August 2009 - Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

AUGUST 2009 

BUSINESS View 

eboardoftrade.com 

GREATER SASKATOON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

Education Without 

Borders Lives Here 

Saskatoon Business College 

A Major Source of Post-Secondary Business 

Education 

President’s Golf Classic 

The 2009 Tournament Drives a Hole-in-One 

Saskatchewan Indian 

Institute of Technology 

‘SIIT Career Coaches’ Deliver Opportunities 

to Our First Nations People

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BUSINESS View is a bi-monthly publication of the 

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce 

104-202 4 th Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0K1 

Phone: (306) 244-2151 Fax: (306) 244-8366 

Email: chamber@eboardoftrade.com 

Website: www.eboardoftrade.com 

Contents 

August 2009 

10 

Education Without 

Borders Lives Here 

Saskatoon & Region 

Home Builders’ Assoc. 

In the Spotlight 

Saskatoon Businesss College 

A Major Source of Post-Secondary 

Business Education 

President’s Golf 

Classic 

Reproduction of any material contained in Business View is permitted provided credit is given to 

the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. 

Articles and criticisms are invited, but views expressed in Business View are those of contributors 

and are not necessarily endorsed by, or are policy of, the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. 

We encourage you to support the business leaders whose names and products you see 

advertised in this issue as well as throughout our entire membership. The Board reserves the right 

to edit submissions. 

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20 

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Profile 

Saskatchewan Indian Institute 

of Technology 

Chamber Advocacy 

Letter of Support to Premier 

for Research Reactor 

Chamber Partner 

WORKWEST: Finding People ... 

Great Jobs! 

Cover Picture 

Courtesy of 

BUSINESS View August 2009 3 

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STAFF 

President’s View 

Airport Check-in 

Saskatoon Airport Offers New 

Routes and Increased Capcity! 

Tourism Update 

Solid Growth for Saskatoon 

and Area’s Tourism Industry 

Campus View 

U of S Grads Ready for the 

Work World 

Committee Updates 

Saskatchewan Made 

Marketplace Continues to 

Expand Product Line 

Members in the 

News 

Calendar of Events 

Kent Smith-Windsor, Executive Director 

Derek Crang, Membership & Marketing Director 

Terry Lawrence, Administration 

Judy Chudskov, Membership Relations Officer 

Roz Macala, Executive Secretary 

Linda Saunders, Bookkeeper 

Katelyn Johnson, Research Officer 

Alex Tempier, Communications & Special Events 

Officer

PRESIDENT’S VIEW 

Where has the money gone? This is an 

interesting question, from a number of 

perspectives. It is certainly a question 

on the minds of Canadian taxpayers, as 

they watch the size of our Federal deficit 

grow ever larger – now estimated to be 

in excess of $50 billion in this fiscal year 

alone. This does not include overspending 

at the Provincial and Municipal level 

which will add many more billions to 

our annual deficits. 

Most of us cannot even fathom how it 

is possible to overspend by that much in 

one year, yet appear to accept government 

deficits and rising debt as normal. 

My sense is that there are two primary 

reasons why deficit financing by government 

is seen as normal, and why we 

are not stirred to action to encourage 

government to reduce spending. The 

first is historic. For most of the past 

three decades, governments routinely 

borrowed and spent more money than 

they took in. Ironically, the spending 

decisions taken by governments are 

seen as decisions made by “them,” not 

ones made by “us.” The reality is that 

governments spend money in response 

to our expectations and right now, we 

do not appear to be ready to make any 

significant sacrifices either collectively 

PRESIDENT 

Jamie McIntyre 

Cameco 

Corporation 

Bill Brooks 

eclecthink 

international 

or individually. 

The second reason is that individual 

and household debt is now the norm. 

According to a recent report issued a 

few months ago by the Certified General 

Accountants Association in Canada entitled 

Where Has the Money Gone: The 

State of Canadian Household Debt in 

a Stumbling Economy, we Canadians 

have become increasingly more comfortable 

with financing our everyday 

lives with debt. 

It is this individual perspective on 

borrowing, spending and household 

debt management that most intrigues 

me because of the critical importance of 

consumer spending to business health 

and economic growth. As we slipped 

into a global economic recession over 

the past year, how did the financial 

position of Canadians fare? More importantly, 

are we in a good position to 

prime the economic pump through increased 

personal and household spending? 

It seems we have the will to spend 

but may not have the financial capacity. 

The following highlights from the report 

explain this basic conundrum: 

Household debt in Canada is at an all 

time high, reaching $1.3 trillion in 2008 

and the escalation of debt is primarily 

caused by consumption rather than asset 

accumulation. So we are willing to 

spend, but we are stoking the country’s 

gross domestic product with unearned 

money. Apparently, we are financing 

this spending primarily with lines of 

credit and credit cards, with 85% of 

Canadians reporting that they have 

outstanding debt on a credit card. 

One-third of us do not commit any 

resources to savings and at the time the 

CGA-Canada report was issued, deteriorating 

economic conditions had not 

yet had the usual effect of encouraging 

Canadians to save. The majority, (78%) 

2009-10 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

1 ST VICE-PRESIDENT 

Brian Chalmers 

Concentra 

Financial 

Fred Farrell 

TD Canada Trust 

2 ND VICE-PRESIDENT 

Monica Kreuger 

Global 

Infobrokers Inc. 

Lynn E. Hnatick 

MacPherson, Leslie 

& Tyerman LLP 

PAST PRESIDENT 

Marion Ghiglione 

Handy Special 

Event Centre 

Troy Larmer 

Cree-Way Gas 

EXECUTIVE 

Christian Braid 

Braid Flooring & 

Window Fashion 

Gail Shivak 

U of S - University 

Advancement 

EXECUTIVE 

Troy Davies 

M.D. Ambulance 

Care Ltd. 

Rhonda Speiss 

PotashCorp 

Tracy Arno 

Adecco 

Melanie Stroh 

Saskatoon Inn 

(Continued on Page 16) 

PRESIDENT 

Jamie McIntyre 

Building the Best Business Climate in Canada. Thereby Creating a City of Opportunity. 

Gerry Bonsal 

SIAST 

Kelsey Campus 

Tammy 

Van Lambalgen 

AREVA Resources 

4 August 2009 BUSINESS View

P 

e o p l e h a v e a t e n d e n c y to think 

“the grass is always greener on 

the other side,” little do they 

know that Saskatoon is increasingly 

becoming the envy 

of the world for multiple reasons and 

Education is one of them. The city recently 

placed third in the annual Canadian 

Learning Index, underscoring the 

longstanding ethic of innovation and 

partnership held dearly by Saskatoon’s 

contingent of exceptional educational 

institutions. 

The impact of Education can be measured 

in terms of economic contributions, 

with each institution having an 

important role to play. Saskatchewan’s 

primary public institution for skills 

training and technical education, SI- 

AST, is responsible for increasing the 

province’s earnings by almost $400 million. 

Meanwhile, the University of Saskatchewan 

prides itself on its numbers 

with 18,000 students enrolled every 

year and 135,000 Alumni living worldwide, 

not to mention the faculty and 

staff that number 7,000. So the financial 

impact on Saskatoon, the province, 

the country and the world is tremendous. 

These establishments are not the 

only ones contributing to the economy, 

with private education institutes such 

as Global Infobrokers, Saskatchewan 

Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) 

and Saskatoon Business College (SBC) 

all helping people to reach their full 

potential, thereby choosing to stay in 

the province and seek employment with 

their post secondary training. 

