The Call Goes Out… to support the new, Local Salvation Army Community & Residential Services Building ‘Journey to Life’
INSIDE Stock Car Racing Near Thunder Bay Draws a Big Crowd INTERCITY AUTO CENTRE AND INTERCITY POWER SPORTS, WANTS YOU TO Experience that GREAT feeling of… ‘Aaaaahhhhh!’ North Superior Publishing @tbay25
Wake The Giant Music Festival Big Success
Lakehead University Student Union Open The Study
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
Wake The Giant Music Festival Big Success BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS There was a brand new major music event in Thunder Bay recently, Wake The Giant. On a beautiful day in Thunder Bay a full line up of music artists performed on the stage at Marina Park with the Sleeping Giant as a back drop. “ We actually started on Wake the Giant last August with our first meeting with the Canadian Heritage people. We were throwing around this idea of doing a music festival paired with this orientation with 300 kids coming in from the north. They looked at us like we were crazy but sure enough we convinced them and now we have it,” said Sean Spenrath, Wake the Giant organizer and Student Success offi-
cer at Dennis Cromarty High School. His role is to help the students become more successful. “ It is a beautiful setting at the marina right in front of the Sleeping Giant. Figuratively and metaphorically we will wake the giant with some rock music. It has been over a year with 3 of us at the beginning and now a full team. We knew July Talk through a song that they did with the DFC kids so we asked them if they would come on board and they said sure immediately.”said Sean. Coleman Hell is a local favourite and performed live in his hometown of Thunder Bay for the first time in three years. The headliner of the event was Metric whom have had great success in
Above: Leah from July Talk Middle Coleman Hell and Bottom: Sean Spenrath, Wake the Giant organizer Canada over the years. “ For a first year festival we are well
ing the red tee shirt that was their ticket into the festival. The main goal of the festival is to create a welcoming environment and raise awareness that these kids are travelling, leaving their friends and family everything they they know to get a education. Their support system just about disappear overnight so they can get a grade 9,10,11, 12 education. . We want to make Thunder Bay a less scary and more welcoming place- that has been a major goal for us. The kids are feeling proud and are on stage so how cool is that.” “ Hayden Johnston from Toronto and originally Thunder Bay who is a well known chef. We reached out and brought the kids
above any of the expectations for tickets. We will be at 3500 attendance for this year with is pretty good for a first time event and quite an achievement. We had a lot of help form Trevor Hurtig of the TBCA who had us back stage at the Bluesfest and showed us how everything ran and guided us.” “ Our students are having a great time. You can see them all around the grounds wear-
in to his restaurant in Toronto and he wanted to get involved anyway he could if possible so he helped with our event this weekend.”
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Home Equity Access Options and Potential Pitfalls It is easy to find articles that support using home equity to fund retirement lifestyle. Even some financial experts suggest using your home equity is a simple solution to offset retirement financial woes, prudent Canadians however, consider the option carefully. Dipping into your home equity may feel like free and easy access to “found” money. There are no tax implications and you can spend it however you like. Making the decision to tap into your home equity is as much a personal, psychological decision as it is a financial one. Take the opportunity to “stress test” the idea first. Stress testing allows you to consider many scenarios, most importantly, the impact of something unpredictable. If you’ve ever built a house or even bought a new car, you know how quickly a budget can blow up, even with the very best of intentions. Think about what will happen to you, your finances and well-being if circumstances don’t go as planned and you end up “upside-down” on your equity – owing more than you have available. Let’s have a look at some potential pitfalls of using your home equity:
Estimating future housing values is a gamble and a strategy that should not be practiced by those who are working with thin financial margins. You can study historical real estate values and projections to make an educated estimate of the total value of your home in the future however plans could seriously collapse if real estate values don’t rise. Health Retirees understand that unexpected medical costs are common. The cost of health insurance, the need for a long-term care facility, assistance for cooking, cleaning and home maintenance are some examples of costs that you could encounter. Anticipating the reality of the high costs of medical and long-term care needs to be considered, budgeted and reviewed regularly into your retirement plan. If you’ve accessed your home equity for other reasons earlier in your retirement, you might be out of luck later when you need it most. Economy The economy can suffer from unexpected problems that may impact your retirement living calculations. Unexpected changes to interest rates, the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits could be significant on your retirement plan.
