April 2009 - The Wellington Advertiser

MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
CENTRE WELLINGTON
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4
Beautifying
Your
Business
April 2009
PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER
MILE STONES
New to the Fergus Industrial Park
2 New Businesses:
CMJ Manufacturing, have moved into their
new location at 935 Gartshore St Fergus.
Congratulations to John Lake on your
beautiful new facility. 519.787.4162
Jim White Auto Service –
Jim has relocated his Vehicle Repair and
Emissions Testing Business to 935 Gartshore
St. Fergus. Phone number remains the same –
519.843.7566
New to the Beckett Centre
2 new openings
Best BAA Dairy Store relocated to
820 Gartshore St. Fergus, is open Thursday to
Saturday 12 – 6.
Phone number is
519.787.0707.
New Business
– left to right Danielle Hildebrand, Carmen Mooney and Mary
Chester, manager. Carmen’s Sequel Café has opened at 240 St Andrew St W.
Fergus. Great to have Carmen back! Hours of operation are 8 am to 4 pm.
Phone number is 519.787.1212
Mackenzie Printing is now open at 820
Gartshore St, Unit 22. Brett Mackenzie and
Dean George may be reached at
519.787.1221. Best Wishes on your new
venture.
Ribbon Cutting
New GM at the Ostic Group
Mike McKinnon, is the new General Manager
for the Ostic Group, offices are located in
Elora, Fergus, Guelph and Shelburne. Mike
may be contacted at 519.843.2540.
– Eramosa Physiotherapy Associates, Elora location official opening
took place March 27. Helping Jackie Sinkeldam, cut the ribbon were husband Jamie,
children Mason & Taite and staff members Stephanie Sittington, Christine
Pratt,Kristen Long, Lisa Milne and Sarah De Spiegelaere. Walt Visser and Robert
Foster represented CW council, and Garth Green. EPA is located 6488 Wellington
Road 7, Elora. Phone number is 519.846.9919. Congratulations on your new location.
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
is mailed to all registered businesses in Centre Wellington.
Not registered as a business with Canada Post? Misplaced your copy?
Pick up a copy of Minding Our Business at:
Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, The Wellington Advertiser, Fergus BIA, Elora BIA,
Wellington-Waterloo Futures Development Corporation
PAGE 2 | April 09
about
THIS
ISSUE
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
Minding Our Business is a business magazine
focusing on items of interest to commercial,
retail, industrial and service businesses in
Centre Wellington.
2
MILESTONES
Openings | Awards | Moves
COVER
Our cover story
focuses on
beautifying your
business to attract
customers.
Local horticulturist
and nursery owners
share their expertise
on how to get your
business “blooming”.
4
FERGUS BIA
Member Reviews of Retail
Seminar
5
ELORA BIA
Is It Over Yet?
6
HYDRO SMART METERS
Advertorial
7
EDC
Home Sweet Home
general policy
Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of
typographical error, that portion of the advertising space
occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable
allowance for the signatures, will not be charged for, but the
balance of the advertisements will be paid for at the
applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error
advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or
services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell,
and may be withdrawn at any time. Persons wishing
information regarding circulation, rates and additional service
are invited to contact our office for further details. The
publisher accepts responsibility for claims and honors
agreements made by himself or by regular staff on his behalf.
No responsibility is accepted for actions by person(s) not in
the employ of the paper, or otherwise over whom the
Publisher has no control. All Advertising accepted is done so in
good faith. The Publisher maintains the right to approve or
reject advertising and articles submitted for publication.
contact
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
Box 252, Fergus, Ontario
N1M 2W8
519-843-5410 telephone
519-843-7607 facsimile
mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com
8
BEAUTIFYING
YOUR BUSINESS
David Meyer
THE CHAMBER PAGES
10 On the Web:
Sprucing Up Your Website
11
Chamber Calendar
Meet the Members:
POWER BEAM
11 Harmonized Sales Tax
Proposal
Michael Weinstein
13 Minimum Wage
Ontario Chamber of
Commerce
14 Awards of Excellence
Nominees - Press Release
15 CONTACT LISTING &
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
April 09 | PAGE 3
APRIL MINDING OUR BUSINESS
TH E FER GUS BI A
3RD ANNUAL FASHION EXTRAVAGANZA AT
GRAND THEATRE ON WED APRIL 8TH AT 7 PM.
FASHIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT ‘ELVIS
PRESLEY’ TICKETS $12 @ BRODERICKS, SPECIAL
EFFECTS, & SHAW MUSIC. FOR INFO CALL BIA
519 787-1384 - PROCEEDS TO CAMP FREEDOM
Member Reviews of Feb ‘09 Retail Seminar
On February 24th the Fergus BIA
sponsored a retail seminar with it’s
partners, the Guelph, Kitchener and
Waterloo BIA’s. The keynote speakers,
Kevin Graff and Barbara Crowhurst,
are well renowned within the retail
industry throughout North America.
Here is what our BIA members had to
say about the event:
Linda Sinclair (Special Effects)
“It excited me about my business. I felt
invigorated again and I implemented
what I learned the next day. ”
Michael Kavanagh (SunArt)
“ A great source of ideas for business
during current economic times. The
importance of downtown unity was
emphasized.”
