Volume 2 Issue 8 APRIL 2020

Volume 2 Issue 8 • April 2020

published by ZX Media Corporation

WE’RE INNOVATING!

Inventures is more than a great conference filled with great programming – it’s an opportunity to build networks, strike deals and launch creative ideas into overdrive. Even though we can’t meet in person in 2020, we’re pulling out all the stops to ensure creative collisions still happen.

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We’re putting in place the ultimate platform for innovators, investors and industry to share, inspire and interconnect virtually, including streamed events, access to experts, pitch events and much more.

Innovation is about pushing beyond boundaries.

Join us at Inventures Unbound.

Visit InventuresUnbound.com for more information.

“

“It Takes a Village” FROM A DISTANCE WE CAN STILL BE A STRONG VILLAGE!

STAY SAFE. STAY HOME. E N G A G E -E D U C AT E -I N S P I R E -T O G E T H E R

The Community Now! family would like to recognize that we are currently ALL facing challenges in dealing with COVID19 and would like to THANK ALL of the frontline workers , nurses, doctors, ALL hospital staff, truckers, retailers, educators, transit drivers, and health researchers and officials... along with everyone else working to keep ALL of us safe!

As a community we are strong! As a community we can all come together to help prevent the spread of COVID-19...Please stay home and stay informed on the latest updates and follow the advice of health officials #AlbertaStrong #ItTakesAllOfUs Information sites and resources: Alberta.ca • ServiceCanada.ca • Calgary.ca If you need to talk please reach out, we are all in this together! https://www.distresscentre.com/

COMMUNITY NOW! Magazine is proud to support the 2nd annual Fathers Day Run and Walk.

Our very own Creative Director Kenzie Webber will be participating in the 10km run.

Click here to donate today, and help us raise money for an amazing cause.

Engage. Inspire. Educate. Together.

CONTENTS

Krista Malden & Kenzie Webber

publisher@communitynowmagazine.com

Ain’t No Sunshine

5

The Essentials

14

Helping Companies Bridge The Gap To Growth And Success

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS VOLUME 2 ISSUE 8

18

Jill Quirk

Dear Pluto

21

Zanika Malden

Self-Directed Learning

27

A Community Leader

34

In the Community

38

Brian Cymbaluk Diane Swiatek Les Mottosky Jade Alberts Alberta Innovates

Why Canada Can’t Afford to Let Our Start-Ups Crash During COVID-19

40

Telling it Like It Is

44

Happiness Challenge

48

SheInnovates

50

Heloise Lorimer/ STEAM Team Koleya Karrington Déborah Nichol Nicole Langton SheInnovates

Subscribe for your free issue of Community Now! at www.communitynowmagazine.com Copyright 2019 ZX Media Corporation, Calgary Alberta Canada Community Now! Magazine Copyright 2018, published by ZX Media Corporation.

Volume 2 Issue 8 | April 2020

ll Carol Ann O’De

20 , 20 April 8 1950 - March 24

All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer.

NOW! \\ 5

Ain’t No Sunshine; “Living Happy” In The Eye of the Storm!!!

Brian Michael Cymbaluk

O

n Friday April 3, I awoke to the sad news that Bill Withers, an iconic inspirational songwriter / performer, (AIN’T NO SUNSHINE, LEAN ON ME and many more), had passed, and as someone old enough to remember when those songs were “brand new on the radio”, I’ve been enjoying them… ever since.

“

Yup… This morning was

certainly setting

up as a downright miserable way to live!!! OR WAS IT?!?”

6 // Community Now!

Sadly, a palpable, if somewhat latent melancholia settled into my morning, and as I pulled back the drapes in our bedroom to welcome in the early morning sun, I was greeted by “another” grey, gloomy and blusteringly cold morning, a morning bathed in a blanket of fresh white snow once again, and while pretty in it’s own right, this sombre sight did little to lift my quickly diminishing mood! It’s clearly evident Old Man Winter has yet to receive a long overdue and much needed “SPRING IS HERE” memo from Mother Nature, and as such, we’re all enjoying the winter that just won’t end!

Yup… This morning was certainly setting up as a downright miserable way to live!!! OR WAS IT?!?

Within a few short weeks, in what seems like almost over night, every aspect of living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the rest of the world, was turned upside down, inside out, and rendered completely topsy turvy, as we were inextricably consumed with the startling announcement, and subsequent advance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just 3 weeks earlier to the day, on Friday the 13th of March, my family and I, (my wife Lisa, our three sons, Baron, Shian and Lincoln, and our three dogs; Annie the Pug, Layla the Frenchie and Georgey our Boston), all settled into a publicly recommended Social Distancing Lockdown, a lockdown local health officials have deemed the most effective way for us to stem the ongoing threat of the COVID 19 Pandemic.

Now as one can easily imagine, this “perfect storm” did little to alleviate an invisible weight from my shoulders, a weight which grew even heavier, once I realized we were starting week four of our lockdown, our COVID INTERNMENT!!! As any parent knows…locking your kids down at home for a week, is hard at the best of times, but moving into week 4… 4 weeks of mostly inclement and cold weather, is like pulling teeth without anesthetic!!! You know there’s going to be blood, mayhem and murder, an apt scenario for a Blockbuster Hollywood Horror Flick!!!

We all watched nervously from the confines of our homes, reluctantly… but not unlike rubbernecking a roadside car crash, where you just can’t look away, as media unfolded this Pandemic Drama in real time right before our eyes, regaling us with reports of how many are infected, how many are dying, how many “may” die, how many stores are closing, how the streets are emptying, how most everything we’ve ever planned is now cancelled, and yes, just how bad the TOILET PAPER CRISIS of 2020 truly was / is!

Figuratively, and somewhat literally, the rug of our everyday existence had been ripped right out from under us, like an extremely effective Vegas magic trick, with the cruel irony that while we’re all confined to our homes, unable to venture out into the world as normal, Netflix, Amazon and traditional Network TV, have flooded the airwaves with shows like PANDEMIC, CONTAGION, OUTBREAK, and perhaps the most dreaded of all “scared straight” cinematic vehicles; The EVENING NEWS!!!

Those of us who must venture out, apparently do so on what are mostly barren streets, at least compared to a month ago, or stake out a fox-hole, on what is reportedly mostly empty (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 7

(continued from page 7...) public transit. With most people respecting a two metre distancing guideline with little to no social interaction, our travels take on an almost surreal, post apocalyptic flavour, which only fuels this strange malaise we’re all experiencing!!!

We’re inundated daily by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s early morning ADDRESS THE NATION television broadcasts, where he deftly declares, “these are unprecedented times”, from outside Rideau Cottage, his home at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, where he’s remained in self-isolation, ever since his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus back on March 13th. Coincidentally, that’s the same day my family and I started our little “stay-cation”!

“There are people who are talking about historical echoes, whether it’s wartime, or the Great Depression” our leader continues, “and we’re focused on doing what we need to do right now, to help Canada get through this… together… and we will!!!”

He’s saying what he needs to say, and doing his utmost best to insure us all that things will get better, but let’s face it; our border is “more or less” closed, Parliament is “mostly” suspended, and many, if not most of our cities and provinces have declared Local States of Emergency, as our health system strains to keep up with an ever-increasing flow of sick patients! We are being told that manufacturing is being mobilized towards making medical equipment to help “stop the spread”, and so it’s clearly evident just how bathed in chaos, our nation has become!!! When you add in everything being thrown at us regarding how the virus is affecting the rest of the world around us, has there ever been a time

8 // Community Now!

when the collective population of Canada has ever been more “stressed?”

SO referring back to the title of my article, which very well may be what hooked you inside for a read in the first place… if you’re here for some lift me up good news, or some “don’t worry - be happy” kind of rhetoric you can hang your hope hat on, you’ve come to the wrong place! I’m not here to sugar coat reality, I’m here with the straight goods, the facts, the figures, and a game plan on how I best plan to confront, and hopefully overcome the challenges my family and I may encounter. If this resonates with you, your life and your living, then it will be a qualified win / win for both of us!!!

Let me start by saying, “when it comes to moving forward over the next few months, and navigating our way through the eye of this storm… it’s not going to be easy!!!”, but then again… nothing worth having… ever is!

Right!?!

In the best spirit of open honesty, I don’t mind sharing that I have experienced my own set of challenges “living happy” in the last few weeks!

Adapting to all these changes, has created a trying time in my family’s life, and writing down my feelings and sharing my strategies, was as much about being therapeutic for me, as just writing an article!!! I’m hoping what

I’ve written offers YOU something to grab on to, and something to call your own, as you navigate forward in life with your own sense of HOPE! HOPE is an oft fleeting necessity in times like this, and while I’m heavy with the news of everything we’re all facing in this crisis, I’m also filled with a hope and faith that, “this too shall pass!!!”

