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NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2004 • VOLUME 44 • NUMBER 6 IN THIS ISSUE Board Calendar 2 Membership News 3,8,24 Chairman’s Message 4 Around The Board 5 Spirit of Giving 6,7 Policy Issues 9 Spirit of Vancouver ® 10,15 Gift Guide 16,17 Event Highlights 18,23 Recruiting 19,22 World Trade Centre 20 CHRISTMAS CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ST. PAULS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 boardoftrade.com Get updated event information 24-hours a day, 7 days a week Last year, more than 200 Vancouver businesses helped raise $1.2 million for St. Paul’s Lights of Hope campaign. The Lights of Hope Christmas display outside St. Paul’s Hospital showcases the names of several hundred Vancou- ver businesses that support the hospi- tal foundation’s annual Christmas light fundraising campaign. “Support from the business com- munity is crucial to our success for Lights of Hope,” explains St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation executive direc- tor Jane Adams. “Last year, more than 200 Vancouver businesses helped us raise $1.2 million for Lights of Hope. This year we hope to surpass our goal of $1.25 million.” Greatly expanded since its begin- nings in 1998, Lights of Hope provides an opportunity for businesses or indi- viduals to make a donation to St. Paul’s. Donations of $1,000 or more mean that a company or family name will be rec- ognized on the display. Adams notes that the top priority for 2004 is raising the funds needed to equip a new Cardiac Procedure Room to help St. Paul’s provide more timely access to people from around the province who need special procedures like pacemakers, implantable defibril- lators, angioplasties or electrophysiol- ogy treatments. “We need almost $3 million to pur- chase equipment for the new room. Patients will benefit directly because Generosity of business community crucial to St. Paul’s Lights of Hope Want to improve your bottom line this year? Focus on product selection, qual- ity and great customer service. While it is no secret that Canadians love to spend money at Christmas time — Stats Canada reported $15.4 billion was spent on retail sales during December 2003, up from a $9.6 billion monthly average (excluding food and auto pur- chases) — it is probably less true today that Christmas could make or break an independent retailer’s year. “There are more discretionary dol- lars floating around in November and December,” said Kevin Evans, VP, West- ern Canada, Retail Council of Canada, “but other selling seasons are emerging, specifically back-to-school and back- Small businesses can excel at winning Christmas dollars BY MILLIE STROM to-serious for adults for wardrobe and home improvement purchases.” Christ- mas, however, remains an important time for toy, electronic, book, giftware and fashion accessory sales. For those businesses that are look- ing to make a splash at Christmas, Evans offers some advice, “Most people in the baby-boom cohort have already bought all their stuff, so they’re looking to buy experiences instead.” Examples are travelling and dining out, but for retailers, delivering good customer service is key. “Stores have to offer an experience that is compelling,” said Evans. “While small retailers cannot compete with pricing, they can make a difference with excellent service and product selection.” Sam Matino of Montecristo Jewel- lers Inc. possesses this kind of entre- preneurial spirit. “We have excellent quality and service all year round, so we have a lot of repeat customers and referrals — friends, acquaintances, sometimes from overseas,” said Matino. Montecristo’s sales go up at Christmas, but as Matino pointed out, “Every month is good business for us.” Looking at a service business, Byron Sheardown, sales manager, Horizon Publications, said there is an increase, 10 to 20 per cent, in printing sales at Christmas for the community news- paper and flyer printer. “Every year people come up with new marketing tools such as stocking-stuffer flyers and song booklets with advertising,” said Sheardown. One marketing and advertising company that realizes a substantial increase at Christmas is Main River Company. Owner and president Wil- liam Graham said he is always startled by the growth. “Clients plan ahead for Business travel that will exceed your expectations. London Air Services’ state-of-the-art fleet of Learjet 45s and Challenger 604s offer spacious, well-appointed cabins for meetings and non-stop availability, exceeding your expectations of business travel. Tel: 604-272-8123 Fax: 604-233-0202 Toll Free: 1-877-399-8123 www.londonair.ca Learjet 45 Sam Matino displays a handcrafted original Montecristo creation, a beautiful Tanzanite and diamond necklace. PHOTO BY LAURA SCHNEIDER

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NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2004 •VOLUME44•NUMBER6

iN ThiS iSSuEBoard Calendar 2Membership News 3,8,24Chairman’s Message 4Around The Board 5SpiritofGiving 6,7Policy Issues 9Spirit of Vancouver ® 10,15GiftGuide 16,17Event Highlights 18,23Recruiting 19,22World Trade Centre 20

CHristmas Continued on Page 8

st. Paul’s Continued on Page 18

boardoftrade.comGet updated event information 24-hours a day, 7 days a week

Last year, more than 200 Vancouver businesses helped raise $1.2 million for St. Paul’s Lights of Hope campaign.

The Lights of Hope Christmas display

outside St. Paul’s Hospital showcases

the names of several hundred Vancou-

ver businesses that support the hospi-

tal foundation’s annual Christmas light

fundraising campaign.

“Support from the business com-

munity is crucial to our success for

Lights of Hope,” explains St. Paul’s

Hospital Foundation executive direc-

tor Jane Adams. “Last year, more than

200 Vancouver businesses helped us

raise $1.2 million for Lights of Hope.

This year we hope to surpass our goal

of $1.25 million.”

Greatly expanded since its begin-

nings in 1998, Lights of Hope provides

an opportunity for businesses or indi-

viduals to make a donation to St. Paul’s.

Donations of $1,000 or more mean that

a company or family name will be rec-

ognized on the display.

Adams notes that the top priority

for 2004 is raising the funds needed

to equip a new Cardiac Procedure

Room to help St. Paul’s provide more

timely access to people from around the

province who need special procedures

like pacemakers, implantable defibril-

lators, angioplasties or electrophysiol-

ogy treatments.

“We need almost $3 million to pur-

chase equipment for the new room.

Patients will benefit directly because

Generosity of business community crucial to St. Paul’s lights of hope

Want to improve your bottom line this

year? Focus on product selection, qual-

ity and great customer service. While

it is no secret that Canadians love to

spend money at Christmas time — Stats

Canada reported $15.4 billion was

spent on retail sales during December

2003, up from a $9.6 billion monthly

average (excluding food and auto pur-

chases) — it is probably less true today

that Christmas could make or break an

independent retailer’s year.

“There are more discretionary dol-

lars floating around in November and

December,” said Kevin Evans, VP, West-

ern Canada, Retail Council of Canada,

“but other selling seasons are emerging,

specifically back-to-school and back-

Small businesses can excel at winning Christmas dollarsBy millie strom to-serious for adults for wardrobe and

home improvement purchases.” Christ-

mas, however, remains an important

time for toy, electronic, book, giftware

and fashion accessory sales.

For those businesses that are look-

ing to make a splash at Christmas,

Evans offers some advice, “Most people

in the baby-boom cohort have already

bought all their stuff, so they’re looking

to buy experiences instead.” Examples

are travelling and dining out, but for

retailers, delivering good customer

service is key.

“Stores have to offer an experience

that is compelling,” said Evans. “While

small retailers cannot compete with

pricing, they can make a difference

with excellent service and product

selection.”

Sam Matino of Montecristo Jewel-

lers Inc. possesses this kind of entre-

preneurial spirit. “We have excellent

quality and service all year round, so

we have a lot of repeat customers and

referrals — friends, acquaintances,

sometimes from overseas,” said Matino.

Montecristo’s sales go up at Christmas,

but as Matino pointed out, “Every

month is good business for us.”

Looking at a service business, Byron

Sheardown, sales manager, Horizon

Publications, said there is an increase,

10 to 20 per cent, in printing sales at

Christmas for the community news-

paper and flyer printer. “Every year

people come up with new marketing

tools such as stocking-stuffer flyers and

song booklets with advertising,” said

Sheardown.

One marketing and advertising

company that realizes a substantial

increase at Christmas is Main River

Company. Owner and president Wil-

liam Graham said he is always startled

by the growth. “Clients plan ahead for

Air travel doesn’t have to bechallenging. With London AirServices state-of-the-art fleet ofLearjet 45s and Challenger 604s,non-stop availability and superi-or customer service, every flightis straightforward and stress-free.

Business travelthat will exceed

your expectations.London Air Services’ state-of-the-art fleet of Learjet 45s and Challenger 604s offer spacious, well-appointed cabinsfor meetings and non-stop availability, exceeding your expectations of business travel.Tel: 604-272-8123 Fax: 604-233-0202 Toll Free: 1-877-399-8123 www.londonair.ca

Learjet 45

Sam Matino displays a handcrafted original Montecristo creation, a beautiful Tanzanite and diamond necklace.

Photo by laUra sChNeIder

2 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

The Board’s 30-minute time slots are Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

and Sundays at 6 p.m. on Cable channel 4. Air dates are subject to change.

Check schedule at www.boardoftrade.com.

The Vancouver Board of Trade Cable Program Guide

PrOGraM

air daTES

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Vancouver Board of Trade Cable Program Guide

PrOGraM

air daTES

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Vancouver Board of Trade Cable Program Guide

PrOGraM

air daTES

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Vancouver Board of Trade Cable Program Guide

PrOGraM

air daTES

Lights, Camera, Action!

Nov 20Nov 21

Nov 27Nov 28

dec 4dec 5

For full details or to register,

visit www.boardoftrade.com or

call 604-641-1248.

dec 11dec 12

bC hydro’s MaNdate: low Cost, reliable Power for GenerationsBob Elton, President & Chief Executive Offi cer, BC Hydro

2004 Spirit of Vancouver® Awards

PUblIC PrIvate PartNershIPs: From Concept to realityLarry Blain, Chief Executive Offi cer, Partnerships British Columbia Inc.

Greater Vancouver Leadership Summit

WEB BYTES

By Karen grant

22 Distinguished Author Series™

Peter C. Newman

HERE BE DRAGONS: The Life and Times

of Peter C. Newman. Morris J. Wosk

Centre for Dialogue, Asia Pacific Hall.

Reg: 3:30 p.m. End: 6 p.m. Sponsored by

Vancouver International Airport Au-

thority, Simon Fraser University and

The Vancouver Sun. EVENT #050724

23 Managers’ Toolbox™

Shane Gibson, President

Knowledge Brokers

International Systems Ltd.

TALK TO ME: Getting Your Prospects

and Clients to Tell You What They Really

Need. Renaissance Vancouver Hotel

Harbourside — Ballroom. Reg: 7:30

a.m. End: 9:45 a.m. EVENT #050706

23 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

Captain Gordon Houston

President and CEO, Vancouver

Port Authority

THE PORT OF VANCOUVER: Earning

Trust and Respect. The Fairmont Hotel

Vancouver — British Ballroom. Reg:

11:45 a.m. End: 2 p.m.

EVENT #050712

24 Business After Business™

Vancouver’s favourite after-

hours trade show. Presented by the

Small Business Council. Pan Pacific

Vancouver. Trade show: 5-7:30 p.m.

$12 for members and accompanying

guests (incl. GST)/$18 non-members.

$225 + GST display tables — corporate

members only. Tickets at the door; no

pre-registration. Sponsored by Pan

Pacific Vancouver.

25 Spirit of Vancouver®

Paula Knight, Director

Community Affairs

Microsoft Canada

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBIL-

ITY: A Top Priority for Microsoft. Hyatt

Regency Vancouver — Regency Ball-

room. Reg: 11:45 a.m. End: 1:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Credit Union Central

of B.C. Multimedia sponsor is Focus

Audio Visual Services Ltd.

EVENT #050720

25 Lunch Box Workshop

When to Hire and Fire Employ-

ees. Henry Goldbeck, president and

founder, Goldbeck Recruiting Inc. Reg:

11:45 a.m. Sponsored by Alexander,

Holburn, Beaudin & Lang and RBC

Royal Bank. EVENT #050705

26 Special Speaker Luncheon™

Lew Adams, Former Secretary

General, Train Drivers Union

ASLEF (United Kingdom) and

Representative of the UK

Strategic Rail Authority

A PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE ON B.C.’S

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS:

From a Union Leader’s Viewpoint. Pan

Pacific Vancouver — Governor General

Suite. Reg: 11:45 a.m. End: 1:30 p.m.

Sponsored by The Canadian Coun-

cil for Public-Private Partnerships.

EVENT #050717

30 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

Anthony Ariganello, President

and CEO, Certified General

Accountants Association of

Canada

TOWARDS A NEW ERA IN CORPORATE

CANADA: Clarity, Transparency and

Accountability in Financial Reporting.

The Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina

— Stanley Park Ballroom. Reg: 11:45

a.m. End: 2 p.m. Sponsored by CGA As-

sociation of BC and Industrial Alliance

Pacific. EVENT #050709

1 Managers’ Toolbox™

Donald Cooper, Certified

Speaking Professional

The Donald Cooper Corporation

THE TWO-HOUR MBA: 10 Things You

Absolutely Must Know About Your Busi-

ness, Your Customers and Your Life!

Location to be confirmed. Reg: 7:30

a.m. End: 9:45 a.m.

1 Members’ Reception at

Jacqueline Conoir Designs Ltd.

This is your chance to meet and ex-

change ideas with other Board mem-

bers. Jacqueline Conoir Designs Ltd.,

46 6th Ave West, 5 to 7 p.m. A compli-

mentary networking event.

EVENT #050808

2 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

Norman Stark, President and

CEO, TSI Terminal Systems Inc.

The Sutton Place Hotel — Versailles

Ballroom. Reg: 11:45 a.m. End: 2 p.m.

EVENT #050809

3 Special Speaker Luncheon™

The Hon. Rich Coleman

Minister of Public Safety and

Solicitor General, Government

of British Columbia

Location to be determined. Reg: 11:45

a.m. End: 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by B.C.