Roxanne Beale (Roxanne’s
Reflections) “Relevant information
which I’ve already put into effect at my
store. I enjoyed the networking, too.”
Cheryl (I Love Chocolate) “Time
well spent, we learned lots that we will
be using immediately.”
Nathalie McNeill (The Fountain
Head) “These seminars are so useful.
I wish we could have another one
closer to home so more members
could attend. Well done BIA!”
Robyn (Country Forge) I shared
what I learned with my colleagues, we
all benefited from the seminar.
WHERE BIA DOLLARS HAVE
BEEN REDEEMED IN 2009
F
SunArt
Abby Rose
Chameleon
Fountain Head
As We Grow
Countr y Forge
Interior Company
Breadalbane Inn
Hooligan’s
Arsic Jewelry
Special Effects
Fergus Pet
SPRING IN FERGUS!
Black & White
Frabert’s
Roxanne’s
Cherry Hill
William’s Paint Store
Grand River Running
Holland’s Fine Tea
As submitted by the Fergus BIA
PAGE 4 | April 09
TARTAN DAY APRIL 5TH
5TH. NOON - 4PM
DOWNTOWN FERGUS
ELORA BIA - IS IT OVER YET?
After spending the previous three winters
wrestling with the elements in Pancake
Bay, Ontario (think 6 hours north, and 3
hours west), I started the winter of
2008/2009 with a smile, confident that the
weather in southern Ontario would be
more civilized; the wind chills restricting
themselves to a balmy -25C or so – the
snow content to fall no more than 5cm
to 10cm at a time. So much for that
theory.
I think I actually developed Shoveller’s
Wrist sometime in early February, after
an hour of lifting snow off our walkway
and on to the five-foot pile to either side
of it. And walking the dogs at night was –
for about five weeks – more a chore than
a pleasure, as I trudged quickly through
the biting cold, always hoping for an early
performance and a sharp about-face for
home.
But the unexpected cold and snow was
nicely offset by the equally unexpected
number of local shoppers in Elora over
Make
a move
with us!
the first three months of the year.
Now I’m not saying that people were
coming through the door in droves or
anything. But my expectations had been
set quite low by the market research
Laura and I had done before setting up
shop here last spring: we were certain
that the whole town would go into deep
hibernation after Christmas – our cash
flow would freeze up and one of us would
be spending many a long, lonely day
behind the counter. Not so.
Visit www.rl
www.rlproyalcity.com
lproya
alcity.ccom
Debbie Kurt
Sales Rep.
Michael Brown
Broker
Kim Murphy
Sales Rep.
John Dyble
Sales Rep.
Bernice Nelson
Sales Rep.
TIM HORTON FOR THE ELORA BIA
Economic times are difficult
but our real estate market has proven
year after year to be your best investment.
Make a move with confidence.
Make a move with us!
Lynn Glapski
Sales Rep.
Bryan O’Connor
Sales Rep.
We’ll see you again soon.
We feel we have met and exceeded those standards
and invite you to call on us for all of
your real estate needs.
Broker of Record, Robb Atkinson, a Fergus native,
has built a company that maintains the highest volume of
sales and listings in our Multiple Listing Service area
(according to stats obtained from Guelph & District
Association of Realtors™).
Sales Rep.
Thanks for stopping in to see us.
With that history and reputation comes the responsibility
to provide our clients with above average service,
cutting edge technologies, well trained, knowledgeable
and experienced sales representatives and brokers.
Royal LePage Royal City Realty, located at
840 Tower St. S. Fergus (Zehrs plaza)
and 131 Geddes St. Elora are part of a team
of six offices –
Speedvale and Waterloo Ave., in Guelph,
Alma St. Rockwood and a state of the art kiosk
in Stone Road Mall Guelph.
Matt Bennett-Monty
But since it’s never too early to say “thank
you,” I think I’ll go ahead and do it: On
behalf of all the retailers and
restauranteurs in downtown Elora, I’d like
to thank all of the local people – and by
“local” I mean you people from Fergus,
Elmira, Alma, Elora and all the little spots
in between – who, at some point or
another, braved this brutal winter weather
and came downtown for a birthday
present, a Valentine’s Day card, a coffee
and a muffin, a four-course meal, a pint of
beer, a work of art, a comfortable pair of
shoes, a spring dress or a door knocker.
After a bit of a lull in the second half of
January, business started to pick up again,
due largely to the support of local
customers. The week leading up to
Valentine’s Day was, at times, almost busy,
and the “Family Day” long-weekend was
also a pleasant surprise. And on those
warm days in March, we started to
welcome both local and visiting
customers in numbers that reminded us
of our first few weekends in May of ‘08.
Now if this was the fifth season in a row
that we had experienced these little mid-
The roots of our company go back to the 1950’s,
making us the oldest operating real estate company
in the area.
for
or a selection of homes like no other,
ll you have
h
t d
li k and
d view.
i
all
to
do iis click
winter rushes, then I might be willing to
draw some broader conclusions; I think
it’s still a bit early for that.
Diane Gray
Sales Rep.
