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Issue 1, Volume 6 • Fall 2021

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Manufacturers and industrial businesses negotiate a constantly evolving competitive and regulatory landscape.

We take pride in helping our clients grow their businesses locally, nationally and internationally, while saving them costly missteps by providing effective legal counsel. We provide advice that is strategic, insightful, and practical to help manufacturers grow and succeed.

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Manitoba Magazine Wins Big at 2021 Magazine Awards Prairie Manufacturer Magazine named Manitoba Magazine of the Year and Garners Gold Medal for Manitoba Story of the Year

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine wins big at 2021 Alberta Ma

Winnipeg’s own Prairie Manufacturer Magazine won two major awards at the 2021 Alberta Magazine Awards, held virtually on June 3, 2021.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine was named Manitoba Magazine of the Year for 2021, and its editor, Jeff Baker, won Gold for Manitoba Story of the Year for his feature article, The Big Pivot, in the Fall 2020 issue.

Facing the Winnipeg-based Prairie Manufacturer Magazine wins Manitoba Magazine of Challenge and Held annually, the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association’s AlbertaMedal Magazine Awards Gold for Manitoba Story of the Year Manufacturers tackle COVID-19 response

recognize the work of teams and individuals in the magazine publishing industry. New for 2021, the awards were extended to magazines based in the other western provinces (BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). The award for Manitoba Magazine of the Year recognizes the accomplishments of Prairie Manufacturer for providing readers with well-timed and relevant content for the 2020 publishing year.

Publications mail agreement #43155015

WINNIPEG – June 10, 2021

Winnipeg’s own Prairie Manufacturer Magazine won two major awards at the Awards, held virtually on Friday, June 3 from Edmonton.

Manitoba Story of the Year recognizes content about Manitoba’s cultural and economic scene, interesting residents, or issues told from a distinctly Manitoban perspective. “It’s truly an honour to have won and be recognized amongst all the great publications produced across Western Canada,” says Ronda Landygo, Publisher of Prairie Manufacturer, and Owner and CEO of parent company RL Media Services Ltd.

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Manitoba Magazine of the Year Ronda Landygo, Publisher Jeff Baker, Editor Dana Jensen, Creative Director Melanie Rennie, Special Sectors Liaison PHOTO COURTESY SLEEK ADVERTISING LTD.

In the words of the judging panel, “Prairie Manufacturer presents timely and well-assembled material in an engaging and crisply designed package. A nice layout and design that’s easy-tofollow leads readers into editorial that serves its audience well.”

Issue 2, Volume 5 • Fall 2020

“Thank you to our contributors, advertisers, and subscribers for their continuing support of Prairie Manufacturer Magazine. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Landygo says. Prairie Manufacturer Magazine is an executive–level publication, providing strategic, highimpact, and in-depth insight and information to senior manufacturing leaders in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Publishing since 2016, the magazine has more than 10,000 readers per issue. “We share the stories of manufacturers, makers, crafters, and innovators from all three prairie provinces,” says Prairie Manufacturer’s editor, Jeff Baker. “We put the spotlight on the people behind the industry and share their stories with our readers.” “Being entrusted with the stories of the region’s manufacturers is a privilege,” Baker says. “Being recognised by our industry for our work in telling these stories is the highest of honours.” Prairie Manufacturer Magazine is Prairie-born, and proudly created and produced on the Canadian Prairies, and is a woman-owned and operated company since its inception in 2016.

Manitoba Magazine of the Year

Ronda Landygo, Publisher Jeff Baker, Editor Dana Jensen, Creative Director Melanie Rennie, Business Development Specialist

The

“We are humbled and inspired by winning these awards. They are a testament to our team’s passion and dedication to finding and sharing stories of this essential business sector and its people,” says Landygo.

Manufacturers lean into the challenges posed by COVID-19, find they’re not alone By Jeff Baker

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Manitoba Story of the Year – Gold Medal The Big Pivot Jeff Baker, Writer

Manitoba Story of the The Big Pivot Jeff Baker, Writer

Thank You For Celebrating With Us Prairie Manufacturer is your magazine, about your industry and your community. That has been the key to our success since our 2016 launch. And our win is your win. We’ve been celebrating since the awards announcement in June, and apparently so have our readers, advertisers, contributors, and supporters! It’s with the support of our manufacturing community that Prairie Manufacturer continues to grow and share the stories that matter to you. It’s only fitting that we welcome you - our community - into the pages of this issue for a virtual award celebration! On behalf of the Prairie Manufacturer team, thank you for believing in us, for sharing your stories with us, and for continuing to show your support for each and every issue. The best is yet to come.

