February - The Wellington Advertiser

MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
George & Alma Thomas - Fergus Welding and Machine Shop - Photo by Helen Michel
CENTRE WELLINGTON
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2
Labour
of
Love
February 2008
PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER
business AFTER FIVE
MILE
STONES
g:room
Martin Cooper Hair Co. officially
opened their new facility g:room on
November 29th, 2007. g:room specializes in helping the “guys” look their best.
Services include straight razor shave,
facials and haircuts. Drop in and say hi to
barber Lu England at 130 St. David St. S.,
Unit 4, Fergus.
Cherryhill
Entertainment
hosted the Centre
Wellington Chamber
of Commerce January
BAH (Business After Hours).
Cherryhill owners, George and
Brenda Mochrie welcomed a
large number of attendees to
their new and spacious location at
the Fergus Marketplace, Queen
Street West, Fergus. Cherryhill
carries an extensive selection of
videos, DVDs, aisles of book for all ages
and interests, puzzles, games and more. For
future Business After Hours and Networking
Breakfast dates see the Chamber Calendar on page 12.
Join
VAN GALI’S The Grand Opening of Van
Gali’s cafe & inn was held January 25,
2008. Van Gali’s is located at 180 St. Andrew St. E., Fergus. Experience the charm
of their beautifully renovated historic
building.
CUT & DESIGN
Local Entrepreneur Trina
Reid of Mount Forest and her team of
hair associates and skin technicians at
Cut and Design Hair and Aesthetics, Fergus were nominated for the prestigious
Entrepreneur of the Year Award with the
Global Salon business Forum and
Awards. The nomination was received
from Dorian Dalati for Redken Canada.
In March 2008 an elite panel of industry
experts will select coveted Salon Business Winners. We wish Trina and her associates the best of luck! Cut & Design
is located at 100 MacQueen Blvd., Fergus
ICS
the Food Bank
in delivering our service.
we need local business sponsorship
Easter Food Drive March - March 10th to 24th
Vision Theatre Productions presents Agatha Christie’s
“The Hollow” March 27th to 29th Theatre on The Grand
Supporting the Food Bank
170 St. Andrew St. E. Fergus | N1M 2W8
519-787-1401 email: cwfoodbank@bellnet.ca
www.cwfoodbank.org
PAGE 2 | February 08
Intelligent Computer Systems have
moved to a new location.You’ll now find
them at 820 Gartshore St., Unit 5, Fergus.
If your business is making a move,
making a change or marking a
MILESTONES
orward your information to
MOB@wellingtonadvertiser.com
We’ll announce it for you FREE!
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.
cover story - page 8
Labour of Love
2
Business After Hours
MILESTONES
Married to your
business - literally!
In the spirit of
Valentine’s Day
Minding Our
Business
interviewed several
Centre Wellington
couples about their
Labour of Love.
How do they take
their “love” of work and
partnership beyond
nine to five?
BAH
Openings | Awards | Moves
4
FERGUS BIA
2008 Overview
5
ELORA BIA
2008 Events Calendar
6
MENTORING
Waterloo Wellington
Futures Development Corp.
7
THE WATER COOLER
Letters to the Editor
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.
8
Labour of Love
CHAMBER PAGES:
10
11
Exchanging Resolutions for
Achievable Dreams
12
The New Tourism Guide
13
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
contact
Box 252, Fergus, Ontario
N1M 2W8
519-843-5410 telephone
519-843-7607 facsimile
Meet the Front Line
The Link Between the
Internet & Global Warming
Advisory Committee
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
COVER STORY
14
FAMILY DAY
The Legislation
15
INSIDE BACK
Editorial
February 08 | PAGE 3
Fergus BIA
by Julia Tyndale-Biscoe
EVENTS CALENDAR
Being our 175th Anniversary Year, the
BIA considers the beautification of
Fergus even more important. To this
end, we are in the process of forming
a beautification subcommittee who
will be given a budget with which to
make improvements. It has been established that improvements to Fergus’ Scottish heritage could be taken
advantage of making Fergus the Scottish Capital of Canada. We have
learned that perpendicular signage in
the downtown core will be forthcoming allowing signs befitting historic buildings which can also display
a Scottish icon in a corner along with
the name of the business and what it
does. In conjunction with banners,
and other initiatives which have yet
to be approved by Council, we hope
to beautify and theme our downtown and give it a three-dimensional
look to the pedestrian. The BIA is
appreciative of our partners in our
endeavors such as Parks and Recreation and The Fergus Horticultural
Society. Other projects still being
worked on are a dowtown
Farmers Market.
Fergus BIA Mandate:
Our mandate is to promote
business in the downtown
core, beautification and organize and/or financially support
downtown events.
Fergus BIA 2008 Initiatives:
Spring:
An example of
Fergus’ newest café,
Van Gali’s,
displaying perpendicular signage
PAGE 4 | February 08
Community Exchange Programme
with Paris, Ontario. The object is to
gain insight into our own downtown
community from an outsider
prospective. Each community will
present a Power Point presentation
of their visit.
The delegation has already been
chosen and consists of members of
the BIA, a member of The Township
of Centre Wellington, our Economic
Development Officer, a senior citizen, a student and a representative
from both the retail and service industries of Downtown Fergus.
Early Summer:
The Fergus BIA will be conducting a
Trade Area Analysis under The direction of a member of the
OMAFRA staff. The results of this
survey will enable us to understand
where our customers are coming
from and why, thus allowing The BIA
and its businesses to market and advertise more effectively.
The Downtown BIA Events 2008 include:
May:
The 2nd Annual Fashion Extravaganza in aid of Women in Crisis at
the Fergus Grand Theatre.
June:
A summer Art Walk with a musical
and culinary component.