David Oldfield
Sales Rep.
Gloria Hutton
Sales Rep.
Colombe Summers
Broker
Iris Smith
Broker
Tom Johnson
Sales Rep.
Frank Wilson
Sales Manager
Glen Kelley
Broker
Michael Zettel
Sales Rep.
Fergus 519.843.1365 | Elora 519-846-0959 | 1.888.268.2283
April 09 | PAGE 5
CENTRE WELLINGTON HYDRO
SET TO INSTALL SMART METERS
MARCH 16, 2009 --- Smart meters are on the way for homeowners in Fergus and Elora as Centre
Wellington Hydro prepares to begin an extensive project to install new electricity meters designed
to help residents manage their energy costs.
The project to exchange current residential meters with a new one, known as a “smart meter” will
begin this spring and should be completed by the end of the summer.
Current meters only measure the total amount of electricity used in a billing period, so homeowners
do not have the ability to track their ongoing electricity consumption. A smart meter measures how
much electricity is used on an hourly basis and the time of day it was used.
By working together with over 40 other utilities, Centre Wellington Hydro was able to take
advantage of bulk purchasing for the meters, installation services and the communication system.
Residents who have an outside meter will not need to be at home when the switch to the smart
meter is done. If the meter is inside, a representative of the LDC will call and book an appointment.
For the safety of the installation crew, there will be a short power interruption during the meter
exchange, but it should not affect the temperature in refrigerators or freezers. Clocks and timers
on equipment may have to be reset. An information package on smart meters will be provided at
each location. LDC representatives will be carrying identification and will not be asking for the
homeowner’s hydro bill. No contracts are required and the customer doesn’t need to sign any
documents.
The smart meter, along with the planned introduction of “time-of-use” electricity rates, will allow
non-retail customers to better manage their energy costs. Under the “time-of-use” rate plan, the
price of electricity will vary over each period during a weekday, as well as during weekends and
holidays, and from season to season.
However, it’s important to note that until the “time of use” rate structure is implemented at a later
date, there will be no change to how electricity rates work and how homeowners are currently
billed for electricity. Customers will be notified well in advance of any changes.
For additional information please go to our website at: www.cwhydro.ca and click on “Smart
Meters” or call 519-843-2900.
Centre Wellington Hydro will be hosting a series of information sessions about the smart meter
program.
Centre Wellington Sportsplex
550 Belsyde Ave.
Fergus
Thursday April 9th at 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Victoria Park Seniors Centre
150 Albert St. W
Fergus
Tuesday April 14th at 2:00 pm
Heritage River Retirement Centre
25 Wellington Drive
Elora
Thursday April 16th at 3:00 pm
PAGE 6 | April 09
HOME SWEET HOME
The renovations are finished.The walls are
painted. The furniture is in place and the
pictures are on the wall. We’re home
sweet home in our new location at 9 Mill
Street East.
After months of watching this old home
stripped down and restored to its new
glory, the crew has finished the task of
building an office space big enough to hold
us all, and by “us” I mean a vibrant
collective of community members:
Economic Development, Elora Fergus
Tourism, Sensational Elora, the Elora BIA,
the OPP extended services office and the
Tourist Information Centre, complete
with a public, wheelchair-accessible
bathroom.
Our new building includes a community
board room that offers small groups a
place to hold meetings. This is a great
venue to bring people together, with
resources at hand.
Our location, near the intersection of
Metcalfe and Mill Street, makes this an
ideal location for visitors to our Tourist
Information Centre. The inclusion of a
wheelchair ramp and accessible doors
ensures that we can accommodate the
needs of all who visit our community. The
parking lot behind the building, soon to be
paved, adds the extra benefit for those
who visit.
Having one central office and information
location that allows each of our
independent projects to amalgamate
under one roof has been a challenge, but
the results are already proving beneficial.
We can make better use of resources and
space here by working together with
enough room to function in our
respective roles. In terms of a public
presence, this location allows the
community to connect with what we do
here.
The Ontario Provincial Police have a
satellite office on the main floor, not to be
confused with a detachment. This
extended services office is one of several
located throughout Wellington County
that allows the OPP officers to have
access to a computer when they are
patrolling regions, like ours, and need to
get information or have an opportunity to
update on their network. Their presence
in this new location has a communityfriendly feel to it and the public is
expressing their approval of this new spot
for our community police service.
economic
DEVELOPMENT
Deb Dalziel, of Elora Fergus Tourism says,
“I absolutely love the energy and
engagement of community partners that
the new location brings. It is much more
conducive to a team environment and one
can’t help but feel connected with five
different organizations all working in one
building. The community board room is
already booked with various meetings,
events and community groups. What a
wonderful venue to connect people to
people.”
Dave Rushton
All in all, this hub of activity and the new
atmosphere brings with it a renewed
energy for everyone housed here. This is
a good fit for the community, the groups
involved and the public at large.
Economically, it was the right decision
long-term. Our open house will take place
in late spring. Stay tuned.
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
Sherry
Clarke
DISPLAY
AD SALES
call to reserve your ad space!