“Congratulations to the Prairie Manufacturer team - especially to Ronda whose dream is realized with this award! It’s been a real honour (and a lot of fun) to be on the journey with you from conception to recognition as the best magazine in Manitoba. You continue to make a difference with every edition for Prairie manufacturers, above all by showing just how amazing the world of manufacturing can be to readers across Canada. I couldn’t be prouder of your accomplishments!” Jayson Myers CEO, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada

“An innovative woman entrepreneur, a skilled editorial team and a magazine that shines a spotlight on the diverse facets of manufacturing in the Canadian Prairies is a winning combination. Magazine of the Year is such a well-deserved acknowledgement for Prairie Manufacturer which delivers fascinating content about the people, places and processes influencing manufacturing and driving economic impact. Congratulations, Prairie Manufacturer!” Alison Kirkland CEO, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine for its two significant wins at the recent Alberta Magazine Awards. We are grateful for our ongoing relationship with Ronda and Jeff. Prairie Manufacturer consistently provides excellent editorial content and a high-quality publication. We look forward to continuing to provide articles on legal topics and advertising in the magazine. Keep up the great work and enjoy the accolades; you deserve it!” Paul (PJ) Prendergast Taylor McCaffrey LLP “Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine on the recent Magazine of the Year Award! At MITT, we frequently turn to Prairie Manufacturer for key insights into the sector and connections to employers we work with every day. The quality of the magazine and its articles is always top-notch. We’re thrilled to see this well-deserved recognition.” “Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine on its big win at the Alberta Magazine Awards. At Economic Development Winnipeg, we love telling the Winnipeg story to the world, and Prairie Manufacturer is one best-in-class example of the kinds of companies that set our city and province apart. Thank you for crafting pieces that garner well-deserved accolades and for shining a light on the people and a sector that are so valuable to our economy.” Dayna Spiring President & CEO, Economic Development Winnipeg

Ray Karasevich President & CEO, Manitoba Institute of Trades & Technology

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer on winning Manitoba Magazine of the Year. Your focus on industries that truly matter to our local economies is inspiring to all of us. Keep up the great work, and all the best as your magazine continues to grow.” Blaine Pedersen MLA Midland, Manitoba

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer on this well-earned recognition! We’re proud of our association with the magazine, which has become an important resource to the manufacturing sector. We appreciate the excellent information and insights its readers have come to rely on.” Jamie Hall Chief Operating Officer, SAFE Work Manitoba

“An incredible publication that provides value well beyond its namesake covering a wide range of topical, relevant and insightful content. It’s been an honour to be associated with Prairie Manufacturer Magazine, and I applaud the efforts of the team who imagine, create, and disrupt the expected with exceptional information and resources. As a person who is passionate about inclusion, diversity, and equity, I love that women lead the efforts and that Prairie Manufacturer features stories of success that broadly support inclusion and diversity.” Kimberley Puhach AVP People & Culture – West Region, Gallagher

“A big congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine on a welldeserved Manitoba Magazine of the Year Award. Thank you for supporting our province’s manufacturing sector through top-notch content highlighting industry and academic initiatives.” Dr. Simon Potter Director, Research Partnerships and Innovation, Red River College

“Congratulations on winning this well-earned award. We were with you and believed in you right from the beginning and it’s no surprise to me that you won. It shows again that if you aim high enough, believe and work hard enough, you will eventually become the best.” Jack Maendel CEO, Ecopoxy

“Sometimes we need to remember that you can be world-class from anywhere in the world. Prairie Manufacturer is a great example of that - it’s a world-class magazine based in the Prairies that showcases our manufacturing sector and reminds us that we can compete on the global stage. Break out the champagne and celebrate all the magazine has accomplished over the years. Cheers!” Alex Fallon President and Chief Executive Officer, Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA)

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine on being named Manitoba Magazine of the Year! It has been an honour and incredibly inspiring to have worked with you from concept to these well-deserved accolades. You have shown what determination, passion, and unwavering professionalism can accomplish. So incredibly proud to have worked with you for all of these years and look forward to continuing our partnership!” Sharron Smith-Hnatowich, CPA, CGA Hnatowich & Associates Chartered Professional Accountants

“Congratulations on winning this well-earned award. It is well deserved.” Wendell Wiebe Chief Executive Officer, Manitoba Aerospace

“Congratulations, Prairie Manufacturer! Your recognition and award for Manitoba Magazine of the Year is so well deserved. You continue to raise the bar as the leading innovative, diverse, and creative publication exploring and promoting all that encompasses manufacturing in Canada. Well done!”

“Prairie Manufacturer has been such a wonderful friend to The Dream Factory over the last several years; we could not be more thrilled to see them recognized with the Magazine of the Year award. We have seen time and again the tremendous level of time, effort, and care that goes not only into every story, but also towards making our community a better place. Congratulations, Prairie Manufacturer!” Andrew Kussy, CFRE Development Manager, The Dream Factory

Lori Schmidt President, Loral Management Group

“Congratulations to the Prairie Manufacturer Magazine team on your well-deserved acknowledgment as Manitoba Magazine of the Year! Since your launch in 2016, MITT has proudly watched your exceptional coverage of important and relevant topics from across the Prairies. You have informed our industry-driven insights that help our students prepare for the world of work. You are truly a world-class magazine, and we could not be prouder of you!” Beverlie Stuart Vice President, Business and Organizational Development, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology

“Congratulations on this well-deserved award! Prairie Manufacturer always provides a strong voice on issues of diversity and inclusion that are so relevant to the continued growth of the sector.  I am very pleased that your tireless efforts have been recognized. Brava!” Barbara Bowen Director of Special Programs, Manitoba Aerospace

“Congratulations to you and your Team on winning this prestigious award! What a great honour! It’s a testimonial to your tenacity, determination, and professionalism! I believe I can speak for all of your partners when I say ‘We knew this publication was a winner!’ and here’s the verification! Again... congratulations!” Robert Morris CEO, Quantum Graphics & Consulting Inc.