Briefly outlined, here are Home Equity Access Options that may be available to you. Please speak to your Financial Planner about the details and associated risks:
Reverse Mortgages Downsizing is an attractive option that leaves you without a mortgage, increased cash flow and a lump sum of money to use as you wish. Taking out a Home Equity Line of Credit or a First or Second Mortgage Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are loans secured against the equity of your home. They let you convert your home equity into tax-free cash. It works out much like a credit card with a very large limit (your chosen accessed home equity). Under relatively new rules, lenders will lend up to about 60% of the total value of the home. It is important to note that the lender can change the terms of the loan including adjusting the interest rates up or down during the course of the loan. You can pay HELOCs off any time you choose and withdraw anytime during the term. If you don’t have a mortgage on your home now, you own it free and clear, you can possibly arrange a first mortgage on it to release some cash to use, of course, you will have to qualify and make regular payments. Selling and Renting Selling your current home and renting a smaller house, a condominium, an apartment or maybe even a special seniors’ apartment is another option. This strategy frees up the equity in your home, eliminates your mortgage and payments and home maintenance costs.
Reverse mortgages are still a relatively new concept in Canada especially as a source of retirement income for seniors. If you are over the age of 55, you may have the option to turn the equity in your home into tax-free cash. There are no payments due until you move, sell or no longer live in the home. The entire balance must be paid in full at the time that you do move, sell or no longer live in the home. You can borrow up to 55% of the appraised value of the home, within the eligibility guidelines.
Our approach is conservative and cautious and considers that Murphy’s Law never sleeps. Too often things that “can’t happen”, do. And, when they do they it’s often at the worst possible time. Home equity may be best used as a fall-back plan if things don’t go as planned, an emergency fund of sorts.
It is always best to discuss with your financial planner. Call us today to get a clear picture of your financial future.
Michael Morrow is a Certified Financial Planner and Life Insurance Advisor at Morrow Financial Incorporated. He has authored 4 books for financial advisors and their clients. He can be reached at 807 684 1805, mike@morrowfinancial.ca Don’t Worry Retire Happy is available at Chapters.
Real Estate Values Downsizing Your Home
TEXT NECK, A HEALTH EPIDEMIC OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY Text neck is a modern term coined by an American Chiropractor. It is a repetitive strain injury brought on by too much head and neck flexion while a person looks at their cell phone, tablet or other handheld devices. Previous to cell phones the main advice chiropractors and other health professionals with postural training would give, would be to maintain proper low back support while sitting and proper height of computer screens when sitting at a desk. It is important to always keep the computer screen at eye level to minimize the excessive forward head posture (anterior head carriage). These are still very important points as many people sit in front of a computer for several hours a day, every day. However, the new phenomena of text neck takes this concern much further. Your head weighs approximately 12 pounds. Ideally, the head should balance on top of your neck in a direct vertical line through your shoulders, hips and feet. Muscles running along the back, front and sides of your neck connect to your skull and help keep your head over-top of your shoulders. Tilting your head just 15 degrees forward increases the load on your neck to 27 pounds. Tilting your head 30 degrees increased the load to 40 pounds. To give an idea of that load, think of holding a 12 pound bowling ball up against your chest. Now hold it out six
inches, then twelve inches. Very quickly you will become fatigued and you will start lowering your arms. Similarly, when you spend any length of time on your handheld device you will start to lower your arms. Your neck will also become fatigued from looking straight down so you roll your shoulders and slouch the rest of your spine. Prolonged and excessive forward head tilting (anterior head carriage) has been shown to increase: headaches, back pain, spinal disc compression and herniation, gastrointestinal problems, early onset arthritis and loss of lung volume and capacity. To minimize excessive neck load while using a mobile device, try putting the device on a stand closer to eye level and reduce prolonged time on the device. Some exercises that will help to counterbalance the text neck posture include any shoulder extension exercises. This would be any exercise that deploys standing straight and squeezing the shoulder blades together while