While the demographic landscape of 

the province changes and labour shortages 

become more rampant, schools 

like SIAST are becoming more flexible 

and responsive; introducing a number 

PROFILE EDUCATION 

Education Without Borders Lives Here 

“ 

Learning need 

not be confined 

to an institution – 

it must become a 

total community 

responsibility. ” 

- John Abbott 

of successful initiatives with aboriginal 

student recruitment and retention, 

and foreign credential recognition. The 

result is significant enrolment growth; 

evidenced by operating at 120 percent 

capacity and forecasts of doubling enrolment 

in Saskatoon over the next 20 

years. Similarly, “SIIT is adapting to the 

changing environment as it relates to 

labour market demands by continuous 

partnerships and communication with 

a variety of industry sectors throughout 

Saskatchewan,” affirms the SIIT 

Director of Marketing & Communications, 

Robert Daniels. 

This day in age, complacency is not an 

option as Saskatoon increasingly competes 

in the international arena. One 

of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of 

Commerce’s initiatives involves helping 

the University become one of the top 

100 universities in the world. “Instead 

of just reacting, […] we need to look 

forward 20 or 30 or even 50 years and 

ask what the world will look like then, 

and what can we do to support positive 

change? We need to value diversity of 

learning and encourage partnerships 

in education,” says Monica Kreuger, 

Chamber 2 nd Vice-President and Global 

Infobrokers President. Private, public 

and non-profit educators all have a role 

to play, “the private sector can develop 

products quickly and efficiently, and 

be a great pilot testing ground–nonprofits 

fill niches that are short term 

and field sensitive; the public sector 

has the longevity and ability to create 

long term. Let’s work together,” adds 

Kreuger. 

SBC co-owner Blair Chapman confides 

that “If we are going to get today’s 

youth engaged in developing careers 

locally, we have to come up with new 

and innovative ideas to tap into them 

and get them excited.” The University is 

doing just that with the introduction of 

new programs, such as iPhone programming 

courses, the new W. Brett Wilson 

Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence, 

and offering more inter-disciplinary opportunities 

for students and researchers. 

SIAST is looking beyond the province 

with extensive experience working 

in over 30 countries and assists 

governments overseas to improve la- 

bour market relevancy and accessibility 

skills training systems. Another feat 

through partner institutions abroad has 

brokered certified programs that allow 

international students to graduate without 

having to leave their country. In the 

future, SIAST will be using its expertise 

to launch a foreign credential program 

to match Saskatchewan employers with 

potential immigrants before they come 

to Canada. 

The University contends that significant 

trends will shape the post-secondary 

environment in decades to come and 

is busy charting a course to face them. 

These trends include: the global, knowledge-based 

economy; enrolment trends; 

competition for faculty; the changing 

profile of public funding; and increased 

differentiation among universities. 

SBC’s Chapman, has been pivotal 

in ensuring a new set of accreditation 

standards for Canada’s private career 

colleges; this is an essential step in attracting 

international students. Canada 

is one of the few countries in the world 

without a federal ministry of education. 

This void is highlighted during Education 

fairs abroad. “Sustainability happens 

when people work together and 

there is a mix of talent and services to 

offer the international market. None of 

us can survive alone,” echoes Kruger. 

Renewed innovation and partnerships 

are what is needed to further Education. 

The President of the 21st Century 

Learning Initiative, John Abbott, said 

it best: “Learning need not be confined 

to an institution–it must become a total 

community responsibility.” 

BUSINESS View August 2009 5

SASKATOON & REGION HOME BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION 

As the voice of the residential construction industry, the Saskatoon & Region 

Home Builders’ Association works to promote the trades as viable career options 

through partnerships with various educational institutions and industry employers. 

JOINT TRAINING COORDINATOR 

HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES 

FOR THE RESIDENTIAL 

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 

The Joint Training Coordinator promotes and manages the Joint Training Committee’s 

communication efforts with employers in the carpentry and framing sub-trade. The 

Coordinator acts on the behalf of the employer to indenture and recruit trades people. 

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR 

The Industry Development Coordinator works to address the growing demand for trades 

people in the residential construction industry by promoting career paths in the industry 

to youth, women and First Nations persons. The Coordinator also actively encourages 

partnerships among industry, educational institutions and government. 

ESSENTIAL SKILLS COORDINATOR 

The Essential Skills Coordinator develops and implements essential skills programming 

within the residential construction industry by fostering partnerships with training 

institutions and community organizations. The Coordinator helps employees that may 

benefit from training in areas that include math literacy, workplace practices, English 

proficiency, and other skills essential to career development. 

For more information contact the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association 

by phone at 306-955-5188, or by email at info@saskatoonhomebuilders.com 

Building Confidence & Communities 


BRIDGES & FOUNDATIONS CAREER DEVELOPMENT CORP 

ADDRESSING THE SKILLED LABOUR SHORTAGE 

The Bridges & Foundations Career 

Development Corporation works to 

improve access to training and career 

opportunities in the residential 

construction industry while helping to 

improve the supply of quality affordable 

housing in many of our communities. 

This initiative places an emphasis on First 

Nations and Métis job creation through 

trades training and also help provide 

individual and family support. Those 

individuals who participate in this project 

will gain valuable work experience within 

the residential construction industry in 

carpentry and carpentry sub-trades such 

as framing, concrete forming, exterior and 

interior finishing as well as other certified 

trades and professions. 

Over the next three years, Bridges & 

Foundations will help more than 400 

young individuals gain skills-based 

training and find long-term employment 

within the residential construction 

industry in Saskatoon and central 

Saskatchewan. 

Participating employers will have 

the opportunity to improve 

productivity as well as become an 

“Employer of Choice” 

in our community. 

For More Information 

Christine Traeger 

Phone: 306.955.5188 ext.234 

Email: christinet@bridgesandfoundations.ca 

Building Careers, Building Homes, Building Communities 


FUNdraising: AREVA RESOURCES 

Pies, Coins, and More Fun for Charity 

Wh a t h a p p e n s w h e n you let the “millennial” workforce 

(the 20-somethings that are beginning to 

make up AREVA Resources) loose on a fundraiser? 

First, they would point out the root word 

in fundraiser: FUN. Second, they would come up with several 

fun and competitive ideas to raise money: like collecting 

coins, throwing whipped cream pies and “hitting the streets.” 

In early May, AREVA Resources Canada, including its mine 

site operations, became the “AREVA Wish Warriors;” a 

fundraising force that raises money for the Children’s Wish 

Foundation, a Canadian organization that grants wishes for 

children with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses who need a 

break from their medical treatment. These wishes range from 

family trips to Disneyland to meeting NHL hockey stars. 

Posed with several weekly fundraising challenges, the 

“AREVA Wish Warriors,” with the leadership and enthusiasm 

of the “young people,” helped throw 233 pies, collected 

over 561 pounds of coins, picked up over 50 garbage bags 

full of litter, put 49 employees in a fake jail, roasted 100 hot 

dogs, and popped over 105 balloons. 

The concept behind the activities of this three-week fundraiser 

was to capitalize on the team spirit that already exists 

at AREVA by making each event a mini project. Each project 

had a “captain” and required some of the pillars of project 

management that are applied to our mining activities, such 

as: planning, scheduling, budgeting, communication and 

most of all, cooperation. AREVA’s employees’ excellent team 

work, community spirit and generosity were truly demonstrated 

throughout the events. The millennials set the tone 

and everyone got on board. 

“The good fun and spirit throughout the fundraiser made 

me very proud to be a part of a group of people who choose 

to make a difference,” AREVA Resources Canada’s President 

and CEO, Vincent Martin. 

Together, employees raised about $28,000. AREVA Resources 

happily matched the amount, bringing the total to 

over $56,000 and granting over 5 wishes for the Saskatoon 

chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation. Sounds fun? 