519.843.5410
mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com
905 Gartshore St., Fergus
April 09 | PAGE 7
BEAUTIFYING YOUR BUSINESS CAN ENTICE CUSTOMERS
For 20 years or more people have been
planting trees and claiming that it is good
for the environment. But trees and their
smaller counterparts are useful too, as
decorations and wildlife habitat even as
they beautify landscapes and provide
colour and shade.
by David Meyer
The communities in Centre Wellington
are well aware of flower power. Back in
the 1990s Fergus and Elora handily won
provincial and national honours in the
Communities in Bloom competitions.
There are two active horticultural
societies in the community, and dozens of
beds to be planted. Hanging baskets and
pots seem to sprout over night from light
standards and out of concrete sidewalks,
courtesy of two local Business
Improvement Areas.
A huge number of those plants are
grown by Centre Wellington
horticulturist Trevor Ashbee.
He
presides
at
two
greenhouses behind the
community
centre
in
Fergus, and provides plants
that the horticultural
societies
use
in
community flower beds
and around the towns. It
is flowers he grows that
fill the hanging baskets in
Fergus and the flower beds
on the main streets of
Elora.
Trevor Ashbee,
Centre Wellington horticulturist
Nominally,
the
two
communities receive equal
treatment, but Ashbee noted
Elora’s main streets were rebuilt at
the turn of the century, and planning
for that project provided wider sidewalks
and thus, more spaces for flowers and
even trees. Fergus, with its narrower
sidewalks on St. Andrew Street has
colourful hanging baskets as its main
focus.
But business operators off the concrete
of the main streets have several options
to spruce up and beautify their
businesses.
Ashbee said the first and most obvious is
the use of trees and colourful shrubs, and
there are plenty of those on the market,
and seemingly new ones arriving all the
time.
PAGE 8 | April 09
And not only are flowers planted in pots
providing welcome colour, but the pots
themselves are taking on decorative and
other practical aspects. Ashbee said there
are more colours and materials being
used to make pots these days, so the
containers themselves are already
decorative. They become moreso once
they are filled with colourful annuals.
There are other benefits to
container gardening for decoration.
Ashbee noted that containers are
far easier to maintain than the
traditional flower beds that used to
grace larger businesses.
“In this day and age,
[businesses] would use pots
more for display.” He said
growing plants indoors for
businesses is not as
popular. They “require
more maintenance.”
stunningly attractive.
“There’s so many shrubs and trees,”
Ashbee said. “For homeowners, it’s a
matter of how much work they want to
do.” But, he said, the big trend seems to
be planters.
Two Centre Wellington nurseries agree
with that.
Andria Braun, of LittleTree Nursery on
Highway 6, said one favourite
of hers for continual
flowering is day lilies, which
provide several bloomings,
look good even when they
are not in bloom, and are
low maintenance to boot.
But,
she
added,
“Container
gardening is the big
new trend. It
allows changing
season to season.”
Ashbee noted that North
America is gradually picking
up ideas from Europe when
it comes to creative and
welcoming gardening. He said
many cities and towns in
Europe close streets to traffic
altogether and fill them with
trees, shrubs, and blooms. And,
he added, this year nearby
Kitchener is turning its
downtown King Street into a
one-lane street and decorating
with benches, bistros and trees
to
offer
a
pedestrian
experience that welcomes
people to the city core.
He said outside ideas can be
difficult to translate to North
America because while people
in Europe do not mind walking,
“In North America, we have to
park outside the store. In
Europe, it’s all these precincts
- and it’s gorgeous.”
He said it is possible even in
Canada’s climate to grow trees
and shrubs so there is colour
all summer, and sometimes
even in the winter. Lilacs give
way in the spring to spirea, and
flowering leaf shrubs. Trees like
cherry and flowering crabapple are
When it comes to
perennials, she
said gaillardia is
not only pleasing
and colourful, but
it is also low
maintenance. She
said pots are so
popular people are
using them for
shrubs, which can be
of many different
colours. Braun said
that is “a little more
upscale,” and people
don’t use as much spruce
as they used to have.”
Jeremy and Andria Braun of
LittleTree Nursery
She noted, too, that
“peonies are beautiful.
Another suggestion is
ornamental grasses. Not
only that, they attract
large numbers of birds,
adding even more
colour to an area. “With
no snow, it looks good
all year,” she said.
Lorne Dejean, of Cedar
Spring Nursery, said
hanging baskets are a
specialty and people seem
to particularly like them because they can
fill their own containers and grow flowers
and shrubs of their own choice if that is
what they want.
He agreed planters are popular. “That
trend seems to be increasing more and
more,” he said. One reason for that is
flowerbeds take far more time, even
though container plants need
watering more often. Flowerbeds, on
the other hand, need weeding spring
and fall.
For planters, he said people can set
them on decorative stones that are
part of the landscape and can stay in
place all year long. “It’s easier than
maintaining a bed.” Dejean said impatiens
and geraniums appear to be as popular as
ever with buyers. So are flowering shrubs,
evergreen shrubs, and roses.
He said of the latter that they
“never go out of style.”
He noted that rosa multa
flora can be used not only
for beauty, but it makes a
fine hedge, too. He
remembers it was once
planted to divide highways,
and the plants got so dense
they prevented vehicles from
crashing over the median and
into the other lane. And, he
noted for those interested in it,
that plant is not all that thorny.