“Five years of great storytelling doesn’t happen without passionate leadership, instinct, and clear vision. Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer for this wonderful recognition. How much thought and energy you put into every issue, not just the topics and the words, but every single detail truly makes the magazine shine! Thank-you for bringing relevant, informative content to each issue as you tell compelling stories of manufacturing on the Prairies. Looking forward to many more years of award-winning content.” Carrie Schroeder Director of Operations, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters – Manitoba Division

“No one deserves this award more than the team at Prairie Manufacturer! Congratulations! If we could give an additional award, it would be for consistency in professionalism and civility in communications. It has been a privilege to be associated with the magazine these past few years. Thank you for sharing your expertise which has helped elevate our profile and build awareness about our products and books.” Lewena Bayer CEO, Civility Experts Inc

“Congratulations to the team at Prairie Manufacturer Magazine for their recent award wins. Both awards are well deserved as Prairie Manufacturer has done a great job of telling success stories of manufacturing in the west, and they’ve always been a pleasure to work with! All the best!”

Christian Masotti Author, Manufacturing Civility

Scott Keddie President, Keddie Performance Consulting

“Experiences with magazine interviews can be a dice roll. This one had a good sense and feel to it from the very beginning of contact through to the final magazine, with the article, showing up in my mailbox! Nice to see that the magazine industry is healthy, constructive, and artistically vibrant.” Arne Handley Arne Handley Pottery

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine for its outstanding accomplishment in winning Manitoba Magazine of the Year! Also of note is the editor of Prairie Manufacturer, Jeff Baker, receiving a gold award for his article “The Big Pivot”. This is great news for both the magazine and its editor for excellent work and a job well done.” Earl Shindruk President, Optimax Benefits

“The special thing about Prairie Manufacturer Magazine is that it embodies the same entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation that has shaped and defined its readers. Like so many manufacturing leaders across Western Canada, Ronda and the team lean in, push the limits, and overcome the odds. Their true success is in that Prairie Manufacturer Magazine doesn’t just serve the manufacturing community — it is a part of it.” Derek Lothian President & CEO, Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan

“From across the region, Prairie Manufacturer Magazine shares the best practices of leading manufacturing firms. It’s this sharing of leading information and expertise that makes your magazine an award-winner. Congratulations on being recognized as best-in-class!” David Hogg Retired Founder, High Performance Manufacturing (HPM) Consortium

“Honestly, I’m not surprised that Prairie Manufacturer has won Best Magazine Award. They have consistently put out great content that has creatively connected, inspired, and motivated the industry. Well-deserved and congrats!” Doug Darling CEO, Tripwire Media Group

“Congratulations to Prairie Manufacturer Magazine on your outstanding success! This award is a very real symbol of your vision, hard work, and dedication, and is a representation of your unwavering focus on excellence. Your magazine not only highlights the incredible accomplishments and developments of the manufacturing sector in the Prairies, but also provides an audience for related business such as ours. Your publication and its readership have presented numerous successful opportunities for us, and we look forward to a long mutually beneficial partnership. We couldn’t be prouder to call you a partner, and we look forward to your continued success.” Roger Fish CEO, Success Is In You

Publisher Ronda Landygo ronda@prairiemanufacturer.ca 877.880.3392

In this issue Our success, your success Your magazine about your industry and your community. That has been the key to our success since our 2016 launch. And our win is your win. We’ve been celebrating since winning Manitoba Magazine of the Year and Manitoba Story of the Year, and apparently so have you!

The people side of advanced manufacturing

manitobaaerospace-halfpage_PRINTFILE.pdf

Stewart Cramer and Kelly O’Neill with NGen - Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster sat down with Prairie Manufacturer to talk about what the group is working on related to education and development of Canada’s manufacturing workforce. 1

2020-11-27

Bev Stuart has come a long way from her youth in Winnipeg’s north end to her current executive role at Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology. But when your entire life has been a journey of discovery and learning, is there ever really a ‘destination’ that you can reach?

COVID-19 Conversation

Dr. Robyn Harrison shares her insights on what we’ve learned so far in the COVID-19 pandemic and what we can do to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus and other respiratory diseases in the coming fall and winter.

Giving back, making a difference

Special thank you to our editorial advisory committee. Creative Director Dana Jensen dana@titaniumgraphicdesign.ca Sales info@prairiemanufacturer.ca

7:18 AM

Start here to get to there

Editor Jeff Baker jeff@prairiemanufacturer.ca

Making things is old hat for manufacturers around the world and right here at home on the Prairies. Making a difference in the community is nothing new either. Learn about the great work that Prairie www.prairiemanufacturer.ca 29 manufacturing leaders and their teams are doing.