Now I do want you to know that I’m not some blissfully naive zealot, some overly optimistic neophyte, sitting peacefully in my living room typing away without an understanding of just how serious our situation is! I understand the seriousness of our situation, and I know as well as anyone, that not everyday will be as good as yesterday may have been, or (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 9

(continued from page 9...) hopefully… as good as tomorrow might be, because as strong an optimistic as I’ve always been, I’ve also been just as strong a realist… and these two attributes in tandem have served me exceptionally well over the last 62 years! Regardless of how feverishly steeped in optimism and or positivity I may be, my reality radar is always on alert, and always buzzing, keeping me firmly grounded when running off at the mouth about how to stay the course and keep the faith!!!

So assuming you’re still with me… let’s say we understand our enemy, we understand our situation, and we’ve taken steps to sur-

vive this beast! If we assume this to be true, I think we possess the tools we need to move past fearing the worst, and to stop walking on eggshells, as we start planning to navigate our way through what lies ahead!

“EVERY CLOUD HAS a SILVER LINING”, is something you’ve no doubt heard many times in life, and perhaps, our mental salvation lies in heeding some of these kinds of simple advice, while running to our computers to sign up for an online crash course on how to best mine for silver!!! ;o) If we take a step back, and push aside any negativity, pessimism and cynicism we might be feeling, we can formulate our very own “NEW NORMAL”, and hopefully find the strength to actually “SLOW DOWN and SMELL the ROSES” once again?

Maybe we need new eye glasses, or maybe, we simply need to open our eyes a little wider, so we can see how we can make the best of our COVID INTERNMENTS! What if… we looked at our “staycations”, as a chance to reconnect with those we love, albeit via virtual conferencing, or by picking a telephone, and simply calling someone to talk, like we used to? What if we learned to communicate with each other like we used to?

I can share that I’ve been doing exactly that… and it feels great!

What if… we took this time, as an opportunity to simply catch up with ourselves?

How many times have you said, “I just don’t have the time”, or, “I sure wish I had more time!?! We need to INVEST in ourselves to enrich those parts of our lives we may have allowed to atrophy for far too long! Maybe, just maybe… this is that time? Perhaps we can establish a modest agenda for ourselves in exile, and fill it with self improvement vehicles, like

10 // Community Now!

reading, writing, exercise, meditation and self-discovery?

Or how about that project you’ve always wanted to do, always talked about doing, but just never had time to tackle? IT’S TIME! Yes… of course I know it’s crazy out there! As Prime Minister Trudeau reminds us almost daily, “we are living in unprecedented times”, but we alone have the power to turn adversity into not only silver linings, but pure gold!!! We can take this time to re-discover what it is we used to hold dear, we can discover new things to fuel future endeavours, and we can… and we must… encourage those around us to do the same!!! There is a simple beauty in the midst of any chaos, if we simply find a way to see it for ourselves!!!

So I can almost hear you saying, “well that’s are good and fine Cymbaluk, but really, how

can you possibly expect us to be thankful for the way things are? We’re confined to our homes with no apparent end in sight, a virus that continues to infect and kill those around us, and sadly… no clear vision of when it will all end!!!”

That’s fair, and while I hear you, and share the same concerns you do, let me remind you, that in the eye of the storm, it’s always hard to see dry land, but you must keep your eyes peeled on the horizon, and head towards safety as soon as it comes into sight!!! I don’t expect anyone to blindly stick their head in the sand, like an unassuming ostrich hoping for salvation, but trust that I’m going to continue to give you the ammunition you need, to help keep your head held high with a confidence to rise above it all, and hopefully enough confidence, that you to can do the same for others!!! (continued on next page)

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We have been “GIFTED”, with the freedom to cultivate a “new” environment of peace, love, understanding and tolerance for not only ourselves, but all those around us! Somewhere along the way, we lost that innate love and respect we humans had for each other, but an invisible enemy has reminded us of just how fragile a species we truly are, and just how much we need each other to make it out alive!!!

(continued from page 11...)

WE HAVE BEEN GIFTED a CHANCE to CHANGE!!!

I have HOPE!

Peace, love, understanding, tolerance and respect should be seen as critical elements of our existence, elements that are powerful enough to see us through times like this, and I invite you… NO!!! Better yet… I challenge you… to rekindle these elements in you first, and then invite those in your circle of influence to do the same!

I have FAITH!

WE are here!

I have FAMILY… and my family and I have LOVE!!!

WE are caring!!

I was catching up with an old friend about this exact thing just the other day, (by phone practising safe social distancing), and playing devil’s advocate, he asked me, “what are you thankful for Brian?” It’s a fair question, so I thought for a second, and offered…

I’d hazard that as unintentional as it most likely was at the time, John Lennon said it best when he wrote, “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE”… and regardless of how poignantly prophetic history may someday regard it, the simple truth of this beautiful statement just really can’t be argued!!!

We have been GIFTED with an opportunity to pull out of the day to day rat race most of us defined our lives by, sit back, take stock, and rediscover what is truly important, and what we’ve been missing!?!

So I can almost hear you exclaiming loudly, “did he just say GIFTED?!?”

YES, YES, YES… I certainly did!!!

12 // Community Now!

WE are compassion!!!

WE are love!!!

WE will overcome!!!!

Even though we’re facing an uphill battle of sorts, a better future, a future more united than ever before would be our reward! If you think that’s worth fighting for, it’s up to us… to BE THAT CHANGE!!!

Much LOVE today and all days!!!

BMC* *Brian Michael Cymbaluk is a father, husband, musician, artist, writer and entrepreneur in Calgary, and welcomes your feedback and thoughts at briancymbaluk@gmail.com.

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The Essentials:

Things That Really Matter Now (And Will Really Matter Later).

Les Mottosky

I

won’t go into everything we’ve all read and heard. No cliches. No tired phrases about “social distancing”, “flattening the curve” or “an unprecedented event”.

“

It is our minds that determine the quality of our experience. To keep it healthy we have to be on top of our thoughts.”

14 // Community Now!

Living through a historical time is fascinating.

The last big pandemic was over a century ago, so very few of us have a reference for this moment we’re in. What we’re left to lean on is imagery from pop culture and other media influences. Perhaps it’s a combination of the conditioning from Black Friday’s and distopian films similar to I am Legend.

This may partially explain the perpetually empty toilet paper aisles we saw in early March.

People operating from in deep fear of those two frightful words: The End.

Here’s some reality, folks: this is the end.

Whether that’s good or bad news depends on our perspective.

Some more news: there will be no return to normal.

What’s even more, maybe we’ll come to discover there never was a ‘normal’.

So what comes next? (This is where it get’s exciting…)

I believe the defining differentiator of humans from all other earthly critters isn’t just our ability to think or the ability to adapt to our circumstances. We can adapt AND thrive.

That’s why we have humans living, learning adventuring and achieving on all seven continents — plus the one “continent” off the earth: The International Space Station.

Humans can thrive anywhere - that’s what allows us to be so innovative.

And we’re going to have to really dig deep because we’re not just in the middle of a pandemic, we’re also creating a second, silent one: a pandemic of mental health.

To combat that, I believe we’ll have to be on top of three things: our thoughts, our health, our connections.

Thoughts: “The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.” - Robin Sharma Thoughts fuel the mind. Our thinking is the manner through which we make sense of our experiences, and then communicate those experiences to the world around us. Over the past month or so I have often wondered how many of us confined to our homes have stopped for a moment to realize this: the overwhelming majority of our experience of this

pandemic is not with the virus, or with those in the closed quarters of our homes, but with our thoughts about those things.

It is our minds that determine the quality of our experience.

To keep it healthy we have to be on top of our thoughts. When we believe our negative thoughts we suffer, when we challenge them, we don’t. This is, perhaps the ultimate superpower and we can all develop it. Meditation, and noticing the nature of impermanence inherent to thought, is the beginning of taking our thinking back and, therefore, strengthening our minds.

Health: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” - Socrates Most North Americans get their calories from the food system woven into our society. Unfortunately this system is largely compromised or offers nearly exclusively, nutritionally dead options. This way of eating is deeply engrained in our way of thinking.

To the point where Nutritionists of Canada recently put out a message that started with two pieces of advice “Don’t spread Misinformation” followed by “You can’t boost you immune system with your diet.” As a longtime “bio-hacker” I have first hand experience of boosting my immune system (and those of friends and family) by using food and natural supplements!

We need to come to a deeper understanding (or, rather, be reminded) of what food is and the integral role it plays in our overall health.