breathing in and opens the chest. Remember to always be looking straight ahead and allow your palms to face forward. Pigeon neck: sitting up straight, pull your chin back into your neck and hold for ten seconds. Repeat 2-3 times. Another good exercise is the yoga move called cat-cow. In this exercise you are on your hands and knees and slowly arch your mid-back up like a mad cat and then arch it down into a swayback, like a cow. All of these exercises should be incorporated multiple times per day. They literally only take 1-2 minutes and can make a very positive impact to counterbalance text neck. Research has shown that doing one minute of postural exercises ten times per day is significantly more effective than doing ten minutes of the same exercise once per day. As with any unhealthy behaviour, first we must recognize it to be detrimental. Then we must take it seriously enough and be motivated enough to do something about it. As a healthcare practitioner who deals with
this problem on a daily basis, it concerns me greatly that without awareness and action, we are allowing our children to develop postures that will negatively impact both their short and long term health. James DiGiuseppe is a local chiropractor with a busy family and wellness practice. For more health information or to contact Dr. DiGiuseppe visit www.portarthurchiropractic.com
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
Canada Votes October 2019 Dr. Marcus Powlowski by Dr. Marcus Powlowski The Liberal Party recognizes that business depends on infrastructure to move the economy ahead. That’s why the Liberal government has invested $100 million dollars in Thunder Bay-Rainy River alone since 2015. For example, just last year the Liberal government invested $7.5 million in Keefer Terminal on
Bruce Hyer
Thunder Bay’s waterfront. This allowed Keefer to increase the amount of project cargo the port can process. The Liberal government also recognizes how important it is to support the training of the next generation of employees. That’s why in 2017 we invested $9 million to help Confederation College build their Technology, Education and Collaboration (TEC) Hub. The TEC Hub is used to promote manufacturing research, innovation and collaboration with business looking to the new economy. Speaking of innovation, the Liberal government has invested $8
Bruce Hyer immigrated to northwestern Ontario in 1976 from Connecticut. As Senior Environmental Analyst, Hyer took on Monsanto, playing a leadership role in banning DDT in the USA. Hyer is a Biologist and Forester. Past experience includes high school science department chair, university lecturer in land use and park planning, Ontario environmental judge, bush pilot, wilderness guide, and owner of 3 corporations.
Hyer, and many pundits believe that it will be a Liberal minority government, with enough progressive MPs to keep the government on track… and forcing them to keep their promises. Hyer is famous for taking clear stands and for keeping HIS election promises! Bruce says: “I am not interested in being merely a customer sales rep for my party in Thunder bay-Superior North. There is important work to be done for you in Parliament. The Green Party is the only party that does NOT whip their MPs. I support the comprehensive 2019 Green Party
Frank Pullia
port family members and save enough for my education.
At the age of 17, I was fortunate enough to immigrate to this great country and made my home in Thunder Bay. Through hard work and determination, I managed to financially sup-
I obtained an accounting degree at Lakehead University and returned later in my life to complete my MBA. I started my career at Kimberly Clark in Longlac and Terrace Bay as a financial analyst and later was offered a job as a budget coordinator at Ontario
million dollars in a thermo-mechanical-pulp project inside the Resolute mill in Thunder Bay. The goal is to convert wood sugars into bio-materials that can be used broadly in the manufacture of new products. This proof-of-concept investment provides opportunities for new companies to spring up across the region, broadening the base of our forest industry beyond pulp and paper and lumber. In this election campaign, the Liberal party is making a special commitment to small business. If re-elected, a Liberal government will provide up to $50,000 to 2,500 entrepreneurs across Canada
to launch a new business. Every new business will get $250 to expand their online services. We will eliminate all consulting fees from the Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Develop Canada and Farm Credit Canada and we will cut the cost of federal incorporation by 75%. We will also eliminate the “swipe fee” on HST and GST on credit transactions, a savings of up to $500 million, according to the Federation of Independent Business.
platform (GreenParty.ca), but if elected I WILL continue to put the interests of my constituents ahead of the party. I will fight to put employees ahead of banks and CEO’s when their employers go bankrupt. I will introduce a Private Member’s Bill: “The Truth, Honesty, and Accountability in Government Act” with severe punishments for politicians or government employees who lie, cheat, or steal.”