Well, it was after all, a FUNdraiser. 

The balloon pop’s success was as strong as the 

wind that day! 

Employees raised over $16,000 in one day by sending 

pies around the office and to external business 

contacts. If you received a pie, you could pay $10 

to redirect it to someone else, pay $20 to send it 

directly back to the sender, or simply take it in the 

face! 


Canadian Chamber Supports Efforts to Fight 

Protectionism 

At its June Board meeting in Edmonton, the Board of Directors 

of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce expressed its 

support for efforts by the federal, provincial and territorial 

governments to pursue bilateral discussions with the United 

States to ensure that companies from both countries can bid 

on government procurement contracts. 

The ‘Buy American’ provisions in the U.S. stimulus package 

have shut out Canadian companies from $280 billion worth 

of state- and municipal-level government procurement opportunities 

in the U.S. More disturbing still, is that similar 

rules are being included in other pieces of legislation before 

the U.S. Congress. 

“The joint efforts by the federal, provincial and territorial 

governments are a first step to securing Canadian companies’ 

access to the U.S. market now and in the future. We 

need to move urgently at the highest level to reach agreement 

between Canada and the United States,” said Perrin 

Beatty, the Canadian Chamber’s President and CEO. 

Despite the understandable calls to retaliate against U.S. 

protectionism, a trade war between our two countries would 

make matters worse. The Canadian Chamber supports a 

rules-based procurement deal with the U.S. to prevent that 

possibility. 

“Everyone loses in a trade war, but it’s the taxpayers who 

lose most by being forced to pay higher prices or accept 

inferior products. We need to keep our borders open and 

make sure taxpayers in both countries get the very best 

value for every dollar,” noted Beatty. 

the canadian chamber of commerce 

la chambre de commerce du canada 

Canadian Chamber of Commerce Releases Report 

on Canada’s Digital Economy 

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a report in 

June urging the Government to treat information and communications 

technology (ICT) as a core pillar of Canada’s 

future economic success. 

Mapping the Future of the Digital Economy: Key to Canada’s 

Economic Success benchmark’s Canada’s progress to 

date on ICT and e-commerce adoption and provides concrete 

recommendations for government to stimulate the 

knowledge-based economy. 

“This report is designed to be a jumping off point for 

legislators and government officials to use as they develop 

their strategy for putting Canada back on top in ICT and 

e-commerce adoption,” Canadian Chamber President and 

CEO Perrin Beatty said. One of the key recommendations 

in the report is for the government to create a National ICT 

Strategy. 

Without proper investment and dedication to ICT, innovation 

and protecting intellectual property rights, Canada’s 

productivity will be limited and other nations will continue 

to surpass us as a destination for both domestic and international 

business investment. 

CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

Canada-U.S. Border Amendments 

The Honourable Janet Napolitano, United States Secretary of 

Homeland Security, and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Canadian 

Minister of Public Safety, released a joint-statement 

recognizing the unique Canada-U.S. partnership. They agreed 

to meet twice a year to monitor progress made at the border 

based on the following goals: 

• Managing risk while facilitating the movement of legitimate 

goods and people, 

• Enhancing each government’s ability to assist one another 

in times of emergency, and 

• Leveraging resources to explore models for joint or shared 

border facilities, equipment, and technology, as well as 

cross-designation of personnel. 

The Canadian Chamber is pleased to see both governments 

making the security and efficiency of the Canada-U.S. border 

a priority. Through its work with the Canadian and U.S. governments 

and business organizations in both countries, the 

Canadian Chamber has been pushing for more benefits for 

trusted shippers and travelers. It is important that our border 

inspectors focus their limited resources on unknown trade 

and travel, making the border easier to cross for those people 

and businesses that have already been security checked and 

certified low-risk. 

A Canada-U.S. Framework has been put in place for the 

Movement of Goods and People Across the Border During 

and Following an Emergency. 


IN THE SPOTLIGHT SASKATOON BUSINESS COLLEGE 

A Major Source of Post-Secondary Business 

Education 

In Ju n e 1907 Saskatoon Business 

College (SBC) was founded by Mr. 

E. A. Marshall. For the past 100 

years, the college has served as a 

major source of post-secondary 

business education for Saskatchewan 

students; its primary subject areas remain 

clerical, business and computerrelated 

technology. 

The Chapman family assumed ownership 

in 1951. In 1960 SBC moved 

into its present location (across from 

City Hall) where today it trains more 

than 300 students each year in 25,000 

square feet of interconnected buildings. 

SBC employs 25 full-time instructors, 

offers 16 different diploma programs 

and has six computer labs with over 200 

computers. SBC also runs a corporate 

computer training division, working 

with many of the city’s top companies 

to train employees in various software 

applications. Present day owners, Blair 

and Rich, both third 

generation Chapmans, 

are proud of 

the family business 

and all it has accomplished. 

In addition to employing 

many richly 

talented and experienced 

instructors, 

the quality of its 

graduates has given 

SBC an excellent 

reputation. As Grad- 

uate-Employer Liaison, 

Blair says “I 

often get calls from 

employers stating 

they want a carbon 

copy of the last 

grad they hired.” 

In 1987 the college 

became nationally 

accredited 

through the Canadian 

Education 

and Training AccreditationCommission 

(CETAC). 

Being involved in 

CETAC and the National 

Association 

of Career Colleges (NACC) has played 

an important part in the college’s history. 

In the words of Blair Chapman, 

“You can’t operate independently in today’s 

age. The wealth of information 

gained from organizations 

such as the NACC 

is immeasurable.” 

For over 25 years, 

SBC has been an active 

participant in Shinerama 

- a nationwide 

college and university 

fund-raising campaign 

for Cystic Fibrosis. In 

2006 SBC was chosen as 

Overall Top Campaign 

in Canada - nudging out 

all participating colleges 

and universities in Canada. Other organizations 

SBC is involved with include 

Saskatchewan Association of Career 

Colleges, Telemiracle, Kinsmen Club, 

Saskatoon Women’s Network, and Association 

of Records Management & 

Administrators (ARMA). 

Remaining true to its roots, striving 

for excellence in the basics (literacy 

and numeracy) as well as maintaining 

state-of-the-art computer technology 

has been critical to the college’s success. 

Rich and Blair Chapman firmly maintain: 

“Employers demand graduates 

with solid job skills who can think on 

their feet and bring personality to the 

company. That will never change, and 

we deliver it.” 

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AIRPORT CHECK-IN 

Saskatoon Airport Offers New Routes and Increased 

Capacity! 

Saskatoon continues to lead the nation 

reporting a year-to-date 4.1% increase 

in traffic – the best across Canada! 

January to April traffic continued the 

upward trend we have enjoyed for over 

65 months, while May and June saw 

some softening with slight decreases in 

traffic over the previous year. Airlines 

continue to respond to passenger demand 

offering new routes and increased 

capacity. 

United Airlines: direct to Chicago 

– daily! 

June 4 th was the inaugural flight for daily 

direct service to Chicago with United 

Airlines. This route is serviced with a 

74 passenger CRJ 700. (www.united. 

com) 

West Jet: direct to Las Vegas and 

Mexico! 

Twice weekly (Wednesday & Saturday) 

scheduled direct service to Las Vegas 

will begin August 15 th . 

Weekly direct service will begin early 

December to three destinations in 

Mexico; Cancun, Mazatlan and Puerto 

Vallarta. (www.westjet.com) 

Flight information for all scheduled 

service out of the Saskatoon 

Airport can be found at: 

www.saskatoonairport.ca 

Air Canada: adds capacity 

and increased 

frequency! 