Malcolm Saunders of The Light Cellar (anecdotally acknowledged as Canada’s leading superfoods store) has an important revision (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 15

(continued from page 15...) and re-frame of what the food groups are: fungi, bacteria, animals, plants and the elements: sun, water, air). Add exercise, sleep hygiene, meditation and chi gong, and you can create vibrant health. Everyone I know who lives like this is healthy, energetic, low stress and clear of mind. This approach is not only about day-to-day health, it’s also a longevity strategy. I get the sense they— and I —are going to live forever. Or at least be able to party on our 100th birthday.

Connection: “Everything connects to everything else.” Leonardo da Vinci I read a headline I’ve been anxiously anticipating for sometime. For the first week of April, more people in Tennessee died of suicide than the Coronavirus. This “social distancing”, wisely re-framed as “physical distancing” is taking it’s toll. It is of course compounded by the inevitable reality of unemployments rates that some believe will surpass The Great Depression. At the time of their suicide, a full third of victims are unemployed. While this might be interpreted as a purely economic statistic, it might be largely influenced by the

16 // Community Now!

loss of connection we feel when we aren’t contributing through our work. Purpose, meaning and making a difference are the real reason we work. Our pay-checks are just an outcome of that - albeit a critical one.

We’re all feeling a sense of dark disconnection right now. Smiles are hidden but the fear in people’s eyes is not. That six foot gap between the next person in line mirrors the unnatural hole we’re all feeling from not being able to high-five, shake a hand or hug.

We are social creatures who require connection and contribution. Those may even be the most important human needs.

This is a crazy moment and like every other crazy moment we’ve experienced, this one will eventually be in our rear-view mirror.

What we must keep on our dashboards is the critical importance of our thinking, our health and the connection to ourselves and others.

I’m more convinced than ever that it’s these factors that make life worth living and celebrating.

Healthy Community Now! Healthy Community Later! .

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HELPING COMPANIES BRIDGE THE GAP TO GROWTH AND SUCCESS

No matter how great a technology is, entrepreneurs can’t expect to have all the skills and know-how required to prepare their companies for investment and growth. A unique Alberta Innovates service — the Executive Business Advisor (EBA) program — is filling this need for executive-level coaching for up and coming small- and medium-sized enterprises in the province.

“The companies we work with have reached a point where they have a fully developed technology. But they may not have the full set of business skills needed to bring their companies from early revenue to a stage where they’re financially sound, well-structured and ready to scale. That’s where we help to 18 // Community Now!

execute on organizational and governance structures, all the way to completing a capital raise,” says Paniccia of the program that has supported more than 40 companies in different sectors, from energy to healthcare and nanotechnology, since its inception in 2016.

Companies who apply to the program are carefully screened. Once accepted, they are assigned to a lead EBA, with the opportunity to work with other team members as needed. The EBAs are entrepreneurs that are well connected in the province’s innovation and investment ecosystem and provide wide-ranging coaching on business planning, team and organizational structure, sales and pricing, funding strategies and network development.

“We give them the tools to help their companies scale up more quickly than they would otherwise,” says Jim Gibson, a Calgary-based entrepreneur and one of the program’s EBAs. bridge the gap,” says Dana Paniccia, Alberta Innovates’ director of capital access and major transactions and the person overseeing the EBA program.

While some Alberta Innovates services focus on early-stage technology development and commercialization, the EBA program is specifically aimed at later-stage companies in need of executive-level support and guidance.

“At this stage companies may have not achieved market traction or require further development on the business side to prepare for rapid growth. They realize they urgently need advice across a range of areas. This can include anything from helping to design and

Each EBA works with six to 10 clients at a time. This allows them to develop an in-depth knowledge of their client companies, tailoring their advice and activity to suit different needs. It’s the kind of expertise that can make a critical difference to each company’s future.

“The EBA program is a very important program, especially in Alberta right now as we look to support new companies in their journey and help to diversify our economy,” Gibson says.

This is the first in a series of articles showcasing how the EBA program and other Alberta Innovates services are helping different Alberta companies in their journey. To learn more about the program, please contact ebaprogram@albertainnovates.ca.

NOW! \\ 19

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CARE. COLLABORATE. CONNECT.

DEAR PLUTO, aka @PlutoLiving

Jill Quirk – STEAM coach

www.facebook.com/PlutoLiving/

Hi! I am writing to you because a lot of two legged people are looking for answers? Weird right? It’s funny because I’ve been trying to show them what to do for days… however I guess it helps if you can speak human? I cannot – however I found a way to translate dog barking into a word document on the #internets.

(this is a letter to the famous dog Pluto – check him out online! From Cisco Quirk)

To be honest I don’t know a lot about what’s going on as I am just stuck at my two legged house… HOWEVER they have been taking me for more walks than normal… which I like! I have noticed some things that are different … (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 21

(continued from page 21...)

So my mom gets up and is still in her PJs ….she grabs her mug of coffee and looks to her mug for advice and …advice from you Pluto on the #socialables while she drinks her coffee. I like how there is no rushing around in the morning anymore and mom is not yelling at the kids to “hurry their butts”. I also don’t get sent outside in the cold … I get to stay indoors which is nice and warm.

FYI - My mom has not been wearing those pants you talk about Pluto … you know with the buttons… she only wears the stretchy pants…

Anyways after her coffee she then goes and checks on her plants. Some of these plants she had to rescue from the school when the school closed. My poor mom. So many plants died from the transfer – school to home. She often just looks at them and sometimes talks to them? Not sure what to say about that? Is that normal?

My mom sits and works on her computer all day long … she checks her school #socialbles… she has 5 apps that she must look at all day long …the Google Classrooms, the Google Hangouts, the Microsoft Outlooks, the Microsoft Skypes and the Zooms. She has pictures of all the kid’s workspaces … I guess she wants to feel connected by seeing where they are working? It looks like she really misses them!

22 // Community Now!

Mom has to wear glasses now as her eyeballs hurt. When my eyes hurt – I have a nap. She hasn’t worn glasses since high school she said … I think it is because often she does this squinty thing with her eyes… and she says that looking at all the screens all day gives her the headaches… I show her as much as I can ...just lay down and RELAX mom!

You’ll see my sister Maddie made a schedule to help her organize her time. I tried to make a point about just napping all day long …

AGAIN – but she didn’t get the memo! So… I nap right beside the schedule to give her some advice … get rid of the schedule Maddie…

Come on family!

So, my new normal is just sitting around and watching my family work mostly on the #internets … AND because sometimes they get so distracted with the #internets… I usually walk around the house to see what I can do to get their attention … like grabbing shoes and running around to see if they will get the hint and take me for a walk…!

While my mom is doing her #worksocialbles …my mom tells my brother Colton to find people to read books to… so I watch my brother Colton call up random friends and read books to them… sometimes he uses his puppet he made at school. I like it when he does this. I try to eat the puppet … the puppet

looks like a yummy treat!

When my mom has a few moments to spare … she will try to find ways to get my brother to do work. This always seems to be a task that requires me to be around my brother for support. Why does mom always want Colton to do work? It is clear… he does not want to do ANY WORK! However, she gives him treats for doing a good job… kind of like the treats I get for shaking a paw… wait a minute… I haven’t gotten a treat in a while – that reminds me – mom get me some more treats!!

Sometimes my siblings go on the #internets and they talk with their class like my mom does. It looks fun! My mom also enjoys this… she zooms every day with her students…

If it’s 2 pm – she drops whatever she is doing to Zoom. Sometimes she is dancing with them … telling stories or playing hang the man? Or (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 23

(continued from page 23...) is it hangman? Not sure why there is a game called that … but her students love it!

Also - It seems there is always some kind of challenge she is doing with them? Like this week she asked them to look around for toilet paper rolls… not sure why these people have so many toilet paper rolls? It probably has something to do with the lack of button pants and the excessive eating of treats? Anyways she asked them to make something unique out of toilet paper rolls … and she said that students love creating things out of garbage… to me it is a waste as I would love to just eat up all those toilet rolls … just snack away … but she won’t let me eat cardboard…??

Before my dad comes home, my siblings and I try to get active?? … most often I am sent outside at this time… why?? Not sure …I’m just trying to do it with them? Anyways I guess they are taking your advice Pluto and they are learning how to #Loveheartonthebody. And becoming #Epicfightinggermterminators. So … my siblings do their dance workouts that are sent to them by http://elementsdance.ca/.

Their dance studio has a whole new online platform they created for the Pandemic called 24 // Community Now!

#ElementsConnect which looks fun… I wish they had Hip Hop classes for dogs?

My day is pretty awesome … sometimes it feels like that movie Groundhog Day … where it is the same day - over and over again - however as a dog … I love it! I just go around licking everyone all day and then I nap… I am so happy that I get to be with most of my #twoleggeds all day LONG. My dad is working through… I guess people need him to make sure the trucks work for the essentials? So, I make sure I lick him extra so he knows we are proud of him.