Motions (30!) than all the previous MPs from this riding … ever. Hyer created the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, with $21 Million to fund it. Bruce unlocked your cell phones contracts! Hyer passed his Climate Change Accountability Act in a minority government … the only climate change bill ever passed in the House (ordered killed by the Prime Minister in the Senate).
When Hyer was the MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North for 7 years, he introduced more Bills and Hydro in the NWO region. My desire to help people became the catalyst for serving Thunder Bay as a city councillor for 11 years and during my recent term as the Budget Chair, I helped turn around three years of budget deficits into four years of surplus. Through an approach of respect for
the taxpayers, we found significant cost savings without cutting services. One of my top priorities is to leverage my financial expertise to make life more affordable by putting more dollars in your pocket. Other key priorities are job creation, protecting our environment, making our communities safer and getting better at delivering social services at the right time to the right issues at the right cost. I am running to champion the people of Thunder Bay-Superior North so they can get ahead and not just get by. Thank you for considering me as your next MP. Frank Pullia Conservative Party of Canada Candidate Thunder Bay – Superior North frank@frankpullia.ca (807) 344-6727
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Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner
Stock Car Racing Near Thunder Bay Draws a Big Crowd
For many years in Thunder Bay a weekly occurrence was stock car racing at Riverview Raceways. That track has been closed for many years now but for the last six years a local track, Mosquito Speedway, has once again opened for one weekend of racing in the fall. The Mosquito track is quite a way out to the west of Thunder Bay, not real easy to get to, but even that distance didn’t stop avid stock car race fans from coming out in the thousands to see several classes of cars participate. Big news on the stock car racing horizon is the new Dairy Queen race track which should open next year near Arthur Street and the Twin City Crossroads. This brand new track is hoping to have weekly races in Thunder Bay which I think will go over very well. It was fun to see the level of enthusiasm evident at these races. Hopefully we will see more of this type of racing next season!
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
A walk in their shoes. The Call Goes Out… to support the new, Local Salvation Army Community & Residential Services Building ‘Journey to Life, to Open in 2020 By Sherry Hanes Oct/2019 As most of you may or may not know, locally and presently in 131 countries, The Salvation Army is running charity shops, operating shelters for the homeless and disaster relief and humanitarian aid here and in developing countries. The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 in London by one-time Methodist circuit-preacher William Booth and his wife Catherine as the East London Christian Mission, and can trace its origins to the Blind Beggar tavern. In 1878 Booth re-organized the mission, becoming its first General and introducing the military struc-
churches in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition. The Army's purposes are "the advancement of the Christian religion ... of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole". As with any construction project, large or small, before a shovel ever touches the ground, there is a lot to do that really goes unnoticed.