September:
The 13th annual Antique and Classic Car Show
December:
The Santa Claus Parade
EVENTS CALENDAR
“Ontario’s most beautiful village …”
- A.J. Casson, Group of Seven Artist
In 1832, Scotland native Captain
William Gilkinson named the village
after the famous “Ellora” caves in
India. Elora is recognized as one of
the most scenic areas in southern
Ontario. Limestone cliffs of the
Grand and Irvine Rivers boast a
height of more than 80 feet. The
spectacular gorge has small caves,
rapids, waterfalls and tranquil pools.
Historic Elora buildings and streets
offer many one-of-a-kind boutique
shops and galleries. A recognized
artists’ community since the early
1960s, Elora boasts fine art and
sculpture, glass and pottery, handcrafted jewelry, contemporary furnishings and fashions, and much
more.
Come explore the trails. Walk or
cycle along the Trans Canada Trail,
hike or camp at the Elora Gorge
Conservation Area. Kayaking, canoeing, or tubing are exciting ways to
explore the waterways.
2008 Events Calendar
Elora BIA
July 12
11:00 – 4:00 pm - Fair in the Square
Free family event throughout the
village. Enjoy street performances,
music & more
July 11 – Aug 3
27th Annual Elora Festival
World renowned musical festival
featuring the Festival Singers
www.elorafestival.com
Sept. 27 & 28, Oct, 4 & 5
Elora –Fergus Studio Tour
Take a self-guided tour & meet the
artists. Group show at the Elora
Centre for the Arts.
www.elorafergusstudiotours.ca
October
Monster Month
Delight in spectacular display
of monsters as Elora business
owners & residents do up
the town!
www.monstermonth.ca
Be sure to bring a camera and an adventurous spirit. Come and explore
the numerous trails and neighbouring rural communities. Bring along a
kayak or canoe to travel the waterways, or try ‘tubing’ the Grand River
rapids.
Savour warm hospitality and inviting
surroundings in Elora’s many local
cafes and restaurants. Indulge in a
pampering spa visit or register for a
gourmet cooking course, a holistic
health retreat or a find arts workshop. Elora also offers a unique oldworld setting for weddings and
anniversaries.
Elora’s
Tooth of Time
February 08 | PAGE 5
Mentoring gives a boost
to starting businesses
- by DAVE MEYER
Participants Wanted
The Wellington-Waterloo CFDC
(WWCFDC) would like to
congratulate
the Wellington Advertiser for the
“Minding Our Business” publication.
We feel it will be an excellent
resource for local businesses.
We take this opportunity to
remind businesses that
WWCFDC has a Mentoring
Program that provides:
• One-on–one matched mentoring
with experienced and successful
business leaders
• Small group, round table
discussion, peer interaction
We are looking for small business
participants who;
• Have a desire to grow their
business
• Would like a business mentor with
which to share ideas, problem
solve and enhance your business.
The program is also in need of
additional mentors.
If you have business skills you would
like to share with the community, or
if you are interested in participating
in this program, please contact
Rick Whittaker at WWCFDC at
519 846-9839.
PAGE 6 | February 08
GIVING A BOOST!
There are plenty of people who would
like to start their own business - or improve it - and there appears to be many
more who have no idea how to properly
go about it.
While many can succeed by trial and
error, budding entrepreneurs now have
another option available to them in this
area. The Waterloo Wellington Futures
Development Corporation not only has
loan money available for new businesses,
it also offers a team of veterans of the
marketplace to help get those businesses off on the right foot.
Janet Vallery is the chairman of the volunteer committee of mentors organized
by the corporation. She said of the idea,
“It’s going really well. I’m really pleased
with it.”
Vallery said that there are many creative
people with an entrepreneurial bent, but
often, “They don’t have the expertise
they need.” She said they might need financing, or a loan strategy, or, more importantly, some focus.
“We often find they’re so involved day
to day it’s hard to step back ... When we
get a mentor involved, they can help,”
she said.
The mentoring team includes a retired
banker, a veteran marketing man, people
who know and understand effective advertising. They include Murray McEwan,
Bruce Hood, Norm Menning, Norm Porritt, Paul Rosehart, John Ven de Kamer,
Vallery herself, Gene Wasylciw, and Max
McIntyre. And Vallery said the team is always looking for more mentors, people
with experience in business who are
willing to help others get up and running.
Kelly Smith and Macey Sieuwright are
today known as “the cake ladies,” and
they bake up treats just off the main
street of Fergus, in a business known as
Sweet and Simple. Smith said the mentoring program “helped us immensely.
I’m a pastry chef, so I knew how to
bake,” she said.
The mentoring program taught the business partners marketing and advertising
“all aspects of the business end.”
She said their business is “off to a good
start. A lot of our mentor’s advice was
invaluable.”
Smith also liked the cost.They got a loan
to start Sweet and Simple through the
Futures Corporation, but “There was no
cost for the mentors. We didn’t have to
pay anything - which was super.”
It is not just starting businesses that can
benefit from the mentoring program.
Lee-Ann MacKenzie has been operating
Sweet Trash, a vintage clothing store, in
Elora for six years. She met Vallery, who
dropped in to shop, and MacKenzie soon
learned about the mentoring program and she liked what she heard.
MacKenzie said her late father was a
super entrepreneur, but he was no
longer available for advice.
“Who wants to re-invent the wheel?”
she asked about learning sound business
practices from the ground up. “How I
needed help was to project goals - and
to grow my business.”
Vintage clothing is a niche market, and
Sweet Trash was making a sale to a mom
and daughter client who had driven to
Elora from Chatham that day, just to visit
that store.
“Marketing was a big thing,” MacKenzie
said, adding that she constantly is looking
for ways to “take it in a new direction.
This is such a niche business I think I
wasted some advertising dollars. My
business was at the point where it
needed to grow up and be professional,”
she concluded, adding that the mentoring service was invaluable.
“I’m quite amazed this is available and
people don’t take advantage of it,” she
said.
OPEN LETTER TO THE MAYOR
I am a resident and a business owner in
Elora, and I am writing to express my concern about a recent decision forcing commercial property owners to pay for a
series of steps in the name of water safety
through backflow prevention.