Next issue It’s getting hot in here - When it seems like winter lasts half the year, you’ve got to stay warm somehow. Meet some homegrown manufacturers serving a distinctly ‘adult’ market, and discover how Prairie know-how and experience translates into pleasure tech and products for everyone, and how they challenge the stereotypes that abound when talking about S-E-X. Manufacturing accessibility - Inclusion and full participation in today’s society for everyone in our community is critical. The things that many of us take for granted can be challenges to daily living for other members of our communities. But manufacturers in the Prairies are making products to improve the accessibility of daily life and are putting solutions within reach of all community members. Booking deadline: November 10, 2021 Material due: November 17, 2021

© Copyright 2021 Prairie Manufacturer MagazineTM All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. Publications mail agreement #43155015 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Prairie Manufacturer Magazine 207 Hugo St. North, Suite 3 Winnipeg, MB R3M 2N1 To change your address, or to be removed from the mail list, email info@prairiemanufacturer.ca. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees. Proudly printed by Quantum Graphics & Consulting Printed in Canada | 9/2021

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Editor’s Notebook

It’s because of you we do what we do By Jeff Baker

here’s one question that almost always comes up when you meet new people: What do you do? One of my answers is that I’m editor and contributor for Prairie Manufacturer Magazine, a fact that both stands up to scrutiny and invites follow-on questions that commonly include ‘Is it a digital magazine or print-and-digital?’. When I tell them that we’re a printprimary publication, the first reaction is often something between surprise, confusion, and nostalgia. I chuckle every time I see the expression on the person’s face or hear that little pause on the phone as their head gets around the information.

Oldie, but a goodie We’re print-primary because there’s a certain something about print. It’s old technology, but that doesn’t mean it’s not practical or valuable. It’s the best way to lend credibility and permanence to the stories of Prairie manufacturing. Too easily, one can delete an e-edition or email, but almost all of us have a stack of magazines in our homes or offices that we just can’t bear to toss. In fact, industry experts are calling magazines the last form of non-disposable content; there’s timeliness and timelessness to the stories and how they’re told. Putting ink to paper, assembling the magazine, and putting it in the mail to

end up in our readers’ hands is our way of connecting. Throughout this pandemic, it’s those little ways of connecting with others that have proven truly significant and poignant.

Connecting to more You might see your Amazon driver, your Purolator person, or your mail carrier for only mere seconds a time, but there’s still something about those fleeting moments of human non-contact contact that makes us understand the interconnectedness of our world. There’s something about picking up and reading a magazine that hearkens back to a simpler, slower time. It’s a way to escape from the screen time that pervades our lives. It’s a different way of getting the stories and brands of Prairie manufacturing into your hands.

The truth is out there A 2018 study by Toronto-based insights firm Vividata reported that magazines are still one of the most widely read forms of media in Canada. Across the country, nearly 90 per cent of the population aged 14 and up regularly reads magazines. Of those folks, almost 70 per cent said they read titles exclusively in print. Only three per cent read digital-only. Interestingly, 92 per cent of magazine readers 25 years and younger find it

Putting ink to paper, assembling the magazine, and putting it in the mail to end up in our readers’ hands is our way of connecting.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

easier to read print publications than digital versions of the same content. And they engage with the material for far longer than if it were on a screen – 20 minutes for print compared to 5 minutes for a web version. What does this mean for the advertisers in the room? Well, it means that the investments in print advertising (whether standalone or combined with digital) pay off significantly more than any other channel. Campaigns with print and digital are reported to be more than 400 per cent more effective in delivering desired results, and more than 80 per cent of consumers say they place more trust in companies that advertise in print. There’s staying power in the magazine and its content – editorial and advertising. Readers – that’s you! – are eager to dive into the latest issues, and they read their publications throughout the week.

A surprising journey Each issue is an adventure. From the planning of the editorial content to the advertising sales, from the recruitment of contributors to the design and layout, it’s never boring. One thing I’ve learned over my last two years as editor is that agility is key. Whether it’s shifting an issue’s direction because of what’s happening in the world

or just being open to taking a story or its design in a different direction, it’s the entire team’s adaptability and expertise that makes all the difference. When I came to the editor’s desk, I wanted to build on the tremendous work that preceded my arrival. It’s no small feat launching a publication – independent or otherwise – so I knew there was already a strong foundation from which to grow and explore the industry. It’s that exploration of manufacturing across the Prairies that is, quite frankly, the best part of this job! I get to dig into the hidden world of manufacturing that not nearly enough people get to see, and speak with the leaders, decision-makers, and influencers who make this industry what it is. I’m especially fortunate to get to see the breadth and depth of the diverse community of manufacturers that call the Prairies home.