ture which has been retained as a matter of
tradition. Its highest priority is its Christian principles. The current international leader of The Salvation Army and chief executive officer (CEO) is General Brian Peddle, who was elected by the High Council of The Salvation Army on 3rd, August, 2018. The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organization. The organization reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7 million, consisting of soldiers, officers and adherents collectively known as Salvationists. Its founders sought to bring salvation to the poor, destitute, and hungry by meeting both their "physical and spiritual needs". The theology of the Salvation Army is derived from that of Methodism, although it is distinctive in institution and practice. A peculiarity of the Army is that, it gives its clergy titles of military ranks, such as "lieutenant" or "major". It does not celebrate the rite of Baptism and Holy Communion. However, the Army's doctrine is otherwise typical of holiness
Before the local project could begin, Major Lori Mitchell, Executive Director, Thunder Bay Journey to Life Centre Salvation Army shares this with us: “The current building, (located at 545 Cumberland Street North) was built in the 1950’s and has numerous structural issues, but more than the building, was the need to provide more enhanced services to our clients. We had been using ‘Band-Aid’ solutions – warehousing people rather than helping them to find their best selves and have the best life they can have. Our Journey to Life program will provide skills development training in a safe, residential environment to help move men through the system rather than keeping them in it. The new building will help us to have the adequate residential and program space to do all that we envision and will be purpose-built. The first step was the national Salvation Army offering us $5 million as startup funding. We then had a commitment from our regional Salvation Army and we ourselves committed funding as well. Then we went to every level of government and pitched the Journey to Life idea – with the building as a means to an end rather than the end in and of itself.” From Salvation Army team, to architect, general contractor, and the trades, and government officials, these are just some of the people, companies and organizations, that are ultimately involved in this major undertaking: Major Lori Mitchell names those involved “Vinny Mithra -The Salvation Army Territorial Property Consultant and Project Manager; Julia Coley-Philips - The Salvation Army Divisional Property Consultant; Major Lori Mitchell, Executive Director, Thunder Bay Journey to Life Centre; Anthony Yozipovic - MBuilds Project Manager, Cory Stechyshyn - Project Architect and Andy Puiatti - Associate Architect - i4 Architecture; Erik Knudsen, Dave Shalley and Franco Gorenszach - TBT Engineering, Lisa Sandham Interior Design and Werner Schwar, Landscape Architect. We have a commitment from CMHC – through the National Housing CoInvestment Fund; from the Investment in Affordable Housing through the CanadaOntario Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) for Ontario Extension Program and the Canada-Ontario Social Infrastructure Fund (SIF) Investment in Affordable Housing Program (administered through the TBDSSAB); and from the City of Thunder Bay. Continued
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A walk in their shoes. The Call Goes Out… to support the new, Local Salvation Army Community & Residential Services Building ‘Journey to Life, to Open in 2020 announced a $3 million contribution to the project through the National Housing CoInvestment Fund. M Builds’ Project Manager, Anthony Yozipovic also provides some project details that help us to somewhat, visualize the ‘behind the scenes’ orchestration of this much needed facility. M Builds (previously Manshield Construction) was first awarded the $15.5 project in early February of 2018. Anthony Yozipovic tells TBB Magazine: “From the outset of the
Continued We are also in process of a capital campaign for $2.5 million, of which we have already raised 67%. Gail Kromm is our Community Engagement Manager and I am the communications officer. We have been quite happy with MBuilds. Everyone we have dealt with, from Peter Belluz to everyone on the team, has been very professional and knowledgeable and great to work with. Construction, and all that goes with it, is not my expertise, but Anthony takes the time to make sure I understand what is going on and why. Tony Tesolin, the site supervisor, is doing an amazing job of coordinating all the trades. Everyone on the site – from any of the subtrades, is respectful and hardworking – there seems to be a real spirit of cooperation. Everyone understands how important this project is, not just from a construction standpoint, but from a service standpoint. The project changes every day – right now the steel supports are almost completed and the prefab walls are being installed; the plumbing work is in process as well as the main electrical work. We get to watch it happen from next door and every day there is something new.” Earlier in the year, Patty Hajdu, the minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour,
award, we have been working in unison with the Salvation Army and the Consultants through each phase of the design process reviewing and evaluating building systems, building layout/organization, construction processes and construction details to provide cost effective solutions to deliver the building within the Client’s budget and allowing them to meet their program requirements. Following the interdisciplinary design and budgeting phase, tendering of the project and Clients fundraising efforts, we were able to mobi-
lize mid-June of 2019. To date we have completed the building foundations and site servicing and are 80% complete on structural steel, floor and roof decking for the three-storey structure. Structural steel will be complete at the end of September and our prefabricated exterior wall panels are currently being erected making way for the roofing to commence in a few weeks.