Ashbee, surrounded by enough flora to
have it looking like a jungle, said of plants
and decorative ideas, “The sky’s the limit.
It’s entirely what you want. There’s so
much you can do to decorate a house and
store.”
Above: Propagating and transplanting
plants at Cedar Springs Nursery
Ashbee added that anyone interested in
seeing the municipal greenhouses and the
plants he is propagating year round are
invited to drop by during working hours
for a tour. The greenhouses are just off
Scotland Street, via Denny’s Gate.
“The public owns these greenhouses,” he
said. “They’re more than welcome to
come and take a look around.”
He noted that some seem to think when
the flowers are being planted his work is
done, but he said, “I’m growing things all
year.”
Photos by
Helen Michel
April 09 | PAGE 9
the
chamber
OF COMMERCE
ON THE WEB
Then you should ask yourself what you
want to add to the site. No, I am not talking
about all kinds of animated features – you
may think it is cool, but it only annoys
people. Remember: it is not about you, it’s
about your visitors. What would they
appreciate seeing on your website? Perhaps
you should replace that printable PDF with
an online order form? Could adding an
online credit application bring more people
in?
Chamber
Calendar
NETWORKING BREAKFASTS
Wednesday, April 29th at JJ’s Family Dining.
Kevin Coghill of The Door will bring us up
to date on the happenings there.
Wednesday, May 27th between 7:30-9:00
AM at Elora Mill Inn. This is our Annual
General Meeting. We invite you to come
and attend to meet our Directors and find
out what the Chamber has been up to in
the last year. You will also have a lovely
breakfast buffet and have a chance to
network with your business peers.
Cost is $15 for Members and $20 for
Future Members.
Our 1st ever MP Breakfast will be on
Wednesday, May 20th from 7:30 to 9:00 AM
at a venue to be determined.
Michael Chong, MP will give us an update
from a federal perspective. Mark this on
your calendars now! Cost is $20 for
Members and $25 for Future Members.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
The Garden’s Edge & Fergus Horticulture
Society will be our host between 5:30 and
7:00 pm. RSVP to Marg Gollinger at
info@the-gardens-edge.com or call
519-846-5574
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Centre Wellington….
Argghhh – It’s a Treasure!
All the nominations are in and the decisions
as to who gets the treasures are in the
hands of the qualified and impartial judges.
Book your tickets now to join the feast and
awards evening on Thursday, April 23rd at
the Community Sportsplex. Call the
Chamber at 519-843-5140
GOLF… Fore!! It’s time to get back into the
swing of things!
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at Ariss Valley
Golf and Country Club. Our prices for
sponsorship and to play have remained the
same this year. For more info contact
Roberta at 519-843-5140
PAGE 10 | April 09
NARDO
KUITERT
nardo@
ucwebs.com.
SPRUCING UP YOUR WEBSITE
Maybe your website could use a little bit of
good old spring cleaning? Weed out some
stale content, plant some nice new pictures
(and how about a video?) or add some
features that will enhance your site’s
interactivity. Granted, it may take blood,
sweat and tears, but it will be worth it.Trust
me.
First step in this process is an assessment
of your site’s current condition. Which
parts of your site could benefit most from
a renovation? Why not ask a friend, a
trusted client or a web professional for a
quick review. I am certain that you will
learn things about your website that you
never realized. An outside perspective can
be a very powerful kick-off for an effective
website redevelopment project.
It may also be worthwhile looking into
acquiring more visitors. The Internet is
used more and more by potential
customers to research their suppliers, even
on a local level. Make sure that your
website is being found and that it converts
well once people do find it.
Conversion levels will go up once you have
spruced up your site with improved
usability, accessibility and functionality.Your
website statistics program, phone or email
inquiries and order volume should be able
to tell you if you are on the right track.
For more information: contact
Nardo Kuitert
at nardo@ferguswebsites.com
or 519-787-7612.
While you’re looking after business,
who’s looking after you?
Barney Tracy, CFP, FLMI
Ph: (519) 820 1283
e-mail: btracy@groupbenefits.on.ca
MEET
THE MEMBERS
POWER BEAM
The current economic environment
provides challenges across all industries,
value chains and continents. The
manufacturing industry is one of the
sectors that is being hit hard by the
economic downturn. Lawrie Smith,
President of Elora’s Power Beam, is
concerned but also sees opportunities.
Power Beam was primarily known for its
linear motion systems. These products,
originally developed by Ascolectric of
Brantford continue to be manufactured by
Power Beam with updated designs and
features. But the company added a new
service, as they will also be a stocking
industrial supply centre for local businesses.
“We are the only industrial distribution
company within Centre Wellington,” Lawrie
says.
“Many manufacturers are doing OK still,”
he continues, “but they are certainly
challenged by the economy. So naturally
they are looking for ways to be even more
efficient and frugal. Cost effective repairs to
their machinery get more priority as
investments are stopped or slowed down.”
