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September Counterpoints, Comments & Compliments
Edmondson recognized for recognizing Calgary couple
[re:August 2007 Edmontonian in Exile]
Good afternoon,
Your article about Bubbles Carwash was forwarded to me by my dad, Andrew Bitcon. I want to thank you for recognizing my parents in such a meaningful way. I see them do so much for their employees and for the community, but rarely do I see them recognized for it. Besides pouring their heart and soul into the carwash, my parents are actively involved in several programs for Calgary's homeless. They tend to downplay their efforts and keep a low-profile about their giving, but I know that your article meant a lot to both of them. So, thanks again for the positive publicity!
Krista Bitcon
Kind words and excitementfrom the ’07 Sizzlers
…upon publication
I just wanted to say thank you to the four of you for making this such an amazing experience for me! Ian, you did a fantastic job on the article… I was blown away Sharon, thanks so much for developing such an incredible award for young entrepreneurs. Barb and Leanne thanks so much for being so encouraging and organized.
Holly Husel
Principal, Freckle Creative
…following notification of selection
Hello Barb and Ian,
I am honored to have been selected! I also just found out I have made the top 20 (not sure exact rank yet) of Profit Magazine's 50 fastest growing companies in Canada. It has been a great weekend!
Thanks,
Kendal Harazny
President, TicketGold
Barb,
Thank you so much! I look forward to meeting with Ian.
All the best,
Jim Gladden
The best way to reach me is at 780-707-4773. I look forward to chatting with you!
Jesse Lipscombe,
P.H.A.T. Training
Thank you so much! I am so excited to be one of the 20. Can’t wait
Jenna Herbut
Booty Beltz/Bootyfly Bags
Hi Barb and Ian,
Thanks so much for this. What a nice email to get :)
Ian- I am looking forward to meeting you. I am actually in Edmonton this week. My week is insanely packed, but my Saturday afternoon is still quite open.
Carissa Reiniger
Founder & President, Silver Lining Ltd.
Hello Barb,
I appreciate the selection to the 2007 edition of Edmontonians Sizzling Twenty under 30.
Rohit Gupta
General Manager
Rohit Group
Thank you Barb, pretty exciting stuff! When I was told someone was putting in my nomination I didn’t think much of it... lesson learned I guess!
Looking forward to it,
Brent Magnan
Hello,
Thanks you for this prestigious honour! I am looking forward to this very much.
Thanks Again!
Melissa Dominelli
Thanks.
Sounds great.
I am really honored and look forward to working with Ian again.
I am sure that this is going to be a great edition, with an awesome party as well.
Ted Kerr
Hi Barb,
Thanks to you, Ian and Terry for all your hard work! I can barely wait for the magazine!
Ted
Barb and Ian,
Thank you for the email. I am thrilled to be profiled in your publication and look forward to the experience.
I look forward to meeting you both.
Best,
Vanessa Hettinger
Master Instructor
Quantum Speed
Hi Barb and Ian,
I am so honored that I have been selected as one of the Sizzling 20 under 30 for this year. You totally made my day Barb!
I went to last year’s Sizzlers reception which was fabulous. It was great to see so many people supporting the event and the entrepreneurs.
I am very excited to meet both of you and I am looking forward to seeing Terry again for the photo shoot. He and I have met a few times in the past through a mutual friend so it will be great to catch up with him again soon.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.
Warm regards,
Holly Husel
Principal, Freckle Creative
Thank you. What an honour! I am actually speechless. This has come as a complete surprise.
Alyssa Haunholter
Account Director, Public Affairs
Hill & Knowlton Edmonton
Barb,
Thank you for the selection and your email.
Best Regards,
Michael Sandaluk
Shell Canada
Hi Barb and Ian,
Thank you very much for your email…it’s an honour to have been selected for your feature. …I look forward to hearing from you.
Ben Block
Sundial Graphics
Hello Barb & Ian,
Thank you for this exciting news! I look forward to hearing from Ian to set up a meeting time.
Take care,
Bryan Smith
Bluetrain Inc.
Thanks Barbara. That is great news! Alicia is in Orlando at the moment and will return Sunday of this week. I have called and let her know of this prestigious nomination and will let her forward any info needed.
Thanks again.