Continued
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
A walk in their shoes. The Call Goes Out… to support the new, Local Salvation Army Community & Residential Services Building ‘Journey to Life, to Open in 2020 the existing shelter and complete the new parking area designated to be built at this location.”
Continued We are scheduled to have the building closed in by the end of October and windows installed by early November. The
new building is being constructed at 545 Cumberland Street North, on land adjacent to the existing shelter. When the Salvation Army takes occupancy of the new building in late Summer of 2020, we will demolish
Speaking of the construction features of the new build, Anthony also had this to say: “One of the unique features of the building that Robert our chief estimator conceived and developed along with the consulting team (I4 Architecture, TBT Engineering) was to prefabricate a panelized wall system that could be erected and secured onto the steel structure in a very short time period. Due to the fact that we have a very short construction season in Thunder Bay, this system is allowing us to enclose the building in record time, which will allow the roof and widows to be installed prior to the onset of winter. This system is saving our Client on heating and hoarding enclosure costs and will provide a dry warm environment for the interior construction to progress without the complications of working in the extreme cold that we tend to see in this area. Also, utilizing this hybrid pre-manufactured exterior wood frame wall panel system is unique in a building that will not be sprinklered (due to the Clients program requirements)
and is required to be constructed of noncombustible construction. This hybrid system required involvement by a third-party fire engineering specialist that have enabled the panels to be pre-fabricated locally out of wood in a building which would have otherwise not been allowed. Other unique features of the new building include a Living Wall, a Wellness Centre, a two-storey round Chapel with locally inspired finishes, a new modern kitchen with a separate gaming kitchen for the preparation of wild game. The Journey to Live Centre is also unique in itself facilitating an environment for the residents to grow and develop new life skills and preparing them for life within the community.” The general contracting team of M Builds, working together on this project, is Anthony Yozipovic - Project Manager, Tony Tesolin - Site Supervisor, Robert Little - Chief Estimator, Peter Belluz - General Manager.
Continued
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A walk in their shoes. The Call Goes Out… to support the new, Local Salvation Army Community & Residential Services Building ‘Journey to Life, to Open in 2020 Continued Peter Belluz of M Builds, (previously Manshield Construction), also commented on this great project and had this to say: “The Salvation Army project has been a collaboration between Cory Stechyshyn of i4 Architecture, the owners Vinny and Lori, and M Builds construction management team. M Builds has been fortunate to be involved in the design of the facility as it relates to the construction during the winter of 2018/2019. During that time, M Builds became very familiar with the workings of the existing facility and the Salvation Army staff’s goals for the new facility. M Builds assisted in evaluating the design concepts for the construction of the new facility, including items related to staff function, circulation and space requirements, decorative features and aesthetics, and constructability of the structure and envelope. The details were ironed out with the project team during weekly construction management meetings, budgeted over the course of the winter, and circulated to subtrades for tender in the Spring of 2019. Due to M Builds involvement in the planning of the construction, there were no surprises to the Owner when the subtrade tenders were received this Spring, and the Salvation Army was able to give final approval of the design and budget in June of this year. I am pleased to report that construction is progressing well on site, with enclosure of the building scheduled for the end of October. Because of the preconstruction work completed this winter, there has been a minimum of requests for information and other questions from the site which has allowed the project team to focus on the construction work, quality and safety on site.” As most everyone knows ‘M Builds’ is the rebranding of Manshield Construction and since 2000, the year Belluz became a Partner with M Builds, the company has completed over $400 million in construction in Northwestern Ontario. The projects