Lottery Corporation. EVENT #050814

6 Members’ Reception at

Absolute Spa at The Century

This is your chance to meet and ex-

change ideas with other Board mem-

bers. Absolute Spa at The Century,

1015 Burrard Street, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

A complimentary networking event.

EVENT #050812

7 Managers’ Toolbox™

Shane Gibson, President

Knowledge Brokers

International Systems Ltd.

CLOSE BIG, CLOSE OFTEN: How Your

Sales Process Should Lead to a Natural

Close. Renaissance Vancouver Hotel

Harbourside — Ballroom. Reg: 7:30

a.m. End: 9:45 a.m. EVENT #050805

7 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

David L. Hahn, President and

CEO, BC Ferries

Location to be confirmed. Reg: 11:45

1. Learn from the masters. Our

recently revamped Board Store

features the Management Li-

brary, a collection of brilliant

business books made available

through our partnership with

Amazon.com.

2. Seek and ye shall find. Zero in

on member-to-member services

using the enhanced search tool

in the Members’ Area.

3. Awwwww, so cute... A new col-

lectible Spirit of Vancouver®

teddy bear every year — available

now in the Board Store.

4. Got jobs? Vancouver Board of

Trade members post free ads in

the Career Opportunities area.

Be sure to take advantage next

12 reasons to visit boardoftrade.com this holiday seasontime you are hiring.

5. Make a hot date. Fill up your holi-

day schedule with the latest local

events and community happen-

ings from our Spirit of Vancouver

Community Calendar and the

Business Datebook.

6. Take control. Customize your

member listing both online and for

the next Roster & Purchasers’ Guide

using the Update Member Record

function in the Members’ Area.

7. Boost your brand. Members al-

ways save at least 20 per cent on

web advertising and tailor-made

sponsorship programs.

8. One-stop shopping. This holiday

season, get cool gifts for staff,

colleagues and all your tough

customers: pens, mugs, comfy

fleece blankets and more in the

Board Store.

9. Catch up. Missed the latest issue

of Sounding Board? Read The

Board’s official monthly newspa-

per online, anytime.

10. Be passionate about policy. Re-

view all the latest policy develop-

ments and The Board’s position

on current issues. A wealth of

content awaits you.

11. Candid camera. If you still have

not attended one of our Member

Receptions, you can browse the

photo galleries online — and next

time, put yourself in the picture.

12. Great big banners. Web Profiles

showcase your company logo

and info on boardoftrade.com for

an entire year. Get yours online

today and find out why the Web

Profile is our most popular ad.

a.m. End: 2 p.m. Sponsored by IBM.

EVENT #050810

9 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

Michael F. Kergin, Ambassador

of Canada to the United States

of America, Canadian

Embassy

Location to be confirmed. Reg: 11:45

a.m. End: 2 p.m. EVENT #050811

10 Distinguished Speaker

Luncheon™

Patrick D. Daniel, President

and CEO, Enbridge Inc.

ENBRIDGE IN B.C.? Past, Present and

Future. Location to be confirmed. Reg:

11:45 a.m. End: 2 p.m.

EVENT #050807

13 Members’ Reception at

Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club

This is your chance to meet and ex-

change ideas with other Board mem-

bers. Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, Century

Hotel & Spa, 5 to 7 p.m. A complimenta-

ry networking event. EVENT #050813

15 Networking Roundtable

Held in participation with the

Small Business Council and facilitated

by the Contact Club, this event is ex-

clusive to Board members. Pan Pacific

Vancouver — Cypress Suite. Registra-

tion: 7:15 a.m. $15. EVENT #050802

For up-to-date event information,

visit www.boardoftrade.com.

On the road? Visit

wireless.boardoftrade.com

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 3

Salaries will be going up 3-3.5 per cent in 2005

according to a national survey just released by

Western Compensation & Benefits Consultants

(WCBC). Most employers are expecting to award

slightly higher increases than awarded in 2004

and some of the industries providing the largest

raises will be transportation/distribution, profes-

sional services and manufacturing.

Although the salary increases given in Alberta

over the past few years exceeded those given in

other provinces, this year’s expected increase

in most other provinces will be close to those

awarded in Alberta.

Barry Cook is the partner in charge of

WCBC’s compensation practice. He explained

that executives have enjoyed the highest annual

percentage increase in salaries for nearly all of

the last 10 years.

“While this is still expected to be the case for

next year in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver,”

said Cook, “executives in other parts of Canada

can generally expect to receive the same percent-

age increases as awarded to other level positions

in their organizations.”

Employers face challenges in attracting,

motivating and retaining employees in some

functional areas. There has been growth in these

challenges over the past year with respect to

information technology and production/distri-

bution positions. Employers have responded to

these challenges in a variety of ways, but increas-

ing the base salaries has been the most prevalent

response strategy.

A large proportion of organizations have a

formal short-term incentive plan, such as a bo-

nus plan, which provides for cash compensation

in addition to salaries. Nearly two-thirds of the

organizations indicated that they will be making

payments under their short-term incentive plan

for this fiscal year, while most of the remaining

organizations do not yet know whether payments

will be made.

There continues to be growth in the use of

long-term incentive plans, with stock options

being the most favoured type of plan. However,

according to Cook, “while stock options remain

popular, there is a trend away from vanilla op-

tions towards plans requiring that option holders

meet certain performance criteria before they can

benefit from the options.”

In the employee benefits area of compensa-

tion, employers indicated that they are working

on cost containment strategies.

“With the impact of governments download-

ing medical services to employers, significant

increases in some covered services such as

prescription drugs, an aging population and

less competition in the Canadian group insur-

ance industry,” Cook advised that employers are

now spending more time on benefits costs than

they felt was warranted in the past. “Employers

are reviewing the design of their employee ben-

efit plans, examining strategies to reduce future

claims and attempting to obtain more cost-ef-

fective arrangements with benefit providers and

administrators.

The Vancouver Board of Trade has assisted em-

ployers with their compensation planning needs

for over 50 years. In conjunction with Western

Compensation & Benefits Consultants, The Board

offers employers a comprehensive suite of 11 sur-

veys covering the salaries and other compensation

for over 350 positions. For details on the surveys

and how to order, visit www.wcbc.ca/annual or

call Linda Reid at 604-683-9155.

Salaries are increasing in 2005, according to WCBC survey

Tom Crean is a third-generation funeral director in

Vancouver, managing Kearney Funeral Services,

a family-owned and operated business. Kearney

Funeral Services has been serving the needs of the

bereaved in Vancouver since 1908.

Years as member of The Vancouver Board of

Trade: We have been members for 19 years.

Reasons for joining The Board: It has become

increasingly clear to us, with the roll up of our pro-

fession in the ’80s and ’90s by big funeral chains,

that small business plays an increasingly vital role

in protecting the interests of local communities.

Small businesses can best affect change by par-

ticipating in local civic and business organizations

like The Board.

Member Snapshot: Tom Crean of Kearney Funeral Services

Volunteer contributions: Although my mother,

Ellen Crean, passed away in 1999, she was very

proud of serving on several Board committees for

a number of years. In the last five years, my work

has become quite international, and I have not

been able to be as active at home, although I hope

that will soon change.

Favourite Board event: I really enjoy cultural-

themed events and the culture at The Board.

First job: My first job was a paper route.

Business beginnings: I was a company janitor

and car washer part-time while still in high school

in 1971.

Biggest business challenge: Defending grieving

families from the onslaught of modern marketing.

Best positive networking tip: No matter what

the odds are, if it comes down to principles, it is your

duty to take a stand. The truly astounding thing is

you just might win!

Tip to resolve conflict: Listen, listen, listen,

share, share, share and give away the credit. I

believe it was Jim Pattison who said, “You can do

anything in life that you want to, providing you don’t

care who gets the credit.”

Hobbies: Songwriting, sing-a-longs, guitar,

banjo and fishing.

Passions: Faith, media literacy and institutional

transparency and accountability. I personally be-

lieve that measuring politics on a “left verses right”

scale in the information age is so out-of-date, it is

laughable. To save this precious country of ours,

the new scale has to become “transparency and

unaccountability.”

Favourite sports: Swimming and tennis.

The Victorian Order of Nurses British Colum-

bia (VON BC) is a registered, not-for-profit

organization. VON BC’s registered nurses pro-

vide businesses with health-care services and

use the funds raised through these activities to

support charitable community programs. Busi-

nesses that choose VON BC to provide employee

health services, instead of choosing a for-profit

company, are investing in the health and well

being of their employees and in the health and

well-being of the community, too.

Investing in healthy employees also ben-

efits the financial health of a business. During

a typical flu epidemic, up to 40 per cent of the

workforce may be affected, accounting for 10 to

12 per cent of absenteeism. Employees with the

flu could miss five to 10 days of work, and they

may feel weak and tired for up to a month. The flu

can spread through a workplace quickly, before

symptoms appear.

Good financial health starts with the Victorian Order of Nurses

To help prevent flu in the workplace, VON

BC will send registered nurses to administer

flu shots. It is convenient for your employees,

and it is up to 90 per cent effective in protect-

ing employees from the flu. Plus, while other

organizations provide flu shots for profit, you

can feel good knowing that VON BC uses the

$15.50 per flu shot to fund charitable programs

like Meals on Wheels and VON BC’s Family

Respite Centre.

Some of the health services VON BC provides

include:

Immunization Clinics

Registered nurses immunize more than

29,000 people each year in B.C. for flu, hepatitis,

tetanus and diphtheria.

Occupational Health

Occupational health nursing services include

employee health assessments, physical examina-

tions and other health program initiatives such

as smoking cessation and stress management.

Wellness Clinics

Wellness clinics educate employees about

diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, breast

cancer and prostate cancer. The clinics also

screen for elevated blood cholesterol and glucose

levels, blood pressure and bone density. Coun-

selling and referrals to other health professionals

are provided as necessary.

For more information on VON BC or to book any

of its heath services, call 604-733-9177 ext. 177 or

111 or visit www.vonbc.com.

Photo by dave roels

Tom Crean of Kearney Funeral Services

Get your flu shot this year with VON BC.

How much will Vancouveremployers be raising theirsalaries this year?

Members of the VancouverBoard of Trade receive a20% discount on this andany of WCBC’s 10 othersalary /compensationsurveys.

For more informationplease visit:www.wcbc.ca/annual

Call Linda Reid(604) 683-9155 or(800) 781-2411www.wcbc.ca/annual

WCBC’s recently released 2005 Compensation Policy Survey

shows that 9 out of 10 organizations review salaries

annually and that the first three months of the calendar

year is, by far, the most prevalent salary change period.

Most employers are expecting to award slightly larger

increases than awarded in 2004.

All employers need to know what other companies are

doing with regard to salary ranges and actual salary

increases, along with how those increases vary by industry,

geographic area and position level. Our survey contains

data from organizations across Canada to answer these

critical questions and will prove to be extremely useful in

your HR compensation planning activities.

Our 30+ page report also contains information on incentive

plan prevalence, basis for awards, plus much more. Results

are segmented by employee group,

region, sector of economy and

selected industries.

WCBC BOT Ad CompPol Van 11/15/04 11:36 AM Page 1

4 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

The Sounding Board is the official publication of The Vancouver Board of Trade and is the major com-munication vehicle with members. The publication is sent automatically to all 4,700 Board members. Additional copies are sent to approximately 7,000 businesses in downtown Vancouver. ISSN: 0381-5471. The views expressed by contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of The Vancouver Board of Trade.

The Vancouver Board of Trade is Vancouver’s chamber of commerce. Since 1887, The Board has been an active proponent of business in Vancouver. The World Trade Centre Vancouver is the international division of The Vancouver Board of Trade and is affiliated with more than 300 WTCs worldwide.

our mission statement The Vancouver Board of Trade works in the enlightened interest of its members to promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre for trade, commerce and travel.

our basic principles The Board believes that the market system is the only system that works effectively in the allocation of scarce economic resources for efficient and stable economic growth and job creation. The Board recognizes the imperfections of the market system and supports the need for publicly provided services such as social services, health services and public education. The Board supports the philosophy of less government involvement in the business sector and believes that governments should not do what can be done in whole or in part by the private sector.

PuBlICATIoNS MAIl AGREEMENT No. 40011551return unDeliVerable canaDian aDDresses toThE VANCouVER BoARd of TRAdE/WoRld TRAdE CENTRE VANCouVER SuITE 400, 999 CANAdA PlACEVANCouVER BC V6C 3E1 e-mail: [email protected]

ExECuTIVE CoMMITTEE

chairman & chief electeD officer Graeme A.G. Stamp, Executive Vice-President fairmont developments ltd. senior Vice-chair dan Muzyka, dean, Sauder School of Business university of British Columbia Vice-chair frank Borowicz, QC, Senior Partner davis & Company Vice-chair Janette Pantry, Partner Borden ladner Gervais llP secretary-treasurer Grayden R. hayward, President & CEo Carrera Property Group immeDiate past-chair Jeff dowle, Executive Vice-President hSBC Bank Canada managing Director darcy Rezac, Cd, The Vancouver Board of Trade

BoARd of dIRECToRS

chris carty TEluS Corporation bob elton BC hydro grant gisel Sierra Systems Group terence hui Concord Pacific developments ltd. bob laurie CB Richard Ellis limited carol lee linacare laboratories henry lee Tom lee Music wenDy lisogar-cocchia Absolute Spa Group graham maclachlan RBC Royal Bank richarD mahler Partnerships BC jim matkin, qc law Society of BC maureen mckinnon Consultant DaVe l. mowat Vancouver City Saving Credit union john w. nightingale Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre sue paish fasken Martineau duMoulin llP Vic poleschuk British Columbia lottery Corporation wynne powell london drugs limited Don rix MdS Metro laboratory Services lorne segal Kingswood Capital Corporation Dennis l. skulsky Pacific Newspaper Group Inc. beV Voice Scotiabank bill weymark BCR Marine rob whittle ddB Canada freD withers Ernst & Young glenn young IMI International Millworks Industries Inc. susan yurkoVich Consultant

STANdING CoMMITTEE ChAIRS

communications Evi Mustel, Mustel Group ltd.

community affairs Bernie Magnan, Bernard Magnan & Associates ltd.

membership Jack McGee, The Justice Institute of BC

small business council Yvonne de Valone, downtown u-lok Storage

publisher the VancouVer boarD of traDe

eDitor-in-chief Darcy rezac, 604-641-1255 [email protected]

eDitor roDger banister, 604-641-1271 [email protected]

managing eDitor tracy wong, 604-641-1222 [email protected]

Design & layout jennifer bogart, 604-641-1269 [email protected]

aDVertising representatiVes Deborah & gary fach, 604-876-2513 [email protected]

honorary senior aDVisor, east asia william l.w. chong, 604-669-3312

Want more information about joining The Vancouver Board of Trade? Call 604-641-1260 or e-mail [email protected].