Brian Welsh, General Manager
Ruth's Chris Steak House, Edmonton
Hello,
Thank you so much for selecting me for the Sizzling 20 under 30, I am so thrilled to have been chosen. Looking forward to the interview!
Sincerely,
Alicia Maxim
Ruth's Chris Steak House, Edmonton
Hi Barb!
Wow, I am certainly excited to be profiled! Thank you for this opportunity.
Krista Turko
Marketing Director
Media-Masters Creative Communications Inc.
e-mail bdeters@edmontonians.com
From: "Ralph Henderson, FCA" <ralph@tera-byte.com
To: "Muggsy Forbes" Muggsy@shaw.ca; "Norman Forbes" mbsmuggsy@telus.net
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:48 AM
Subject: Edmontonian's
Muggsy’s new photo sets tone, raises level of Edmontonians (e-mail received August 2, 2007 regarding July issue)
Your picture is a lot of things. It sets the "tone" for a reformatted paper which I am sure Sharon has worked on very hard for a number of months. The paper is now very exciting, full of life, interesting, challenging, all about "community" and a joy to read. Now I do not want the next comment to sound like the big "sucking noise" but it represents what you are all about. And the new picture introduces the reader to a whole new level of professionalism and entertainment. I have been very busy the last year and it must be 6 months since I have felt I had the time to sit down and read the paper. It will not be another 6 months!
Ralph Henderson, FCA
PS: Nice article on the flying club - thanks
City of Champions Lives On! (e-mail received July 10, 2007)
Enough with the constant ruminating about changing the message at the entrances to Edmonton to be something other than the “City of Champions”! Surely it is time to recognize that the real champions in Edmonton do not bring home a Stanley Cup or a Grey Cup or other shiny hardware (although it is great to win a few of those too). The champions that make Edmonton an outstanding community are the people – the unsung heroes, the many volunteers, the coaches, the parents who go that extra mile for their kids the good neighbours and the fine folks who make newcomers feel welcome. You won’t spot them carrying trophies (but they might) or riding in victory parades, but when someone is in need they always seem to be there to help.
I will never forget the outstanding athletic feats of Gizmo Williams, the speedster who established so many CFL records while leaving the competition in the dust. What I remember most about Gizmo however, is his passionate speeches encouraging students to stay in school and complete their education. He has been a champion to many youth in our region because of the urgency he conveyed in his presentations. Yes those rippling muscles of his were impressive but the words he spoke were even more impressive. That’s why I see Gizmo Williams as a champion.
My wife and I have just completed a move to Edmonton – for the third time in thirty years. We have lived in the West all of our lives by choice – Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and now back to Edmonton. Yes we love the Edmonton region for the great facilities, the verdant river valley, the outstanding post-secondary institutions, the leading research facilities, the rich cultural activities and the entertaining sport teams. But when we made the move back here for the third time it was because of good friends, good neighbours, community spirit and the type of things we would like to see in a community where our children and grandchildren might live, where we can welcome visitors, where we can have meaningful work, where we can enjoy life and probably retire some day.
In summary, we returned to Edmonton because it is a city filled with champions – the kind of people that we want to associate with as individuals and as families. So let’s keep those City of Champions signs and the next time you drive by a sign, think of someone whose face could be on display because they are the true champions of this fine community.
Jim Henderson Executive Director Alberta Business Family Institute
Chef John hears about his March to the Garden
Thanks for the kind words in the Edmontonians! [March 2007 MenuMagic column on Lois Hole—Herbs & Edible Flowers] I always read your article and it is great to see not only the passion that you have for your work but also your willingness to share your knowledge with others. Hope all is well and once again thanks.
Jim Hole Hole’s Greenhouses & Gardens
“Serial Entrepreneur” gets great feedback
I firstly want to thank you and Sharon and your team for the profile on me and how well it was written [February 2007 cover story]. Comments, from both men and women in business, on how well it was written speak volumes to the talent working on every issue [of] Edmontonians. Many of the people spoke to the warmth on the personal side of my life, and liked the human element included in the writing. Many of these people you know… and others from the regional and national political arena (one commented that it was a moving article). As well, the mention of Bogart was a hit with local Kerry owners (they are pleased to see that even busy people love Kerry Blues).
