“It’s hard to think of myself as a young entrepreneur, I’ve been doing it so long,” says Mrs. Lee Randell. She and her husband, Mr. Lee Randell, bought Peak Fitness in 2001 and have run the gym together ever since. When they bought the business, Mrs. Lee was just 23 years old and they were …
There is a commercial on television that implores people to “fire your boss” and become self employed. Catchy line. In many ways, it sums up the feelings of many. In Ammanda Partridge’s case, however, she didn’t so much “fire her boss” when she bought KB’s Esthetics from her own boss, Kathleen Burke, as she did …
Andrew Finton, of the Sundog Retreat Carving Program, likes to point to Calvin Morberg as one of his successful young carvers. Today he has a long way to point. Morberg’s off on a cultural delegation to Siberia. Four and a half years ago, Morberg sold his hand-caved masks out of towel-lined shoeboxes on Main Street. …
You’ve got a problem and you need to fix it. Where do you start? With questions, of course! In essence, you have a conversation with yourself, your staff or your team, focusing on the problem that needs fixing. Your questions will work better if you ask the right kind of questions and in the right …
The labour market. It’s an issue that has been discussed to no end and we still haven’t reached a solution. Where do we find staff for our tourism businesses? Of course, we’ve been presented with numerous options from increasing wages to offering more benefits and from hiring retirees to searching the foreign labour pool for …
Those of us in the workforce who are over the age of 30 have one thing in common: we have nothing in common with those under 30. Those elements that are true in this sweeping generalization (crafted solely to offer a punchy lead) are a pity: we “old folks” should have more in common with …
THOSE WHO CHOOSE YOUTH SAY: Let’s face it: whomever you hire will likely be gone within five years. Workers are transient these days and that is not a situation that is unique to the young. However, a young person will not try to fool you into thinking they will spend a long time with you. …
Should I hire a young person or someone with experience? Read More »
From farm to plate, our food travels many miles and touches many hands. My generation saw the traditional farm gobbled up by corporate agri-business and the cost of food decrease markedly. Today, average consumers pay only 10 per cent of their income on food and the farmer/food producer is the lowest paid person on the …
No Future for Food, If There is No Future in Food- Read More »
The hands move as they do in Spain, the hips move as they do in Africa and the shoulders sway as in Cuba. It is a style of dance pulled together by Liszt Alfonso to great success these past 17 years. On April 20 and 21, she brings this “sensual mix of fire and spice” …
What better way to welcome the return of the sun but to pack a picnic and find a slope covered with crocuses? While it may feel like spring will never arrive, eventually it does and the whole world seems to change … sometimes overnight. Here is a lovely scone recipe made with cranberries and pecans. …
The sky is clear and I do not have to work tomorrow. At about 6 p.m., I put my gear out and start to get things prepared for an evening of galaxy hunting; it is, after all, the best time to go hunting for these elusive fuzzy little patches of light. My plan is simple, …
When you are looking for a tough indoor plant, sanseveria trifasciata (or more commonly called snake plant) is a hardy choice. These sturdy plants are also a good pick for new indoor gardeners who are looking for plants with minimal maintenance. The sanseveria thrives in low light conditions and is an excellent choice for low-maintenance …
In this new era of hyper-consumerism, there has become a culture of expectation. It is an expectation that not only can your money buy the best coffee from the farmer you know the name of, but that it also comes ensconced in multiple insulated cups and holders, that you have six kinds of sugar (at …
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly-Affording Choices Read More »
In The Netherlands it is almost 2 a.m. and yet Amina Figarova is bursting with energy and she wants to talk. Even better: she wants to talk to someone from the Yukon. “How is it up there?” she asks, straining to offer silence to allow an answer. She apologizes, saying she just came from a …
Watching Extras will make you a better person. Well, maybe not, but if you took the time to watch Ricky Gervais’ comedic opus from start to its concluding special, you will have seen one of the greatest comedies on television. True story. This made me wonder about the state of Canadian comedy and, in particular, …
Canadian Humour Lives Between Internal and External Read More »
It must be a magic trick, because Andy Massingham is going to hold the attention of a Yukon Arts Centre audience for one hour with just a lightbulb, a chair and a bowl. “… and incredible shadows,” says Massingham over the phone discussing his play, Rough House, which shows at the Yukon Arts Centre April …
News out of Birmingham, Alabama this month has a local consumer lobby group calling for a boycott of all Anheuser-Busch products in the Birmingham/Jefferson County area due to anti-craft beer legislation in that state. Free the Hops/Alabamians for Speciality Beer’s President Stewart Carter notes that the call for the boycott comes as a response to …
“Paper or plastic?” has become a cliché for those no-win decisions we must make everyday: plastic is an oil-based product that chokes wildlife and is a blight on our streets while paper is a little piece of a living tree. Of course this question is often asked of me because, once again, I have forgotten …