The benefits of improved relations between B.C., Ottawa

Graeme Stamp, chairmanThe Vancouver Board of Trade

You cannot open a newspaper these

days without seeing a story about wait

lists. The recent federal/provincial

health ministers meeting, a Statistics

Canada report and a local think tank’s

doctor survey are just three sources of

recent stories. We know many people

are concerned about wait lists, and we

would like to address these concerns

with facts.

But behind the simple term, “wait

list” is the reality that one of the most

significant and complex challenges fac-

ing Canadian health authorities is to im-

prove patient access to health services

by reducing and managing wait lists. It

is a national challenge and one that, in

B.C., is being taken on in a systematic,

collaborative and business-like way.

I am continually impressed by the

dedication and the creativity of phy-

sicians, nurses and other caregivers

within the health-care system for their

dedication to patients. But dealing ef-

fectively with wait lists means we have

to look at the “big picture” to gain a

clearer understanding of factors driving

both the demand for services and the

impediments to obtaining services. And

working effectively means working col-

laboratively through bodies such as the

Provincial Surgical Services Project,

co-ordinated by the Provincial Health

Services Authority.

The project brings together experts

from all six B.C. health authorities to

develop standards and guidelines for

provincial surgical services, create data-

collection processes for better planning

and decision-making and share best

practices among health authorities.

That may sound like a lot of “bureau-

cratese” but the truth is understanding

these issues is the foundation to build-

ing a system based on patients’ needs

and one driven by transparency, con-

sistency, fairness and evidence-based

decisions.

Right now, no province has consist-

ent definitions for “levels” of surgical

need, wait time measurement, pro-

cedures for consistently prioritizing

surgical patients or even consistent

descriptions of surgical procedures. And

that is a problem because it means the

system lacks common definitions and

data and that hinders the most efficient

use of health-care resources.

Building an evidence-based founda-

tion is the long-term solution that will

benefit patients, health professionals

and health authorities. But let’s look at

the situation as it is now and specifically,

at some of the myths and the evidence-

based realities of patient access in B.C.

(Unless otherwise noted, information is

Working together to improve patient access for all British Columbians

Wynne Powell, chairProvincial Health Services Authority

HealtH Continued on Page 21

Many have joked that Fed-bashing has

long been a favourite sport among lead-

ers of this province. A tradition that was

perhaps cemented by W.A.C. Bennett

who, as B.C.’s longest serving premier

from 1952 to 1972, was well known for

jousting with a succession of Canadian

prime ministers.

In the decades that followed, a

number of governments have carried

on Bennett’s legacy of fed-bashing.

However, it was the New Democratic

Party who raised it to new heights,

when, in the late ’90s, they attempted to

block federal use of the navy’s torpedo/

submarine test range at Nanoose Bay

on the East Coast of Vancouver Island.

Needless to say, this hostile attitude

toward Ottawa has resulted in a less

than friendly relationship between the

two levels of government, and lesser

federal attention to, and investment in,

our province.

Thankfully, in the past few years,

there has been a remarkable turna-

round in relations between Victoria and

Ottawa. The current Liberal government

in B.C., under the leadership of Gordon

Campbell, has greatly improved com-

munications and co-operation with the

federal government. The value of this

improved relationship can be tallied

in a substantial list of benefits for the

province, including:

• Over$200 million committed to

the expansion of the Vancouver

Convention and Exhibition

Centre;

• More than $300 million for the

2010 Winter Olympic and Para-

lympic Games;

• $450 million for the Canada Line

rapid transit system connecting

Richmond, Vancouver Interna-

tional Airport and Vancouver;

• $225 million for needed highway

and border infrastructure;

• $100 million in relief funding

for the summer 2003 firestorm

disaster;

• $55 million in compensation for

softwood lumber-dependent

communities;

• $40 million towards pine beetle

research; and

• $28 million to preserve Burns

Bog.

B.C.’s improved relationship with

the Government of Canada has had

many other benefits as well. It has

been instrumental in: winning us the

Olympic Bid; defending Canadian

softwood lumber producers from the

U.S. trade action; making progress at

the First Nations land claims treaty

negotiations with priority empha-

sis on four negotiations; reducing

duplication and overlap in a wide

range of areas; streamlining regula-

tions affecting land use and natural

resource development; upgrading

regional airports (e.g., Cranbrook,

Prince George, Comox); the integra-

tion of federal and provincial student

loan programs; raising B.C.’s profile as

Canada’s Pacific gateway to the world

at the recent Asia Pacific Summit, the

establishment of a Pacific Council of

Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers,

and in working together to bring high-

speed Internet access to rural and

remote communities, including First

Nations communities.

As a show of good faith on his part,

Prime Minister Paul Martin has also

agreed to address B.C. alienation and

undertake an overhaul of West Coast

decision-making in Ottawa. A welcome

first step has been the appointment of

five British Columbians to the federal

cabinet. They are: David Emerson,

minister of industry and co-senior

minister for B.C.; Senator Jake Austin,

leader of the government in the Senate

and co-senior minister for B.C.; Ujjal

Dosanjh, minister of health; Stephen

Owen, minister of western economic

development and minister of state for

sport; and Raymond Chan, minister of

state for multiculturalism. In addition,

Keith Martin has been appointed as

parliamentary secretary to the minis-

ter of national defence and Hedy Fry

has been appointed as parliamentary

secretary to the minister of citizenship

and immigration.

I’d say this new provincial game

plan is definitely starting to pay off.

Let’s stick to it!

What do you think about the premier’s

approach? Send your comments to

[email protected].

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 5

Tugboat Media Inc. is proud to wel-

come to Vancouver the newest addition

to its crew, Les Hall as VP of marketing

communications and brand strategist.

He brings a wealth of experience to Tug-

boat Media, having worked on many of

Australia’s largest and most respected

brands. Hall’s prior experience includes

working in the finance, tourism, hotel

and retail sectors with a strong focus on

accountable branding.

Steve Halliday, senior VP of PPHR

America Inc., and GM of Pan Pacific

Vancouver, has appointed Kevin Oake

as director of sales. Oake is a hospital-

ity veteran of 18 years, who joins Pan

Pacific Vancouver following 11 years

with the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts,

holding a variety of progressive sales

and marketing positions in both Van-

couver and Victoria.

Surrey Memorial Hospital Founda-

tion congratulates the members of

its board of directors for 2004-2005:

chair Chris Midmore, vice-chair Bruce

McAuliffe, treasurer Randy Munro,

past-chair Sherrold Haddad, director-

at-large Dale Mumford, Mike Bose,

Jon Caviglia, Jaswinder Cheema, Bev-

erly Crowston, Dr. Peter Doris, Gary

Forbes, Isabelle Hayer, Ron Knight,

Gail Martin, Loretta Solomon, Norman

Stowe and Jacy Wingson.

Tourism Vancouver is pleased to

announce the appointment of Kyle

Matheson as manager, meeting and

convention sales, Washington, DC.

Matheson brings strong experience in

working with convention hotels and

destination marketing companies,

following positions at The Westin Bay-

shore Resort & Marina, and Cantrav

West Services. Matheson will work

alongside Jackie Benear, regional di-

rector of sales for the Washington, DC

market, and sales associate Rachelle

Canotal.

Jonathan Darlington, Vancouver Op-

era’s principal conductor for the past

two seasons, has been named music di-

rector, under a new contract of engage-

ment for a three-year term beginning

with the 2005-2006 season. Darlington

is currently in the third year of his exist-

ing contract. In other company news,

general director James Wright will take

a three-month sabbatical in early 2005.

During Wright’s absence, David Shef-

siek, director of resource development,

will serve as acting general director of

the company.

The partners of Heenan Blaikie are

pleased to announce that Tobin S. Rob-

bins has recently joined the Vancouver

office. Robbins has over 25 years of busi-

ness law experience as both a private

practitioner with a mid-sized Vancou-

ver law firm and corporate counsel with

a Nasdaq-listed advertising company.

His practice focuses on transportation

law, where he has represented a wide

variety of Canadian and U.S. clients.

Midmore Robbins

Oake Hall

He also has expertise in advertising law,

mergers and acquisitions, regulatory

and public law and government rela-

tions and procurement.

Karen Hodson, manager of the Squa-

mish Chamber of Commerce, and Pat

Dejong, area manager for BMO Bank

of Montreal, have been appointed to

the Capilano College 2004-2005 board

of governors. Continuing their appoint-

ments are board chair John Webster,

vice-chair Linda Robertson, Brian

Smith, Richard Davies, Tom Adair,

Daryl Collier, faculty representative

Diane Blaney and student representa-

tives Ben West and Rebekah Alden.

Returning nonvoting board members

include college president Dr. Greg Lee,

Dr. Frank Harris and Itidal Sadek.

Peter Legge has been named outstand-

ing communicator of the year by the

Vancouver Executives Association. The

award ceremony, held at the Terminal

City Club, was in recognition of Legge’s

accomplishments and contributions to

the communications industry. Legge,

a governor of The Vancouver Board of

Trade, is an internationally acclaimed

professional speaker and president and

publisher of Canada Wide Magazines &

Communications Ltd.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine has

voted Vancouver the Best City in the

Americas at its recent annual Readers’

Choice Awards ceremony. Vancouver

won the top spot over Victoria and

Quebec City. At the same ceremony,

readers of the magazine gave top marks

to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in B.C.,

with The Fairmont Waterfront voted

as the No. 1 hotel in Canada. This is

the second consecutive year that The

Fairmont Waterfront has taken this

honour.

Joe and Rosalie Segal were the hosts

of a dinner given in appreciation for

donors to the Envision House Project

benefiting SOS Children’s Village BC.

The organization was presented with a

cheque for $551,501 from the Envision

Credit Union Charitable Foundation.

An additional $10,000 was added later

in the evening, bringing the total do-

nation to $561,501. The project is an

aggressive initiative to build two new

homes for at-risk foster children. SOS

Children’s Village BC provides long-

term, stable family homes for B.C. chil-

dren who are unlikely to return home

or be adopted.

VanCity Credit Union has been chosen

as the best place to work in Canada by

Maclean’s Magazine as part of its annual

Top 100 Employers issue. The organiza-

tions are not ranked, but for the first

time since Maclean’s started publishing

the list three years ago, the magazine

has selected one organization to high-

light as the best place to work in the

country. VanCity was selected for the

breadth of its benefits and its commit-

ment to employees. For this year’s list,

6,000 of the fastest-growing Canadian

employers were invited to complete an

extensive application process and more

than 1,000 responded.

i-Toolkit Web Services Inc., one of Can-

ada’s leading providers of web-based

eCommerce applications, is pleased

to announced that London Drugs will

list its i-Toolkit Website Builder at all

60 stores across Canada. The software

allows consumers and small businesses

to easily and affordably build their own

web site. Visit www.i-toolkit.com for

more information.

Something unusual will be percolat-

ing at the new North Shore Credit

Union (NSCU) branch when it opens

at The Village at Park Royal in the

coming months. The credit union and

Delany’s Coffee House will be serving

up a unique “financial brew” in Brit-

ish Columbia. The Park Royal NSCU

branch will blend banking services with

a Delany’s coffee shop, creating a quint-

essentially West Coast experience.

Vancouver Community College (VCC)

has launched a new bachelor’s degree

in hospitality management to help

B.C.’s hospitality sector meet the chal-

lenges of future growth and the Winter

Olympics in 2010. Full-time degree

classes will start in mid-January; the

program’s first graduation will come

in December 2006. VCC’s degree is wel-

come news to leaders in an industry

facing a growing skills shortage, with

projections calling for an estimated

84,000 new jobs needed through 2010

and beyond.

The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare

Festival has achieved another record-

breaking year with 2004 attendance

exceeding 79,600, up more than 12,000

from 2003. Contrary to other Shake-

speare festivals in North America who

were expecting shrinking audiences,

Bard on the Beach expanded its season

and added more than 16,000 tickets to

the inventory. The lineup for the 2005

season is As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s

Lost, Hamlet and Rosencrantz And

Guildenstern Are Dead.

Western Economic Diversification

Canada has announced funding of

$500,000 to the Human Performance

exhibit that will be part of BodyWorks,

the new Human Life Sciences Gallery

at Science World. The exhibit will use

interactive displays to explain human

performance, testing an individual’s

strength, speed, reaction time and

endurance. Exhibits will also explore

current science and medical research

on human performance, highlighting

B.C.’s achievements in biotechnology.

November 20 — Opera Preview: Ma-

dama Butterfly — Presented by Van-

couver Opera and UBC Continuing

Studies, join VO’s David Shefsiek and

his team of presenters for an in-depth

multi-media preview of Vancouver

Opera’s production of Madama But-

terfly. The lecture will be presented at

UBC Robson Square, call 604-822-1444

or visit www.cstudies.ubc.ca for more

information.