Pluto… I just want to thank you for reaching out to the #twoleggeds – my family have enjoyed your posts. It has been a nice distraction for them… especially my mom who is trying to teach all over the place on the #internets and at home?… so she seems to need extra licks too!

“#Loveheartonthebody” because you are an “#Epicfightinggermterminator” …wise words from Pluto.

If I can give any advice from my house? It looks like two things will help get through this for the #twoleggeds … Create your own happy place and do lots of art!

Thanks so much!

And Remember to:

Cisco Quirk

Your #1 fan #fourlegged

NOW! \\ 25

Banbury Crossroads Banbury Crossroads School

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Building B1, #201, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 7K1

www.banburycrossroads.com

Building B1, #201, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 7K1

Self-Directed Learning:

A Realistic Lens for Viewing the World as It Is

By Diane Swiatek, Founder and

“

Director of Banbury Crossroads School, Est. 1979

Viewpoint soon

becomes obvious as a factor in creating

successful decisions.

Our perspective, our mindset, influences our decisions in fundamental ways.”

P

roblem solving empowers us. It means we are not being Nero, remaining static and stuck in a powerless victim role, waiting for someone else to do something, anything. In order to answer the question at the root of accountability, “What can I DO to make my life (or others’ lives) better?”, we discover the need to reason through each problem that confronts us in a deep, honest and global fashion. We would not be wise to do anything at all, without first going through this process. Using our rational minds and consulting our emotions in order to examine, in detail, the challenges we face allows us to understand (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 27

(continued from page 27...) our lives. It fulfills part of our human propensity to search for truth. This process requires work, a lot of effort and time, and yet it ends up reducing our anxiety, so the result is worth the exertion to achieve it. This stress reduction happens, because after we have carefully picked apart the component pieces, in all their complexity, to see how they contribute to the big picture, then opportunities for dealing with the situation naturally appear. Sometimes, the only option turns out to be doing the opposite of what has caused the problem.

And yet, arriving at such clarity feels like a gift of possibility arising out of the mists of confusion. It is a relief to know what we may best do. Action has the power to raise us out of depression.

Seen this way, courageously wading into the midst of our challenges, using a combination of intellectual and emotional discovery as a modus operandi, is not done just to solve

28 // Community Now!

problems. It is a way of life in general. This attitude of openness to “what is” allows us to learn about our place in the world, and what is happening around us. It allows us to face reality and manage risk. It enables us to awaken each day with eagerness to create our own purpose and exploits, to be undertaken along with the multitudinous endeavors of the rest of humanity. It makes us active and responsible participants in life. It allows us to move beyond Nero.

The openness, creativity, and love of sorting out reality that is at the root of problem solving is also at the heart of what is called “Self-Directed Learning”. This term has been adopted within the educational community to define a certain type of pedagogy that focusses on empowering students to take ownership of their own lives and their own learning. The process works exactly like problem solving.

Thus, it is a pedagogy that enables students to learn how to identify and solve problems of

all sorts. It places a high value upon intellectual development in critical thinking, decision making, self-awareness and individual accountability. It tries to develop emotional and social intelligence through helping students learn the importance of reciprocity in relationships, cooperative teamwork, respect and empathy. It fosters practical organizational skills like goal determination, time management, implementation of decisions and effective assessment. Teachers engage in a dual decision-making process with their students, whereby they provide input about necessary life skills, methods of inquiry and analysis, knowledge and feedback. They provide opportunities for exploration and engagement with the real world around them. Students provide specifics about their interests, aptitudes, prior understanding, motivation and energy for work. They all take responsibility for their own roles in the educative process.

The finest aspect of this pedagogy is its appropriateness for youth: it captivates their interest in the current moment, and it also prepares them for adult life. One of the hallmarks of youth is that of potential, whereas one of the hallmarks of adulthood is that of active and responsible creation. In a supportive SDL environment, students learn and practice the act of creation of their future selves, starting now.

As adults, we are answerable for ourselves in every way, even if only for the reactions we make to what happens haphazardly to us. In addition, of course, we also make independent choices to construct our lives as we go, according to what we value. Sooner or later through our adulthood, we come to perceive that every word we speak and every choice we make—every action, every engagement in an endeavour or a project or a philosophical viewpoint—changes everything for us, as well as for those around us. The power of one person is infinite, even when it may seem

infinitesimally small. There are consequences to every action, even though we may never know them. The book, “the five people you meet in heaven” by Mitch Albom, is precisely about these unknown or hidden, seemingly small but actually significant, long ranging consequences of our actions.

Viewpoint soon becomes obvious as a factor in creating successful decisions. Our perspective, our mindset, influences our decisions in fundamental ways. Most people learn soon enough that our perceptions are individual and that we adopt different lenses through which we interpret the world. Indeed, it is important for people to realize that all of us are biologically unique, and with our own innate personalities superimposed upon our individual life circumstances, we cannot help but develop our own unique perceptions and attitudes about what we experience. That is why aesthetic taste simply is a function of personal freedom, why people remember different facets of the same events, why some relationships are close and some are disconnected, why opinions and values differ according to past experience and the intellectual capacity of individuals to make sense of it, and why even culture cannot capture all adherents. We are all different, and we are all important, and we all experience life according to our individual perspectives.

Dewitt Jones had a TEDx Talk at South Lake Tahoe, called “Celebrate What’s Right with the World.” This talk is all about viewpoint—how our perception changes through varying lenses, or “glasses,” we adopt. We already recognize that we need to abandon the impetus to resort to a Nero mode when facing difficulties—that helps us deal productively with reality. Nevertheless, he reminds us that, at any given moment, we do (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 29

(continued from page 29...) vary our focus upon multiple aspects of that reality, hopefully in a balanced fashion. Life is complex, and our lenses can acknowledge this multifaceted nature of our experiences.

So, first we attend to our conundrums, and focus on choosing some way to take action in response to what is our bugbear, or our emotional screaming-with-frustration challenge, or our potential financial disaster, or the pandemic that threatens our lives and the way we live. Then, we need to turn around and seek balance. This happens in a continuous cycle.

Right now, we also need to focus upon what is positive in our lives and what is beautiful and inspiring about the world, because much of it is in disarray. Jones was a photographer for the National Geographic Magazine. Out of the plethora of shots he took in his career, he noticed that both his emotional and his artistic viewpoints impacted upon his photographs so substantially that they created images ranging from fine but ordinary, through to absolutely, and breathtakingly, splendid.

Photography totally depends upon what the photographer focusses upon. From using long shots and close-ups, light and shadow, as well as colour and selective focal points, all to highlight the emotional and intellectual meaning of images—he demonstrates how photography is a practical metaphor for how we focus upon the life that exists around us.

So, we are living now with a Covid-19 pandemic. It truly happened. It is a worldwide new experience, because all those who lived through, and could remember, the Spanish Flu of 1918 are now dead. This is a problem of unprecedented dimensions, and we are all aghast at the implications upon most facets of our lives. Whereas we used to socially distance ourselves in coffee shops and restau30 // Community Now!

rants with our cellphones and laptops, now we socially distance ourselves with physical distance. Enjoying the luxury of eating gourmet food at those restaurants is only a dream from a former time. Now, we cannot get our hair cut, nor go to the dentist or a yoga class, let alone celebrate occasions like weddings, graduations or funerals with groups of related people. Personally, I must postpone the celebration of Banbury Crossroads School’s 40th Anniversary. Other than our immediate family, we cannot wrap people in our arms to share their joy and soothe their worry or grief.

Even churches are closed. And casinos. Who would have thought it possible? Conferences are cancelled and vacations postponed. This virus has denied us access to many of our usual recreational outlets, our theatres, concert halls, music festivals and sports events.

Some businesses are simply empty and shut down. People who can do so, work at home.

Children cannot go to school. Courses at Calgary’s universities, SAIT and other technical colleges that require hands-on and face-toface instruction are simply suspended until further notice. The worst of it is that people are dying. That fact changes lives, not just of the victims of this virus, but also of those who loved and cared for them. Figuring out what is happening has become both difficult and depressing. Fear, suspicion, tension, anxiety and depression are common results.

Mental health is becoming tenuous and difficult to maintain. The lens through which we experience the pandemic is bleak, because the danger is real. This folding inward, shutting down, experiencing drastic change, and suspending life-as-we-know-it is causing a world-wide sigh, universal grief for all of our losses, and the adoption of sheer endurance to weather the biological storm.

And yet, in the midst of it all, hundreds of thousands of unsung, courageous and un-

selfish people are choosing to act, worldwide.