Air Canada is offering additional direct 

service to both Winnipeg and Vancou- 

Saskatoon is serviced with direct flights to: 

ver with three daily direct flights to each 

of those destinations. Additional seat 

capacity has also been added with larger 

aircraft operating daily service to Vancouver 

and Calgary. (www.aircanada. 

com) 

Destination Weekly Departures Serviced by 

Vancouver 19 Air Canada & WestJet 

Calgary 50 Air Canada & WestJet 

Edmonton 15 Air Canada & WestJet 

Winnipeg 20 Air Canada 

Toronto 34 Air Canada & WestJet 

Ottawa/Montreal 6 Air Canada 

Minneapolis 15 Delta / Northwest 

Chicago 7 United Airlines 

Denver 15 United Airlines 

Prince Albert 27 Pronto Airlines & Transwest 

Regina 21 ExpressAir 


2009 President's Golf Classic 

On June 10 th , Dakota Dunes Golf Links 

and Casino played host to the Chamber’s 

President’s Golf Classic. The annual 

tournament offers a chance for Chamber 

members to play a friendly game of 

golf with the Chamber President Jamie 

McIntyre and connect with Saskatoon’s 

business elite. This year’s event delivered, 

with ideal golfing weather, a Grand 

Slam of laughs and memories—not to 

mention the Chamber’s first hole-in-one 

on record! 

Saskatchewan’s top ranked course is a 

sight in itself: majestic undulating links 

in natural sand dune formations and 

indigenous prairie grasses; a testament 

to the successful entrepreneurship and 

economic development of the Whitecap 

Winning Team of the 2009 President’s Golf 

Classic: Jay Solvason (Business Development 

Bank), E.J. Babey (Connect Energy), Wayne 

Johnson (Brunsdon Junor Johnson Appraisals 

Ltd.) and Keegan Lafond (Lafond Insurance & 

Financial) 

2 Web Design Inc. 

Affinity Credit Union - Commercial Services 

Connect Energy 

Credit Union Centre 

Cree-Way Gas Ltd. 

Frontier Peterbilt Sales Ltd. 

Gibbon Heating & Air Conditioning 

J.A.B.A. Construction 

Oshun House 

PGI Printers 

Dakota First Nation Chief Darcy Bear 

and his Council, who transformed the 

marginally productive traditional agricultural 

land into a world-class destination. 

The President’s Golf Classic strives to 

offer a convivial atmosphere, where fun 

on the green will translate into closer 

ties within the community—and nobody 

goes home empty-handed! A slew of 

prizes are awarded to all golf participants, 

made possible by the generous 

contributions of this edition’s sponsors, 

who we invite your patronage. The tournament 

also served as an occasion to 

donate to charity, with half of the proceeds 

raised from the wheelbarrow draw 

presented to the Dennis Neudorf Trust 

Fund. 

Dirk Propp (IIBC - International 

Immigration & Business Consulting) 

drove a hole-in-one on the 

11 th Hole 

Thank You to our Sponsors: 

The big winners this year are Keegan 

Lafond, Wayne Johnson, E.J. Babey and 

Jay Solvason; the 2009 President’s Golf 

Classic first place team. A special mention 

goes out to Dirk Propp who drove a 

hole-in-one on Hole #11, unfortunately 

it was not on one of the holes with the 

$10,000 prize, nor the trip for two with 

Northwest Airlines. However, Dennis 

Baranieski, General Manager at Pronto 

Airways and Vice-President of Business 

Development at West Wind Aviation, 

graciously offered Propp an impromptu 

pair of tickets to anywhere Pronto Airways 

flies. 

Join the President’s Golf Classic next 

year and see if you can make it all the 

way to the 19th hole… 

Most Honest Team: Cindy Hobbs (Radisson 

Hotel), Joyce Bodnar (Radisson Hotel), Jodie 

Wagner (Business Development Bank) and 

JoAnne Wasko (Tourism Saskatoon) 

PrimeWest Mortgage 

Saskatoon Blades Hockey Club 

SaskTel 

SIAST Kelsey Campus 

Stantec 

Sunrise Publishing 

Supreme Basics 

Uniglobe Travel 

WestWind Aviation/Pronto Airways/ExpressAir 

Wiegers Benefits/TD Merchant Services 


1-877-Got-Lite? 

2Web Design Inc. 

Action Office Interiors 

Adecco Employment 

Services 

Affinity Credit Union - 

Commercial Service 

Aim Electric Ltd. 

Airstream Mechanical 

Al Anderson's Source 

For Sports 

AODBT Architecture 

Interior Design 

AREVA 

Associated 

Engineering 

Balfour Moss 

Bank of Montreal 

Bartzen Ag Supply 

Bath Fitter 

Bazaar Novelty 

Beily's Pub & Grill 

Bonanza 

Bridge Carriers Inc. 

Brunsdon Junor 

Johnson Appraisals 

Business 

Development Bank 

Business Furnishings 

Cameco Corporation 

Canadian Western 

Bank & Trust 

Canpotex 

Churchill Dog 

Groomers 

CIBC 

CJVR FM/CK 750 Radio 

Club Stuff 

Promotions 

Collision Plus 

Autobody 

Colony Coffee & Tea 

Connect Energy 

Connoisseur 

Limousine Service 

Creative Compliments 

Gift Baskets 

& Flowers 

Credit Bureau of 

Saskatoon 

Credit Union Centre 

Cree-Way Gas Ltd. 

CTV 

Custom Promotion & 

Award Services 

Data Business Forms 

Days Inn Saskatoon 

Thank You to our Prize Donors: 

Deloitte & Touche LLP 

Delta Bessborough 

Dr. Edward Hauck 

East Side Mario's 

Edward Jones 

Enterprise Rent-a-Car 

Enterprise Saskatchewan 

ERCO Worldwide 

First Nations Bank of 

Canada 

FirstSask Mortgages 

Foster's Shoes 

Frontier Peterbilt 

Sales 

Gibbon Heating & A/C 

Glen Scrimshaw 

Gallery 

Golf USA 

Golf's Carwash Inc. 

Hamm Construction 

Hergott Duval Stack 

LLP 

Highway Agencies 

Horizon 

Innovation Place 

J & S Picture Frame 

Warehouse 

J.A.B.A Construction 

JaKe's on 21st 

Jay's Moving & Storage 

Joe's Sports Bar & Grill 

Johnston Equipment 

Ken Cheveldayoff - 

MLA Silver Springs 

M.D. Ambulance Care 

MacPherson, Leslie & 

Tyerman LLP 

Meewasin 

Valley Authority 

Meyers Norris Penny 

LLP 

Mondovi Publishing 

Ms. Lynne Yelich 

National Bank of 

Canada 

News Talk 650 / ROCK 

102 / C95 

Nordic Industries 

The Nosegay 

Novozymes 

Biologicals Canada 

OBASA Suites Inc. 

Park Town Hotel 

Peace Hills Trust Co. 

Percy H. Davis Limited 

pgi printers 

Picture Perfect 

Portraits 

PotashCorp 

PrimeWest Mortgage 

Radisson Hotel 

Ramada Hotel & 

Convention Center 

Rayner Agencies Ltd. 

Ray's Moving & Storage 

RBC Royal Bank 

Robertson Stromberg 

Pedersen LLP 

Ruckers 

Sask Abilities Council 

Saskatoon & Region 

HomeBuilders' 

Association, Inc. 