1. Survey of the property by a certified
backflow prevention tester/technician to
see how water is used in the commercial
space ($80 - $110).
2. Pay for a building permit ($80).
3. Install the required backflow devices
specified from the survey of the property
($400 - $600).
4. Maintenance and periodic replacement
of the backflow device(s) (cost unknown).
It is my understanding that this process is
the result of a car wash contaminating the
drinking water system in Stratford during
March of 2005. I understand the danger
from that incident and I am completely in
favour of having a safe water system.
However, the process you have chosen to
prevent this kind of catastrophe has not
been fair to the commercial property
owners of Elora, nor does it make our
water any safer.
When the first step was done, I thought it
was to determine how the water was
being used in the commercial spaces so
that businesses that might cause a threat
to the water supply would be identified
and corrections could be made.
The water use in our commercial property is no different than a residential
property, except that we probably use
less water. I run a retail store. It has a twopiece washroom. There is also a connection for a watering hose in the back of the
building, which is rarely used.
I would think that most properties with
restaurants, retail stores and/or offices
could be treated as “residential” with regards to water safety. However, after we
paid to have the initial assessment done,
we were told that we had to have the
backflow devices installed anyway. I
started talking to other commercial property owners who also run retail stores
and they all said that the same thing was
happening to them.
The logical thing would be to look at each
business individually and enforce backflow
prevention steps if there is a threat. Since
the initial assessments have been done,
the township knows that most offices, retails stores and restaurants are not a
threat. After all, a carwash is not an insurance broker. However, it appears that all
the commercial properties are being
treated the same, no matter what type of
business is operating on the property.
How has this made our water any safer?
The residential properties are not required to have this process done unless
they install an underground sprinkler system for their lawns. I have also been told
that hotels and bed & breakfasts are exempt from this whole procedure.Why are
the rest of the commercial properties
that use water like residential properties
required to have all this work done?
If the township was going to require that
all commercial properties have these
backflow devices installed, regardless of
the business, then why were we asked to
pay for the initial assessment ($80-$110)?
I would also like to know why the township is forcing all the commercial property
owners to pay an extra $80 for a building
permit.
The expense of this endeavour for the
commercial property owners is starting
to add up. It looks like the backflow devices are going to cost $400-$600 once
they are installed. There also seem to be
additional charges for the installation. A
friend just paid for the building permit/backflow device installation and mentioned that it cost $1085 for a property
with one commercial space with one residence above. That does not include the
cost of the initial assessment.
We don’t know how much the maintenance of this program is going to cost, but
it looks like it will be costly for years to
come. I have heard that it could be approximately $100/year plus the cost of replacing the backflow devices every 4-6
years ($400-$600+). I am assuming that
the cost of a building permit can be added
every time the devices need replacing as
well ($80). Regardless, the initial costs are
already up to $800+.
With all the unnecessary additional costs,
it looks like the initial assessment was designed to provide extra work for some
people and the building permit is only a
“cash grab” by the township.
Is this how local property owners should
be treated? I am looking forward to your
response.
Sincerely,
Cathi Bastien
Often people “talk shop” at the water
cooler. If you would like to voice your
insight or raise a question for debate,
we invite you to use
THE WATER COOLER
c/o MINDING OUR BUSINESS
MOB@welllingtonadvertiser.com
THE
WATER
COOLER
sponsored by:
The Drinking Water People
509 Dickson Drive, Box 69
Fergus, Ontario
N1M 2W7
TEL: (519) 843-4469
FAX: (519) 843-4987
February 08 | PAGE 7
Labour of Love
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day
Minding Our Business interviewed several
Centre Wellington couples about their
Labour of Love.
How do they take their “love” of work
and partnership beyond nine to five?
- photos by Sherry Clarke
IN LOVE WITH YOUR BUSINESS - LITERALLY!
Fergus Welding and Machine Shop - Our Cover Photo
George and Alma Thomas have been married for 41 years and in business at Fergus Welding and Machine Shop for the same length of time. They met on a blind date nearly a half
century ago. They quipped that the key to their successful working relationship is having
two floors, which “really relieves tension,” because the only connection to one another is
“an intercom which you can either hang up or ignore.” They suggest other business couples should also keep a dog behind the counter. “You can tell him anything and he won’t
tattle,” Alma joked, adding the couple’s present dog, Toro, is on loan from a Francophone
relative, so he is bilingual. The Thomas’ own a site at Highland Pines, which they
call their “link to sanity.” It could be an interesting Valentines Day for the couple, due to George’s unique gift giving strategy. One year, as a Mother’s Day
gift, he purchased a $1,200 saw for Alma. “And I even let her use it,” he
said with a laugh.
Blown Away Glass
Tim and Katherine McManus, of Blown Away Glass Studio in Elora,
have been in business for nine years. They met at Sheridan Collage while both were taking a three-year glassblowing course.The
couple, now married for eight years, try to have fun at whatever
they do, and say beingtogether day and night is a lot of laughs.
Their advice to other business couples is “be supportive of new
endeavours and mindful of mistakes made in the past.” Tim and
Katherine say one of their biggest obstacles is the production
schedule, because sometimes they don’t want to make the same
items on the same day. This Valentine’s Day will be extra special for
Tim and Katherine, as it will be the first they have celebrated together
since before their marriage (in the past, business trips have kept them
apart on Feb. 14).They say the secret to a happy business and personal relationship is “doing the jobs the other doesn’t like,” doing things together that
both of them enjoy, and not sweating the small stuff.