Power Beam can provide replacement parts
or new applications, and it has tubing, valves,
fittings and other parts in stock. It supports
all brands like Numatics, Smc, Festo, and
more. Because of local stocking and fast
delivery, it takes Power Beam’s customers
less time to get machines up and running
again and that might even mean that they
can get an extra shift in. This is a huge
advantage, as downtime is costly.
Currently consisting of four people, Power
Beam was established in 2001 as a
manufacturer of premium linear actuators
and distributor of other linear motion
systems. The Elora company has assisted
manufacturing businesses and institutional
clients with its technical products and
solutions – such as linear actuators
(pneumatic, electric belt drive or electric
ball screw), rodless and cable cylinders,
linear bearings/guides or vacuum handling
consulting. Smith is mainly focusing on sales
and consulting. “Being a manufacturer
ourselves we understand things like quality
the
chamber
OF COMMERCE
control,
inventory
control
and
manufacturing efficiency methods. We too
need to keep our costs down,” he says
– adding that applying technical
products and techniques to solve
his customers’ problems is the
most rewarding part of his
work.
Lawrie’s
technical
background and more than
20 years of experience
make him a skilled
salesman and consultant.
“Sometimes you need to
find alternative solutions.
Let’s say you have an Italian
machine. You don’t want to
wait until a part comes in
from Italy - we may know a
North-American supplier that
can fit parts for it. Or perhaps
standard components can be
modified to better suit the
application.”
He is often called upon to help companies
with their automation concepts. Most of
these customers are local or regional
manufacturers, from Guelph, Arthur,
Mount Forest, Orangeville - and Centre
Wellington, of course. Fergus’ GSW is one
of the manufacturing companies that
benefit from Power Beam’s locally available
expertise. “If necessary we can be on the
scene promptly to assist plants with their
problems,” Lawrie says. Being able to talk
with his customers’ engineers face-to-face
has proven to deliver exceptional results
for the Power Beam team and their clients.
well, and organizes industry luncheons to
facilitate industry networking and learn
from local manufacturers about their
challenges and opportunities.
Power Beam is located at 7454 Speers
Road, off of Highway 7 in Elora. You can
contact Power Beam at 519-846-5835 or
email mail@powerbeam.ca.
“One of the benefits of being a Centre
Wellington Chamber member is being able
to connect with other local businesses,
especially those outside your own
industry,” Lawrie says. “You can learn a lot
by sharing challenges and opportunities. I
am committed to keeping local
manufacturing alive. So many industries
have already been lost for Canada; we don’t
want that production to move to Michigan,
or China. It is a symbiosis – we need each
other to succeed.” The Centre Wellington
Chamber of Commerce realizes this as
April 09 | PAGE 11
HARMONIZED
SALES TAX PROPOSAL
The Centre Wellington Chamber is a
member of the Ontario Chamber of
Commerce (OCC). Recently, a proposal
has been presented to the Ontario
Government by the OCC regarding the
implementation of a “harmonized sales
tax” (HST). This would replace the
current PST and GST. There are many
potential benefits resulting from the
transition to an HST system – for both
business and consumers.
As background information, at both the
2004 and 2007 OCC Annual General
Meetings, the provincial chamber was
given a “go ahead” to pursue the HST.
(see page 6 of the 2007 approved OCC
resolutions at:
http://occ.on.ca/Policy/Resolutions/367.
President and CAO of the Guelph
Chamber of Commerce, Lloyd Longfield,
has prepared the following excellent
summary of some of the key points in the
proposal.Thanks to Longfield for allowing
us to share this information in Minding
Our Business. A link to the full HST report
is available on our Chamber website
www.cwchamber.ca. Key page numbers
are noted in the information below.
The final report on HST was released last
month and is currently being debated at
Queen’s Park; what was begun a few years
ago is very important now to give our
industrial and construction sectors a
boost, and to reduce administration costs
for all Ontario businesses.
OPTIONS OFFERED IN REPORT:
• Replace 8% Provincial Retail Sales Tax
and the 5% GST, with a tax harmonized
Ontario Sales Tax of 13%. There are two
proposed options for consideration of
exemptions;
• Made-in-Ontario
alternative
A
exempts purchases of childrens clothing,
clean energy, labour intensive services
(like car repair or hairdressing) and the
MASH sector (Municipal, Academic,
Schools, Hospitals) from the Ontario
portion of 8%;
• Made-in-Ontario alternative B zerorates financial services from the Ontario
portion of 8%;
• The HST follows the experience in
Atlantic Canada, where a harmonized tax
has been in place for over 10 years. The
"Made in Ontario" solution has some
variances but is very similar.
Combining taxes will save business in
Ontario an estimated $100 million in
admin costs combining audits and
submission of taxes. Those are pretty
substantial savings on their own.
The big savings really come from
removing
taxes
on
inputs
to
manufacturing, including machinery and
materials. This will make Ontario
manufacturers much more competitive,
and protect jobs - a huge benefit to an
industry under pressure. In Atlantic
Canada machine investment is up 12%
with their harmonized tax system, which
applies to both small and large
investments in equipment.
Housing construction will also benefit,
with a proposed reduction of PST payable
on the taxable portion of residential
building construction from 8% to 4% (see
page 45 of the report).