are varied in scope and nature, and include: construction of the Pinewood and Roseview long-term care facilities in Thunder Bay; office and retail developments, including Canadian Tire and Home Depot stores; Confederation College REACH facility, the Goldcorp Emergency Response Building in Musslewhite; the Atikokan General Hospital addition and renovation; and industrial projects like the Rockcliff Reservoir for the City of Thunder Bay. The rebranding of Manshield to M Builds evolved as follows: The letter "M" pays homage to our history, while the word “Builds” clearly describes what we do. We not only build buildings - we build legacies, we build communities, we build careers and we build relationships with some of the best Clients in the world. The letter "M" is the 13th letter of the alphabet
Tony Tesolin, Site Supervisor M Builds - right in the middle. Like Manitoba being the geographic centre of Canada, we like the view. It’s a place where you have a perspective of seeing both sides of an issue, and being able to provide balance and clarity. The $15.5 million project has received
$7.5 million from the Salvation Army, $1.3 million from the province, and $500,000 from the city. The new Journey to Life Centre and the programs offered, including transitional housing, is focused on helping people recover from all kinds of circumstances, get back on their feet and out of homelessness. Major Lori Mitchell: “If individuals, families or businesses want to be part of something great in northwestern Ontario, they can donate to our capital campaign by phoning 807-345-6492 or by mail at 545 Cumberland Street North, Thunder Bay ON P7A 4S2. We appreciate all the support we have received thus far and we are
confident that we will meet our fundraising goal.” The Salvation Army, General Contractor, M Builds and i4Architecture … working together for the greater humanitarian benefit of society and the community, as a whole. As they old saying goes: ‘Charity begins at home.’ Please help.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
INTERCITY AUTO CENTRE AND INTERCITY POWER SPORTS, WANTS YOU TO Experience that GREAT feeling of… ‘Aaaaahhhhh!’ By Sherry Hanes O.k. So, right about now you might be thinking, ‘What do I have to do to experience that great feeling of ‘Aaaaaahhhh!’? Congratulations to Intercity Auto Centre/Intercity Power Sports, now located at 879 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario. They are excited to be holding a Grand Opening on Saturday, September 21, 2019, in celebration of their new, 17,000 square foot power sports showroom and automotive repair and parts shop, address. The new site, which actually opened on December 31, 2018, embellishes professional décor` and atmosphere, pleasantly displaying, bright and roomy aesthetics, where one experiences a genuine sense of a welcoming invitation, to come in and spend time browsing around. Bringing the family in, to see the wide assortment of power sport vehicles, is strongly encouraged, which will promote ‘Family Fun’ on a whole new level and asking questions, getting the dialog going is also generously encouraged. The auto centre side of the business, has served Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario with outstanding repair services, products/after-market products and accessories, since 1997. Their professional services for any automotive repair, including transmission repairs and kits, and lift kits, to name a few, are second to none! They are also well known for fleet repair services, involving a number of prominent government and private sector businesses and they also are highly noted for their exceptional and prompt REMOTE repair services, which takes them just about anywhere in Northern Ontario. “I’ll bet you didn’t know that?” Historically speaking, in the beginning, the business itself, was comprised of Intercity Auto Centre only. For the first few years in business, there was the usual shuffle within the company, involving different partners, but eventually, through independent decisions, Bruce Miault, in partnership with Chris Kaukola, forged forward, continuing on in pursuing continued success. The addition of the second enterprise, Intercity Power Sports Centre, in 2014, has been thriving and servicing Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario since that time’.