Vandermarel Trucking
Mary and Andy Vandermarel, the owners of Vandermarel Trucking in Fergus, met at a church
youth group beach party, at a time “when they looked pretty good in bathing suits.” Married for 31 years, they farmed for seven years and have spent over two decades in trucking. According to them, Andy is the “big spending, excitable, passionate, stressed-out,
restless, and spontaneous” half, while Mary is “thriftier, calmer, gentler, more approachable, kinder, and more moderate.” They say they’re both “adventurous, social,
and not great with being organized” - but they hire people who have great organizational skills to make up for their lack thereof. The Vandermarels added that
their staff is “competent and skilled in the daily aspects of the business,” which
allows them to free themselves up and “not be overwhelmed by it all.” The Vandermarels’ advice for making a business/personal relationship work includes: believing and trusting in one another, being aware of the sacrifices you will need
to make, and recognizing that “as a couple you can accomplish
great things if you allow eachother’s strengths to be used.” They
say the main issue they face is having a life outside of work
and trying not to “talk shop” with their kids (who are also
in the business) at family gatherings.The couple also tries to
not get discouraged or frustrated by the “constant costs, let
downs, and risks.” Though they don’t celebrate Valentines Day in
Holland, Andy believes “every day should be Valentines Day.” Mary
says she’s fine with that, as she thinks “every day is an occasion for
chocolate.” Their secret for a successful dual relationship is “honesty, taking time to communicate, praying together, making friends
outside of work, and taking a vacation.”
Ralph Basset Associates Inc.
Partners Bruce and Mary Lloyd have been in business together at Ralph Bas-
PAGE 8 | February 08
set Associates in Fergus for 13 years.They first met at a trade show in Tilbury 31
years ago and were married two years later.They balance working and living together by separating their home and work lives, and they even have separate
clients. The Lloyds say the toughest issue to conquer over the years has
been “having one source of income.” They encourage other business couples to “both strive for the same goals,” and to enjoy the time they spend
together because it can work to their advantage. The Lloyds, who plan
to spend Valentines Day together, say the secret for a dual relationship
is “treating each other with respect as spouses, business partners, and
soul mates.
Drimmie Florist
David and Karen Drimmie met in Elora 28 years ago when Karen applied
for a job at Drimmie Florist, which at the time had been owned by David
for six years. Karen was hired and later became David’s wife and business
partner.The couple contends “what works at home, works in the workplace,”
so they try to be courteous and “notice what the other person has done.” One
thing they have learned after many years as business partners is “it’s harder to accomplish things alone,” so teamwork is the key. They say the best piece of advice they
can offer other business couples is to “never overrule a decision once one partner has
made it.” Though Valentines Day is one of their busiest days of the year,The
Drimmies plan to go out for dinner or to a dance. They claim there’s
no big secret when it comes to achieving happiness and success in
a dual relationship – just that “if you love each other, you’ll figure the rest out by yourself.”
Hanscomb Glass
Neil Hanscomb and Gisela Ruehe, who own Hanscomb
Glass in Elora, met 25 years ago at a craft show in Calgary,
where Gisela was spending a year before entering university.
Neil was in his final year as a fine woodwork apprentice.
They have been in business together for 23 years. They balance their relationship “with care and respect for each other,”
by not getting frustrated, by putting things in perspective, and
by “often letting go of a little individuality for the sake of being
a couple.” The biggest obstacle they have to over come is balancing time at work with household and family demands because they
“live and work in the same building with long runs of work between time off.” They say their work schedule often puts them “out of
sync” with family and friends. The couple, who will be spending Valentines Day in
South East Asia, says the secret to a happy relationship is not being competitive,
recognizing and building on each other’s strengths, and spending quality time
(not related to the business) together.To compensate for working long hours,
Neil and Gisela try to take long, relaxing holidays together. Their motto is,
“Work hard, play hard and laugh a lot out loud.”
The Old Copper Kettle
Mike and Carol Clements met 45 years ago at a youth club in England. As a
couple they worked previously for five years in trucking and the last eight year
as owners of the Old Copper Kettle pub in downtown Fergus. Mike and Carol
say the toughest issues to overcome are “balancing work and home time,” and
using their time wisely.
The couple will be working and hosting their weekly Old Time County Jam night on
Valentines Day, and will have a drink to celebrate the special day when they get home.They
say working together and listening to one another’s ideas is the secret to a pleasant business and personal relationship. Their advice to other couples is each person should have
their own jobs to do and stay out of their partner’s way, but at the same time be able to
help him/her “whenever it is, when needed.”
February 08 | PAGE 9
the
chamber
OF COMMERCE
Reminder ...
In mid-November 2007 over 200 invoices
were sent out for the renewal period
January 1 to December 31, 2008.
Our thanks to the 150 or more
that have paid their dues promptly.
Without your support we would not be able to
provide the service and networking opportunities
to our more than 350 members!
Your continued support is truly priceless!
If you received your invoice and it’s been misplaced in a
pile of after Christmas paper, please contact
the Chamber office at 519-843-5140.
PAGE 10 | February 08
THE FRONT LINE
KYM BURTON - Kym has been with
the Centre Wellington Chamber of
Commerce and Information Services
since June of 1999. Currently Kym
works for Information Services in the
role of Information Services Coordinator. Through her position with the
Chamber she has been involved with
many of our local community festivals
and events over the years such as The
Fergus Scottish Festival,The Fergus Truck
Show, Canada Day and many others.
Each day brings new visitors and experiences to the Info. Centers, the staff is
privileged to meet many of the unique
and wonderful visitors to Elora & Fergus
and work with various community
groups and organizations within Centre
Wellington. During her 9 years with the
Chamber Kym graduated from Centre
Wellington District High School and
went on to graduate with a BA in Sociology from the University of Guelph.
Working in and for such a vibrant and
beautiful community has been a real
pleasure.
ELEANOR PEARCE - Eleanor Pearce
has been with the Centre Wellington
Chamber of Commerce and Information
Services since January of 1997. She volunteered for a time, and then was asked
to become a member of the staff.
Through her work with the Chamber,
she has become involved with the annual Awards of Excellence. Since January
of 2005 she has been producer of Over
the Fence on TVCogeco. Currently a
portion of her free time is taken up with
volunteering through her church with
the publication of the 150th Anniversary
book of St. James Anglican Church in
Fergus.