November 24 — Web Site Promotion

Basics: Low Cost Ways to Boost Your

Search Engine Rankings — If you have

a web site for your small business, you

need to make sure that your customers

can find it. Kenton Preston, web site

promotion specialist with Getclicked.

ca, will cover web site promotion and

search engine optimization basics. Call

604-775-7532 or e-mail [email protected]

for more information.

Webster Legge

Congratulations to the following

corporate members who have

reached milestone anniversaries

with The Board:

15 yearsArtland Holdings Ltd.

International Grain Trade Canada

10 yearsCoast Forest & Lumber Association

George Pratt, sculptor

St. George’s School

Chinese Consulate in Vancouver

SAP Canada

MDS Metro Laboratory Services

Knowledge Brokers International

Ltd./Div. of Sales Targeting

Online Inc.

5 yearsKorva World Class Collision

Pacific International Securities

Wood West & Partners

Cypress Mountain

French Economic Development

Group/SDECB

ADP Canada

Canadian Wheat Board

Greater Vancouver Transportation

Authority (TransLink)

EventsIt has been said that people who see Funny Girl are

the luckiest people in the world. The story of fabulous

Fanny Brice, and her meteoric rise to stardom as a

member of the Ziegfeld Follies, will warm your

heart and tickle your funny bone. The musical

features such unforgettable songs as People

and Don’t Rain On My Parade. This production, running

on the Stanley Theatre from November 11 to January 9,

stars Cailin Stadnyk, Ruth Nichol, Don Noble and Todd

Talbot. For schedule and show times, call the Arts Club

Theatre’s box office at 604-687-1644.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was arguably history’s greatest composer and his

Requiem represents the pinnacle of his art, a pinnacle also reached with his

last trio of symphonies — the first of which is Symphony No.39, also featured

in this concert. Join the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver

Bach Choir as they perform Mozart’s works on November 20 and 22 at the

Orpheum. For tickets and more information, call 604-876-3434.

Noises Off is a witty farce that follows the on/off-stage antics of a touring com-

pany as it stumbles from dress rehearsal to the disastrous last night of a produc-

tion. Everything that can go wrong does, as the actors in the cast desperately

try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture... resulting

in a terrifying descent into chaos. The play begins November 20 and ends

December 18 at The Vancouver Playhouse. Visit www.vancouverplayhouse.

com or call 604-873-3311 to purchase tickets.

Ph

oto

by

dav

Id C

oo

Pe

r

Cailin Stadnyk as Fanny Brice.

GET NOTiCEd WiTh GuaraNTEEd liSTiNGS

With a guaranteed listing in Around The Board, you will reach an audi-ence of leaders in the business community. One guaranteed list-ing, which includes a free photo placement, costs $30 + GST and an enhanced guaranteed listing is $50 + GST. The Board reserves the right to edit submissions. Contact Tracy Wong at 604-641-1222 or e-mail [email protected] for details.

6 SoundingBoard/November–December2004 TheVancouverBoardofTrade/TheSpiritofEnterpriseTM

The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada - BC & Yukon Chapterwould like to extend a very special THANK YOU to:

• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distrib.• Air Canada• B & W Insurance Agencies• B & B Contracting Ltd.• BC Lottery Corp & Casinos of BC• BMO Fountain of Hope• BPB Canada Inc. • Beyonce The Spa• Butterley Family Foundation• Canadian Hardware &

Housewares Assoc.• Cedar Park Volunteer Committee • Craig‘s Café• Dave's Piano and Keyboard • Docs Blues

• Fraternal Order of Eagles - 2075 • Global TV - BCTV• International Union of

Operating Engineers • Kamloops Blazers & Acklands Grainger • Laborers International,

Union Of North America • Mission Sports Car Club of BC• Molson Indy Cascar Day- Lynda Bell• Northwest Pacific Choir• Okanagan Trail Ride • One Night, One Wish• Operating Engineers Local 115• Pacific Coast Cruisers Motorcycle Club • Park & Tilford Gardens

• Point Grey Golf & Country Club• PPM Golf Tournament• Radio CKNW 98• Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver• Rental Association Of Canada • Richmond Mandarin Lions Club• Roman Danylo - Urban Improv • S & D Thrift Store• Scotiabank• Telus Mobility • The Stewart & Jean Thompson

Children‘s Foundation• Vancouver Executive Association • Vancouver City Police Athletics Team

for helping BC children with high-risk, life threatening illnesses realize their own special wish

Telephone: (604) 299-2241 1-800-267-WISH (9474)119-4240 Manor Street Burnaby, BC V5G 1B2 [email protected] www.childrenswish.ca

For many charities, the holiday season

is the most important time of year.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

is the time when they will receive the

majority of their donations for the

year. However, dealing with charitable

appeals can be time consuming and

sometimes annoying for businesses

that are inundated with requests.

After all, how do you go about

choosing between sick children and

endangered species, cancer research

or an AIDS cure, the United Way or

a local homeless shelter? Is it better

to send a large donation to one or-

ganization or give regular donations

to several groups?

These are all important questions

and that is why it is helpful and pru-

dent for your company to develop a

giving strategy before you pull out the

chequebook.

Here are some tips to help.

1. Make room for giving in your

budget and your business plan. In-

clude your philanthropic activities in

your business plan and budget for them

just like other financial obligations.

2. Decide who will be responsi-

does your company have a giving strategy?

By tasHon Ziarable for managing your giving strat-

egy. Identify an individual or set up

a committee within your company to

manage the giving process and have

all requests directed to that person

or group.

3. Review past giving and identify

the causes or issues your company is

most passionate about. It is important

to make thoughtful, strategic dona-

tions that support your corporate phi-

losophy. Take some time to research

and identify organizations working on

long-term solutions in the areas you

wish to support.

4. Develop criteria for your dona-

tions. This makes it easier for those

who manage your giving strategy to be

fair and efficient. It also makes it easier

for them to discourage requests from

organizations that do not fit within

your giving strategy.

5. Make the most of the money

you have. Giving a large gift to one

organization can be a lot more effec-

tive than a series of small donations to

different groups. Try focusing on one

or two main causes and one or two

secondary causes.

6. Consider alternative forms of

giving. Do not overlook the benefits of

bequests, charitable gift annuities, gifts

in kind, endowments and other creative

forms of giving. Ask your tax advisor to

help you make the best plan.

7. Encourage volunteerism as a

form of giving. In addition to financial

support, consider donating time and

skills to a cause. Not only will you help

the organization, you will also expand

your network of contacts, sharpen

your skills and learn more about the

charity you are committing your time

and money to.

8. Put your plan into action. Of

course, you do not have to wait to be

asked for donations. The key to hav-

ing a giving strategy is that you are in

control. Contact the charitable organi-

zations of your choice to discuss how

your gifts can make a difference.

9. Develop a personal giving strat-

egy. No need to leave your giving

strategy at the office. Use these steps

to develop a personal giving strategy

at home and encourage others to do

the same.

10. Relax and enjoy the holidays.

When you take the time to develop

a strategy, it really can be a pleasure

to give.

From everyone here at The Vancouver Board of Trade, we

would like to extend a warm Season’s Greetings to you and

your families. We hope that the new year brings each of you

peace, good health and prosperity. This past year has seen

tremendous growth in our province — both in our outlook

and in our economy, and we all look forward to sustaining the

momentum. The Board is proud to be a leader, on the business

side and in the community, but it is our members who make us

the organization we are today. Thank you for all your support

and enthusiasm in making Vancouver one of the best cities in

the world to live and prosper.

SurfTheBoardatwww.boardoftrade.com SoundingBoard/November–December2004 7

The Vancouver-based Arthritis Research Centre ofCanada is conducting practical research for everyday living. We give people with arthritis better, more timely and cost-effective solutions for living with their disease.

With your help we can find the answers to reduce the burden of arthritis.

To donate, please call 604-871-4505 or visit www.arthritisresearch.ca.

Arthritis Research Centre of Canada895 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L7

More than 500,000 British Columbians are living with arthritis.This number will increase as BC’s population ages.

Outgoing Contact Club president recognized

John Whalen (L), Contact Club president, and Maria Braungart (R), membership services

manager, presenting outgoing Contact Club president Bill Murphy (C) with a commemorative

plaque. Bill, thank you for your outstanding contribution to The Board!

8 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

Photo by dave roels

Wendy McDonald poses with The Board’s manag-ing director, Darcy Rezac, at B.C. Bearing’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

Over August and September, Leaders of Tomor-

row (LOT) received over 350 student applica-

tions. Each student application is reviewed twice

by LOT alumni before being reviewed a final time

and paired with a mentor by the LOT office. Over

the coming year, the students will have an op-

portunity to attend Board events (at no cost with

their sponsored coupons), meet local business

and community leaders, volunteer and build

their business networks before they graduate.

Look out for 150 newly-minted LOT students

attending Board events, joining Board policy

committees, writing monthly articles in Sound-

ing Board and attending Business After Busi-

ness™ trade shows.

One of the many initiatives LOT is very proud

of is our Community Projects Team. Through

this committee, LOT students have access to

voluntary project-based learning opportunities

through partnerships with various non-profit

societies in the Vancouver community. LOT

tomorrow’s leaderstoday’s issues

leaders of Tomorrow gets involved in making community better

Unlike fairy tales, where the hero charges in on a

white horse and rescues the damsel in distress, in

real life heroes often appear as ordinary people

who accomplish extraordinary feats in response

LOT students taking a break from building houses for humanity in March 2004. LOT will be working with Habitat for Humanity again in spring 2005.

By tasHon Ziara

provides groups of student volunteers to com-

munity not-for-profit organizations to assist in

their initiatives and good works. Some of our

great projects for the year include:

• Returning for another year of partnership

is Junior Achievement of British Columbia

(JABC). JABC is a not-for-profit organization

dedicated to helping B.C.’s young people

unleash their potential and acquire valuable

life skills. JABC helps students gain an edge in

today’s world by exposing them to the practi-

cal side of business and economics. They are

committed to inspiring and motivating youth,

through business education, to take an active

role in their future. Members of LOT will be

volunteering their time to teach elementary

school and middle school students across the

Lower Mainland about business, assisting with

JABC Business Basics and Dollars With Sense

programs.

• New this year, LOT students will be working

with Evergreen Canada, a national non-profit

environmental organization with a mandate to

bring nature to our cities through naturaliza-

tion projects. LOT will be assisting Evergreen

Canada in removing invasive plant species

from our parks and assisting with their Earth

Day celebrations.

• TheImmigrant Services Society assists newly-

arrived government-sponsored refugees in

their resettlement process and in organizing

events to make them feel welcome in Vancou-

ver. LOT students will be assisting with their

Children’s Christmas event

• LOTstudentswillbebusyassistingtheRound-

house Community Centre with their Hal-

loween Carnival and Winter Solstice Festival

events, including lantern making workshops

for children.

• Each year, the Salvation Army sets up and

operates a temporary “toy store” for Christ-

mas, which distributes approximately 20,000

B.C. Bearing has kept wheels of industry moving for 60 yearsto the challenges that life presents to them. And

sometimes, it is the damsel herself who turns out

to be the real hero.

That is most certainly the case with Wendy

McDonald, who incorporated B.C. Bearing Engi-

neers Ltd. (BCB) in 1944 at the age of 22, while her

husband, R.A.S. MacPherson, was off serving as a

fighter pilot in the Second World War.

BCB was McDonald’s inspiration to expand

on the machine shop (Northern Metals and

Engineering) her husband had founded. A year

after starting BCB, MacDonald opened a branch

office in Calgary.

When MacPherson returned from the war in

1946, he was surprised with all that his wife had

achieved; however, he insisted that she return to

her place in the kitchen.

“I went back to being a housewife and had

two more children, says McDonald. “I was happy

I did.”

When tragedy struck in 1950 — MacPherson

was killed when his private plane crashed near

Boundary Bay — the decision that McDonald

would take over the company once again was

fairly cut-and-dry.

“Quite simply, I had four children to feed,”

she says.

Sixty years after her first foray into business,

McDonald is a widow three times over; she is also

a mother, grandmother, great grandmother and

matriarch of a company that earns $140 million

per year.

Today, BCB, which has twice been named as

one of the Top 50 Privately-Owned Companies

in Canada (Financial Post), is an international

distributor of bearings, power transmission com-

ponents, material handling components, variable

frequency drive and systems, mechanical packing

and gaskets and other allied industrial products.

The Canadian operation has 27 locations in

Western Canada while its subsidiary U.S. Bearings

and Drives has 21 locations in the Western United

States. International operations include B.C. Bear-

ing Chile S.A. with five locations, B.C. Bearing de

México S.A. de C.V. with two locations and B.C.

Bearing Peru SRL with one location.

As BCB celebrates 60 years of serving custom-

ers in a wide range of industries, MacDonald,

who was the first woman to serve as chair of The

Vancouver Board of Trade in 1990, reflects on the

elements that have contributed to her success.

“You have to identify where your strengths are

and build on those,” advises McDonald. “Stick

to your core business, make sure you have good

toys to needy children in the Vancouver area.

LOT students will be volunteering to operate

the store and to aid with the replenishment of

supplies on November 30.

Find out more about LOT at www.leadersoftomor-

row.com.

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people and train your people.”

MacDonald is proud of a company that has

always played to its strengths.

“We realized a long time ago that we couldn’t

be everywhere at once,” explains McDonald. “So

in order to maintain our home advantage over

the big guys from the U.S., we formed an alliance

with an Eastern company in 1995. That alliance

has served us well.”

The company was also an early adopter in

terms of computer technology, introducing an

in-house computer system in 1978 and the first

Canadian company to establish operations in

Chile.

McDonald is also proud to pass on the family

tradition to the next generation, including her

daughter Wendy Penny Omnès, who is VP of

external affairs and corporate relations, and sons:

Robert MacPherson, vice chairman and CEO

of The B.C. Bearing Group; Scott MacPherson,

president and COO of U.S. Bearings and Drives;

and Bill Dix, VP of International Operations.