Leaders step up to advise us, coordinate plans to deal with the disruptions at every level of government, monitor the progress of the disease, suspend mortgage or rent payments, and invent other economic interventions for those in distress. The goal is to keep the momentum of life going in some sort of coordinated fashion. It is so important for the general public to receive reports of local and global news, and yet, it is now much more difficult to broadcast news through any means. We can recognize the sacrifices and ingenuity of personnel in radio and television, from CBC, CNN, to the BBC. We can be internally appreciative of those working for newspapers, from The Calgary Herald to the New York Times, for magazines like The Economist and Maclean’s, and for other local and electronic media, such as the creators of this Community Now! Magazine. Other brave souls dispense health care at the front lines, distribute food to the people dispossessed of their jobs and homes, and carry on with farming and construction.

As well, stalwart drivers transport goods and people so that some of us can still get to work, and so, maintain supply chains of food and essential services to the rest of us. When we realize the effort and risk, the determination and altruism of these multitudes of people, we can be grateful to the extreme that we are the beneficiaries of all this support. Some of us, in the quiet background, are doing our part just by staying at home, to avoid increasing the number of cases. We are all together in this. In a way, we ought to recognize how this

is creating a deep and pervasive sense of unity and compassion within the global community. Gratitude can bring happier tears to our eyes and help to balance out the enormous negativity of this bizarre time.

So, how can we view our individual experiences in a way that supports our mental health? What other perspectives can assist us through this troubling time? Engaging in exercises to create mindfulness can

“Students provide

direct our gaze to what is happening in the current moment. This is one lens for avoiding the anxiety of focussing on the “then” of both the past and the future. Allowing ourselves to fully experience our present moments is helpful for going through them. This focus on the “now” is also a break from our intense examinations of, and adaptations to, what feels like a crazy new world order.

specifics about their interests, aptitudes,

prior understanding,

motivation and energy for work.”

Another lens we can adopt is looking for the positives that result from a negative situation.

This method has been presented as the most effective way to disperse anger, frustration and distress—because it diverts and transforms our viewpoint on the subject. When we can see other aspects of the situation that have caused us to grow in some way, the trouble doesn’t seem as harmful. It is the search for the silver lining to the clouds blotting out our sunshine. This may, at first, seem like a naïve and simplistic way to view life, but it (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 31

(continued from page 32...) is not. Far from being a minimization of the trouble—a lie—instead, this focus on the real, positive results of any crisis is a clear-eyed acknowledgement that some results were actually helpful to us in the end. One such inadvertent result that many of us will discover is the gift of time during our quarantines.

It has given us the opportunity to focus on activities we may not have done for years— like engaging in more quality activities with our families, undertaking artistic projects we have valued but neglected, or even washing or swiffering our walls!

And this is where the Covid-19 pandemic will ultimately lead: to needed improvements to our way of life. These changes will soon become routine, and perceived as a new

normal, because we will come to realize that they enhance and protect our lives in many realms. We will see innovations in healthcare practices, both preventative and reactive.

Worldwide scientific focus has been devoted to developing a new vaccine or medicines, and success is probable. Certainly, we will see better preparedness for future widespread crises, as we have now grasped the need for creating stockpiles of medical equipment, expandable space for emergency units, and protective gear. Since we will have endured and come through the challenges, we will know what it takes, and how fast it is necessary to respond, when (not if) the next biological invaders arrive. Leaders will understand the need for more timely and truthful public communication, knowing now that members of the populace are a useful resource when they understand the situation realistically, and that

URL for the podcast: www.rainforestab.ca/podcast.html

Description of the podcast: Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast showcases those who are contributing to and / or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta. Rainforest Alberta is a world-class community of dreamers and doers, connected by a common goal of making Alberta fertile ground for building, developing, and growing innovative ideas into sustainable ventures. https://rainforestab.ca 32 // Community Now!

other countries will be better allies when they are informed partners. People are generally more helpful when they have some personal power to plan for their own situations, within their own spheres of influence, and when they are expected and trusted to implement those plans. This is learning that we are all conducting in a self-directed manner, because there is no prior experience to rely on. We must solve this intense, and very wicked problem with autonomy and dedication. In the end, we will

to ask for academic assistance whenever they need it and take part in designing and clarifying components of their work. Perhaps, being bored at home, they may even be motivated to finish courses early. Their people skills, developed in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, will mean that they readily reach out to their fellow students for social interaction, and they will be comfortable relating to individual teachers for general instruction and specific explanations. As they are used to

all be more realistic.

organizing their own time, identifying ambitions, managing their materials, getting their work done independently and assessing their work, they will be fine with working at home.

They will all, teachers and students, just miss each other. But that is the reality for all of us, everywhere.

It also seems likely that at least some personal relationships in each home, in each community, will be more valued. Beloved people will not be taken for granted. And we all know that the way life is lived in every country will be changed as a result, even after the traces of the pandemic itself are gone. Procedures for entry to airports, public gathering spaces, places of commerce, and institutions for governing, educating, healing and entertaining our citizens will all change inexorably.

Even in education, our practices will change to enhance instruction from a distance and individually. Self-Directed Learning is an inquiry-based and integrated approach to academic practices, within a real-world setting.

Since it provides students with autonomy and control over their own education, those programs that already focus on SDL will find their students doing just fine. They are already self-reliant and operate from an internal locus of control. Modules, units, projects and learning guides are already prepared; students work with them normally. Now, they will just continue at home doing the same thing. This educational lens is pandemic proof. With the addition of innovative use of email, on-line meetings like Zoom, Google Classroom, or Discord, as well as the triedand-true phone contact, students will be able

Queens of the Stone Age wrote a song called “Turnin’ On the Screw”, from their album Era Vulgaris, that presented a common lament of young people in ordinary times, as they struggled to grow into their lives: “The world is round. My square don’t fit at all.”

Right now, we all feel a bit square in a round world, because these are not ordinary times.

We won’t ever want to, nor will we be able to, squeeze ourselves to fit comfortably into this new world that we have been thrown into. Not forever. However, if we can remind ourselves of the autonomy we do possess, of the creativity, resilience, self-regulation and empathy our humanity has given us, then we will remember to value and support our various communities. We will do our part. And life will change, with our input, our ingenuity and our agreement. Our perspective, the lens that creates our attitudes, combined with our determination, will allow us to create that change. We will self-direct ourselves through the pandemic.

NOW! \\ 33

34 // Community Now!

A Community Leader; featuring Lieutenant Mary Fischer

M

eet Lieutenant Mary Fischer, of the City of Calgary Fire Department. Along with being ranked as Lieutenant, she is also an Acting Captain.

“

Lieutenant Fischer is the winner of the Women of Inspiration 2019 Unsung Hero award and winner of the 3E Award at the Fire Service Women Ontario 2019 Symposium.

I consider my

crew, and the City of Calgary Fire

Department family.�

-Lieutenant Fischer

She is a strong community and mental health advocate, mentor, coach and leader.

She is always looking for ways to make an impact at work and in her community. In October shortly after the Women of Inspiration awards Lieutenant Fischer invited Community Now! magazine into the fire hall for a tour and a better look into life as a firefighter.

(continued on next page) NOW! \\ 35

(continued from page 36...)

CN! got a tour of the station, saw the fire trucks, the training facility... it’s by far the coolest office anyone can have. But can you image wearing 75lb gear, crawling through small dark places, working long hours, staying physically and emotional fit and learning to live for short periods of time away from home and at the fire station ...it isn’t a typical workplace environment... plus fighting fires, being on the frontline for traffic accidents and emergencies is risky, and dangerous... but Lieutenant Fischer is proud, not only to represent the city of Calgary as a Fire Lieutenant but she is proud to work with such an amazing group of people.

36 // Community Now!

“The fire hall is a place where you build your team and your family. We have to be a strong team, we work together, train together, learn together, cook and clean together,” Lieutenant Fischer Said. “I consider my crew, and the City of Calgary Fire Department family.”

Lieutenant Fischer has tremendous support within the fire department. The Calgary Fire Chief, his wife, and other firefighters attended the Women of Inspiration awards to share in her well deserved achievement.

Along with being an active fire Lieutenant, she is also an advocate for mental health within the Fire Department. “It’s important for all of us to take care of both our physical

and mental health.” said Lieutenant Fischer, “while we are an active firefighter and once we retire.”

Her days are never the same and every call she goes on is different. Anything from saving ducklings, to putting out fires.

Lieutenant Fischer didn’t start her career out as a firefighter. Coming from a big family she learned early on in life that you had to work hard to move forward.

“I was fortunate enough to finish my education with a teaching degree and my love for large, rambunctious gatherings led to my early career of teaching junior high students.