MARGARET MOLITOR - In March 1998
Margaret was new to Fergus and looking
to become acquainted with the Community. She walked into the Chamber of
Commerce, which was located in the
then Fergus Market Building and asked if
there was a Volunteer Bureau in Town.
Margaret was immediately asked if she
would like to volunteer for the Chamber. Her answer of course was yes and
here she is 10 years later. Ask her now if
she knows anything about Centre
Wellington! Due to her involvement
with the Chamber she has become involved with other Organizations, namely
Canadian Blood Services, The Fergus
Grand Theatre. The Wellington County
Museum and The Fergus Scottish Festival. This has been a most rewarding experience and one she hopes to continue
for years to come.
ROBYN MULDER - Robyn left her
hometown of Sydney, Australia in 2003.
She had met the man of her dreams and
relocated to the sweet little village of
Elora. Robyn was interested in exploring her new country and what better
way than to volunteer at the Elora Information Centre. The locals thought it
was hilarious that she had come ½ way
around the world to tell visitors to Elora
where to go. It’s now nearly 5 years
later and she still tells people where to
go except now it’s for the Fergus Information Centre and the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce. In those 5
years Robyn has married, bought a
house, had 2 beautiful boys and has a job
that she is very proud of. In her words
she “works with a great bunch of people
in the prettiest Canadian village she
knows”.
MICHAEL BLACK - Michael Black, a descendant of one of Fergus' founding families, is an avid pianist, bookworm, and
local 4-H Club member. He supports the
Fergus Fall Fair by annually sponsoring a
youth entry class, and volunteers at
church and other events within the community. Currently the Student Council
Vice President at St. James C.H.S. in
Guelph, he has been on staff at the Information Centres’ for one year.
TARA CELETTI - Tara was born in Red
Deer, Alberta in 1991. Since then she has
moved four times. Tara has lived in the
Elora-Fergus area the longest for about
nine years. She belongs to the Elora-Fergus Ringette Team, and is currently enjoying her first year of Belle. At school
she does some occasional tutoring for
French, and is an avid member of the
meditation club. Tara is excited to continue her last few years at C.W.D.H.S
and she hopes they are full of many
more wonderful memories. Tara has
been on staff at the Information Centres
since the fall of 2007.
BRENDAN LINWOOD - Brendan Linwood is a grade 11 student at St James
CHS in Guelph. He has lived in Fergus all
his life and is heavily involved in local
community theatre. His family runs a
local basketball program, which he also
partakes in. He has been working at the
Information Centres for 5 months.
ACHIEVABLE DREAMS
EXCHANGING RESOLUTIONS FOR
ACHIEVABLE DREAMS.
Many people spend January 1st with their
3Rs;
• Recovery • Reflection • Resolutions
Since the theme of this month’s article is
Goals, let’s focus on the third R – Resolutions.
Many people resolve each January to stop
or start certain behaviours, such as ‘I resolve to quit smoking’, ‘I resolve to lose
weight’ or ‘I resolve to earn more money’.
My friend, Susan, made the same resolution each year and each year she resolved
to ‘really do it this year’. Her resolution
began to be known as her ‘Rally Cry’ – I
will make more sales, I will make more
sales, I will make more sales, just like the
Little Engine that Could, except Susan still
hadn’t reached the top of her mountain.
Resolutions are kind of like RRSPs, most
people only think about them near deadline time and then they rush in to a commitment at the last minute. Susan’s
resulting resolution was the action version of a dream she had dreamt for 12
years that involved her receiving the company bonus for Top Salesperson of the
year.
This year was different: Susan invested in
a personal sales coach. His name was
Marcus. Sure, Marcus encouraged Susan
to make more calls and see more people,
however, it was during their first meeting
that Marcus asked the question that
would drive everything they did together,
“Susan, what would you like to achieve
and by what date do you want that?”
This one question converted Susan’s resolution to a goal by putting parameters
around it - what did she want and by what
date. This allowed Marcus and Susan to
count back from their target date and determine what needed to be done in
weekly increments to achieve her dream.
Marcus also cleverly planned periodic
check-ins during which they would measure Susan’s success and then celebrate. In
fact, these check-in meetings were really
just meant to justify celebrations that
would motivate Susan towards her goal.
Now, Susan is a Procrastinator and be-
tween setting her goal with a target date,
she endured two very stressful events,
during which she allowed herself to avoid
calling her prospects. At her next coaching meeting with Marcus, she chose to extend her goal date by one week and get
right back in to her routines. So, Susan did
achieve her dream and was awarded the
Top Salesperson. The difference this year
was that Susan converted her resolutions
in to a goal complete with target date,
predefined check-in dates and Celebration Milestones built in to the process.
Goal setting and celebration go hand-inhand with all that we do to succeed. Businesses are run by people who dream.
Dreams that we resolve to achieve become more attainable when they are specific, measured, attainable, reasonable and
timely. What do you want to accomplish
and by when?
Enjoy your dream,
Carly O’Brien
The Achievement Centre - Excel
cobrien@theachievementcentre.com
THE INTERNET AND GLOBAL WARMING
By now we all accept the fact that global
warming is taking place and that it is a
process we cannot control or stop. We
cannot ignore it anymore but have to
come up with strategies to adapt in order
to survive.
For the Internet it is the same thing. It has
changed the way that people hear about
the latest news, find new employees or
educate themselves about (locally) offered
products and services. Online people find
a wealth of information and even shopping can be done with the touch of a button. The Internet has become a big part of
our lives and its growth cannot be
stopped or ignored. Businesses will have
to adapt to this new situation too if they
want to survive. Having a website almost
seems to be a minimum requirement
nowadays.
Many smaller businesses worry about big
box stores, and so they should. Advances
of scale allow these big stores to carry a
wider assortment at lower prices. Customers respond to that. It is a matter of
price and convenience – and convenience
is probably the biggest factor.