“It’s fair to say that we’ve kept the wheels of in-

dustry moving for generations,” says McDonald.

Visit www.bearings.com for more information on

BCB’s 60 years in business.

CHristmas Continued From Page 1

Christmas, with more products each year,” said

Graham.

The business of looking and feeling good also

captures Christmas dollars.

“People want to look good and feel good for

the holidays,” said Shelly Kassam, president of

Yaletown Laser & Cosmetic Surgery Centre.

Some procedures are lengthy, so October through

December is a high season for the six-year-old

business.

“December is generally one of our busiest

months,” said spaethos director Ann Fransblow.

The four-year-old company offers traditional spa

treatments including the French facial product

Darphin.

In contrast, Beyond Fitness Coal Harbour

Club Ltd.’s peak is in January and September,

when people return to work, said owner Michel

Pelletier. Post-Christmas gift certificates are

available.

Managing increased profits while preparing for

the holidays can be stressful. According to Iwona

Kozak, people can easily handle chaos if mind,

body and spirit are well balanced. “We’ll be able

to deal with it in a calm way,” said the founder of

Unlimited Yoga Studio. The downtown Vancouver

studio offers corporate gifts packages and a three-

day retreat to help business people relax.

For more information on the companies

mentioned in this article, visit www.retailcouncil.

org, www.mainriver.ca, www.yaletownlaser.com,

www.spaethos.com, www.beyondfitness.ca, www.

unlimitedyoga.com.

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 9

By tHe Hon. JoHn les

deregulation in British Columbia: a focused, responsible approach

Most people understand governments

enact regulations to protect public

health, safety and the environment.

But over the years many regulations

in British Columbia had become dif-

ficult to understand and even harder to

enforce. Worse still, they often ended

up stifling the natural creativity British

Columbians use to address the chal-

lenges they face in their daily lives and

in their businesses.

Our government decided to tackle

this problem by first counting the total

number of regulatory and legislative

requirements across every ministry,

then identifying and eliminating those

regulations that detract from British

Columbia’s competitiveness.

The results were striking. We reduced

the regulations by a net 143,000 require-

ments. As a result we have exceeded our

goal and have reduced the regulatory

burden by more than 37 per cent.

British Columbia now has a more

streamlined regulatory environment.

One that encourages new investment,

stimulates economic development

and promotes innovation and op-

portunity.

British Columbia is experiencing

record-breaking home sales along with

dramatic increases in building permits

and housing starts. B.C. has led the

country in small business growth over

the past two years. The number of jobs

in B.C. has increased by 8.8 per cent

since 2001, a job creation rate that

leads the country.

Raising investment capital is vital

for companies anxious to invest in

new technologies, new infrastructure

and create jobs. Previously, companies

seeking investment capital were often

hobbled by cumbersome, antiquated

rules that prevented them from raising

enough capital to pursue new business

opportunities.

Because of changes we made to

the laws governing small business

venture capital, small businesses can

now raise capital directly from inves-

tors rather than having to establish a

holding company. This has allowed

small businesses to raise a record $80

million to invest in new and expanding

businesses.One key component of the Oil and

Gas Strategy was regulatory reform,

working with industry to identify and

evaluate options for improving the

regulatory efficiency of the oil and gas

industry’s permitting, compliance and

enforcement. Phase I of the strategy

exceeded all forecasts and the industry

employs almost 11,000 directly and

total direct revenue is over $2 billion.

We have achieved a great deal over

the last three years. However, there is

more work to do. We will build on the

strong foundation we have developed.

We will continue to consult with British

Columbians to determine where we

need to go next.

What we have done in B.C. is take

a modern, results-based approach

to legislative and regulatory require-

ments.

In B.C., we are moving from a cli-

mate of over-regulation to a smarter,

more competitive regulatory climate,

but one that continues protects public

health, safety and the environment.

The big winners are British Columbi-

ans themselves, who will benefit for

years to come from the steps we have

taken to establish a sensible regulatory

system, one that contributes to the

quality of life and economic well-being

of British Columbians.

John Les is minister of small business

and economic development and minis-

ter responsible for deregulation.

Dr. Robert Kilpatrick (L) of Technology Vision Group and Bill Newell (R) of QLT present their arguments for supporting biotech in B.C.

Photo by dave roels

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At a recent Policy Forum™, sponsored

by Deloitte and Touche LLP and Pfiz-

er, three noted panelists spoke about

the biotechnology industry in B.C. and

its potential to play a significant role in

the economy.

Bill Newell is senior VP and chief

business officer at QLT Inc., one of

the most successful biotech compa-

nies in Vancouver. Newell listed three

key facts that point to biotech as an

emerging industry in this country:

Canada ranks third in the world behind

the U.S. and the U.K. in generating

revenue; it is second only to the U.S.

in number of biotech companies; and

it is number one in R&D spending per

employee. Newell emphasized that

these figures are not merely a one-year

statistics blip, but follow a trend that

has evolved over several years.

Dr. Robert Kilpatrick is a partner

in Technology Vision Group LLC in

California — the number one location

in North America for biotech. Kilpat-

rick presented a case for B.C. to model

its biotech industry after San Diego.

He noted that San Diego has all the

key elements for a “life science clus-

ter”: science, talent and money. It also

has a similar geographic set-up to Van-

couver; both cities are compact and

contained, and there is close proximity

between universities, educational cen-

tres and biotech companies.

“Vancouver and San Diego also

share a culture of collaboration be-

tween leading public and private sec-

tor organizations, as well as a strong

commitment to the creation of a

sustainable bioscience industry,” said

Kilpatrick. He believes the transition

from a resource-based economy in

B.C. to a knowledge-based economy

including biotech and information

technology is possible by adapting the

San Diego model.

“Are we at the tipping point?”

asked Hector MacKay-Dunn, QC,

senior partner at Farris. He cautioned

that things could go either way in the

biotech industry, given the fragile

and competitive world environment.

However, with the right plan, MacKay-

Dunn believes biotech could also be

taken to a whole new level.

He listed several strengths that B.C.

has going for it in the industry: We’re

recognized as a biotech leader in Can-

ada; we have world-class educational

institutions and key anchor companies;

and we have good government policy

that welcomes new business.

A weakness counterbalancing

these strengths is a lack of manage-

ment expertise, both at the senior level

as well as the board level. Other forces

at play are the inherent risk in the in-

dustry, the time and money it takes to

develop a new drug, the difficulty in

attracting and retaining good people

and significant pressure from other

jurisdictions.

MacKay-Dunn offered some rec-

ommendations to address these weak-

nesses in the industry: the expansion

of the international finance centre

to encourage investment flow into

Canada; minimization of adverse

Opportunity to lead biotech boom within B.C.’s grasp

U.S. tax regulations for U.S. investors,

and finally, the education of potential

U.S. investors about the similarities

between successful American biotech

markets and B.C.’s market.

With these building blocks in place,

MacKay-Dunn believes the balance

will be tipped in B.C.’s favour.

Presentations from this Policy Forum are

available at www.boardoftrade.com.

By tessa maCKinnon

10 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

®

“Is it appropriate to roast someone

who’s already half-baked?” quipped a

jovial Dennis Hull at the roast of Van-

couver Mayor Larry Campbell.

Hockey legend Hull was last in a

long line of roasters that included Van-

roasters turn up the heat on Mayor larry Campbell

couver Police Department chief con-

stable Jamie Graham, music producer

Bruce Allen, 2010 CEO Jack Poole and

blues singer Colin James.

Concord Pacific, TELUS and The

Vancouver Sun sponsored the Spirit

of Vancouver® (SOV ) event, which

was presented in co-operation with

the Vancouver International Comedy

Festival.

Before Hull launched his attack,

several other roasters were primed to

get a few jokes in at the mayor’s ex-

pense. Jamie Graham told the crowd,

“I have known Mayor Larry Campbell

for a good many years. Larry was a steel

worker in Hamilton, then he was a cop

here in Vancouver... he’s a motorcycle, a

headdress and a sailor’s suit away from

becoming a one-man Village People.”

Even the usually benign Colin

James got a few shots in at the mayor,

reflecting on “Larry the child” and his

fledgling sports career: “Why is it, Larry,

when you were playing goalie in road

hockey, no one ever yelled ‘car!’”

Campbell wasn’t safe from music

producer Bruce Allen, either. “The first

time I saw Larry in his fedora, I breathed

a sigh of relief,” said Allen. “I thought,

finally, someone who’s going to shut

down the Capone gang.”

Jack Poole revealed that during

an overseas trip for the Olympic Bid

process, he made sure an RCMP officer

accompanied Campbell wherever he

went because Poole was nervous about

Campbell’s feisty nature. “We consid-

ered it a successful visit if we got out of

town and Larry hadn’t picked a fistfight

with the locals,” said Poole.

To top off the evening, the mayor

was honoured by a special R-rated

roasting from Trailer Park Boys Julian,

Ricky and Bubbles, characters from the

Showcase original series.

“Mayor Campbell says he wants to

make Vancouver a fun city, but wants

to get rid of the drugs and hookers. So

what’s it going to be, Mr. Campbell?”

asked Julian, clutching his customary

highball.

The evening was emceed by the

most recent SOV roastee Brian Burke

and his wife, CKNW host Jennifer

Mather. Burke introduced Campbell

By rodger Banister

as someone who had grown up in the

sixties — a time of sex, drugs and rock

and roll that was “wasted on Larry, since

he didn’t do drugs and couldn’t keep a

beat OR a girlfriend.”

Mather didn’t miss a beat by having

her own fun with the mayor. “In 1973,

Larry began working on the drug squad.

Soon it became Larry’s mission to crack

down on dope smokers, mostly because

they were the only ones slow enough for

him to catch.”

Following tradition, Campbell had

the last laugh, taking the microphone

to rebut each of his roasters in turn,

concluding with Julian, Ricky and

Bubbles: “You may be the Trailer Park

Boys, but Vancouver is MY trailer park,”

said Campbell.

Additional photos from the event are

available at www.spiritofvancouver.

com.

At the third annual Spirit of Vancou-

ver® (SOV ) Awards, organizations

and members of the community

were honoured for their work in the

city. The awards grew out of the SOV

campaign initiated by former Board

chair Carole Taylor.

“The spirit of the city is about

attitude that recognizes the value of

community service and the impor-

tance of individual and corporate

leadership,” said Graeme Stamp,

SOV and Vancouver Board of Trade

chairman. “The events, services and

programs we so often take for granted

in Vancouver happen because some-

one somewhere decided to make a

difference.”

Dr. Saida Rasul won the Individual

Spirit award for her work as co-chair

of the 2004 Community Campaign

for United Way and for her lifetime of

community service. She became in-

volved in United Way in 1995 and saw

the value of the work the organization

was doing in the community.

Pan Pacific Vancouver was the

winner of the Community Organiza-

tion award for its annual Christmas

Toy Drive Breakfast, which collects

a mountain of toys each year for the

Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.

Pan Pacific’s GM Steve Halliday ac-

cepted the award and thanked all the

people and organizations that help

put on the Christmas wish breakfast.

Harmony Airways won the Cor-

porate award for its commitment to

enterprise by starting and operating

a new airline headquartered in Van-

couver, and for making “giving it back”

to the community a cornerstone of its

Third annual SOV awards recognizes spirit, service and

commitmentbusiness. Dr. David Ho, chairman and

CEO of Harmony Airways, accepted

the award.

CanWest/The Vancouver Sun won

the Media award for its support of

Raise-A-Reader Day, which provides

resources to libraries and financial

assistance to family literacy programs.

The Vancouver Sun’s Louise Watson

accepted the award and thanked the

newspaper’s staff, sponsors and Pre-

mier Gordon Campbell for partnering

with the program.

The BC Lions Society of Children

with Disabilities won the Special

Event award for “Orcas in the City,” a

public-art project that raised funds for

local charities. The orcas were a popu-

lar attraction for both locals and visi-

tors to the city and the auction raised

$258,000. Stephen Miller, executive

director of the BC Lions Society, ac-

cepted the award, and thanked the

city’s businesses, artists, tourists and

kids who made the project a success.

Brian Burke was this year’s re-

cipient of the Mike Horsey Free Spirit

award. Burke is known for his tireless

efforts in giving back and contrib-

uting to the city of Vancouver, and

particularly for his work at Canuck

Place Children’s Hospice, a charity

that focuses on meeting the needs of

children and family with life-limiting

illnesses. He thanked Dave Cobb,

Dave Nonis and Canucks players,

Marcus Naslund and Trevor Linden,

for their contributions.

“I take pride,” said Burke, “as I see

the Raise-A-Reader program and the

Orcas in the City — the Canucks were

a part of those successes.”

Visit www.spiritofvancouver.com for

complete coverage and more photos.

By tessa maCKinnon

The mayor had the last laugh — Campbell got to rebut his roasters at the end.

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 11

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• Building better customer relations February 2 to 3, 2005• Resolving conflict in the workplace February 10 to 11, 200510% discount to all board members on these new offerings at robson square downtown. offer available to board members only, lim-ited space in courses

tel: 604-822-8400

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AutoMind Group

autoMind Group, autobody repair service with 4 locations in the lower Mainland to serve you. at autoMind, we mind your auto!

offer available to board members only

*Not valid on ICbC or insurance claims. some conditions may apply.

4 locations in the lower Mainland to serve you

tel: 604-875-6036

$50 off* on collision repairs,

labour only

715 Mcbride blvd. New Westminster, b.C.

www.jibc.bc.ca

Justice Institute of BC

Maximize your leadership performance and fine-tune your business and management skills. We offer innovative training for busi-ness owners, managers and executives.