This morning, Edmontonians ended up on a coffee table in White Rock, BC (her husband picked up his copy at the airport). Two business people in eastern Canada picked it up online. And now, the prize: My mother called me with approval on the article this afternoon, as did her close friend in Red Deer (who received copies of Edmontonians by hand from their son-in-law in Edmonton). So, now this is in the Red Deer circuit.
Thanks again.
Eva Mah, President & CEO Intellectual Capital Corporation Inc. emborsato.icci@shaw.ca
International Business column highlights ‘shared interests’
Just finished reading [the February 2007 column] in the Edmontonians and thought you might be interested in the info on Export Distribution Centre (EDC) legislation noted on the following link page. http://www.yvr.ca/business/free_trade.asp. Your article doesn't mention whether the 'Port Alberta' initiative includes an EDC free-trade-zone (FTZ). I know you can't cover all the bases in one “at-bat,” however, the potential economic implications of such action would seem to merit a follow-up article. From a very personalized corporate POV, we strongly support such an imitative.
On another 'shared interest' front, I was pleased to see… DevStudios and BidMexico getting due recognition for their innovative and visionary undertaking. The international student market is big business on a global scale. In response to this rapidly growing, highly competitive and fluid foreign student marketplace, we developed an application specific, comprehensive and flexible FX and settlement services package. This program eases international tuition payment transactions for both student and the institution, provides automatic currency exchange and account routing, and integrates an up/download and reporting capability with the institution's existing accounting package. Initially launched and proven in the post secondary US marketplace, we are now in the early stages of introducing this program to Canadian universities, colleges and online ESL program suppliers.
Owen O'Brien Business Development Executive, Custom House oobrien@customhouse.com
Lobbyist considers ‘Port Alberta’ scenario mere “pie in the sky”
It has been a long time since I have read such a myopic article, based on such flimsy factual information, written by someone purporting to understand export relating planning and marketing issues as I did in the article on page 5 [February 2007, Edmontonians], 'Port Alberta.'
Cheryl Lockhart is right when she says she should be skeptical about someone from a development authority make a claim that is as ridiculous as that of the thinking of the Edmonton International Airport and Glenn Vanstone.
Cheryl should have continued with that skepticism and spent some time applying critical thinking to the idea and not just time cutting and pasting the proposal from Port Alberta's press releases.
Yes, the writer did attend a breakfast where the presentation was made, but that does not preclude her from also applying some critical thinking skills and either writing the story with refutation with facts of the key points, not writing the story because the presentation was fiction, or to ask for an interview of the presenter and ask the questions of his material that need to be asked. I am sure the writer prepared herself with some background before attending the event.
Unfortunately now, the facts which I have outlined below from solid background and historical sources, will now only come to light if you have gone from the promotional piece in the paper to here on-line.
No I do not have a conflict here, although I have done much work in and around the transportation business and industry, both as research for articles and for work with clients in my corporate and political communications consultancy.
The facts are that the intention and goal of the new port in Prince Rupert is not to be tied into some pie in the sky dream that shippers of containers are going to off load the containers at Prince Rupert (a cost), load them onto a train (a cost), offload them again at a container port in-land (a cost), truck them to the airport (a cost) load them back on to an airplane (a cost) The latter step will quite possibly mean that the shipper will need to re-crate the goods in the container for loading onto the airplane. In most cases you cannot take the same shipping arrangement from a container and translate it into the belly of a cargo plain.
The Edmonton Airport is not 'close,' to Prince Rupert, and has no rail facilities.
The entire cost of bringing the CN line to the airport or even Leduc, will be borne by Port Alberta, which translates into the taxpayer. That is if it is possible.
Yes there are rail lines running past Leduc. They are CN Lines, but they are through lines running between Calgary and Edmonton¹s in-land container ports operated by CN. It is very unlikely that CN will invest the money to build a spur line off that main line to the airport for another container port, when they already have one in North Edmonton.
Yes CN is the railway serving the Port of Prince Rupert. The main purpose behind a container port combined with a railway, and the main selling point of the Port of Prince Rupert is so that a boatload of containers can be unloaded from the ship directly to the specialty train and taken on a high priority line to either of North America¹s coasts. With minimal handling of either the container or its contents until both arrive at their destination.