A criticism is out there that it is pushing
tax to the consumer because some items
not currently taxed will have tax applied,
with an estimated impact of $14 to $70
per person. There are several proposals
to compensate consumers for these
increased taxes. Low income people will
receive a $500 tax credit in the HST
program. Farmers will receive a refund on
the provincial portion, which will give
them more benefit than what they
currently receive (farmers pay PST on
many items they don't get credit for).
The Centre Wellington Chamber of
Commerce believes initiatives, that strive
to reduce costs and improve efficiency for
Ontario businesses, will benefit all
residents of Ontario. A strong business
environment creates and maintains jobs!
Submitted by Michael Weinstein
Note:
Harmonized Sales Tax was recently
approved in the 2009 Budget
Make Dreams Real
If you are interested in making a difference locally & internationally
Centre Wellington
Centennial Rotary Club
PAGE 12 | April 09
JOIN ROTARY!
BREAKFAST MEETINGS - THURSDAYS 7 A.M.
At the Gorge Country Kitchen, Elora
Centre Wellington Centennial Rotary Club
For info. call 519-846-0971
MINIMUM WAGE
ONTARIO
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SEEKS A HOLD
ON MINIMUM WAGE
& AN INDEPENDENT
RATE SETTING BOARD
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce
(OCC) is calling for a postponement of
the minimum wage increase scheduled for
March 31, 2009, and a new process to
determine the appropriate level.
Until February 2004, Ontario’s minimum
wage rate had remained unchanged for
almost nine years. After consultation with
the OCC, the government phased-in
minimum wage increases over four years.
In 2007, three more annual increases
were scheduled to end in a $10.50/hour
wage in 2010.
At the time, it was felt that a staged
increase would help achieve a balance
between the needs of Ontario’s lowincome workers and the needs of
Ontario’s businesses to be competitive.
Businesses would be able to budget in
advance for the increased cost of wages
against anticipated revenues.
Today, however, the business environment
is vastly different. OCC members are
faced with a rapid turn in economic
fortunes that was unforeseen at the time
of the minimum wage consultations. As a
result, the balance expected to be
achieved by a staged increase, and the
benefits of increased wages for all
stakeholders, has been thrown into
jeopardy.
Garry McDonald, President of the Sarnia
Lambton Chamber of Commerce states,
“Next to the general economy, the
increase in the minimum wage at this time
is the most concerning item to members.
They are reducing hours of work a little
but not laying-off people. When the wage
goes up, this will change.”
The OCC is calling for the government to
postpone the increase set for March 31,
2009. It’s also pressing for a process of
reviewing and setting minimum wage that
is transparent, inclusive and based on a
wide variety of economic factors to
ensure minimum wage increases help
workers benefit from economic growth
on a sustainable basis. The Ontario
chamber
network
supports
an
independent, third party board or
commission, comprising representatives
from various sectors such as business,
labour and social groups, to recommend
an appropriate minimum wage level.
An independent process will minimize the
risk of rising business costs in periods of
economic uncertainty, thereby protecting
jobs and the competitiveness of
businesses—all the while ensuring that all
benefit in times of economic prosperity.
CHAMBER LOBBYING GETS RESULTS
December 1st, 2003: Ministry of Labour
announces an increase in the minimum
wage. The increase, after consultations
with OCC, is to be phased-in over 4
years.
February 1st, 2004: The first of four annual increases in minimum wage occurs.
January, 2007: Under pressure from various groups for an immediate minimum
wage increase to $10, the government
again consults with the OCC.
Join
January 25, 2007: OCC surveys members
and finds that an immediate increase to
the minimum wage to $10 per hour
would affect some sectors harder than
others, causing the majority of members
to be opposed to the increase.
February 5, 2007: OCC writes to Premier
sharing survey results and support for
gradual increases in the minimum wage.
March 30, 2007: Government announces
three more annual minimum wage increases, starting March 31, 2008, to bring
it to $10.50/hour in 2010.
May 5, 2007: OCC members pass resolutions at the 95th AGM requesting, among
other measures, that an independent review board or commission be formed to
recommend appropriate minimum wages.
January 5, 2009: OCC writes to Minister
of Finance requesting the formation of a
rate-setting board or commission.
March 3, 2009: OCC writes to Minister of
Labour, requesting a moratorium on minimum wage increases during the current
economic climate and the formation of a
rate-setting board or commission.
the Food Bank
in delivering our service.
we require donations year round!
Visits to the Food Bank have increased
Please donate food to help fill the
needs within the Community.
Tax receipts will be provided for financial donations
170 St. Andrew St. E. Fergus | N1M 2W8
519-787-1401 email: cwfoodbank@wightman.ca
www.cwfoodbank.org
April 09 | PAGE 13
the
chamber
OF COMMERCE
AWARDS OF
EXCELLENCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS
RELEASE
Ahoy, Centre Wellington! The Centre
Wellington Chamber of Commerce is
excited to announce the nominees for
this year’s OLG Centre Wellington
Chamber of Commerce Awards of
Excellence. We have received over 50
nominations this year and we want to
acknowledge and thank all nominators
and their supporters for their hard
work in submitting the nominations.