Information: 604-528-5633, www.jibc.bc.ca/clcl

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Beyond Fitness Coal Harbour Club Ltd. train smarter — Not harder

our exclusive Fitness studio specializes in “defy-aging Fitness!” We combine technologically ad-vanced fitness testing with the skills of highly quali-fied trainers to produce Results-Giving Programs! offer available to members and non-members, expires January 15, 2005*buy 8 sessions and get 1 extra Free training session + a complete body age assessment

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ISTCL

Happy holidays from ISTCL! IstCl would like to wish its current and future clients a very happy and healthy holiday season. Warm wishes from your solutions partner.

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www.vancouverhyatt.com

Hyatt Regency Vancouver

30% off meeting room rental when the meeting is booked and actualized by Febru-ary 15, 2005. New bookings only. Please contact roberta blanco at 604-639-4744 or [email protected].

offer available to board members only, valid November 1 to February 15, 2005

30% off

locations across the lower Mainlandtel: 604-542-1243

www.hangersbc.ca

Hangers Cleaners board members enjoy 10% off at hangers Cleaners, where we take pride in using the newest drycleaning technology that keeps your clothes looking like new.

offer available to board members only

10% off

tel: 1-866-465-9463

www.okwineclub.com

Okanagan Wine Club

this year, don’t just give — captivate! have exquisite world-class okanagan wines spe-cially delivered to those who are important to you.

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Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 15

®

Save big & fly fast this holiday season.

Book by December 5, 2004* to take advantage of our December 20 to January 7 seat sale!

• Only 35 minutes Vancouver to Victoria • Downtown Vancouver or Vancouver International Airport departures• Check-in 20 minutes before departure • Complimentary 24hr Budget Rental car when you book a return trip

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Vancouver–Victoria

YVR is the first airport in North America

to offer NEXUS Air, a new FasTrack

Border initiative that will make flying to

and from the U.S. or other international

destinations more efficient for low-risk,

pre-approved air travellers.

NEXUS Air complements the ex-

isting CANPASS Air program, both of

which use cutting-edge biometric iris

recognition technology. CANPASS can

be used by members entering Canada

from anywhere in the world, while

NEXUS can be used to enter Canada

or travel to the U.S. via YVR.

Members of both programs bypass

border line-ups by using automated

kiosks with touch screens to answer

questions similar to those an inspection

officer would ask. Members also have

access to the priority lane at YVR’s pre-

board screening checkpoints, giving

them expedited access to the security

YVr offers the latest in FasTrack servicescreening process for domestic or in-

ternational departures.

The iris recognition process is as

easy as taking a photograph of your eye.

The technology identifies and records

the 266 unique patterns of the iris (the

coloured ring around the pupil of the

eye). Your iris pattern is then processed

and encoded into a record that is stored

and used as proof of your identity every

time you use the automated NEXUS Air

and CANPASS Air kiosks.

Travellers can apply for NEXUS Air

starting November 30. You are eligible

to apply if you are a citizen or perma-

nent resident of Canada or a citizen or

resident alien of the U.S. Applications

are available online at www.nexus.gc.ca

or at the enrollment centre located on

the U.S. departures level of the Inter-

national Terminal at YVR. You will be

asked to provide personal information,

which will be verified by both Canadian

and American agencies. Once your

application has been processed, you

will be invited for the final step of the

enrollment process, which is to come

into the enrollment centre for a per-

sonal interview to verify your original

documents and capture your biometric

information.

NEXUS Air was developed by the

Canada Border Services Agency,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

and United States Customs and Border

Protection.

CANPASS Air is a joint initiative of

Canada Border Services Agency and

Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Applications are available now at www.

cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel/canpass/canpas-

sair-e.html or at the enrollment centre

located on the departures level of the

International Terminal at YVR.

It is a fact that mammograms help

prevent breast cancer deaths.

Through early detection, small tu-

mours can be discovered and removed

before they become a serious threat to

the health — and lives — of women in

every corner of the province.

In fact, the B.C. Ministry of Health

TEluS Tour for the Cure sends message: detection is your best protection

believes in the value of mammograms

so much, it offers free annual breast

screening for all B.C. women who are

40 years and older.

But despite the proof that mam-

mograms work and access to free

screening, less than half of all eligible

B.C. women take advantage of the

Screening Mammography Program

of B.C.

The participation rate is lowest

in the Kootenays and Northern B.C.,

where less than 40 per cent of eligible

women go in for their free tests.

This is far below the minimum

70 per cent participation rate rec-

ommended by the World Health

Organization to effectively fight this

disease.

So the benefits are clear, but they

might not be common knowledge.

That is why the Canadian Breast

Cancer Foundation , B.C./Yukon

Chapter recently launched the TELUS

Tour for the Cure, in partnership with

TELUS and the Province of British

Columbia.

This huge interactive touring edu-

cational exhibit will travel to 26 B.C.

communities over the next eight

months, to be displayed in local

shopping centres and other public

venues.

“The display stresses the impor-

tance of prevention, detection, treat-

ment options and why screening mam-

mography is crucial in reducing breast

From L to R: B.C. Minister of Health Colin Hanson, Moira Stilwell MD, chair, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Chapter, Premier Gordon Campbell and TELUS President and CEO Darren Entwistle push the button to launch the TELUS Tour for the Cure in Vancouver.

cancer deaths,” said Jan Engemoen,

executive director, Canadian Breast

Cancer Foundation, B.C./Yukon Chap-

ter. “We’re thrilled that TELUS and the

Province of British Columbia have

agreed to help us spread the message

about the importance of women’s

health and particularly getting mam-

mograms.”

The exhibit includes video displays,

information and a direct telephone

service that encourages women to

book their mammograms without

delay.

“To say that supporting the foun-

dation’s work is important is an in-

credible understatement,” said TELUS

president and CEO Darren Entwistle

of TELUS’ sponsorship of the tour. “If

we can convince more women to go

for regular mammograms, smaller

tumours could be detected earlier and

fewer women will die.”

Just ask Judy Caldwell. She is

a breast cancer survivor, who told

the gathering at the launch that she

“missed it” in her self-examinations,

and her doctor also missed it. It was

only a routine mammogram that found

her cancer, and today — in her words

— “Everything’s fine.”

The Canadian Breast Cancer Founda-

tion is committed to a Breast Cancer

Agenda that will improve screening

mammography throughout the prov-

ince. More details about breast screen-

ing mammography and the TELUS

Tour for the Cure may be found at www.

cbcf.org/bcyukon.

16 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

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Gif

t G

ivin

gThe customs of giving and receiving

gifts varies dramatically from country

to country. A gift given at the wrong

time or even in the wrong colour can

cause enough offence to cost you your

business deal. So, what initially seems

a harmless and thoughtful practice is

filled with potholes if you do not take

into consideration the nationality

of the recipient. To help you avoid a

cultural faux pas, here are some tips

to remember.

Choosing the right gift for your international customersCausing religious offence will re-

sult in business relations souring rap-

idly so be conscious of this when pur-

chasing a gift. Bottles of wine might

be standard in many workplaces but

will not be welcomed if the recipient

is of a religion that does not allow

alcohol. Dietary needs should also be

addressed if buying a food gift. If you

are not sure of the recipient’s religion,

avoid food gifts altogether.

Of all the regions in the world, Asia

is swathed in the most traditions and

customs. Unsurprisingly, it also has

the most complex rules when it comes

to gift giving and is where you are like-

ly to run into the most trouble. Many

of their beliefs are symbolic — scissors

or anything bladed symbolize the end

of a relationship and clocks are as-

sociated with funerals. In China, red

is a lucky color but white, black and

blue are associated with death; note

this when choosing wrapping paper

for your gift. Similarly, handkerchiefs

symbolize mourning and the numbers

four and nine are bad omens. When

given a gift in China, the recipient will

initially refuse it. But do not give up.

Your role is to insist three times and

on the third time it will be accepted.

Europe is less of a danger zone

when it comes to gift giving though

a few things should be considered.

The French like to be flattered and an

intellectual gift will do just that. Count

your flowers before presenting them

to your Italian host, as even numbers

will cause offence. Giving wine in the

Netherlands suggests their offerings

are inadequate, but over the sea in

Norway, wine is expensive and so a

welcome gift.

All in all, the international world of

corporate gift giving is a bit of a mine-

field. Do not just take the gamble; a

little time research into what to give

and when will pay dividends.

Looking for that special gift? Check out

these two pages in our Gift Giving feature

for wonderful gift ideas sure to please

those hard to buy for individuals.

SurfTheBoardatwww.boardoftrade.com SoundingBoard/November–December2004 17

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18 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

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Vancouver City Savings Credit Union

(VanCity) has recently been named

by Maclean’s as the number one place

to work in Canada. CEO Dave Mowat

spoke about the reasons behind the

bank’s success at a recent luncheon,

sponsored by McCarthy Tétrault and

Citizen’s Bank of Canada.

Mowat believes it is largely VanC-

ity’s policy of corporate transparency

that has led to the achievement of its

being ranked the best place to work

in Canada.

VanCity made a profit of $78 mil-

lion in 2003, has $9 billion in assets

and provides banking services for one

out of every eight people in the Lower

Mainland and Victoria. Last year was

its strongest year ever, exceeding

a record year in 2002 and earnings

from the first nine months of this year

are set to exceed 2003. Membership

grew by 23 per cent when 22,000 new

members joined.

Despite these impressive num-

bers, when stacked up against the

other banks, VanCity is “not even on

the radar screen,” said Mowat. Nev-

ertheless, VanCity is very competitive

in the market.

“We’re proud of our ability to

compete, but we don’t specifically

set out to achieve the best efficiency

rating,” said Mowat. “Our consuming

interest is to differentiate ourselves

from our competitors. We do that

by offering outstanding service, by

building employee engagements

and by showing up boldly in terms of

community involvement and leader-

ship. When we get these three things

right, a curious thing happens — we

make an awful lot of money.”

Mowat believes that being trans-

parent helps earn trust at a time

when organizations like Enron and

Arthur Anderson have demonstrated

that a lack of transparency can bring

See-through strategies look good on VanCityBy tessa maCKinnon a company down.

Having a reputation as a trust-

worthy company also makes people

want to work for you — VanCity

receives between 800 and 1,000 un-

solicited resumes a month, allowing

it to choose the cream of the crop and

resulting in lower employee turnover,

less training and hiring and stronger

relationships with customers.

According to Mowat, VanCity will

not ever be as big as the Royal Bank,

so it has to add something special

to earn its share of the business.

That something special is customer

service, great employees and com-

munity involvement.

“We work on these things just as

hard as the services we offer,” said

Mowat. ‘These are the intangible

parts of our business, but it requires

an openness in order to excel at

them.”

Dave Mowat’s presentation is avail-

able at www.boardoftrade.com.

Anthony von Mandl, proprietor of

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in

B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, talked about

his “audacious dream” at an event

sponsored by Scotiabank and Fasken

Martineau DuMoulin LLP.

Von Mandl’s story is one of dogged

determination, starting with an ap-

prenticeship in Europe after gradua-

tion, where he struggled to convince

wine merchants to sell in Canada.

The difficulties continued upon

von Mandl’s return to Canada and a

sluggish wine industry. He relocated

to Los Angeles where he drove around

in a beat-up station wagon selling

cases of wine, but eventually went into

receivership, and a discouraged von

Mandl retreated to Canada again.

Von Mandl decided to make his

own label, St. Jovian, under his newly

created Mark Anthony Wine Mer-

Mission hill Family Estate Winery: a vision with legsBy Karen grant

“Our consuming interest is to differentiate ourselves from our competitors,” said Dave Mowat, CEO, VanCity.

chants organization, and became

Canada’s first wine merchant, akin

at the time to a “hot agency being

discovered.”

With that taste of success, von

Mandl aspired to operate his own

winery — but did not want to leave

his home province to do it. So in 1981,

he purchased an abandoned winery

on Lake Okanagan, christening it

Mission Hill.

But B.C. wines still had a major

credibility problem, and Mission Hill’s

early years were challenging ones,

starting with the discovery of billions

of fruit flies: “My heart sank,” von

Mandl said.

Von Mandl focused on creating

cash flow with cider sales from his

Okanagan Cider Company and by

becoming the Canadian importer for

Corona beer.

He also began his quest for an

experienced winemaker who could

help put his winery on the map, and

in New Zealand found winemaker

John Simes. The collaboration paid

off — two years later, Mission Hill’s

first vintage was awarded top marks

at London’s International Wine and

Spirits Competition.

This gave von Mandl the boost of

confidence he needed to undertake

an unprecedented investment in

the Okanagan Valley: with Simes, he

pioneered the use of technology that

allowed them to optimize the area’s

unique micro-climates.

Von Mandl continued his transfor-

mation of the Mission Hill property

from its unknown status as the “Oka-

something Valley” into a destination

winery.

That project culminated in what is

today a fully functional, modern-day

operation, with hundreds of acres of

vineyards and a collection of Europe-

an-inspired buildings complementing

the beauty of the hilltop location.

Recent articles from the Wine Spec-

tator, Wine News and other industry

publications have lauded von Man-

dl’s achievements, and naturally, von

Mandl is delighted: “After 23 years and

risking every cent I own, I’ve achieved

my dream,” he declared.

specialists in our Heart Centre will be

able to do more procedures every year.

The new room will also mean that some

of the cardiac procedures currently

performed in the operating rooms will

be moved out, providing more time for

a variety of different surgeries,” says

Adams.

A tribute to the efforts of commu-

nity and corporate supporters who vol-

unteer their time to create the display

and help with fundraising, the Lights

of Hope campaign makes St. Paul’s

Hospital impossible to miss during the

festive season.

Adams explains that the campaign

starts early for the volunteers from

the corporate community who begin

asking business colleagues to support

Lights of Hope in the spring. Varshney

Capital Corp. president Hari Varshney

is chairing this year’s campaign and

was the first to sign his company up as

a presenting sponsor for 2004.

The light display is entirely designed

and constructed by more than 200 vol-

unteers using donated products. This

year, there will be more than 8 km of

lights - all of them donated by B.C. and

international companies - in front of

the hospital.