While teaching I worked in my community as a volunteer firefighter. Later I discovered it would be a better fit for me to be a full time firefighter and part time teacher/coach.”

Stated Lieutenant Fischer who has now been a firefighter for over 18 years.

The discussion around being a “women firefighter” led Lieutenant Fischer to saying “I think everybody’s duty is to support and empower other women in the fire service. To be in the spotlight provides the opportunity to be a role model and to have a woman firefighter presented with an award provides people the opportunity to know it’s a viable occupation.”

There are 13 women out of about 250 people on her shift. There are about 1,400 firefighters in Calgary and only 40 of them are women.

Fun Fact: The Fire Department was the first in its industry to create a uniform in a women’s fit.

Fighting fires, being on the frontlines for emergencies, representing the City of Calgary, advocating for mental health... these are great accomplishments ! Thank you Lieutenant Fischer.

What message do you have for the community during the pandemic?

What I try to do is to be kind.

• Kind to the people who are frightened and anxious and reactive about this scary time in our lives.

• Kind to the people who are trying to change their ingrained social habits and not always succeeding all the time.

• Kind to the people who are scared because they are medically vulnerable and are aware of what could happen if they fall sick.

• Kind to the undervalued servers and over- looked workers who are trying their best to keep everybody fed and supplied while put- ting themselves at risk by leaving their fami- lies and going out to work.

• Kind to the people who are isolated and lonely and feeling lost and forgotten and de- pressed.

• Kind to the health care workers who are braving the fear and the virus and showing up to work in the hospitals and care homes and shelters.

Be kind to each other, support each other, look out for each other - because we will get through this better together.

- Lieutenant Mary Fischer.

“Do the best you can do till you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” ― Maya Angelou

NOW! \\ 37

IN THE COMMUNITY COMM UNITY Staying connected in a changing world.

38 // Community Now!

Email us your virtual meeting / event/ party/ family/ work images for our next issue publisher@communitynowmagazine.com

Why Canada Can’t Afford to Let Our Start-Ups Crash During COVID-19 Koleya Karrington

“

Canada is known as a cautious place when it comes to early stage funding, which is part of what holds us back in scaling up our tech companies.”

40 // Community Now!

When my father Darsell and I started Absolute Combustion almost 15 years ago, we imagined that one day, we’d be a world-leading cleantech firm with thousands of employees, a strong international market and good prospects for growing even bigger. And so we poured everything we had into making our dream a reality – every penny in the bank, every possible hour in the day, and made every sacrifice we could on a risky bet that maybe one day, it would pay off.

If you don’t have a story like mine, you probably know someone who does. It’s the tale of almost every start-up – one of struggling, striving and giving it all, constantly living on the financial razor’s edge while maintaining faith that the next big opportunity is right around the corner. But what came next has been an unprecedented black swan that has shaken our lives and economy to the core, and across the country, thousands of small

a critical stage where airports and airlines face an equally uncertain future, my own company is in danger of joining the ranks of tens of thousands of SMEs facing shutting their doors nationwide. You might be there, too – this is one crisis where we’re truly all in it together.

What do stories like mine – and maybe yours mean for Canada? If my company goes under, it means my patented clean combustion technology, which cuts fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50%, goes with it.

And the same applies to all the other innovative, game-changing technology firms. We’re not just losing employment and GDP growth by letting our tech sector falter – we’re losing inventions that can help give Canada the future it needs.

technology companies had similar big dreams that they’re seeing turn to vapour.

“Startup economics don’t leave much room for safety nets. Product development is expensive, fundraising is continuous and actual profit is often sacrificed in the name of customer acquisition and growth.” Yung Wu, CEO of MaRS Discovery District The economics of start-ups are tough. I already weathered one major economic downturn in 2014 when the oil and gas prices crashed right as we were launching our first product innovation in the oil and gas space. Even though we watch years of hard work and our much-anticipated market turn to vapour we didn’t give up hope. We got an amazing opportunity in aviation and we jumped on it. After years of designing and testing our new product line in aviation we literally just launched it into aviation and AGAIN the market turns to vapour. With aviation now at

There is an alternative. Many of the world’s largest and most successful companies, including IBM, General Electric, Microsoft and General Motors started during times of economic upheaval like our World Wars, the Great Depression and the 1970’s energy crisis.

Uncertain times mean huge changes, and virtually all changes bring some kind of opportunity, however hidden.

This time, it’s not so hidden – we can see all around us how technologies are facilitating remote working, online medical care, digital payments and keeping us connected while social distancing. We know technology is the future and it’s the wave we’ve got to catch if we’re going to have a strong recovery from the crisis. And in our tech sector – just like in all other facets of the economy – small to mid-sized companies employ 70% or more of the sector workforce. Multinationals are not going to save Canada or help us find oppor(continued on next page) NOW! \\ 41

(continued from page 41...) tunity in the crisis. It’s companies like mine – and probably yours.

“In all industries, at least 70% of the Canadian workforce is employed by small- and medium-sized businesses.” Business Development Bank of Canada However, we’ve got a steep hill to climb in accessing much or any of the promised support from our government, as I’ve already personally experienced. In a brilliant article recently published in the Globe & Mail, the CEO of Toronto’s innovation hub MaRs drove home just how critical it is that we support our technology start-ups throughout this crisis, and how many ways we’re currently failing them.

Why are they so important? Beyond just being a major employer of Canadians and one of the few high-growth areas in our national economy, our small tech firms generate the innovation that helps our major economic sectors – energy, natural resources, financial services, and manufacturing – optimize, cut costs and compete in a challenging international landscape.

His recommendations are spot-on. We need less bureaucracy, faster support application processes and, maybe most importantly, for the government to treat the R&D spending behind our innovation and growth as just an important factor in deciding whether we get support as our revenue.

“Let's be clear about what's at stake: Canada is in a global innovation race. We are competing with countries around the world for the most talented people, the newest technologies, and the fastest-growing companies.”Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 42 // Community Now!

Canada is known as a cautious place when it comes to early stage funding, which is part of what holds us back in scaling up our tech companies - in many areas around the world, the path to start-up success is viewed losing money while pouring everything into innovation for the first 5 years. Generating early positive revenue means risking too little, a path that leads to stagnation and technologies that are quickly surpassed by newcomers.

Of course, I understand that the government is trying to keep unscrupulous people from taking advantage of the crisis and getting unwarranted support. However – the government had enough trust in me to hep me grow through Alberta Innovates, will (hopefully) rebate my SR&ED credits like it has in the past, and accepts my honest tax returns every year.

At Absolute Combustion, I’ve applied for multiple relief programs, including those offered by the BDC, and like so many other people I’ve spoken to, found the criteria impossible to meet and the timeline too long to make much of a difference, even if I was approved.

When it’s the difference between survival and mass start-up death, shouldn’t companies with at least a few years of good track records get access to urgently needed help?

We all start with big dreams, and none of us could have anticipated the human and economic tragedy we’re now facing. But we can’t give up on our future, and our start-ups are the thousands of small engines we need to drive us forward. Our technology SMEs take the risks that lead to innovation and growth – and during this crisis, for the sake of all of Canada, we need our leaders to take a risk on us.

Alone we can do little; together we can do so much - Helen Keller

NOW! \\ 43

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS

With Jade Alberts

This issue of #TellingItLikeItIs features Kevin Dahl. Kevin is a Serial Entrepreneur, Founder of Dahl’s Beard Clean, and Co-Founder of Evrywork. Kevin is also an advisor at Platform Calgary What gave you the idea to co-found Evrywork and what does it do?

So I actually met the original founders a couple years ago - and they had formed the early initial concept already.

I too was passionate about the coworking industry and had been thinking about some startup opportunities in the space. After working with my now cofounders over several months we all realized we should be working together - and we made it official over the summer last year.

Evrywork is a social coworking platform connecting coworkers to coworking spaces through one simple membership. Curious coworkers get access to several coworking spaces on our platform (currently in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Kitchener/ Waterloo and Whitehorse) through a flexible membership that allows them to work anywhere from 2 to 20+ days per month.

Their membership can be used in any of our locations across Canada and soon the USA. Platform offers many excellent programs, please share some of them and how they help entrepreneurs?

Summer Internship Program - a new program focused on students - allowing them to work on their startup idea instead of getting a regular summer job. They get paid!

44 // Community Now!

Sponsored by RBC and delivered over the summer - applications are open!

Discover - for early stage entrepreneurs - focused on Lean Startup Methodology - and getting entrepreneurs to fall in love with customer’s problems, not the solutions they want to create. 4 week program consisting of one 3 hour session per week.

Platform Dive - this is an ad-hoc service we offer to founders who are looking to engage with an advisor over a 2-3 month timeframe.