Saskatoon Airport 

Authority 

Saskatoon Blades 

Hockey Club 

The Saskatoon Club 

Saskatoon Folkfest 

Saskatoon Inn 

Saskatoon Region 

Association of 

REALTORS® 

Saskatoon Soccer 

Centre 

SaskTel 

Shakespeare on the 

Saskatchewan 

Festival 

Sheraton Cavalier 

SIAST Kelsey Campus 

Stantec 

Sunrise Publishing 

Supreme Basics 

TCU Place 

TD Bank Commercial 

Banking 

Tourism Saskatoon 

U of S Husky 

Athletics 

Uniglobe 

United-Blueline Taxi 

Universal Bindery 

WestWind Group of 

Companies 

Wiegers Benefits 

Women 

Entrepreneurs of 

Saskatchewan Inc. 

WorkWest 

Yanke Group of 

Companies 

Sponsors of the 

Spirits Draw: 

Bacardi 

Cellar Stock 

Charton Hobbs 

Corby Distilleries 

Diageo 

E & J Gallo Winery 

Early's Farm & Garden 

Centre 

Great Western 

Brewing 

Company Limited 

Labatt Breweries 

Saskatchewan 

Maxxium Canada 

Molson Canaada 

Pacific Wine & 

Spirits 

Pelican Media 

Vincor Canada 

BUSINESS BUSINESS View August August 2009 13

PROFILE SASKATCHEWAN INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGIES 

“SIIT Career Coaches” Deliver Opportunities to 

Our First Nations People 

The Saskatchewan Indian 

Institute of Technologies 

(SIIT) has partnered with 

Indian and Northern Affairs 

Canada (INAC) to 

purchase and equip two 

Mobile Career Assessment 

Units (“SIIT Career 

Coaches”). These converted 

and colourful RVs will 

provide a number of benefits for First Nations members as 

they explore training and employment opportunities. 

INAC is investing over $1.8 million in the two “SIIT Career 

Coaches” over a three-year period (2009-2011), while SIIT is 

responsible for managing 

and operating both units. 

Each vehicle is equipped 

with computer and office 

equipment, in addition 

to living quarters for 

SIIT career counsellors as 

they travel to the various 

communities. 

These busses will help First Nations people explore training 

and employment opportunities. “With these busses, we 

now have the ability to work one-on-one with First Nations 

people right in their 

own backyard,” says 

Randell Morris, SIIT 

President. 

Over the next two 

years, SIIT career counsellors 

will travel across 

Saskatchewan with the 

goal of meeting with 

a number of First Nations 

people. Counsellors 

will conduct career 

assessments for each 

member, discussing various training opportunities, while 

working to secure employment for a minimum of 800 First 

Nations residents. 

Source: SIIT 


Solid Growth for Saskatoon and Area’s 

Tourism Industry 

TOURISM UPDATE 

By Todd Brandt, 

President & CEO 

Tourism Saskatoon 

Saskatoon is quickly gaining a reputation as a great place to visit, and to live. A young, vibrant, intelligent and entrepreneurial 

demographic is energizing this city with exciting new things to see and do. Well supported by a long heritage of knowhow 

and innovation, Saskatoon celebrates year round its rich culture through a continuous line-up of festivals, events, 

attractions, performing arts and much more. 

Saskatoon embraces festivals! You will quickly feel 

the community spirit; the smell of great food, the 

sounds of music, and people enjoying the experience 

together. Quality annual events like the Saskatchewan 

Children’s Festival, SaskTel Saskatchewan 

Jazz Festival, Folkfest, The Cameco Canada 

Remembers International Air Show and the 

newest addition to the city’s special summer events 

calendar - the Saskatoon Fireworks Festival keep 

people coming back time and again! 

Saskatoon’s rich history is highlighted at the many 

attractions in the area. Wanuskewin Heritage Park, 

a cultural place where people can enjoy the beautiful 

scenery and amazing trails where First Nations people 

walked over 6,000 years ago and learn about the culture. 

The renewal project at the park will rejuvenate this 

wonderful national historic park for years to come, 

as well as the significant product development work 

being undertaken on the Trails of 1885 project. The 

Western Development Museum which recently 

opened the final phases of Winning the Prairie Gamble, 

is a first rate facility, which not only shows prairie life 

in 1910, but now with the completion of the exhibit, 

showcases the first 100 years of our province. 

According to our most recent numbers, the third 

quarter of 2008 showed yet another solid growth of 

11.3% for Saskatoon’s tourism industry year to date (total 

visitors 1.3 million). This follows growth of 12.56% in 

2007 over 2006. 

What does this translate into for our community? 

Total visitor expenditure of $298,735,000; up over 7% 

during a time when major declines began to ravage the 

national tourism industry. 

We encourage and applaud the continued investment 

by our valued members into this vital economic generator. 

Time, effort, vision and resources help make Saskatoon 

shine, brilliantly! 

A membership based non-profit organization, Tourism Saskatoon is a one-stop 

location for tourism assistance with convention, sports and event marketing and 

bids; facility and service information and referrals; programming; festival and 

event promotion and marketing; Saskatoon promotional literature, items and gifts; 

visitor information, service and attraction referrals and itinerary planning; group 

travel and special event planning ideas; media contact and assistance; Saskatoon 

images and support materials. 

When it comes to promoting and enjoying this great city, Tourism Saskatoon can help. 

Call-242-1206, toll-free, 1-800-567-2444, Ext. 41, or visit the website at www.tourismsaskatoon.com 

BUSINESS BUSINESS View August August 2009 15 15

CHAMBER ADVOCACY 

Letter of Support to Premier for Research Reactor 

PRESIDENT’S VIEW (Continued from Page 4) 

Dear Premier Wall: 

On behalf of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of 

Commerce we wish to express our support for your 

conditional expression of interest to pursue a research 

reactor in Saskatoon with medical isotopes production 

potential. While much work needs to be done before our 

province might actually invest in such a facility, your 

leadership and action-oriented approach is strongly 

supported by our Chamber. 

Saskatoon already has a research reactor. Our 

University has a history in research and medical 

application of nuclear technology. This project is 

highly complimentary to the Canadian Light Source. 

These facts, along with our Province’s historic 

aspirations to value-add our resources, provide 

support for your initiative. The Uranium Development 

Partnership report also indicated that your expression 

of interest has a sound fact base. 

Thank you for your leadership. 

of those surveyed report that they would not change their 

saving patterns in order to build a financial cushion. With 

only 16% of respondents planning to accelerate their pace 

of saving in response to a changing economic environment, 

there appears to be little threat that we are moving toward 

a culture of saving. This should help allay the fears of most 

mainstream economists who believe that consumer spending 

will be a key factor in emerging from this recession. 

On the brighter side, 79% of indebted Canadians are still 

confident that they can manage their debt well or take on 

more debt load. Nearly one-quarter of those surveyed did not 

think that a moderate decrease in housing or stock markets, 

an increase in interest rates or reduced access to credit would 

noticeably affect their financial situation. 

This level of confidence although encouraging, may not be 

well founded according to the report. Generally, Canadians 

perceive their financial condition to be better than it is and 

Sincerely, 

Kent Smith-Windsor 

Executive Director 

many appear to be unaware of how the economic downturn 

has impacted their financial situation. As well, according to 

the report, Canadians frequently do not understand the effect 

of carrying debt and the costs associated with servicing debt. 

The most recent report by Statistics Canada supports many 

of the observations contained in the CGA-Canada report. 

Stats Canada reports that personal bankruptcies were up 23% 

in the year ending April 2009, compared to the previous year. 

Interestingly, Canadian business owners did not follow this 

trend, with business bankruptcies actually falling by 6% over 

the same time period. Unlike Governments and individual 

Canadians, it seems that Canadian business owners read the 

economic tea leaves and responded appropriately by conserving 

cash and adapting to reduced revenue streams. Having 

done so, they have helped make this recession much less 

painful for Canadians and are undoubtedly leaner, stronger 

and more able to remain profitable and grow. 