Looking forward Prairie Manufacturer Magazine will continue to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of manufacturing and making in this great region we call home. We will continue to celebrate and honour the diversity that makes this industry and community great, and we will continue to invite you to explore along with us. In the coming issues, we look forward to introducing you to even more manufacturers who are making the world a more colourful and interesting place simply by putting their passion and expertise to work. We invite you to challenge your own perceptions of what this industry is and what it can be, because it’s the challenging of assumptions and limits that makes Prairie manufacturing great. Until we chat again, I hope you enjoy the read.

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Civility

Feedback is underestimated as a problem-solving tool By Christian Masotti

n manufacturing environments where optimization and efficiency are key business goals, and where achieving these goals requires strict adherence to safety and quality guidelines, feedback is a critical communication tool. In addition to providing a means for conveying information, feedback offers an opportunity for relationship building, tracking progress, and problem-solving. When done well, feedback provides positive criticism and allows us to see what everyone can change to improve their focus and results. Unfortunately, many supervisors and managers underestimate the need for, and impact of, feedback. This is a mistake. You may not know it, but according to actiTIME.com, companies that implement regular employee feedback have turnover rates that are 14.9 per cent lower than for employees who receive no feedback. Statistics also show that only 14.5 per cent of managers strongly agree that they are effective at giving feedback. Sadly, though, most feedback conversations focus on highlighting what isn’t being done well. As such, only 26 per cent of employees say the feedback they receive improves their work. And, shockingly, four out of five employees who received negative feedback are job hunting. Over the years, I have devised a feedback method that is a unique approach to managing potentially difficult, complex, or crucial conversations, and that supports problem-solving. The method uses civility in a systematic and strategic way. In addition to improving rapport, diminishing potential conflict, and building trust, using this approach increases an organization’s ability to align the business priority with its organizational values. This results in high performance work environments and high accountability. Supervisors and managers who consistently adopt this feedback approach will find themselves acting proactively versus reactively. They will be better managers in terms of meeting output objectives while concurrently fostering trust, respect, and humanity at work. While giving feedback is not new, the way I suggest supervisors and managers give feedback is innovative because the approach considers: a) Behaviour triggers, e.g., fear, culture, labels, and habits (of both the person giving and the person receiving feedback) b) Consequences e.g., extent to which individuals are held accountable for behaviour

c) Assumptions and unconscious bias, e.g., “this is how we do it here” d) Measurable, quantifiable behaviours and outcomes e) Tone and experience, e.g. the communicator initiating the interaction determines the overall experience What I have learned is that tone and experience is a critical piece of effective feedback. A leader’s ability to manage difficult communications with tact and civility is a rare skill, but it is civility that makes all the difference. The strategy is best applied as an intervention tool. You would use the approach, which incorporates behaving and speaking in a civil way, when: • You observe errors on the floor i.e. through a job observation – use the intervention strategy BEFORE you engage in corrective action • You hear or observe miscommunications that potentially impact safety, production, quality, or cost – use the intervention strategy BEFORE you engage in repetitive and/or ineffective communication, in writing or orally • You observe positive behaviour – use the strategy as soon as you observe the behavior So here is an abridged description of how this feedback method works: Step 1: Build rapport and ongoing trust. Supervisors and managers should anticipate they will be required to provide ongoing feedback to everyone they supervise, and they should anticipate having to give feedback when things are going well as well as when there are issues or challenges. Step 2: Address supervisor’s accountabilities to the employee first. Before you consider writing someone up or taking any corrective action you need to ask yourself the following five questions, if you answer “NO” to any of these questions, you should not proceed to corrective action: 1. Did I train this person to do the job? 2. Did I document the training? 3. Did I give specific directions and details? 4. Did I follow up and check that this person was doing the job properly and effectively? 5. Did I give this person effective feedback? Step 3: Give feedback daily, if possible; weekly at a minimum. The typical process for feedback in manufacturing

A leader’s ability to manage difficult communications with tact and civility is a rare skill, but it is civility that makes all the difference.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

is to give feedback during periodic job observations, during standard operating procedure reviews, or when a crisis or issue arises. With my method, the goal is for supervisors to build relationships with their team such that they are interacting and communicating daily. Step 4: Give fact-based, quantifiable feedback. One of the mistakes most managers or supervisors make when giving feedback is that they are focused on their own feelings and perspectives. They get emotional and lose sight of the end in mind, or they are too focused on who is doing what, and why they are doing it, versus WHAT should be done. The reality is most often the motives of the action-taker do not matter. Step 5: Document the feedback session. You should have already documented data regarding observation and assessment, and now you can add to that information by including questions that were asked and the responses to those questions. • When documenting observation: - Include only facts - Use measurable language - Record quantitative observations based on set guidelines and procedures • When reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs), discussion should cover: - Roles

- Responsibilities - Importance of the job - Urgency of tasks - Timeline - Key indicators, including safety, efficiency, and quality - Criticality and the level of risk - Steps of how to do the job The bottom line is that how you treat people matters. A great many of the day-to-day problems that arise on the manufacturing floor are people problems. When you understand that people problems are best resolved by building trust through direct, civil, and consistent communication, it is easy to see how effective feedback is often underestimated as a problem-solving tool. Christian Masotti is the leading expert on civility in manufacturing and consultant with Civility Experts Inc. With decades of industry experience with some of the world’s largest manufacturers, he is a continuous learner who combines technical skills in continuous improvement with social intelligence and cultural competence. He is author of three books: Manufacturing Civility, Social Competence for Manufacturing Supervisors, and co-author of Lean on Civility: Strategies for Changing Culture in Manufacturing Workplaces.

HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE IMPACTS PROFIT Civility is a continuous improvement strategy proven to increase safety, engagement, retention and revenue.

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Christian Masotti, MCCT®, Leading Expert on Civility as Continuous Improvement

www.christianmasotti.com | www.civilityexperts.com | (204) 996-4792 | events@civilityexperts.com

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ECONOMIC ROUNDUP

What a Difference Five Years Makes! Prairie manufacturers punching above their weight By Jayson Myers

t’s been five years since Prairie Manufacturer Magazine published its first issue in the summer of 2016. Now it’s Manitoba’s Magazine of the Year! I’ve been honoured to be a contributor to the magazine since its inception, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the Prairie Manufacturer team has accomplished. Congratulations! The very first edition of Prairie Manufacturer challenged readers to Think Big! That’s exactly what Prairie manufacturers have done ever since. The Prairies are home to the fastest growing manufacturing sector in Canada! Prairie manufacturing has blown away national averages, far exceeding what is happening in the rest of the country. In June 2016, monthly manufacturing sales across the three Prairie provinces totalled $7.9 billion. By June 2021, they had grown by a third to $10.5 billion. Now, there have been significant price increases along the way (especially over the past year) in addition to changes in production volumes. In real terms, discounting for price increases, Prairie manufacturers’ sales volumes increased by about eight per cent. Strong Prairie

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

sales performance has also been mirrored in the labour market as manufacturing employment has grown by more than six per cent from 205,800 to 218,700, adding almost 13,000 jobs over the past five years. In fact, Prairie manufacturers have accounted for more than 57 per cent of all net new manufacturing jobs created in Canada since June 2016. By contrast, the overall value of products manufactured and sold by Canadian manufacturers increased at about half the rate recorded in the Prairies, growing by 17 per cent from $50.7 billion in June 2016 to $59.2 billion in June 2021. On average, manufacturers’ selling prices in Canada have shot up by 22 per cent over the past five years. So, after adjusting for inflation, real sales volumes for Canadian manufacturers were about 4.5 per cent lower in June 2021 than in the same month in 2016. Overall production volumes have not yet recovered from last year’s pandemicinduced recession. However, the good news is that manufacturing employment has grown by 1.3 per cent from 1,685,100 to 1,707,600 workers since June 2016.

Manitoba hit hard by COVID-19 Manitoba is an exception to the overall positive story for prairie manufacturers, although specific sectors in the province have significantly outperformed. Monthly manufacturing sales in Manitoba increased by just over 12 per cent from $1.4 billion in June 2016 to $1.6 billion in June 2021. But when price changes are considered, sales volumes were approximately eight percent lower this year. Still, Manitoba manufacturers have created 2,500 new jobs, with employment levels increasing from 62,000 to 64,500, over the past five years. Some sectors in the province have been particularly hard hit because of the pandemic. Machinery and aerospace manufacturing have suffered from supply chain disruptions and shortages of materials and components. Aerospace production has fallen along with international demand. The current-dollar sales value for Manitoba’s transportation equipment manufacturers (including aerospace) declined by 25 per cent

Prairie manufacturing has blown away national averages, far exceeding what is happening in the rest of the country.

between June 2016 and June 2021, and selling prices have changed little over the past five years. Factory-gate machinery sales have risen by about

three percent, but, with a small increase in selling prices, output has remained steady over that same period. Profits and cash flow are depressed in both sectors

with input costs surging in the face of supply shortages. Wood product, primary metal, and furniture manufacturing have also

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Growth in Manufacturing Sales & Employment June 2016 - June 2021 50% 42% 40%

35%

32% 30% 23.4% 20%

17%

16% 12%

10%

6.2%

1.4%

11% 4.0%

3.8%

-10%

-5% Canada

Prairies Sales Value

struggled over the past five years. Sales of wood products have grown 61 per cent, but prices have increased 136 per cent, masking a downturn in production volumes. Sales of primary metals are down 32 per cent even though selling prices for primary metals have jumped by 59 per cent. Furniture manufacturers have seen their sales drop by eight per cent and production volumes drop by 18 per cent as well.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

-8% Manitoba Sales Volume

Saskatchewan

Alberta

Employment

Luckily that is not the story for all sectors of Manitoba manufacturing. Sales of food products have grown 45 per cent in current dollars and 23 per cent in volume terms over the past five years. The chemicals sector has increased sales by 41 per cent or 19 per cent after adjusting for inflation. Manufacturers of fabricated metal products have increased sales by 46 per cent with sales volumes up by

eight per cent. More of Manitoba’s manufacturing sectors will join these growth sectors as markets recover post pandemic.