– much of which is available for free:
Convenience, the ability to choose, being
in control… these are some of the main
reasons why people have moved to the
Internet more and more as well. Online
shopping is increasing year after year, and
people are searching online for local organizations more and more as well. FergusPages.com is a local website that
attracts almost all of its traffic from the
search engines – from people searching
for local information about Fergus, Elora
or Belwood. We have seen traffic increases of more than 50% every single
year since its inception in 2004!
• Make sure that your profile on the Centre Wellington Chamber website is complete, including a clear description of the
products and services that you offer.
• The same goes for the websites from
the
Fergus
BIA,
Elora
BIA,
ferguspages.com or the township’s website centrewellington.ca. to complement
printed ads.
Yes, a revolution has started. Customers
want control and transparency. A website
can offer them what they are looking for.
I can easily come up with more than 50
Reasons Why You Need A Website. But
the most important one is: your customers are searching online – so you
want to be found there!
More and more people are searching online, and if they do not find you, then they
will find someone else. Your (potential)
customers are searching online and it will
have a dramatic impact on your business
unless you adapt to this changing environment.
And even if you are still not convinced
that you need a website, then you should
at least embrace some online marketing
This should sound like music to your ears:
free advertising! And the fact that it is so
easy to come by is an extra bonus! All you
have to do is act!
For more information: contact your webmaster, or email Nardo Kuitert at
nardo@ucwebs.com.
February 08 | PAGE 11
NEW TOURISM GUIDE
New tourism initiative targets Elora and Fergus
Elora and Fergus will launch its own locally-branded destination marketing campaign in 2008, specifically targeted to
experiences that tourists most often seek
when they visit our area.
Called “Recipes to Experience”, the strategy is based on research that shows
tourists first decide what kind of experience they are looking for. Only then do
they make their travel decisions, based on
where those experiences can be found.
These experiences can include a wide
range of interests such as outdoor adventures, biking, music, theatre, dining, the arts,
shopping, fishing, festivals and more.
The project will also promote the growing
trend toward culinary tourism, where dining, recipes and even cooking classes are a
key ingredient in experiences some visitors
want to have.The guide presents Elora and
Fergus as the “recipe” for the complete
cross-section of great experiences that are
available to visitors when they come here.
Stakeholder Meetings
The project is one of the early outcomes
of a series of monthly workshops that
began last October, and are continuing in
2008. Initiated by the Township’s Economic
Development Committee, and facilitated
by the Ministry of Tourism’s Paul Samson,
the sessions have been attended by many
of the area’s tourism stakeholders.
In the course of these workshops, Paul
Samson has shared extensive Ministry of
Tourism research that identifies different
visitor types, so that stakeholders can start
to build messages that resonate with the
interests of those they are trying to attract. Visitor types include Provincial Families, Retired Roamers,Young Go-Gos, and
Upscale Adventurers.
Most visitors to Elora and Fergus are considered to be in the “Upscale Adventurer”
category, and this is the group that the
Recipes to Experience project is specifically geared to. The structure of the guide
will reflect the demand generators in Elora
and Fergus that were identified in the 2005
Premier Ranked Tourism Destination project. Sections within the guide will include
dining – with a special focus on “Meet the
Chefs” – overnight accommodations, outdoor experiences, boutique shopping, the
arts, festivals and events, and the Grand
River itself.
PAGE 12 | February 08
Volunteer Driven
Networking Breakfasts
The project is a grass-roots initiative, and
will operate on a break-even basis with a
big assist from volunteers. Coordination is
through the Fergus Elora Bed and Breakfast Association with the help of the Elora
Fergus Tourism stakeholder group.
The initiative has won the endorsement
and support of the Township, and is one of
three that the municipality is participating
in for 2008.The other two are the Guelph
Wellington Visitor Guide, which is a broadbased guide to the entire County, and Journey the Grand, which is primarily targeted
to the Provincial Families category. As part
of Elora Fergus Tourism’s direct marketing
program to Upscale Adventurers, they will
be using the Recipes to Experience guide
as a primary channel to reach this market.
Wednesday,
February 27th at the
Elora Mill Inn
A pro-bono website has been developed
to help potential advertisers understand
and evaluate the marketing opportunity.
There is also a page where interested advertisers can reserve their space online. Insertion costs start at $200 for a full-colour
quarter-page, and go up to $750 for a full
page. The guide is planned at 64 pages, and
will have a distribution of 35,000 copies. At
least 12 pages of editorial content and
maps are also planned.
Web Support
Interested
advertisers
can
visit
www.recipestoexperience.com for a look
at the visuals and concept pages. The site
can also be accessed from a link at the
Wellington Advertiser’s home page at
www.wellingtonadertiser.com.
Plans for a public website to support the
printed guide are also in the works, although details are still in development.The
goal will be to feature and enhance the experiences that are promoted in the printed
guide on the public web pages. A tool to
enable online reservations and bookings,
as well as the opportunity for stakeholders to develop and promote their own
packages, is also part of the project goal.
The next meeting of the Elora Fergus
tourism stakeholder group is scheduled for
February 5, at the Wellington County Museum. Everyone is welcome whether you
have attended previous meetings or not.
Visit www.recipestoexperience.com for an
update on meeting times and locations as
they are announced, and to review the
marketing opportunity for your organization.
Chamber
Calendar
Guest speaker is
Carly O’Brien of The Achievement Centre –
Excel, ‘Mining Your Riches From Within:
Growing Your Business ~ Intelligently!’.
Business After Hours
Wednesday, March 5th at Wellington
County Museum (to be confirmed)
Exhibit - ‘If These Walls Could Speak’
Wednesday, March 26th at JJ’s Family
Dining. Guest speaker is Rosslyn Bentley
of the Upper Grand Family Health Team.
Wednesday, April 30th at Elora Mill Inn
Dave Scharman - topic of Personal
Coaching.
Wednesday, May 28th at JJ’s Family Dining
CWCC Annual General Meeting.
Wednesday, June 25th at Elora Mill Inn
Update on local festivals and events
throughout the summer.