U of S Grads Ready for the Work World 

Graduates of the University 

of Saskatchewan 

have a reputation for 

being hard-working, 

well-rounded and employable. 

This spring 

more than 3,000 students 

received their 

degrees from the 

U of S with many of 

them entering the workforce 

close to home. 

According to records 

from the university’s 

alumni database, nearly 

90 per cent of recent 

graduates reside in the 

province with the majority 

living in Saskatoon—good 

news for a 

booming city and employers looking to 

harness the skills of highly trained individuals. 

The university also provides 

internship and practicum opportunities 

around the province to give students a 

leg up when they enter the workforce. 

Heather Magotiaux, U of S vicepresident 

of advancement, says during 

their time on campus, students receive 

exceptional education that extends well 

beyond the classroom. 

Heather Magotiaux, 

U of S Vice-President 

of Advancement 

The U 

of S is 

playing a 

pivotal role in the future 

of the city, the province 

and the country through 

the quality education 

and training students receive, 

and the outstanding 

research and scholarly 

work coming out of 

the institution. And with 

about 7,000 employees 

working on campus, the 

“Our students receive 

an educational experience—both 

in and out 

of the classroom—that 

prepares them for the 

working world. Graduates 

are known for the 

calibre of their work, 

but they’re also known 

for being outstanding 

human beings. The 

feedback I receive from 

employers is that hiring 

U of S graduates 

is always a good decision.” 

Graduates are known for 

the calibre of their work, 

but they’re also known 

for being outstanding 

human beings. The feedback 

I receive from employers 

is that hiring U 

of S graduates is always 

a good decision. 

- Heather Magotiaux 

CAMPUS VIEW 

university is one of the province’s largest 

employers. 

Michael Lobsinger is the CEO of the 

Lake Placid Group based out of Calgary, 

and the company behind the new River 

Landing Village in downtown Saskatoon. 

He says hiring graduates from 

Saskatchewan is always a safe bet. 

“It’s the nature of the industry in the 

province—a sense of drive, a sense of 

mission. People are typically harder 

working and more responsible.” 

After graduating with a Bachelor of 

Commerce from the U of S in 1975, Lobsinger 

felt moving to Alberta was the 

only option for some- 

one looking to make it 

in business. But with 

a booming economy, 

Saskatchewan is attracting 

and keeping 

U of S graduates close 

to home. 

“I’ve been an employer 

in Alberta and I look 

for Saskatchewan people 

first. If they come 

from Saskatchewan, 

then they get first kick 

at the job.” 

BUSINESS BUSINESS View August August 2009 17 

17

COMMITTEE UPDATES 

COMMITTEE BUSINESS GROWTH 

CHAIRS 

COMMITTEE 

Aboriginal Opportunities 

Melanie Stroh - Saskatoon Inn 

Lana Binning - RAVE 

Meetings: 1 st Tuesday of the month - 9:00-10:30 am 

Agribusiness Development 

Bert Sutherland - BERT radio online.com 

Meetings: 2 nd Monday of the month - 3:30-5:00 pm 

Business Growth 

Christian Braid - Braid Flooring 

Meetings: last Tuesday of the month - 3:30-5:00 pm 

Celebrate Success! 

Monica Kreuger - Global Infobrokers 

Troy Davies - M.D. Ambulance Care 

Meetings: depending on need - more closer to event 

Future Opportunities 

Bill Brooks - eclecthink international 

Meetings: 3 rd Thursday of the month - noon-1:30 pm 

Government Affairs 

Brian Chalmers - Concentra Financial 

Meetings: 1 st Wednesday of the month - 3:30-5:00 pm 

Knowledge & Youth Development 

Dawn Wotherspoon - ClubMynx Fitness 

Meetings: 2 nd Monday of the month - 5:15-6:30 pm 

Membership Development 

Troy Larmer - Cree-Way Gas Ltd. 

Meetings: depending on need 

More information available online 

at www.eboardoftrade.com under 

Committees. 

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES 

COMMITTEE 

The Future Opportunities Committee 

will be hosting a number of informal 

sessions over the winter on different 

opportunities and future trends in 

different business sectors. These 

sessions will range from a short 

presentation, to reviewing of online 

material or teleconferencing with 

special guests. The first session will 

be a kickoff lunch in late September 

with other sessions held throughout 

the fall, winter and spring. If you have 

an opportunity or trend you would like 

to talk about, or if you are interested 

in exploring the future of business, 

technology or the community, as it 

relates to Saskatoon, then why not 

become a committee member? Either 

way, contact us and get involved! 

How healthy is your business? Now is the time to find out with the Chamber 

Business Growth Committee’s business fundamentals survey—consider this your 

business’ yearly health checkup. The questionnaire is designed to help you identify 

which business basics are in place in your company and which could use additional 

attention. 

To compliment the questionnaire, the Business Growth Committee will be 

conducting seminars and presentations on a monthly basis covering each of the 

topics; seminars will begin this coming September (2009). Please watch out for 

dates and locations in the Chamber Announcements and the Chamber Website. 

To complete the survey, visit the Business Growth Committee’s Webpage under 

Committees at www.eboardoftrade.com. Thank you on behalf of the Business 

Growth Committee. 

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

COMMITTEE 

Trooper Assures: “We’re Here for a Good Time” 

Canada’s legendary and multi-Platinum Rock & Roll band, Trooper, shook the Saskatoon 

Prairieland Park to its foundations with their repertoire of hits this past June. 

While the Chamber is seldom associated with internationally acclaimed bands, it is 

known for building a city of opportunities and this concert was one of them. 

Under the umbrella of the Chamber’s Membership Development Committee 

and made possible by the key sponsorship of the Whitecap Development Corporation, 

this event—and others like this one—enhance networking opportunities for 

new and existing members, while offering even better value to Chamber memberinvestors. 

Cristy Beggs, from Saskatoon Media’s The Bull, used her own brand of humor 

and eloquently presided over the evening’s concerts, which opened with Saskatoon’s 

energetic rockers, Starlab Recording, and was followed by the nostalgiadriven 

Magic Band who churned out one classic after the other. These bands did 

top-rate performances and warmed-up the crowd ahead of Trooper. 

Several songs into Trooper’s set and with the crowd begging for more, lead singer 

Ra [pronounced ‘Ray’] McGuire jokingly mused: “Great! Now that we’re all warmedup… 

are you ready to ROCK?” To which the concertgoers quickly responded with a 

frenzy of cries and the already congested floor was soon filled to capacity. The audienceeasily 

spanned 

three gene 

r a t i o n s , 

confirming 

that events 

like this one 

entice an array 

of walks 

of life. 

The SaskatoonPrairieland 

Park 

d e s e r v e s 

much credit 

for ensuring 

that an 

event of this scale went on so effortlessly; making it seem all too easy. The Chamber 

would like to thank the staff and management at Prairieland Park for their 

great care, dedication and top-notch facilities that reconfirmed Trooper’s lyrics: 

“We’re here for a good time.” 


SASKATCHEWAN MADE 

Saskatchewan Made Marketplace Continues to 

Expand Product Line 

Tw o o f t h e b i g g e s t t r e n d s in today’s 

food market are customers’ 

desires to purchase more 

locally-made products as well 

as their desires to eat healthier. The 

Saskatchewan Made Marketplace was 

established with the fundamental goal 

of promoting local goods, and is now 

also looking to expand its line of healthconscious 

products in order to better 

meet the needs of consumers. 