The Power Sports Centre is the new ‘go-to’, for new and used power sports vehicles sales, services, repairs, equipment and accessories. Superior customer service and operations in automotive, mechanical repairs, builds kits, auto parts and accessories, combined with excellent business strategies, administration, sales and direction, lent way to that perfect balance for the success of this home grown, business. The families and friends of both partners, have been and continue to be, inspirational and supportive, of the ‘day-to-day’ operations of the business. Long hours and major decisions are all part of advancing and sustaining viability and Bruce cannot say enough about the support he and his partner share and receive from family, friends and community! Previously to relocating to 879 Tungsten Street, the business started out on Cobalt Crescent and then moved to 570 10th Avenue, for eighteen years. Today business partners, Bruce and Chris, have found, what appears to be, a permanent home for their business. As with creating any new business, there is always that one turning point…that one question of, ‘Should we go for it?’ and in this case, Bruce and partner Chris, supported by family and friends, helped direct the decision that propelled this venture forward. The Power Sport Centre offers nothing but the best in recreational power sport vehicles for your all- season fun, when it comes to the Great Outdoors! This recreational sports vehicle dealership, proudly carries both new and preowned snowmobiles, ATVs, sidexsides, outboards, boats, trailers and personal watercraft. It does not matter if you are a well- seasoned or first-time operator/buyer, the expert sales team will
have you quickly operating your power vehicle with confidence and safety. At Intercity Power Sports they will introduce you to the full line of Arctic Cat snowmobiles, ATVs and sidexsides, CFMOTO and sidexsides, Yamaha marine, Tohatsu Outboards, G3 Boats, KingFisher Boats and Kodiak Inflatable Boats. Along with having a wide range of products, they also carry multiple lines of aftermarket parts and accessories, for your snowmobile, ATV, boat and sidexside. In addition, they
are also your local dealer for Hewitt Docks & Lifts, Yamaha Power Products and SnowDog. The fine team of experts, want you to know that “If you are ready to get out and enjoy the most of Northern Ontario’s finest snowmobiling, hunting and fishing or just get out and tear up some snow, dirt or water – We want to help you find fun! At Intercity Power Sports our friendly and knowledgeable staff want to make sure your experience is outstanding from making your purchase to regular maintenance, we value our customers
and strive to make a customer relationship for life.” Intercity Auto Centre and Intercity Power Sports, have a great team of experienced, hard-working individuals, where team work rules and dedication to providing exceptional customer service and quality of work is priority. This is one place you will definitely want to stop at, when considering purchasing any power sport vehicles or needing any auto repairs, lift kits, transmission repairs, body lift kits, suspension lift kits, oil changes, tire repairs, wheel alignments, all mechanical repairs, annual /safety inspections, air conditioning install, starting/charging system check, all electrical work or diagnostics. Bruce and Chris invites everyone to stop in and see what they do and what they have to offer for services, parts, equipment and repairs and they would also like all of their customers to know that, without them, their business would not be the success that it is today! At Intercity Auto Centre and Intercity Power Sports, you will come in as a customer and leave as a friend…but don’t just wait until the GRAND OPENING…stop in any time during their regular business hours and experience that GREAT feeling of Aaaaahhhhh! INTERCITY AUTO CENTRE/INTERCITY POWER SPORTS, 879 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay Ontario P7B 6H2 Phone: (807) 767-8884 Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-5:30pm Saturday: 10:00am-2:00pm Service Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm Email: info@intercitypowersports.ca
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019
Lakehead University Student Union Open The Study BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The Lakehead University Student Union have completed a complete rebrand of their student space on campus near the bookstore to a very welcoming The Study. “ The LUSU contacted us to help bring the brand to life on site. We gave them some options and choose a sensory experience which was homey, relaxing and comfortable.Many students are away from home so they wanted a space that gave them a feel
like home,” said Stephanie Ash, Firedog Communications. “ In the space they can study read a book or meet with with friends. The overall budget was $175,000. All of the proceeds from this business goes back to the students.”
The space is open to the public to come for a coffee or to book the space for external meetings or functions. Their next phase is marketing to the community. All of the food etc is locally sourced. “ This place has been around for a while and run by LUSU but we wanted to change it up with more seating and capacity, better connectivity and create a space where students can hang out or study. If there is an event you want to do here you can now,” said Farhan Yousef Vice President Operations & Finance LUSU. “ At the end of the day it is all about the students. This is about reinvesting back into students. This is in additional to three other spaces we recently renovated across campus. It is our long term goal to improve and increase these studies spaces.” LUSU changed everything here from carpet to furniture, it previously looked like something from the 80’s to now modern. “The students pay a fee to the student union and we take the money and use it for students. We run 6 different areas on campus including the Campus Pub, we have scholarships bursaries and student positions that work for us.” said Farhan Yousef.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2019