Cost is $15 for Members and $20 for Future Members. RSVP to 519-843-5140
or email chamber@cwchamber.ca
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
‘Centre Wellington – Working in Concert!’ Thursday, April 24th at the Centre
Wellington Community Sportsplex (Fergus). You have until February 15th to
submit your completed Nomination
forms. Remember…you can’t win if you
are not nominated! So get out and nominate a person or business of your choice
or even yourself!! Forms can be downloaded from http://www.ferguselora.com
/awards_of_excellence.shtml. Stay tuned
for more details about tickets, etc.
10TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Mark Wednesday, June 11th on your calendar for an exciting day of Golf at Ariss
Valley Golf & Country Club. More details to follow ...
CWCC CHRISTMAS PARTY
If you are planning ahea ... mark Saturday,
November 29th on your calendar and
plan on joining the Chamber at Ariss Valley Golf & Country Club for an exceptional evening! Those who attended in
2007 will attest to how wonderful the
event was! We will provide more information later in the year.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TOWNSHIP OF CENTRE WELLINGTON,
DAVE RUSHTON - Dave is the Manager of Eco-
Centre Wellington Economic Development Committee is an advisory committee to the council with the key mandate of
attraction and retention of jobs in the
community.
nomic Development for the Township and
is responsible for economic development
& tourism in the community.
The committee is comprised of two members of council and people working with
organizations involved in economic development.
The committee has a very busy 2008
planned with ongoing efforts of the 3 subcommittees; tourism, green office park and
community improvement plan.
MEMBERS
MAYOR, JOANNE ROSS-ZUJ - Educator and entrepreneur the Mayor brings a wealth of
information about the community and is
well networked with other government
organizations.
COUNCILLOR, KIRK MCELWAIN - Formerly with
IBM he brings expertise in the knowledge
based area and broadband. Kirk chairs the
Economic Development committee and is
interim chair on the Green Office Park
subcommittee.
CENTRE WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
DEB DALZIEL - Deb has represented business and tourism in the community for
several years. She also coordinates the
Tourism subcommittee.
FERGUS BIA, JULIA TYNDALE-BISCOE - Julia, as
Executive Director, represents the members of downtown Fergus business.
ELORA BIA, RENEE MAKINO - Renee has owned
the Elora Mews for many years and brings
a long history of business ownership in
Elora.
WELLINGTON WATERLOO COMMUNITY FUTURES,
CATHY BROUSSEAU - Cathy is responsible for
community economic development
through this federally funded program
serving parts of Wellington and Waterloo
counties. Cathy also chairs the Community Improvement Plan subcommittee.
GUELPH WELLINGTON BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
CENTRE, DAN SCHNURR - Dan’s role as a Business Advisor takes him throughout the
county meeting with small business owners.
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS, SUE POWELL - Sue works with
municipalities throughout our area on economic development projects and is also an
artist.
economic
DEVELOPMENT
The tourism committee has been meeting
regularly planning monthly sessions with
tourism stakeholders, who are working on
both destination management and marketing plans for Elora & Fergus Tourism. This
stakeholder group is providing valuable advice on new and innovative approaches to
attract and build a strong year-round
tourism industry. Paul Samson from the
Ministry of Tourism is assisting the community in this series of meetings.
The community improvement plan is a formal plan to be adopted by council and supported by other levels of government in
programs that will encourage the continued vitality and economic viability of the
commercial cores in all seasons. It can
also provide incentives for the rehabilitation of the commercial and cultural core
areas as an attractive and vibrant destination for the citizens of Centre Wellington
and visitors to the communities.
The green office park is a concept that will
utilize the beautiful landscaping, extensive
trail systems and access to high speed internet through fibre optics to attract
knowledge based companies and encourage them to build environmentally friendly
buildings in a campus like setting utilizing
our trail systems for people to walk, bike
and ski to work. This development will be
great for those working in nearby cities
that would rather walk to work and attract
jobs so that people can live and work in
their own community reducing the impact
on the environment.
If you would like
to be a delegation at
the economic developmentcommittee
or leads for Dave
please call 519-846-0971
or email
drushton centrewellington.ca.
The committee will also be looking to update the 2003 Strategic Plan for economic
development and tie it closely to the
strategic plan for the Township.
All in all a very busy year is planned for this
committee.
February 08 | PAGE 13
FAMILY DAY LEGISLATION
TORONTO, Jan. 30 /CNW- Many employees
will get the day off with public holiday pay on
Family Day on Monday, February 18, 2008. Family Day is one of nine public holidays under Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000.
QUALIFYING FOR
FAMILY DAY ENTITLEMENTS
Generally, employees qualify for Family Day entitlements unless they fail, without reasonable
cause, to work:
• Their entire regularly- scheduled shift before
or after Family Day; or
• Their entire shift on Family Day if they
agreed or were required to work that day.
Public holiday pay is an amount equal to an employee's regular wages earned in the four work
weeks prior to Family Day plus any vacation
pay payable during that period, divided by 20.
Employees who qualify for Family Day entitlements can be full time, part-time, permanent or
on a limited-term contract. They can also be
students.
It does not matter how recently they were
hired or how many days they worked before
Family Day.
ENTITLEMENTS IF YOU ARE SCHEDULED
TO WORK ON FAMILY DAY
Qualified employees are entitled to take off
Family Day with public holiday pay. They can
also agree in writing to work on Family Day
and:
• Be paid their regular rate for all hours
worked on Family Day plus receive a
substitute holiday with public holiday pay; or
• If the employee and employer agree in
writing, be paid public holiday pay plus
"premium pay" of one-and-a-half times their
regular rate for all hours worked on Family
Day.
ENTITLEMENTS IF FAMILY DAY
IS A NON-WORKING DAY
If Family Day falls on a non-working or vacation day, qualified employees can either take a
substitute work day off with public holiday pay
or, if they agree in writing, they can receive public holiday pay for Family Day with no substitute day off.