In addition to its wide assortment of 

products like jams, jellies, honey, condiments, 

and so on, the store also currently 

carries dozens of legume, pulse, and 

grain varieties. One example is Diefenbaker 

Seed Processors, which operates 

near Elbow and carries several types 

of Saskatchewan-grown chickpeas, 

lentils, and more. Also popular is flax 

from CanMar Grains (Regina), in both 

regular and flavoured varieties, and organic 

wild rice from Northern Lights 

Foods in LaRonge. Customers looking 

for products such as rye flour and wheat 

berries can look for Old School Organics 

products, while Kamsack’s Northern 

Quinoa products include quinoa seeds, 

flakes, and flour. 

The Marketplace also recently welcomed 

Willow Creek Organic Grain Co. 

into the store. Based in Watson, Saskatchewan, 

the company has introduced 

22 of its products to Saskatchewan Made 

Marketplace shelves. All of the products 

are certified organic and include wholeseed 

and milled flax, lentils, and cereal 

products such as steel cut oats and fruit 

muesli. 

On a slightly different note, customers 

should also be on the lookout for several 

new frozen meat products (great for the 

Saskatchewan Made Gift Baskets, a Thoughtful 

Choice for Holiday Gift Giving 

As t h e s u m m e r s t a r t s to wind 

down, the Saskatchewan Made 

Marketplace is also gearing up 

for another busy holiday season. 

During its five years in operation, 

the Marketplace has become known not 

only for its great selection of locally-produced 

gourmet foods, crafts, artwork, 

books, and more, but also for its gift 

basket centre. While finding the perfect 

gift for clients, staff, family and friends 

can be tricky, Saskatchewan Made gift 

baskets are an excellent, always appreciated, 

and unique choice! 

Customers can choose from pre-designed 

baskets available in an assortment 

of style and prices. Popular styles 

can be purchased online at www.saskmade.ca 

and www.sasktasteofhome. 

ca, or if you’re in the neighbourhood 

you can stop by the Marketplace and 

choose from one of the many pre-made 

gift baskets they have on hand. 

In addition, the Saskatchewan Made 

Marketplace specializes in creating cus- 

tomized gift baskets. With hundreds of 

food items to choose from, including 

fruit jams, syrup, chocolates, tea, spices, 

sauces, wild rice, and much more, 

customers can work with Marketplace 

associates to create the perfect combination 

of Saskatchewan Made products 

that their employees or clients will love. 

Baskets can be designed to suit a wide 

variety of tastes, budgets, and dietary 

restrictions such as no-sugar-added or 

gluten-free products. 

barbecue) from Drake Meat Processors. 

The Saskatchewan Made Marketplace 

is always looking to provide their customers 

with an even wider assortment 

of unique local goods, so they encourage 

everyone to stop in often and see 

what’s new! 

In addition to this, the Marketplace is 

happy to include your company’s business 

cards, promotional items, and/or 

personal notes to the baskets to add a 

special touch and highlight your business. 

If desired, the Marketplace also 

offers the added convenience of packing 

and shipping gift baskets to their 

recipients, both in the area or around 

the globe. 

Customers are encouraged to place 

their orders as soon as possible, particularly 

when ordering a large quantity 

of baskets, to ensure that they are ready 

to go when the busy holiday season arrives. 

For more information or to place an 

order, please call (888) 955-1832, email 

saskmademarketplace@sasktel. 

net, or visit the Saskatchewan Made 

Marketplace at 1621 - 8 th St. E. in Saskatoon. 

The Marketplace staff will be 

happy to assist with your order both for 

the holiday season and any other occasion 

throughout the year! 


CHAMBER PARTNER WORKWEST 

WORKWEST: Finding People ... Great Jobs! 

For a number of years, the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of 

Commerce has been an avid partner of the WORKWEST 

Career Caravan job fairs. Held across Canada, the Career 

Caravan promotes Western employers in key job pools and 

has been met with countless successes along the way. 

These achievements are largely attributable to WORK- 

WEST President Ray Edwardson and his phenomenal team. 

Being at the right place at the right time is one of their reasons 

why they flourish, so when they launch an invitation for their 

fall Career Caravan job fair series, they mean business! But 

who better than Edwardson, to size-up the opportunities 

available to employers and WORKWEST’s reason to be: 

The Chamber: Could you give our readers some background 

on WORKWEST and what you have to offer? 

WORKWEST: We are a Western Canada-based advertising 

company focused on meeting our client’s recruitment 

advertising requirements through a number of advertising 

methods—our website www.workwest.ca, video career ad 

postings and event marketing (The Career Caravans). 

The Chamber: How does WORKWEST Career Caravan 

benefit employers and how does it differ from other job 

fairs? 

WORKWEST: We research and target regions in the 

country that offer the best potential candidate hiring pool 

for employers throughout the western provinces to choose 

from. Our website attracts an average of 1 million hits per 

month from across the country which greatly aids in the 

pre-promotion of the event. The Career Caravan job fair 

recruitment events are designed to draw thousands of interested 

and qualified candidates. In addition to investing in 

local advertising to promote each event, we usually attract 

a tremendous amount of extra local news media attention 

(TV, Radio and Newspaper), which is effective for creating 

awareness and urgency to attend our events in whatever 

particular area we’re currently visiting. 

The Chamber: Who are some of your past participants? 

What was their feedback? 

WORKWEST: From Saskatoon, we’ve had participation 

from a number of companies and organizations that include: 

SREDA, AREVA, Saskatoon Health Region, AMEC, Cameco, 

SIAST, Banff Constructors, AECOM (formerly UMA), 

Saskjobs and WESTEEL. They were impressed with the 

organization of the events and the numbers of quality applicants 

received. 

The Chamber: Why are you recruiting in Alberta and specifically 

during fall 2009? 

WORKWEST: For the first time since the mid-90’s, Alberta 

actually has a fairly high unemployment rate at 6.6 percent—mainly 

due to a slowdown in the Oil Patch—compared 

with 2.8 percent at this same time last year. This of course, 

translates into thousands of skilled people looking for an 

opportunity. If companies in the Saskatoon area are looking 

to recruit from Alberta, your timing couldn’t be better! 

However, this window will only be open for a very short time 

(the next 6 to 8 months)—since economists are predicting a 

significant market recovery in 2010. The Alberta economic 

engine will be ramping-up again and we’ll be back to facing 

a labour shortage in Western Canada. If you need people 

next year, then we encourage your company to attend our 

recruitment events this fall! 

The Chamber suggests it could be a cost effective measure 

for finding promising candidates, but timing is critical so 

do not miss the next Career Caravans being held in Calgary 

October 16-17 and in Edmonton November 13-14. Visit the 

WORKWEST website for more information and testimonials 

at: www.workwest.ca or call 1-800-852-1551. 


AMEC Americas Limited 

Consultants - Engineering AND 

Consultants 

301-121 Research Dr, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 477-1155 

Gordon Morrison 

Attridge Chiropractic Clinic 

Health & Fitness AND Health Care - 

Services / Supplies 

12-410 Ludlow St, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 975-0565 

Dr. Scott Thomas 

Becker Underwood 

Biotechnology AND Agricultural 

3835 Thatcher Ave, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 373-3060 

Sandi Francis / Ben Libby 

Coca Salon 

Hair Stylists AND Cosmetic / Esthetic - 

Services / Supplies 

12-531 Nelson Rd, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 477-7100 

Gord Blue 

Collision Plus Autobody Ltd. 

Automobile - Paint / Body Repair 

1208 Central Ave, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 373-3303 

Dale Huber 

Etched in Stone 

Signs 

125-2834 Millar Ave, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 244-7866 

Loretta Metzger 

Journey’s Church 

Churches AND Non-profit Organizations 

130 Kingsmere Pl, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 3743856 

Pastor Riley Sexton 

Kavia Auto Body Inc. 