Saskatchewan outperforms In Saskatchewan, manufacturing is not only growing faster than in any other Prairie province, it’s also outpacing the entire country. Manufacturing sales in the province shot up 42 per cent from

The past five years have generally been very positive for Prairie manufacturing, but they have been full of challenges that not all sectors have been able to navigate as successfully as others.

$1.2 billion in June 2016 to $1.7 billion in June 2021. Discounting for inflation, sales volumes have increased by 16 per cent over the past five years. Manufacturing employment has also grown steadily from 25,200 five years ago to 31,100 in June of this year. Four key sectors are leading the charge. Food processors have increased sales by 47 per cent or by 25 per cent in price-adjusted volume terms. Wood products manufacturers have seen their sales shoot up by 252 per cent with volumes up by 49 per cent. There has been a 39 per cent hike in both currentdollar sales and sales volumes for machinery manufacturers. And for metal fabricators, sales have risen 48 per cent with volumes up 10 per cent over the past five years.

More uneven growth in Alberta Alberta’s manufacturing performance has been relatively strong but more uneven. The total monthly value of manufacturing sales rose 35 per cent from $5.3 billion in June 2016 to $7.2 billion in June 2021. Taking inflation into account, sales volumes grew by almost 11 per cent. Alberta’s manufacturing workforce has grown by four per cent over the past five years, increasing from 118,600 to 123,100 employees. Not all sectors of manufacturing have been able to keep pace with overall provincial performance. Beverage

production has been flat; so have sales for chemical manufacturers although prices for chemical products have increased by 18 per cent. There has been little change in sales value or sales volumes for transportation equipment producers. Sales of primary- and fabricated metal products have increased by 16 per cent and 5 per cent respectively, but taking price increases into account, sales volumes have declined by about 22 per cent in both sectors. Furniture and electrical and transportation equipment manufacturing sectors have all seen sales drop over the past five years. Taking price changes into account, sales volumes have declined 35 per cent for electrical equipment producers and 20 per cent for furniture manufacturers. Now for the good news. Those sales losses have been offset by strong growth in other sectors. Food processors have seen sales jump 52 per cent and volumes increase by 29 per cent since June 2016. In the pulp and paper sector, sales have shot up by 60 per cent and sales volumes by 33 per cent. Sales for Alberta petroleum refiners have increased by 51 per cent or 25 per cent after adjusting for inflation. Sales of plastic products are up by 57 per cent while sales volumes have grown by 44 per cent. Manufacturers of wood product have increased sales by 158 per cent and sales volumes by close to 10 per cent. Machinery manufacturers have seen sales jump by 36 per cent and sales volumes by 31 per cent. Factorygate sales of Alberta’s electronics

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manufacturers have grown by 15 per cent with volumes up by more than eight per cent. And, miscellaneous manufacturing, which includes medical and other technology-based devices, is recording a 39 per cent jump in sales and a 27 per cent increase in price-adjusted sales volumes.

Where do we go from here? The past five years have generally been very positive for Prairie manufacturing, but they have been full of challenges that not all sectors have been able to navigate as successfully as others. The next five years look equally as challenging, which only means that they will be full of new business opportunities as well.

First, we need to get over the inter-related impacts of the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, materials and parts shortages, and escalating input costs that are weighing manufacturing down in Canada and around the world. While the outlook for new orders is strong as North America and other economies recover from the pandemic, it will take manufacturers and the global shipping industry longer to get over the shortages and logistics disruptions that are currently backing up production, delaying deliveries, and pushing up both input and output costs. In fact, the situation may get a lot worse before it gets better if new pandemic restrictions are imposed on critical suppliers or port facilities, especially in China and

southeast Asia. It’s going to be another bumpy year ahead! Other trends will be at work reshaping the future of Prairie manufacturing as well. Workforce and skills shortages will drive greater degrees of automation but will, at the same time, require higher levels of digital and technical skills among the manufacturing workforce. The deployment of digital and automation technologies will be a key determinant of productivity and profit performance preventing production shutdowns, increasing operating efficiencies, speeding up design, engineering, and process improvements, and providing companies with the flexibility and agility to respond rapidly to changes in customer demand and new business opportunities.

Prairie manufacturers have accounted for more than 57 per cent of all net new manufacturing jobs created in Canada since June 2016.

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Workforce and skills shortages will drive greater degrees of automation but will, at the same time, require higher levels of digital and technical skills among the manufacturing workforce.

