and I’d like tothink I’m influencing public opinion insome way.” I wondered if this exchangeof ideas online translated back to the

Board of Trustees. Huff provided anexample: She researched information shereceived on Twitter and her blogregarding issues around H1N1 andbrought it back to the board. “The thingsthat I learn I share and that expands theknowledge of the entire board.”

Regarding whether social media hasinfluence, many speculated online thatfusedlogic’s live streaming webcastentitled The Great Edmonton AirportDebate actually influenced some onCity Council when deciding theairport’s fate. I asked Councillor KimKrushell if she had viewed thestreaming video debate. Her response?“Yes.” Did she think that the socialmedia activity around the airport issueinfluenced councillors? “Oh yeah! I dothink it had influence on councillors.Bloggers directed people to e-mail…part of it was we were getting formletter e-mails from Cal Nichols’ side

and personal e-mails from the NextGencrowd, complete with e-mail addresses.I found it all fascinating.”

Many are familiar with PresidentBarack Obama’s now famous electioncampaign and its use of social media toinfluence American voters. How aboutcloser to home? “I’m really justscratching the surface of the directvoter connection,” said Danielle Smith,who’s running for the leadership of theWildrose Alliance Party. Phil Klein,father of former Premier Ralph Kleinhas joined Smith’s party. “The firstthing I did was ask if I could put it outon Twitter,” she said. She admits, “Idon’t have a blog yet, I’m not sure Iwill… being so busy, I like theefficiency of Twitter.

“We don’t have a very functionaldemocracy here in Alberta. Decisionsare being made out of the blue. From apolicy point of view, the point of

Twitter is to have direct connections—un-distilled commentary from averagepeople.” Smith offered further, “RalphKlein continued to be reachable.”Referencing that direct connectioncapability that Twitter provides, Imentioned that Premier Ed Stelmachhas two Twitter accounts, and askedhypothetically if she ever becamepremier would she continue to useTwitter herself. Smith replied, “It’sobvious that the premier is not usingTwitter himself. My intention is tocontinue to monitor what’s being saidonline. Should I win the leadershiprace, I would propose that Wildroseintegrate social media into ouroperations at the policy level.”

So does social media influencedecision-makers? Clearly, in differentways and at different levels. How muchdepends on the situation and the issueat hand. There seems to be experientialevidence to suggest that this trend willonly grow. As we get nearer to the dayof ChangeCamp Edmonton—coincidently, the day Smith finds out ifshe won her leadership race—I’m surethat social media will play a part inwhether some of you come out to offersome cool ideas for government toconsider.

Repurposing Sue Huff’s comment, Iagree with her and hope that govern-ments take notice and come out chatwith us average Albertans. “Let socialmedia continue to lend power to thepeople.” √

Walter Schwabe is the Chief EvolutionOfficer of fusedlogic inc., a socialmedia strategy firm and Albertacompany since 2000. You can learnmore at www.fusedlogic.com

DD

101with Walter SchwabemediamediaSocial



andall Stout is no copycat.The architect behind the newArt Gallery of Alberta (AGA)admits that he was influenced

by a number of factors in designing thestriking new building nearing completion onthe northeast corner of Sir WinstonChurchill Square. In a recent talkto the packed main floor audienceat the Winspear Centre, heexplained the conception of thedesign, how it evolved andchanged, and the technicalchallenges he and his team havefaced in bringing the new gallery toreality.

Los Angeles-based Stout said hetook his inspiration for the exteriorstainless steel ‘borealis’ from boththe aurora borealis, or northernlights, and from the more-or-lessnatural state of the NorthSaskatchewan River as it winds itsway through Edmonton. He contrasted therelatively unfettered course of the NorthSaskatchewan with rivers in other cities inthe U.S. and Europe, where they have beenchannelled or otherwise deprived of theirnatural state with warehouses, restaurants,condos, docks, and the like. Stout regardsthe river as an essential characteristic ofEdmonton, and he wanted to bring thatform to what essentially is a city built on arigid grid system, in its core on Sir WinstonChurchill Square.

Much has been made of the strikingexterior of the AGA, with a number ofcritics calling it a Frank Gehry knock-off.Stout did work with Gehry on a number ofprojects, but his presentation noted manysources of inspiration for his design (Gehrywasn’t mentioned). He pointed out thatwhile “design is personal, the making ofarchitecture is a very social act.” By this, hereferred both to his concept of the gallery’s

design, involving more than 20 years ofevolution of his own philosophy ofarchitecture, and to the large team ofarchitects, engineers, constructors, and themany sub-trades and professions involved inundertaking a project of this magnitude.

Using a series ofvisuals, Stout explainedthe evolution of his ownarchitectural style in thecontext of both form andlight, from a hand-rubbed,paraffin waxed, stainlesssteel installation in LosAngeles by artist PeterShelton, to the water-sculpted canyons of Arizona, to EeroSaarien’s iconic 1950’s TWA Terminal atJohn F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.He explained that advances in constructionand materials technology, not to mention theintroduction of and the increasingsophistication of computer software, havehelped him realize forms and shapes thatwould not have been possible just a fewyears ago, including the ones in the newAGA.

Stout also explained how the design

evolved as he became more familiar withthe city, acknowledging that thejuxtaposition of the riverscape with theurban grid of the city gave him the idea that“rather than making this whole building onelanguage, [we’d] actually highlight the

differences between thevery orthogonal inflexiblegalleries versus the morecelebratory and hopefullyiconic public spaces.” Thisdecision had a major effecton the location of suchthings as the receptiondesk, ticket control andsimilar practical needs, aswell as the defining

borealis whichcurves from the top through the

building, angling toward Sir WinstonChurchill Square, through to the interior.