Automobile - Paint / Body Repair AND 

Automobile - Parts 

Phone: (306) 242-2733 

Raj Kavia / Heather Knogler 

Linxus Immigration & Employment 

Consulting Services Inc. 

Home-Based Business AND Immigration / 

Relocation 

Phone: (306) 262-2558 

Angela Jeon 

On Your Mark Logistics 

Transportation Industry AND Import / 

Export 

127-1222 Alberta Ave, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 220-4618 

Wayne Floer 

Paisley Party and Gift Boutique 

Retail - Gift & Novelty AND Retail - 

Jewellery / Accessories 

316 21 st St E, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 244-6001 

Megan Paur 

Quality Care Homes Ltd. 

Retirement Facilities 

1023 Konihowski Rd, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 220-9324 

Gaby Akl 



1318 Konihowski Rd, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 220-9324 

Gaby Akl 


Health Care - Services / Supplies AND 


318 Maguire Crt, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 260-0801 

Gaby Akl 

Rogers 

Telecommunications / Wireless 

1600-330 Portage Ave, Winnipeg 

Phone: (204) 942-1400 

Shari Gurski 

Rogers Sprayers Inc. 

Manufacturers AND Agricultural 

Implements 

813B 50 th St E, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 975-0500 

Mervin Bilinski 

New Members 

Shine Salon 

Home-Based Business 

Phone: (306) 280-9160 

Stephanie Skrudland 

Sun Country Farms 

Manufacturers AND Pets / Pet Supplies / 

Pet Training 

PO Box 320, Langham 

Phone: (306) 283-9225 

Kent Rathwell / Joni Rynsburger- 

Rathwell 

This ‘n’ That Crafts & Calligraphy 

Home-Based Business 

Phone: (306) 934-3139 

Jeanne Burbage 

Tusq Restaurant & Staqatto Piano 

House 

Restaurants AND Night Clubs / Lounges 

416 21 st St E, Saskatoon 

Phone: (306) 244-8877 

Katherine Churchman 

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of 

Commerce Members are entitled to 

exclusive BENEFITS. Including: 

• Preferential merchant rates on VISA, 

MasterCard and Debit. 

• Fuel discounts from ESSO and Petro- 

Canada. 

• Best value for dollar Group Insurance 

Plan ® packages. 

Visit www.eboardoftrade.com today 

under Member Services for more details, 

or contact the Chamber Office at (306) 

244-2151. 

To refer your leads 

or for membership 

information, 

please contact: 

Derek Crang 

(306) 664-0702 

dcrang@eboardoftrade.com 


MEMBERS IN THE NEWS 

Optimus Consulting Receives Women 

Entrepreneurs Business Award 

In early June, Patricia Katz from Optimus Consulting was 

awarded the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc. 

(W.E.) Existing Business Award, sponsored by the Business 

Development Bank of Canada. Katz began Optimus 

Consulting over 23 years ago out of a desire to have more 

flexibility. Author of several publications and books about 

finding balance, organization and productivity, through her 

speaking, training and consulting services this entrepreneur 

helps groups and individuals find ways to reduce overload 

and stress in the workplace. 

Source: Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan 

Municipal Service Excellence for 

Saskatoon’s Affordable Housing Plan 

The City of Saskatoon was recently named a 2009 Saskatchewan 

Municipal Award recipient for its Affordable Housing 

Business Plan. This is the culmination of strategies aimed at 

increasing and preserving the supply of affordable housing in 

the city through: policy improvements, financial incentives, 

partnerships, research and education. Since its inception, 

Saskatoon has introduced nearly 400 new housing units and 

is on track to reach its annual target of 500 homes in 2009. 

Source: Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association 

Welcome Wagon is On the Move, 

One Household at a Time 

The Saskatoon branch of Canada’s only national, Canadianowned, 

free greeting service for lifestyle changes has not gone 

unnoticed. In 2008, the Welcome Wagon made an impressive 

total of 1070 visits to Saskatoon households. The visits were 

prompted by: city moves (33.6%), in province moves (34.4%), 

in country moves (23.3%) and other country moves (5.6%). 

With the tally of mid-year statistics just in, 2009 has been 

equally busy and is on track to surpass last year. 

Source: Welcome Wagon 

Mr. Franchise Welcomes Saskatoon with 

Award Winning Concept 

Chamber Member Mr. Franchise Inc., headed by Shawn 

Saraga, delivered a lunch and learn to the Chamber in June 

featuring two franchise systems: Rasoee, the Indian Kitchen; 

and the 2009 Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) Award 

of Excellence Winner, PostNet Canada. Mr. Franchise represents 

franchise systems that are looking to expand in Saskatchewan. 

Source: Mr. Franchise Inc. 

Display Systems International Acquires 

TeleGuide 

The multiple provincial business awards winner, Display 

Systems International Inc. (DSI) just recently announced the 

purchase of TeleGuide (MaxCo). This acquisition increases 

DSI’s customer base by about 20%. It creates an opportunity 

to strengthen product lines by sharing technologies, which 

will ultimately benefit customers. 

Source: DSI 

To contact any members featured here, 

visit www.eboardoftrade.com 

and click on the Business Directory. 

Strong Support for Expanded 

Role of the Uranium Industry 

A recent survey conducted by the Regina & District Chamber 

of Commerce expressed overwhelming support for 

moving up the uranium value-added chain. Here are some 

of the key findings of the May 2009 members’ survey: 

• 90% Favor expanding Saskatchewan’s role within the 

uranium industry. 

• 88% Support establishing a Nuclear Research & Development 

Centre of Excellence. 

• 80% Subscribe to the development of a nuclear power 

plant. 

• 58% Approve the addition of a nuclear storage facility. 

Source: Chamber Link 


Luncheon Sponsors: 

“Chamber on Business” Luncheon 

Dr. Gunter Kuechler 

Executive Member Lufthansa Systems 

“One day in the Airline Inudstry” 

Tuesday, August 18 th , 2009 

Radisson Hotel 

What would the future look like for your 

company, if you were to get an Extreme 

Technology MakeOver and budget was not 

an issue? Now is the time to find out! 

Chamber member and innovative technology 

specialist, Horizon, along with the 

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, 

other local Saskatchewan Chambers of 

Commerce, premier partner SaskTel and 

other sponsors, have collaborated to bring 

you the Extreme Technology MakeOver. 

A unique chance for Saskatchewan-based 

organizations to obtain a technology 

makeover at zero cost to the winner and 

worth up to $50,000. 

“Our goal is to help Saskatchewan busi- 

nesses become successful. There are a 

number of organizations that do a lot of 

great things with a very small budget. 

Just think what they could do if they 

did not have a limited operating budget. 

The Extreme Technology Make- 

Over is a way for us and our partners 

to give back to our great community,” 

proudly declares Raj Randhawa, Horizon 

CEO. 

If you are a business or non-profit 

organization of between 5-50 people 

based in Saskatchewan, then you could 

win an Extreme Technology MakeOver 

from Horizon and its partners. The finalist 

will receive a complete technology 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

Extreme Technology MakeOver Contest with Up 

to $50,000 in IT Solutions to be Won 

assessment by Horizon, which will 

serve to develop a strategic plan to 

overhaul the winning firm’s IT infrastructure. 

The contest partners 

will provide the equipment and 

Horizon will offer the integration 

services. 

For full contest details and to 

submit your Entry Form, visit 

the Chamber Homepage or the 

contest Website at: http://www. 

horizon.ca/makeover/. The contest 

ends October 30, 2009. The 

winner will be announced in November. 


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August 2009 - Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

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