ENTITLEMENTS FOR
NON-QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES
Generally, employees who don't qualify for public holiday entitlements must work on Family
Day if asked by their employer. Most non-qualified employees are entitled to be paid oneand-a-half times their regular rate of pay for
each hour worked on Family Day. There is no
substitute day off. If a non-qualified employee is
PAGE 14 | February 08
not asked to work on Family Day, he or she
gets the day off with no pay.
SPECIAL RULES/ EXCEPTIONS
Retail employees
Most employees who work in retail businesses
- businesses that sell goods or services to the
public - have the right to refuse to work on
Family Day even if they don't qualify for public
holiday entitlements. Retail employees who
have agreed to work on Family Day may still refuse the assignment if they give their employer
48 hours advance notice before the first hour
of work on Family Day.
However, these rules for retail employees do
not apply to those who work for businesses
that primarily:
• Sell prepared meals (restaurants, cafeterias,
cafés, etc.)
• Rent living accommodations (hotels, tourist
resorts, camps, inns, etc.)
• Provide educational, recreational or
amusement services to the public (museums,
art galleries, sports stadiums, etc.)
• Sell goods and services that are incidental to
the businesses described above and are
located on the same premises (museum gift
shops, souvenir shops in sports stadiums,
etc.).
Under the Retail Business Holidays Act, most
retail outlets must close on Family Day.
Hospital, continuous operations and hospitality employees
Employees in hospitals,continuous operations
and the hospitality industry may be required to
work on Family Day if it falls on a day they
would normally work and if they are not on vacation. This applies to employees who work for
hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, motels, tourist
resorts, restaurants and taverns, as well as to
employees who work for continuous operations (operations or parts of operations that
do not shut down or close down more than
once a week such as oil refineries and alarm
monitoring companies).
Elect-to-work employees
Elect-to-work employees - those who decide
without penalty whether or not to work when
requested - are not covered by the public holidays provisions of the Employment Standards
Act, 2000 except for the right to be paid oneand-a-half times their regular rate of pay for
each hour worked on Family Day.
EMPLOYEES NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR PAID PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Some employees are not eligible for Family Day
entitlements because public holiday provisions
under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 do
not apply to certain jobs.
These employees include:
• Seasonal workers (employees who work for
an employer no more than16 weeks in a
calendar year) in a hotel, motel, tourist
resort, restaurant or tavern who are
provided with room and board
• Taxicab drivers
• Professionals such as lawyers, doctors,
teachers, architects, chiropodists,
chiropractors, dentists, massage therapists,
optometrists, pharmacists, professional
engineers, physiotherapists, psychologists,
public accountants, surveyors, veterinarians
and those covered under the Drugless
Practitioners Act
• Students in training for any of the
professions listed above
• Students who instruct or supervise children
or who work at children's camp or
recreational program operated by a
charitable organization
• Hunting and fishing guides, commercial
ishers and some farm workers
• Commissioned salespeople, except route
salespeople, who normally work away from
their employer's place of business
• Employees who install and maintain
swimming pools
• Employees in landscape gardening,
mushroom growing, or the growing,
transporting and laying of sod
• Employees who grow flowers or trees and
shrubs for retail and wholesale trade
• Employees who breed and board horses on
a farm or who keep fur-bearing mammals for
propagation or the production of pelts for
commercial purposes
• Construction workers who receive 7.7
per cent or more of their wages for vacation
pay or holiday pay
• Residential building superintendents, janitors
or caretakers who live in the building
• Firefighters
• Registered real estate sales people.
INFORMATION SOURCES
For more information,
employees and employers may call the
Ontario Ministry of Labour's Employment
Standards Information Centre at
(416) 326-7160 or
1-800-531-5551,
or visit the nearest ServiceOntario Centre.
Written information - including employment
standards fact sheets on subjects such as
public holidays - can be accessed via the
Ontario Ministry of Labour's website at
www.labour.gov.on.ca.
INSIDE BACK
Last fall during the election when Premier McGuinty announced Family Day
the general public cheered. Everybody likes a paid holiday.
As fears of a Recession moves from
simmer to boil and back to simmer, on
what seems a daily basis, the notion of
another paid holiday at the direct expense of business is a tough pill to
swallow. Politicians that don’t have to
pay this bill revel in the deliverance of
Family Day to voters in Ontario.
There is an argument to be made that
Ontario is merely catching up to
other jurisdictions that have had the
extra paid holiday.We have also heard
it said that the extra day off will increase productivity upon the return
of employees who will enjoy a break
for the day. If our experience is any indicator, most employees will suffer
some stress from getting caught up
before the day off and further stress
from making up for the day off. All
workplaces are not the same however.
Further details of Family Day are included on page 14. The legislation falls
under Employment Standards so we
encourage business owners to follow
up and ensure you are meeting the
regulations. It is the law.
Everybody
likes a Holiday
by
DAVE ADSETT
We wholeheartedly understand the
general perception of a free holiday in
the minds of employees and the
seeming disregard for its cost to business by politicians.We know and owners know that it is business which
makes the economy move. Since few
say thanks - accept our humble thanks
for sharing the additional burden of
another paid holiday.
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
is delivered to Centre Wellington businesses by Canada Post and is
available at the following locations: Fergus BIA, Elora BIA,
Economic Development Office, Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce and
The Wellington Advertiser
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Did you know?
In China the business card should be offered with both hands.
MINDING OUR
BUSINESS
519.843.5410
Sherry
Clarke
DISPLAY
AD SALES
Ted Arnott , MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
519-787-5247
E-Mail: ted.arnottco@pc.ola.org
mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com
905 Gartshore St., Fergus
February 08 | PAGE 15
Feel the excitement
even before
you get here.
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7445 County Road 21, RR2, Elora, ON
(519) 846-2022
Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Fri. - Sun. 24 hours
Your mini holiday.
OLG.ca
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“Quote” - humour, philisophical or otherwise?