Stout noted that with the exception ofpractical necessities such as loading docks,the entire exterior of the building has beendesigned to “reach out” to areas east, westand south. The facade facing east towardChinatown, for example, is zinc treated witha chemical mix that gives it a patina that isdifferent from flat zinc, giving it the abilityto reflect light—a greenish-grey in morninglight, and a more blue-grey later in the day.The stainless steel borealis curves toward

the LRT entrance across 99th Street nearCity Hall—and Stout hinted subtly that hehoped that the LRT entrance would befinished with the borealis design originallyenvisioned for that opening.

While the exterior of the building is morethan eye-catching—a “very photogenicbuilding,” in Stout’s words—the interior, towhich the audience was treated to a firstglimpse, is in my view going to be the moststunning aspect of the AGA, if therenderings and photographs are to bebelieved. The “Great Hall” is literally that: agreat hall, vertically and horizontally,defined by the borealis, which is finished inwhite inside. Stout incorporated aphilosophically important part of his visionin ensuring that the public spaces, includingthe cafe and third floor sculpture garden, areinterconnected.

Stout also pointed out that the AGA hasbeen designed very much with Edmonton’swinters in mind. “There will be some nicesurprises…that are weather related. We’veactually chosen to celebrate the presence ofsnow in a couple of locations, and I’ll leaveit at that and save that surprise for wintertime.”

He made it clear through his presentationthat the Art Gallery of Alberta is his owndesign. While it incorporates countlessinfluences, human and otherwise, thebuilding that has emerged is clearly his. Healso noted that it isn’t finished yet, andfurther changes are possible. Until thebuilding opens officially onJanuary 31st, 2010, Stoutsays that he has some say inwhat goes on. After that,however, “the building isyours—it belongs to younow.” √

David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor. Contact [email protected]

he beleaguered oilsands ofNorthern Alberta took anotherunexpected blow from halfwayaround the world as they became

a focal point in Norway’s electioncampaign. For those not aware of thisinteresting turn of events, a coalition ofNorwegian political parties turned Statoil’spresence in Alberta’s oilsands into anelection issue and declared that, if elected,they would force Statoil to abandon itsheavy investment in oilsands projects. Two-thirds of Statoil is owned by the governmentof Norway. (Note: The Norwegian electionwas held September 14th and the coalitionwas unsuccessful in achieving a majority.)

What is particularly interesting is the factthat Statoil is heavily vested in the NorthSea, with large offshore assets pumpingmillions of barrels of oil daily. How isoffshore development in theenvironmentally sensitive North Sea betterfor the environment than extracting oil fromoilsands in Northern Alberta? Isdevelopment in the Gulf Coast, the CaspianSea, Alaska or the coast of South WestAfrica (Namibia, Angola), or anywhere elsemore environmentally friendly than theoilsands?

Statoil, like many other companiesworking in the North Sea and operating inNorthern Alberta (or having significantprojects slated for the region), has a solidtrack record with respect to the environ-ment. It uses some of the most advancedtechnologies in difficult environments toprotect the terrain it works in.

Recently, Peter Voser, the CEO of RoyalDutch Shell, called for both industry andgovernments to be active in promotingoilsands as a solid and secure oil supply. Todo so, they must dispel the myths about theoilsands and the environment and celebratethe significant technological advances thatgo a long way in making to oilsands asgreen as any other oil source.

So how did the oilsands get such a badrep, especially from our neighbours south ofthe border?

It is unfortunate that the oilsands arebeing picked on. They may be the new kidson the block as far as conventional oil isconcerned, but they do not deserve thereputation they’ve been given and it seemsunfair that they must continually defendtheir operations.

From a historic perspective, the oilsandsgot their start during the energy crisis in

the 1970s as the price of oil justified thecost of development. Over the next fewdecades, as price of oil declined, there wasminimal growth in the area until weheaded into this decade. With rising oilprices and global instability (especially inthe oil rich Middle East), the oilsandsbecame once again an attractive long terminvestment for a secure oil supply. Thosedecades between the 1980s and the early2000s are when the image battle of theoilsands was lost.

In Fort McMurray, the oilsands are a“tourist” attraction with regular ground andhelicopter tours of the massive undertaking.Without context or comparison, it is difficultto understand or rationalize the oilsands.

It is easy to come away with conclusionsthat are either extreme or lack background.Oilsands mining is no different from mostsurface mines around the globe, both interms of size and impact. An overhead tourof offshore oil platforms and assets wouldshow that the size of these installations,from the underground pipelines andharnesses, the onshore base and terminaland the transportation to/from these assets(by helicopter or tankers or floaters) isequally massive.

The main difference being that the othersurface mines or offshore assets are nottourist attractions: They are businesses thatdrive the livelihood of thousands of people.These people take it upon themselves toensure that they continue to driveperformance—not just in production, butalso continuing to harness technology tominimize environmental impact.

It is clear that the oilsands and all whorely on them for their livelihood must domore to protect the reputation of thebusiness. It is equally critical that theoilsands recognize how they presentthemselves within a global context. This is acritical resource, one of the most secure inNorth America. It needs to be nurtured anddeveloped with a sound environmentalprogram, and not be continually challengedin the absence of context. √

Nizar J. Somji is presidentand CEO of Jaffer Inc., amanagement/investmentconsulting firm; andchairman of the board ofMatrikon Inc., a companyhe founded in 1988.

ivic Buzzwith David NorwoodC

RR

DILEMMA

ETHICScorporate

TTBy Nizar J. Somji

Stout influenced byborealis & river bends

Concept art for Stout’sArt Gallery of Alberta

AGA interior revealed

edmontonians oct09

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