Donations are welcome at any time, but

if you would like to have your compa-

ny’s name on this year’s display, please

contact Jeff Norris at 604-806-8920

or visit www.helpstpauls.com before

December 7.

st. Paul’s Continued From Page 1

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 19

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If your company is looking to hire new em-

ployees in the near future, here is some advice

from those in the know: “Don’t

rely on the classified section of the

newspaper,” says Katie Bowkett,

VP of The Personnel Department,

whose company was recently listed

as one of the Top 10 Employers to

Work for in B.C., according to a

survey published in B.C. Business

magazine. “The truth is, the best

candidates, just like the best jobs,

are never advertised.”

In fact, recruiting experts claim

that up to 90 per cent of positions

being filled are within the hid-

den job market. That is, they are

filled by employment agencies or

through referral.

Don Cheevers, Kelly Services’s

senior operations manager for Western Canada

explains why.

“The best candidates, the ones you really

want, are not going to answer your newspaper

ad or post their resume on an Internet job site

because they are already working and they don’t

want their employer to know that they are look-

ing,” he says. “It is far more likely that they will

either respond to an employment agency ad

or call an agency and say, ‘Hey, I’m not happy

at my job,’ because they know the agency will

protect their identity.”

On the employer side, using an agency of-

fers the advantage of finding

a custom fit.

“When you do put an ad in

the paper, chances are you’re

going to choose the five best

resumes and interview just

those five people,” says Peggy

Blumenthal , manager of

Hunt Personnel and a senior

recruiter with almost 20 years

of experience. “The problem

is, if you can only afford to see

those who look good on pa-

per, you’ll miss out on a lot of

creative, energetic, fabulous

people. We interview the peo-

ple who may not be perfect on

paper, the ones who have a

fantastic personality or a great attitude, and we

match them up with the right company.”

Bowkett concurs, “A lot of great candidates

don’t know how to put together a good resume

and that can cause them to procrastinate when

they could be advancing their career. We have

a face-to-face interview with each candidate

and at that point a file is created with interview

notes, skills assessments and references, all of

the essential information an employer is going

to need.”

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“The truth

is, the best

candidates,

just like the

best jobs,

are never

advertised.”

how recruiters can help your company tap into the hidden job market

To be a good communicator, a manager’s actions should speak louder than words, suggests a

new survey. Twenty-eight per cent of workers polled said their bosses could be more effective by

standing up for their staff when needed. Putting a lid on office politics was cited by 24 per cent of

respondents as a way for employers to improve communication.

The poll was developed by OfficeTeam and survey respondents were asked “In which of the fol-

lowing areas do you think your boss could communicate more effectively?” Their responses:

•Standingupforstaffwhenneeded:28% •Encouragingpeopletotakebreaks:11%

•Nippingofficepoliticsinthebud:24% •Somethingelse/noneoftheabove:13%

•Talkinglessandlisteningmore:22% •Don’tknow/noanswer:2%

Survey reveals traits workers want most in their managers

recruiting

20 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

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The sign of the times.

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The pioneer trade centres were established in

the early ’70s, namely Houston, New Orleans,

New York and Tokyo. These centres organized

a World Trade Centers Association (WTCA),

which is a not-for-profit, non-political associa-

tion that fosters the WTC concept and develops

inter-WTC co-operative programs. There are

almost 300 World Trade Centers (WTC) in nearly

100 countries across six continents.

The general purpose of WTCs is to bring

together businesses involved in international

trade. A WTC provides a collective for global

commerce and exposes businesses to all serv-

ices, organizations and individuals critical for

success in world trade. The WTCA says, “A World

The Freedom Tower, by architects David Childs and Daniel Libeskind, will rise on the New York World Trade Center site and soar 1,776 feet in the sky, becoming the world’s tallest building.

Trade Center is a recognizable symbol of locally

focused economic strength in world commerce.

Anchored by a unique combination of tenants

and visitors, a World Trade Center is a bustling

hub of export activity.”

The WTC in New York City has become ar-

guably the most famous one in the world since

September 11. The former WTC was conceived

in the early ’60s as a way to revitalize the “radio

row” in Lower Manhattan. In 1962, the Port Au-

thority of New York and New Jersey approved

the project and began plans for construction.

An architect by the name of Minoru Yamasaki

was hired to design the new building. Construc-

tion began in 1966 and the north tower opened

in 1970; the south tower opened two years later.

The centre was the world’s tallest building for

only a short period of time, as the Sears Tower

was built a year later in Chicago.

After the attacks in 2001 that destroyed the

twin towers, the City of New York asked for de-

sign submissions for the rebuilding of the site.

In February 2003, Lower Manhattan Develop-

ment Corporation (LMDC) announced that it

had selected Studio Daniel Libeskind’s design.

Libeskind’s design includes a hanging garden,

a memorial, a cultural center and a Freedom

Tower, which will rise to 1,776 feet, taller than

any building standing in the world today. The

building is expected to cost $1.5 billion and

be ready for its first occupants in 2008, while

construction will continue likely into 2015.

LMDC also announced that architects

Michael Arad and Peter Walker had won the

design competition for the memorial com-

memorating the people who died in the ter-

rorist attacks on September 11. Their design,

Reflecting Absence, will be built where the

twin towers once stood. It includes two pools

surrounded by trees, with the names of all the

victims inscribed on the walls surrounding

the pools.

“In its powerful, yet simple articulation of

the footprints of the Twin Towers, Reflecting

Absence has made the gaping voids left by the

towers’ destruction the primary symbol of loss,”

said Vartan Gregorian, who chaired the jury

that chose the winning design.

For more information, visit www.renewnyc.com.

World Trade Centre New York: Past, present and futureBy tessa maCKinnon

Photo CredIt: ©arChIMatIoN

Reflecting Absence MemorialThe Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) launched

the international World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition in

April 2003. In what became the largest design competition in history,

5,201 submissions were received from 63 nations and 49 states. All 5,201

proposals were evaluated by a 13-member memorial jury comprised of

individuals representing various points of view, including renowned art-

ists and architects, a family member, a Lower Manhattan resident and

business owner, representatives of the governor and mayor, and other

prominent arts and cultural professionals.

The design, animation, bios and all relevant information about the

World Trade Center Memorial Competition can be viewed at www.

WTCSiteMemorial.org.

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 21

from the Ministry of Health Services.)

Myth: Urgent surgeries are de-

layed.

No, those who need emergency

surgery receive care when they need

it. Ninety per cent of cancer patients

requiring chemotherapy began treat-

ment within two weeks of being medi-

cally-approved.

Myth: The median wait time for all

wait-listed surgeries is lengthy and has

increased.

No. The median wait time was

under five weeks in 2003-04 — half of

B.C. patients waited about five weeks

or less for their surgeries and half

waited five weeks or more. The median

wait time for B.C. patients who needed

non-emergency surgery dropped from

five weeks in 2001 to 4.3 weeks in

2003. The number of people waiting

for open-heart surgery has decreased

more than 50 per cent from January 1,

2003, to July 31, 2004.

Myth: B.C. patients have to wait

longer than other Canadians.

Not so. Statistics Canada says people

in B.C. will see a specialist quicker than

the average Canadian — three weeks in

B.C. versus four weeks across Canada.

As well, the B.C. median wait time for

diagnostic tests (such as MRI and CT

scans) is below the national average.

Myth: The number of surgeries per-

formed in B.C. is not keeping up with the

population growth.

In the last two years, B.C.’s popula-

tion has grown by two per cent, but the

number of surgeries performed has

grown by five per cent. Orthopedic and

cataract surgeries grew by nine per cent;

cardiac surgeries grew by 12 per cent.

Myth: You can solve the problem by

“throwing more money at it.”

Making financial resources avail-

able is important, but it is not the

single “silver bullet” solution. Still, it

is important to understand that the

provincial government has increased

the health budget by more than $2 bil-

lion over the past four years. Since the

beginning of this year, it has invested

nearly $46 million to expand patient

access to surgery, including hip and

knee replacements, cardiac surgery

and diagnostic care.

But the solution to a complex prob-

lem requires more than money, it

requires a commitment by everyone

involved in health care to examine the

issues and to lay a foundation for suc-

cess in achieving a sustainable health

care system in which everyone is able to

access needed care in a timely way.

Wynne Powell is chair of the Provincial

Health Services Authority. The PHSA

plans, manages and evaluates selected

specialty and province-wide health-care

services across B.C., working with the five

geographic health authorities to deliver

province-wide solutions that improve

the health of British Columbians.

“The changes are coming,” said chief

constable Jamie Graham of the Van-

couver Police Department at a recent

Policy Forum™ on crime in Vancouver,

an event sponsored by InterGlobe

Security Corp. & Inves-

tigation Services Inc.

Members of the pan-

el agreed there are many

changes afoot in the city

making a difference in

both the incidence of

crime and approaches

to dealing with it.

Dave Park , chief

economist and assistant

managing director for

The Vancouver Board of

Trade, cited The Board’s

report on crime that

showed Greater Vancou-

ver was proportionately

the worst major metropolitan area for

property crime in Canada in 2002.

The cost of property crime is stag-

Vancouver Board of Trade panel finds new ways to fight crime

By tessa maCKinnon

gering, estimated to have cost $121

million in 2003. Park pointed out that

Vancouver has fewer police than it

should have for its relative population,

and the higher crime rate increases the

need for more police.

“Police, courts and politicians

must demonstrate determination to

overcome the property crime problem

in Vancouver,” said Park. “There is far

too much at stake to allow the situation

to continue.”

Graham cautioned the audience

not to be misled by media coverage

that the Safe Streets Act is an attack

on the poor.

“There is no organization that has

done more in terms of helping people

in need than the Vancouver Police,”

Graham said.

He described the suc-

cess of the police force’s

i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f

“Project Lucille,” target-

ing Vancouver hotels with

rampant drug dealing

and trafficking. The police

force gathered evidence

for a civil standard to pull

the hotels’ business li-

censes.

“That’s going to be an

ongoing way to do busi-

ness in Vancouver,” said

Graham.

He strongly believes

that supporting literacy

reduces crime by keeping people in

school and off the streets: “The best

and most successful societies in the

Chief constable Jamie Graham

world right now are the ones that pro-

mote literacy.”

Lorne Mayencourt, MLA for Van-

couver-Burrard, discussed the Safe

Streets initiative — a collective effort

of people who believe civil order in

communities and consequences for

bad behaviour is necessary.

But Mayencourt said the process is

only just beginning — the law is only

some words on paper and will require

the resources and support of the com-

munity to come alive.

Mayencourt said he is dedicated to

healing the Downtown Eastside so it

becomes a wonderful place to live.

“This job has introduced me to

thousands of British Columbians who

are committed to social responsibil-

ity and it’s a great privilege to work

with them toward solutions,” said

Mayencourt.

Elisabeth Burgess is chair of the

Street Crime Working Group, com-

prised of three provincial court judges,

a Vancouver Police representative,

probation representatives, federal and

provincial prosecutors, a Vancouver

Agreement representative and the Van-

couver Coastal Health Authority.

The group’s focus is visible crime

that affects “the most people most

often.” The mandate is to find more

effective ways to deal with targeted

groups of people: chronic re-offenders,

drug-addicted and mentally disor-

dered offenders.

She notes that Vancouver’s busi-

ness community has been proactive

and has led the way in the fight on

crime: “You have expertise that we

need; we would really benefit from

advice that you may have to help with

our initiatives.” She added, “I think

we’re on the verge of some new part-

nerships that will give us the ability to

tackle some of these problems in a way

we never have before.”

“As vice-chair of The Board’s Crime

Task Force, I am encouraged that the

hard work our members have put into

our latest report is resulting in mean-

ingful debate and indeed, legislative

change,” said Phil Moriarity, president

of InterGlobe, in reference to Burgess’s

Street Crime Working Group. “There is

a lot more to be done, but at least this

government and the judiciary at the

provincial level seem willing to ‘think

outside the box’. As we all know, what

is inside the box now is not working.

We anxiously await the recommen-

dations that her committee comes

forward with.”

Dave Park’s presentation is available

on www.boardoftrade.com.

HealtH Continued From Page 4

“The best

and most

successful

societies in

the world

right now

are the ones

that promote

literacy.”

22 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

Having trouble finding the right staff

for your company? You are not alone.

According to industry experts, the job

market in the Lower Mainland is red

hot and not expected to cool off any-

time soon.

“Right now, Vancouver is facing a

real shortage of qualified, skilled work-

ers and until the Olympics are here and

gone, I believe the demand is only going

By tasHon Ziara

recruiting expert offers tips for hiring in a hot job marketto continue to grow,” says Andrew d’Eça,

general manager of Angus One Profes-

sional Recruitment Ltd., whose com-

pany serves the permanent, executive,

contract and temporary staffing needs of

businesses in the Lower Mainland.

According to d’Eça, the biggest

challenge for companies in this market

is that they do not move fast enough

when they do find someone they want

to hire.

“The reality is that it’s an employee’s

market,” said d’Eça. “The best candi-

dates are getting multiple job offers

within a day. I compare it to the Van-

couver real estate market where a house

can sell in one day and for $40,000 more

than it’s worth. You hesitate and that

perfect candidate is snapped up by

someone else.”

This can be very stressful for com-

panies that do not have the internal

resources to keep sifting resumes.

“One way we overcome the anxi-

ety of recruiting is to offer the longest

guarantee in the industry,” says d’Eça.

“If our candidate leaves for any reason,

we will replace them absolutely free of

charge, and the new employee comes

with a brand new full guarantee.”

His best advice, “Be ready to move

quickly and deal with a reputable agen-

cy that really knows the local market. A

lot of firms are international companies

with satellite offices in Vancouver,

Angus One, along with its temporary

division, Templine, is a B.C.-owned

corporation that has been serving the

Lower Mainland since 1986.”