We work with the founder to identify the key goals they would like to accomplish over the timeframe - and milestones that let both us and them know if they are making progress.

CEO Roundtable - for later stage entrepreneurs - confidential peer mentorship for senior execs, board members, founders.

Foresight Cleantech Accelerator - for cleantech focused entrepreneurs - partnered with Vancouver based Foresight to bring their accelerator to Calgary - cohort based - ongoing Junction - see below Lets discuss Junction, please share how the program works and the benefits it has not only to new entrepreneurs?

Junction is a pre-seed incubator - focused on founders of scalable based startups who have at least an MVP, and are engaging with customers.

Founder focused program - selection based on the Founders themselves, not necessarily the idea/company.

Some people say it’s like a prep school for companies who want to apply for accelerators or raise a seed round in the future Looking for first time founders ideally - but not exclusively Our goal isn’t to help them raise money - but to help them become better founders - and to prepare them for whatever the next steps look like - which may be raising a seed round or applying to a tech accelerator.

Cohort based - currently running twice per year but we plan to ramp it up. Have had 80+ applicants per cohort - but can only select 16 companies.

20 hours per week - over an 8 week timeframe - very intense.

Current cohort is an amazing group of founders - companies mostly from Alberta, but we have ones from Russia, France, Nigeria and Iran.

We cover every aspect of what it takes to be a successful founder - from the basic things like sales, forecasting, and pitching - but also including sessions on mindfulness, how to build company culture, and attending several events in the community to help them build their networks. (before the COVID-19 shutdown that is!)

Our goal is that by the end of the program - participants have all the knowledge of a second or third time founder. Help them avoid the mistakes all of us have made in the past!

Do you see Alberta coming together as a start-up and entrepreneurial community?

Yes I do - I have been involved in Calgary’s tech scene since 2004 and it is unbelievable how much things have changed. When I first moved here the community was silo’d and fractured. There were small pockets of people

doing amazing things - but the problem was that nobody else knew about it.

Today - we are still small but growing - and the community is united to collaborate and share. We still have some growing pains to get through - but what I’ve seen over the last couple years makes me excited to be part of this community.

What I’ve seen over the last couple weeks with COVID-19 impacting our ability to live, work and play is unbelievable. The number of people reachout out to help others is astonishing - and I feel like Calgary’s startup community just got even tighter.

What is next for Platform in the entrepreneur community in Calgary?

We have some big things in the works - specifically moving into the first and second floor of Calgary Parking Authority’s future forward 9th Ave parkade just south of the central library - 50k sq ft of innovation space for the community Platform’s vision is to help Calgary grow from where it is today - about 200 innovation driven businesses at any given time - to 1000 at any given time over the next 10 years.

We want to be a catalyst for diversification - and help Calgarians (and Albertans) grow and thrive in the new economy.

If you had one piece of advice for small businesses or start-ups, what would it be?

Get comfortable with the failing.

Startups face unknowns from all sides - so if you are thinking about founding your own startup get comfortable with making decisions when you have incomplete information/ data - and being wrong. Failing isn’t failure if you learn something - its the foundation of validated learning and the lean startup methodology. It’s how entrepreneurs learn!

Jade Alberts - Peer Guidance - Jade Alberts Consulting 403-771-1301 www.PeerGuidance.ca www.JadeAlbertsConsulting.com www.LinkedIn.com/in/JadeAlberts NOW! \\ 45

WE'RE STILL OPEN! These are not easy times and Calgary families need your help more than ever to get through this crisis. Made by Momma is a grassroots registered charity working hard to make sure everyone has the essentials they need.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? COMMUNITY FOOD BANK Made by Momma is a food bank with a difference. Donations of non-perishable food items and grocery gift cards will help feed over 7000 people each year!

BABY ESSENTIALS Donate baby essentials including diapers, wipes, and formula to ensure that every young family facing crisis or adversity will have the basic items they need.

DONATE TODAY Thank you to all of the donors, volunteers, & supporters who continue helping Calgary families in crisis during this challenging time! Check out our website to find out how you can make a difference!

Celebrating 10 Years of Volunteer-Run & Donation-Driven Community Impact!

MadebyMomma.org

Simon House Recovery Needs the Communities Help!

Our Story.

Founded in 1982 by Doreen Baker and Franciscan Brother, Bernard Barry, Simon House began its work in a Bowness duplex that still serves men in need today, 37 years later. Simon House has been, and will always be a beacon of hope and refuge for men who have found themselves in the grip of addiction. Humble beginnings saw Brother Bernie and Doreen work tirelessly with integral volunteers and original employees, to grow and develop Simon House into the program and facility it is today. In 1983, the duplex immediately next door to its original location was generously donated to expand Simon House services and support. In 2006, through the generosity of donors, Simon House built a 30 bed building with a full commercial kitchen, board room, and office space.

Today, Simon House operates 4 buildings and 64 beds, which provide 3 distinct phases of addiction treatment and recovery to assist men in moving from a residential program to transitional housing, and onto independent living with supports and counselling. Through committed staff, board members, donors, and community partners, Simon House has become a highly respected, valued, integral, and successful addiction recovery centre in the Calgary community, serving men and their families from all across North America.

Understanding Addiction.

ASAM – AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ADDICTION MEDICINE – DEFINITION OF ADDICTION: Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.

Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.

Simon House Recovery needs the communities help. to find out more go to: https://simonhouse.com/ To Donate go to: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/12612

Happiness Challenge I’M HAPPY: MONTH ONE OF THE HAPPINESS CHALLENGE

By Déborah Nichol Shaman in Heels Complain as much as you want...but there’s a happy hitch, you have to say ‘I’m Happy’ after every complaint. Complaining lowers our vibration (our feel-good energy), by saying ‘I’m Happy’ you start to raise your vibration, which makes you smile, laugh and feel lighter and Happier!

As a fun reminder- Post it on your fridge for your whole family to see!

My husband and I were on vacation in the Bahamas with our niece and nephew who were at the time 10 and 9.

We were out to dinner one night and we were getting close to being finished when our nephew started to be impatient with how long dinner was taking. He started complaining and complaining and complaining (you get the idea).

I interrupted this and said, " Let's make a deal?" I will grant you 3 wishes, in exchange for this: every time you whine or complain at the end of it you have to say "I'm Happy" Guess what? he kept complaining & whining but because he added "I'm happy" things started to change, he only had to say it a couple of times before he cracked a smile, then a laugh and before you knew it he was feeling a whole lot happier about the situation.

This has continued in our family since. Some times we even use Bless their Heart!!!!

The idea is that you can’t repeat that after everything you say without laughing or feeling a little bit happier.

This is the challenge: •

Complain as much as you want...but there’s a happy hitch, you have to say ‘I’m Happy’ after every complaint.

•

Share it with others

•

It's Fun

•

It helps you see a new side of yourself. Yay, You!

Have an I'M HAPPY DAY!!!!

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NETFLIX NOSTALGIA IN THE YEAR OF 2020

By Daniel and Diane Swiatek

Thinking our world would never end, Walking in and out of doors Without thought Watching the lingering sun And listening for birdsong We tasted the coming spring Then We watched here aghast Listening to bad news Invaders from inner space Flying in on strangers Appearing invisible Our old world’s gone The Rockies sit impassive in the west As always But now Questions appear What new mountains will we have to climb?

What is our new world to be?

How do we need to change?

Netflix brings us solace An alive world from then Cars and people streams flowing Flickers our computer screens Reflects us in its plastic Reflects who we were Watching our old world Swallowed into videos Where warm hands Kiss everything with their touch Nostalgia reigns But so quickly the coil of fate Closed our coffee shops Now we stare at brown paper shades Covering over the windows of Where we used to go Before Now we stand in queues Where there were none.

And pass a few fingers, sterile Through holes punched into plexiglass screens At stores with no cash, preferred

Where nobody will touch Our money With their bare hands Dark roast is it?

Black or with cream?

Take out only Now silent streets Contain only shadows Nobody comes here and nobody goes Sunlight still washes us Cycling home on the center line Outside the city We are still listening for spring, Watching our tires Spark wet gravel from snow The silent oil on water Marbles into rainbows Silent words are now typed into the Internet cloud Pandemic words Poisonous words Threat without control And jet-free clouds Color a new order

NOW! \\ 49

SHEInnovates PROFILE

Get to know SheInnovators through CN! Magazine over the next few issues!

LAURA KILCREASE CREATING A BLUEPRINT FOR AN INNOVATIVE ALBERTA LAURA KILCREASE, CEO ALBERTA INNOVATES Driving the vision and leadership around innovation and technology in Alberta, Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates, works to put our province on the map by turning research, innovation and entrepreneurship into meaningful economic output.

“I want to go even beyond that,” she says.