The real value of the Prince Rupert port lies in its closeness to Asia, the fact that a container can be offloaded at the port on to a Canadian National Railway train and on [to] the east coast of the USA, into Mexico, or American Gulf Coast ports or industries at least 68 hours quicker, on a rail system that has 17,821 route-miles of track, and serves all three coasts.
A train heading to or coming from Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, or even the Port of Miami, is not going to come to Edmonton, to either ship goods from Asia or to Asia.
They are going to come up through Vancouver to Prince Rupert. Or the containers from the east or southeast coasts of North America are going to be put on the container train to be taken directly to port side in Prince Rupert lifted off and put in the hold or on the deck of the container ship.
Again, this is designed to have the fewest number of handling events for the container. Every handling event costs the shipper…
The railway will not want to pull a train through the Rocky Mountains twice or three times to bring its cargo to Edmonton to only be off loaded on to an airplane...
At the luncheon, Glen Vanstone says that the cargo jets coming from Asia already stop at Anchorage to refuel. That is true, they refuel. They would only stop in Edmonton to refuel as well, not to off load (a cost), truck to a rail yard (a cost), load onto a railway (a cost), or load onto a truck (a cost and slower way to transport), and then off load at the other end (a cost). The reason a shipper puts cargo on an airplane is the speed at which it gets to its destination, not whether it can be unloaded and reloaded more times. The reason a cargo plane goes to an airport like the one in Memphis is to tie into the Fed Ex shipping and distribution system…
Why would they want to land a plane in Edmonton where they have no sorting facilities?
Does Vanstone have some sort of plan to luring FedEx to move their distribution point for Canada to Edmonton that did not show up in the media release sent to Ms Lockhart?
What the Port of Alberta people should do is come back to earth and see that the potential of both the Port of Prince Rupert and Edmonton is best achieved through the combination of duty free, or tariff free manufacturing zones that can take the raw goods that are being shipped through the Port of Prince Rupert and create a value added industry from right here in Edmonton. The results from this effort can then be marketed and shipped into the affluent US by either, rail, truck or air, or shipped back out through the Port of Prince Rupert to the world. This idea could take the shape of some of the import or export of foodstuffs, and adding to their value here in Edmonton before the raw food-stuffs are shipped somewhere else to be processed. A container ship can make the trip to ports in Asia or down the west coast of North America with things like Alberta beef, pork and poultry, processed here into its components and shipped to Asia. There is someone even developing a container that contains a meat processing unit and than be set up to butcher, cut, package and freeze beef, pork or lamb right onboard the ship at sea. So by the time the container rolls off the ship in Japan or China, the products can be put on the shelf straight from the container at the loading dock of the stores.
With the history of shipping of lumber, wood pulp, panelboard, ore concentrates, steel pipe and plate, project cargoes, slack wax, grain, coal, forest products, specialty agricultural products, general cargo, and cruise ships, already using the ice free deep sea port and now the plans for a container terminal, the future is limitless.
Edmonton¹s role to play in this success is limitless but a dose of logic and common sense is needed when dreaming of the future.
We can use the history of the Port of Prince Rupert to move Edmonton into the future with a realistic part to play that can bring new real jobs in the new and very real, clean and technology based industries to Edmonton, using our ingenuity, innovative spirit and brains. Both Prince Rupert and Edmonton share a common history. Both played important roles in the historical development of Canada¹s west and north, but both have been forgotten or have forgotten themselves how to regenerate this role in the new economy of the world.
The idea that the Edmonton International Airport wants to play some role as a multi-modal gateway for North American rail cargo movements is a pie in the sky dream and will result in another white elephant that the taxpayers will end-up paying for. I do not mind paying the airport user fees, but do not want them going towards yet another white elephant.
Instead of trying to sell such a silly idea, the Port of Alberta people should come back to earth and start looking past the horizon and to see how Edmonton can play a real part in the growth of the Port of Prince Rupert minus the pie in the sky.
A good first step would be for the reporters and supposed experts in this sales job, to look past the media releases and take a hard look at what is being said, and not lured into letting reality and the facts get in the way of a good story and free meal.
Norman Greenfield Registered Federal, B.C. and N.B Government Lobbyist norman.greenfield@mac.com