The Awards of Excellence is a business
and community event that recognizes
individuals, groups, organizations, and
businesses in Centre Wellington for
their contributions, hard work, and
accomplishments throughout the
preceding year. Any business, group or
individual in Centre Wellington can be
nominated and everyone is welcome to
attend the Gala event on April 23,
2009.
Congrat
ulat
ions
to all the
Award of Excellence
Nominees
PAGE 14 | April 09
Mary Lloyd, Matt Harris, Newdon
Industries, Nishin Nathwani, Norm and
Lorraine Manning, Royal Canadian
Legion Branch 275, Russ Kelly, Sarah
Hennekens, Scotiabank, Sensational
Elora, Shoppers Drug Mart, SunRunner
Logistics, Ted Ecclestone, The
Breadalbane Inn, The Elora Farmers’
Market, The Fergus Elora News Express,
The Wellington Advertiser, Thomson
Funeral Home, Upper Grand Family
Health, Vervoort Family, Wellington
County Museum & Archives, White
Car Limo, Wightman Telecom.
Awards
Chairperson
Michael
Weinstein reminds us that the theme
for
this
year
is
“Centre
Wellington….Arrggh! It’s a Treasure!”
and this year's event weighs anchor on
Thursday, April 23rd, sailing from the
Centre Wellington Sportsplex, Fergus.
"We're looking for all ye swashbucklers,
landlubbers and sea dogs to come
aboard as we share our treasure of
This year’s Nominees for the OLG nominees and winners and shiver me
Centre Wellington Chamber of timbers, what would a pirate gathering
Commerce Awards of Excellence are: be without a feast fit for Captain Jack
Alana Dunbar, Allan Wallace - Wallace Sparrow, himself!” Come in your
Farms, Belwood Country Market, business or buccaneer-best attire for a
Centre Wellington Food Bank, Centre rollicking good time on the high seas!
Wellington Fire & Rescue Department,
Coneybeare Honey, Daniel MacKenzie For more information about the OLG
- D-M Design, DeBoer Farm Centre Wellington Chamber of
Equipment Ltd., Don McAlpine, Dr. Commerce Awards of Excellence Gala
Robert Wright, Elora Empty Bowls please contact the Chamber office at
Project, Elora Festival, Elsa Mann and 519-843-5140
or
email
at
Paul Kaye, Eric Goudie - Grinder chamber@cwchamber.ca.
Productions, Fergus 175th Anniversary
Committee, Fergus BIA, Fergus Truck
For more information contact:
Show, Fraberts Fresh Foods, Fryett
Roberta Scarrow
Architect Inc., Groves Hospital
General Manager
Volunteer Association, Horizon Family
Centre Wellington Chamber of
Restaurant, I Love Chocolate, Joanne's
Commerce
Artistic Flower Shop, Ken Hall, Kody
519-843-5140
Kirton, L & M Foodmarkets, Larry
rscarrow@cwchamber.ca
Peters, Macadi Jewellery, Mach One –
A Communications & Design Agency,
CONTACT LISTING
Ministry of Labour
www.employeradviser.ca
WCB - 1.800.387.0774
Employment Standards 1.800.531.5551
Waterloo-Wellington M.P.P.
519.787.5247
Ted Arnott
ted.arnottco@pc.ola.org
Ontario Government
www.gov.on.ca
Wellington - Halton Hills M.P.
519.843.7344
1-866-878-5556
Michael Chong
chong.m@parl.gc.ca
Revenue Canada
www.cra-arc.gc.ca
Service Canada
www.servicecanada.gc.ca
The Centre Wellington
Chamber of Commerce
Phone: 519.843.5140
E-mail: chamber@cwchamber.ca
Township of Centre Wellington
519.846.9691
www.centrewellington.ca
BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada)
519.571.6680
Don Cubbidge
don.cubbidge@bdc.ca
WCB
1.800.387.0774
www.employeradviser.ca
Elora BIA
519.846.2563
Esther Farrell elorabia@execulink.com
Fergus BIA
519-787-1384
fergusbia@wightman.ca
Centre Wellington Economic Development
519.846.0971
Dave Rushton
drushton@centrewellington.ca
Minding Our Business
The Wellington Advertiser
Box 252, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8
519-843-5410
mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com
BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY
Debbie Kurt
Total Computing Solutions
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
519-843-1365 (bus)
519-766-6384 (cell)
519-843-2202 (fax)
888-268-2268 (toll free)
dkurt@rlproyalcity.com
www.rlproyalcity.com
ON-SITE SERVICE • NETWORKING • OFF-SITE BACKUP
WORKSTATIONS • SERVERS • WEBSITE HOSTING
www.icscomputers.ca
Call 787-4700
(519)
820 Gartshore Street, Unit 5, Fergus
840 Tower Street South
Fergus, Ontario
N1M 2R3
Outdoor Advertising
Promotional Items
Printed Material
Paul Kelly
Marketing Coordinator
Mobile: 519-766-5922
paul@bluprintmarketing.ca
www.bluprintmarketing.ca
Graphic design
We b D e s i g n
Promote your business or service in the Business Card Directory for just $28/month
April 09 | PAGE 15
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