“I want to look at where Alberta wants to lead, how to enrich the environment to improve quality of life, how to integrate innovation and technology into the social fabric and the future of our community, and how to make an ecosystem where everyone can thrive.”

With over 500 staff working at all stages of innovation and entrepreneurship, Alberta Innovates provides diverse resources to foster the emerging innovation scene in our province. From funding research at universities; to helping build the ecosystem for entrepreneurs by creating regional innovation networks and incubators; to providing grants for emerging businesses. The organization also works with major corporations to help with their own innovation challenges through the applied research subsidiaries of InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies, where there is unique technical expertise and facilities.

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A career focused on innovation and entrepreneurship Originally from the United Kingdom, Kilcrease moved to Austin, Texas early in her career. Starting out as a chartered management accountant, Laura grew to love the different aspects of business – solving problems and having the ability to be creative and innovative.

Kilcrease held a range of progressive roles, prior to becoming CEO of Alberta Innovates - notably as CEO of a technology company before the age of 30. She also launched one of the early incubators in the U.S., followed by starting a venture capital firm, Triton Ventures, LP, investing in spinout and startup technology companies.

Passionate about women in technology Reflecting on challenges throughout her career, Kilcrease is passionate about the inclusion of women. There has been a marked improvement in equal representation since she began her career – there are more women in accounting today, more women starting technology companies, and – although at the time, she was the only female venture capitalist in Austin, Texas – it is not so today.

“Future opportunities for women today are more profound than ever before, because there’s nothing restricting us with the help of technology and innovation.”

Especially in Alberta, where 30 per cent of women are involved in start-ups, compared to 13 per cent across the rest of the country.

“Innovation is an equalizer if you use it,” says Kilcrease. “It doesn’t matter how big and strong you are, you can come from nowhere and build your networks with high levels of trust, use technology and innovation, and you will be very successful in achieving your goals.”

A blueprint for pushing innovation forward During the economic downturn in Austin, Texas – which closely resembled Alberta’s latest experience – Kilcrease decided she couldn’t sit by and watch it happen and worked tirelessly on innovation and technology projects to assist in the diversification of the economy. Austin now has 2.2 million people, the lowest unemployment rate in the country around two per cent, and a vibrant economy for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

“A few rolled up sleeves can make a powerful difference,” she contends. “It’s people who need to step up and make things happen – not innovation alone.”

It was clear given her recent experience, that she would be the best person to lead Alberta Innovates and push forward diversification efforts for this province.

Alberta is ready to do things differently Moving from Austin to Edmonton, Kilcrease sees opportunity everywhere in Alberta, firmly believing this is the right time and the right place to drive real change in the province.

“The entire landscape in Alberta is changing, the entire value stream, and unlike in the past, it will not come back to the way that it was,” she says.

“Sometimes when you have hardships, you realize you have to do things differently, and you adapt.” (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 51

(continued from page 51...)

Kilcrease believes the amount of natural resources in this province is phenomenal, but they need to be optimized. We need to be living in the future.

“For me, personally, I see all of the ingredients: an educated labour force, a young population, seasoned and skilled workers, and a province that’s capital rich.”

Understanding that an economic environment cannot change overnight. Kilcrease intends to lay the foundation for success through her role at Alberta Innovates. Two years into the role, she’s seeing the roadmap more clearly than ever before and is determined to stay the course.

Using failure as a guidepost As Kilcrease pursued every next big step, her dad continually reminded her that fail-

ure was a part of life, guiding you to do better the next time.

“There are times when things will not go the way you plan,” she says.

“But we shouldn’t look at these as failures, but as a fast-forward button to stop wasting time. If we push past the setbacks, the faster the next challenge and lesson comes, and the better off you’re going to be.”

Kilcrease’s career advice includes picking a personal Board of Directors to sit in on your life.

“Ask yourself; If you were a company setting up your Board, who would be your two to five board members and why?” Whether it’s education, perspective, or connections, consider what these mentors would add to your career and use this to grow.

CRYSTAL PHILLIPS DETERMINED TO LEAD THE SEARCH FOR HEALTH SOLUTIONS Crystal Phillips, founder, Branch Out Neurological Foundation & Thin Air Health Lead atThin Air Labs A life-changing moment Crystal Phillips moved to Calgary in 2003 to follow her dream of attending the Olympics to represent Canada in speed skating. At the height of her speed skating career, however, she received news that would change her life – and her outlook – forever.

52 // Community Now!

“One day I started to lose feeling in my legs.

By day three, I lost feeling from my chest to my toes, lost bladder control and had double vision,” says Phillips.

“I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and was told I would never speed skate again.”

Looking back, Phillips expresses gratitude for the person she was, and the way that she took the news.

SHEInnovates PROFILE

“Thankfully, at that time I was a teenager, and not speed skating was not yet a part of my reality. It was all I knew up until that point.”

Determined to get back on the ice Phillip’s teenage determination fostered a long-lasting persistence and drive that Phillips carries even now. After her diagnosis, Phillips lost no time – she saw chiropractors, physiotherapists, and sport psychologists, and was eventually able to relearn how to walk, bike, and eventually, skate.

“When I raced my first competition the cheers were loud, because the community is small and they were all really affected when I was so sick,” Phillips says of her first skate back after her diagnosis.

Phillips remembers crying herself to sleep that night because her times were so slow compared to before she was sick. She woke up

the next morning and the entire left side of her body hadgone numb.

“That’s when it hit me that I wasn’t this invincible teenager, I had a serious disease, there has to be other things I can do other than the daily drug injection that was recommended to me by my neurologist.”

Looking for a new solution Phillips delved into the world of non-traditional medicine, studying nutrition and herbal medicine, and was “essentially a guinea pig for both conventional and unconventional healing.”

Thanks to her efforts, Phillips spent the next five years training and getting back up to a competitive level of speed skating, eventually qualifying for the 2010 Olympic Trials. (continued on next page) NOW! \\ 53

(continued from page 53...)

After beginning the season, Phillips had another blow. She lost vision in her eye – a common symptom of MS. Her neurologist warned her that she could be in a wheelchair in the next couple of years, and suggested drugs that, while potentially helpful in the short term, had no long-term effects.

“I felt like I had nothing to lose, so I decided to go off of all of my drugs and treat it 100 per cent naturally instead.”

With this new drive and personal commitment to an open-minded approach to health and medicine, Phillips started the Branch Out Neurological Foundation to fund a new field of neurological study.

“We started looking at innovative technologies and non-pharmaceutical approaches to treat, heal, and prevent neurological disorders like MS, Parkinson’s, dementia, depression, epilepsy, and more.”

Successfully branching out The Branch Out Neurological Foundation raised over $50,000 the first year, and over $3,000,000 to date. They have expanded to have research projects in eight universities across the country.

With Branch Out transitioning away from being a startup, Phillips has decided to apply her talents to a new organization: Thin Air Labs, an organization with the commitment to fund projects that will promote economic diversification in Calgary. Phillips runs Thin Air Lab’s health fund, allowing her to apply her goal of promoting new health solutions in a wide-reaching capacity.

The secret to Phillips’ success is her commitment to playing to her own, and to others, strengths.

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“My only problem [with running Branch Out] was that my background was skating in circles for 20 years, not neuroscience or business or charity. So, I learned the valuable lesson of outsourcing your life and playing to your strengths.”

A diverse support system Phillips exemplifies this lesson as she lives with her diagnosis, when she established Branch Out, and in many other aspects of her life.

“I had to find people who knew about accounting and building a charity and fundraising and even running a bike tour event,” Phillips says.

“Everyone who has mentored or been a part of my journey has been interested in achieving what I wanted to achieve - which was finding new neurological solutions that have a better chance of working. I call them unlike minds because although we’re like interested and want the same thing, we all come from completely different backgrounds.”

She advocates for building a diverse group of people with differing experiences and knowledge, who can give you the most balanced support and help you to learn new things.

“It’s not one mentor that’s going to help you. It’s going to be a collection of unlike minds so that you get a diverse skillset and way of thinking to arm yourself against the challenges that you will face in life.”

Phillips’ unwillingness to yield in the face of challenges and her ability to see the value in varied experiences and knowledge ensure that her projects, and her health, have the support they need to thrive.

DISCOVER ALBERTA’S INNOVATION ENGINE Extending the horizon of possibilities to solve today’s challenges, reaching new potential, and creating a healthier and more prosperous future for Alberta, and the world.

albertainnovates.ca

Our Mission: Promoting curiosity, communication and engagement in making Alberta a stronger and better place to live, to be educated, do business, promote innovation and community celebration. www.communitynowmagazine.com Facebook: @communitynowmagazine Twitter: @communitynowma1 Publisher@CommunityNowMagazine.com