More tips for successful recruiting:

1. Trust your gut instinct — beyond

qualifications, if there is something tell-

ing you a candidate just is or isn’t right

for your company, follow your gut.

2. Be detailed in your reference

checks — they can save you a fortune

in time and money. Remember, some

people will say anything to get a job.

3. Always make sure you have a

backup — leave yourself an out just in

case your ideal candidate turns out to

be unavailable. It is important to keep

your second and third choices avail-

able, just in case.

Visit www.angusone.com for more

information.

From sending a shoe to wearing no

footwear at all, many job candidates

have tried unconventional tactics

to get a hiring manag-

er’s attention. In a recent

survey, executives were

asked to identify the most

unique strategies appli-

cants have used to stand

out from the crowd. The

results show that com-

municating your ingenu-

ity, resourcefulness and

creativity to potential

employers can give you a

leg up — or set you back

a few steps.

The poll includes re-

sponses from 150 senior

executives — includ-

ing those from human

resources, finance and

marketing departments.

It was conducted by an independent

research firm and developed by Ac-

countemps.

Those surveyed were asked, “What

is the most unusual thing you have

seen or heard of a job candidate doing

to ‘stand out from the crowd’?” Sample

responses included:

• “A job seeker sent a shoe with his

resume and a note saying, ‘I just

want to get my foot in the door.’”

Executive survey yields unusual job-hunting tactics

• “Onecandidatecameinbarefoot.”

• “A job seeker included an 8-by-10

inch beauty-pageant photo of her-

self.”

•“Acandidateputcon-

fetti in the resume pack-

age, which made a huge

mess.”

•“Onewomanbroughta

poodle to the interview

because she didn’t want

to leave it in the car.”

•“Anapplicantsenthis

resume on a bottle of

alcohol to the company’s

CEO.”

•“All of the important

words were circled on

the resume.”

•“Someonesentapack-

et of coffee with a note

that said, ‘Have a coffee

on me.’”

•“Iwassentapieceofgumwiththe

resume and asked to ‘chew on the

facts.’”

•“Anapplicantcameindressedasa

clown — in a colourful, satin clown

suit with red hair, a bright-red nose

and big shoes.”

•“Wereceivedagiantcookiewithwrit-

ing on the package that said, ‘I’d like

to be a chip in your cookie.’”

“A job seeker

sent a shoe

with his

resume and

a note say-

ing, ‘I just

want to get

my foot in

the door.’”

Vancouver is currently facing a shortage of qualified, skilled workers.

recruiting

Surf The Board at www.boardoftrade.com Sounding Board/November – December 2004 23

John Furlong, CEO to the Vancouver Organizing

Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic

Winter Games (VANOC), has a favourite mo-

ment from the 2004 summer games

in Athens.

On the last day of the Games,

Vanderlei de Lima, the lead runner in

the men’s marathon, was tackled by a

member of the crowd. With the help of

onlookers, de Lima got back on his feet

and kept running, finishing third in the

gruelling race.

“There was a moment,” said Fur-

long, speaking at a Spirit of Vancou-

ver® event sponsored by RBC Finan-

cial Group and Focus Audio Visual

Services Ltd., “when his dream was

almost wiped out, but he realized he had an oppor-

tunity and took advantage of it and demonstrated

to the world that the Olympic spirit is alive and

well, even at the most challenging times.”

“If there was anything I could fix about that

moment,” said Furlong, in his noticeable Irish ac-

cent, “it would be, why did it have to be a defrocked

Irish priest?”

There was a huge amount of negative press

and doubt about Athens’ ability to stage these

Olympics, but now, in the aftermath of what many

consider to be the best Olympic achievement of

all time, Furlong believes the world owes Greece

an apology. It was, he said, an extraordinary

achievement for such a small country with limited

resources, and with the challenges it faced, Greece

deserves absolute respect.

Furlong said the Canadian Olympic

Committee went to Athens with no agenda

except to learn and to see how the logistics

had come together to do a great job. He

cited several aspects of the games that were

staged and executed in a way that Canada

can learn from and emulate. “We can learn

from the lessons of Greece, and take advan-

tage of their experience so that in 2010, we

can get to the finish line in one piece, strong

and healthy, and achieve the admiration of

the world along the way,” said Furlong.

The athlete’s village was an incredible

physical phenomenon, according to Furlong — a

massive infrastructure made of pure white mar-

ble, the village easily housed up to 20,000 people,

which, as Furlong pointed out, was as big as 60 per

cent of Canadian communities. The atmosphere

was communal and friendly and gave the commit-

tee a sense of how important the village is to the

spirit of the Games.

To manage the logistics of transportation in

what is normally a very congested city, Athens

implemented “Olympic lanes,” meaning drivers

Furlong recounts legacies and lessons from athensBy tessa maCKinnon

How many Christmases do you have left? Or, for

that matter, how many birthdays or anniversaries?

Peter Legge figures he has about 23 remaining in

his “runway of life.”

Introducing his book, The Runway of Life:

Lessons on Success from Master Business Leader

Joe Segal at The Vancouver Board of Trade’s new

Distinguished Author Series™, sponsored by BC

Business and Quebecor World, Legge told a crowd

of over 500 that it is imperative to focus on the

important things in life.

“We all strive for success and significance in

our lives,” said Legge. “And no matter how you

define success or significance, you are in charge

of you and your attitude along the way,” positivism

being the key theme of the evening.

The “runway” was defined by Legge as the

amount of time we have left in this world. He first

came across the idea one day when instructed

by his friend and mentor Joe Segal to draw a line

beginning at zero and ending with the number

Legge thought his age would be when he left this

earth. Legge put down 85.

He was then told to bisect the line roughly

where his current age was. So at 62 years old, Legge

had a visual indication that he had only another

23 years left — 23 years in which to be in charge

of his destiny and his effect on others.

The former comedian and current president

and publisher at Canada Wide Magazines enter-

tained the audience with several amusing stories

from his past, including one in which former

Peter legge’s new book, The Runway of Life, is a runaway hitBy rodger Banister prime minister Brian Mulroney was denied extra

butter by a waiter at a restaurant while dining with

Legge and other Canadians while abroad.

“Do you know who this man is?” Legge asked

the petulant waiter while gesturing to Mulroney.

“This man is the current chairman of the board of

Quebecor World, which is in charge of printing all

over the globe — and he was the prime minister of

Canada and used to be in charge of everything!”

The waiter asked Legge dryly, “Do you know

who I am?” “No,” said Legge. The waiter replied,

“Well, here, I’m in charge of butter — and he can’t

have any more.” The story served Legge’s point

that you are always in charge of you, no matter

where you are and what your circumstances

may be.

Legge also took pause to honour his longtime

friend and mentor Joe Segal, his inspiration for

the book. Segal took the podium and told the

audience that the key to life is to have a positive

attitude and to focus on what you have, not what

you do not have and to continue developing the

things that matter most — like love, happiness,

respect and fulfillment.

The Runway of Life is available for purchase at

www.boardstore.com.

could not be in the lanes without a permit per-

taining to the Games. The lanes were completely

respected and made it very easy to get around to

the various venues and events.

Security was not over the top — it was dialed

down but professional, Furlong said. He noted

that this is one of the great opportunities we have

in Canada because our security is considered

internationally to be world-class; we can show

the world we can do it just as well, for much less

money.

Furlong acknowledged there was some disap-

pointment for our own athletes, but this is another

lesson to learn from Athens.

“We’ve got to give our athletes more help,

encouragement and support starting tomorrow if

we want the best athletes in 2010,” said Furlong.

“The Canadian public wants us to do a great job of

execution and they want the team on the podium.

If we do both, this will be the most celebrated

endeavour in this country’s history, and we can’t

settle for anything less.”

Visit www.winter2010.com for more information

on the 2010 Olympic Games.

“The

world

owes

Greece

an

apology.” John Furlong, CEO, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)

24 Sounding Board/November – December 2004 The Vancouver Board of Trade/The Spirit of EnterpriseTM

A04-499

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LED exit signs are just one of the many energy-efficient products that are eligible for financialassistance through the Power Smart ProductIncentive Program.

To find out how much you can save throughthe Power Smart Product Incentive Program,visit www.bchydro.com/incentives or call 604 522-4713 in the Lower Mainland, 1 866 522-4713 elsewhere.

BUSINESSES ARE BECOMING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.

JUST LOOK AT THE SIGNS.

Power outages do not happen often in

B.C. On average last year, the electrical

system was interruption-free 99.949 per

cent of the time. BC Hydro staff work

diligently to prevent service interrup-

tions to your business and to shorten

their duration when they do occur.

Still, outages are inevitable, so it

pays to be prepared. Planning and

preparation can help you protect your

business equipment, cope with an

outage with a minimum of stress and

help BC Hydro restore your power

more quickly.

Outages are caused by a variety of

factors. BC Hydro’s electrical system

consists of nearly 73,000 kilometres of

transmission and distribution lines.

Much of the infrastructure is located in

mountainous and tree-covered terrain,

with long distances between power

generation sources and customer fa-

cilities — making it vulnerable to both

natural and human impacts.

In 2003, service interruptions were

caused by the following sources:

Adverseweather 24%

Trees 22%

Other 21%

Transmissionoutages 15%

Equipmentfailure 11%

Motorvehicleaccidents 7%

If your power goes out:

1. Determine whether it is a BC Hydro

outage or whether something in your

system has caused it.

• If the outage is in your own system,

contact your electrician or electrical

contractor.

• If it is a BC Hydro outage, report it by

calling 1-888-POWERON. The Pow-

erOn system will take you through

a series of prompts, or connect you

with a representative, to match up

Power outages: Stay safe and work smartyour telephone number, business

address and BC Hydro account

number. Hydro uses this information

to help determine the likely location

of the problem.

2. You can call 1-888-POWERON to

get an estimated time of power

restoration. If you have a laptop or a

computer on a backup power supply,

visit www.bchydro.com/outages for

outage information by region, in-

cluding estimated restoration times

where known.

3. Turn off business equipment and ap-

pliances. Because some equipment

left on will start up automatically

when service is restored, turning

them off can prevent damage, in-

jury or fire. However, leave one light

switch on so you know when power

is restored.

4. When power is restored, turn on the

most essential equipment first, and

wait 10 to 15 minutes before recon-

necting the others. Remember to

reset time and date information on

computers and other digital displays,

automatic timers and alarms.

Your business can be prepared

for an outage through a few simple

steps:

• If a continuous electricity supply is

critical to your operations, consider

installing a backup power supply.

• Encourage your employees to back

up their computer files regularly.

• Have an operational plan ready for

shutting down and restarting electri-

cal equipment.

• Keep an emergency kit where

you can easily find it in the dark,

including:

o Flashlight and fresh batteries;

o Candles, matches and candle-

holders;

o Transistor radio;

o Non-electric clock.

For more information, visit www.bchy-

dro.com/outages. To report a power

outage, call 1-888-POWERON.

1. The first step is finding out about the problem. In many cases, BC

Hydro is not aware of an outage until a customer reports it.

2. By tracking customer calls, BC Hydro’s system identifies the probable

failed device and estimates the size of the affected area.

3. A crew is dispatched. How quickly they arrive is affected by the time

of day, the location and the number of other outages.

4. The crew determines the actual location and cause of the problem,

and then repairs it. If the line is underground or if access is difficult,

this takes longer.

5. The system is tested and re-energized.

For more information, visit www.bchydro.com/outages. To report a power

outage, call 1-888-POWERON.

how BC hydro identifies and fixes outages: The five steps to power restoration

The Wisdom of Crowds — Why the

Many Are Smarter than the Few and

How Collective Wisdom Shapes Busi-

ness, Economies, Societies, and Nations

by James Surowiecki

The biggest problem is not that one

does not know much. It is that much of

what one does know is wrong and out

of date. There is no two ways about it.

People who read widely actually do

learn. And The Wisdom of Crowds is a

good example. Its central idea might

shock you: Large groups of people

are smarter than the elite few. This is

a book every manager needs to read;

this idea has the potential to make a

profound difference (for the better) in

the way you do business.

For example, the Google search

review of The Wisdom of Crowds by dr. Owen andersonsystem is built on the wisdom of crowds

to order the millions of bits of data.

Strangely, companies in general have

remained indifferent to this concept and

are surprisingly unwilling to improve

their decision-making by tapping into

the wisdom of employees and custom-

ers. Now, there are some conditions to

making this crowd concept work:

1. Diversity — we need diversity in

our sample;

2. Independence — we need the

ability of participants to think

for themselves and not merely

think like the rest of the group

(group think);

3. Decentralization — each unit or

level must think for itself;

4. Finally, we need a way to aggregate

all of the diverse opinions we gath-

er into something manageable.

We are on a quest to improve deci-

sions and use our collective wisdom.

We need to move from the telling-

command-control mode mentality to

a participation/asking for advice and

opinions mode. Why? Because it will

yield better decisions. Gains come from

diversity (getting out of our homogene-

ous group). Diversity allows you to con-

ceptualize problems in novel ways.

The opinions we gather need to

be in some sense independent. Re-

member that power does not reside in

one location. There is strength in this

recipe for collective wisdom. Through

research and case studies, the author

concludes that we can and must trust

each other. We can trust our collective

intelligence.

I want to tie all of this into the

recent Darcy Rezac book The Frog

and Prince. If you want to improve

decision-making, you will need to get

information from diverse sources. You

will need to expand your community

and check out independent thought

sources. I recommend you think

about the Wisdom of Crowds, then get

the Rezac book to hone your skills in

asking good questions and expanding

your network.

Put these two powerful concepts

together and improve the management

of your firm.

Dr. Owen Anderson of Hawthorne

Consulting is The Board’s literary critic

in residence and reviews books in The

Board’s Management Library at board-

store.com.

BoardStore.ComGreat books available in the Management Library.