Digital technologies will also play a critical role in generating new data-driven product and process capabilities and new service-based lines of business. The drive to reduce carbon emissions and the environmental footprint of manufacturing operations and supply chains will also fundamentally transform industrial operations. Large industrial customers are making product investment decisions now about how to radically cut greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturers can play a key role as critical suppliers in the process. On the other hand, suppliers will need to think differently about their business, how they contribute to the goals of their customers, and transition their businesses to become part of the solution rather than counting

on getting product out the door in the same relatively more carbon-intensive production methods used today. Reducing environmental footprints will be an important game changer when it comes to future supply chain restructuring; we are already seeing distance and clean sources of energy becoming key criteria for supplier and location selection on the part of OEMs and larger Tier 1 manufacturers. Current supply chain disruptions are also forcing companies to examine and restructure their supply lines. The localization of supply chains for higher-value innovative products, driven by the need for more specialized manufacturing, technology, and engineering capabilities close to centres of product development is

another trend that is reshaping the business of manufacturing worldwide. Prairie manufacturers can regard these longer-term trends as a threat – or as a business opportunity. Building on the dynamism, entrepreneurship, and success that we’ve seen over the past five years, I think I know where their business is likely to head in the future! Jayson Myers is CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada – the country’s advanced manufacturing supercluster. An award-winning business economist and leading authority on technological change, Myers has counselled Canadian prime ministers and premiers, as well as senior corporate executives and policymakers around the world.

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The Principal Resource

All Choices Have Consequences By Jeff Palamar

anitoba has recently been on a roller coaster of public health orders. As of writing, masks are back, and many events/activities/establishments are now open, but only to fully vaccinated clientele. In sharp contrast, public health officials encourage (but don’t require) private businesses and organizations to follow the province’s lead and mandate COVID-19 vaccination for their employees. Employers should not default to the easy choice of not forcing vaccines, simply because they are not specifically required. Employers have a legal obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe workplace for their employees and visitors to the workplace. Choosing to ignore the ongoing risk of COVID-19 has consequences. Such a choice clearly breaches that obligation, needlessly puts others at risk, and risks liability for an employer. What is the "new-normal, version 2.0" for employers? Some basic points to keep in mind, particularly for nonunionized workplaces: • Simply because the law does not mandate certain safety precautions in all cases, does not mean you as an employer acting reasonably would not individually be required to take those safety precautions in your specific environment. Above all, you have to act reasonably to try and maintain a safe workplace. What that means for you can be something quite different than for somebody else. • Apart from your legal obligations there are business questions to consider as well. Whether or not you are strictly required to live up to your legal obligations, as a business decision are you choosing to offer an environment where only double vaccinated people work or attend as customers? • Employers have every right to ask employees if they have been vaccinated and what their plans are regarding vaccinations. The obligation to ensure a safe workplace requires you to obtain this information. Obviously, though, this is private health information that is confidential and must be kept secure on a need-to-know basis. • You can quite properly require employees to provide proof of vaccination. This can be done by viewing their QR code or vaccination card and making a note in a secure file that this has been verified.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

• If somebody has a legitimate reason for not being vaccinated, such as a human rights consideration, then you would have an obligation to reasonably accommodate that employee to the point of undue hardship. • The most likely human rights considerations would include accommodation of those who cannot get the vaccine for genuine medical reasons or genuine religious reasons. That said, I am not presently aware of any religious affiliation which would prevent someone from being vaccinated. • The obligation to accommodate means finding out what you can from the employee and making an informed and reasonable decision in terms of how (if at all) you can

make the relationship continue to work. That might mean allowing the employee to work remotely, providing certain personal protective equipment, having the employee reassigned or excluded from interactions with others, maintaining certain safety protocols if anybody interacts with that employee, etc. • Accommodation to the point of undue hardship does not mean accepting whatever the employee demands or being forced to allow an unvaccinated employee to attend at your workplace. What is required really depends on the circumstances of your specific workplace and the specific employee. A one-size-fits-all policy is not the answer.

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• It is conceivable that other human rights considerations could apply, but unlikely. If somebody simply chooses to not be vaccinated, that is their choice, but there are consequences. You don't have the legal obligation to accommodate that employee's choice and may choose to accept or reject it. • It may be that for a period you let the employee work remotely or otherwise accommodate them. If, however, your goal is to have everyone at the workplace double-vaccinated, and you don't want someone working remotely and don’t accept any other accommodation, then you can give notice to the employee that is going to be the law of the land as of a reasonable future date. The employee then has the choice of getting in line with that new requirement or having have their employment terminated at that future date. As in effect you would be giving working notice, they would not be entitled to severance pay. • What you decide to do will depend on the specific situation, both within your workplace and vis-à-vis the employee. It also will depend on the changing circumstances in society overall and the business decisions you choose to make. Some of these principles will also apply in a unionized workplace, but things are complicated somewhat by the fact there is a collective agreement in place which may well limit or impact what you can do. Broadly speaking, employers cannot breach their collective agreements but also cannot create policies which are unreasonable. There is a series of older cases dealing with unionized employers and the "mask or vaccinate" dilemma

There are posted speed limits on our roads, but those limits are always subject to the overriding consideration of driving safely based on the circumstances at hand.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

Employers have a legal obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe workplace for their employees and visitors to the workplace. Choosing to ignore the ongoing risk of COVID-19 has consequences.

with unions arguing that requiring a vaccination as a condition of employment was unreasonable, when instead adequate protections could be achieved by requiring a mask. These cases do not deal with COVID-19 virus and are split in result. Each was decided on the evidence that was presented to the respective arbitrator and include assessments of the likelihood of someone becoming ill, the effects of that, and the relative protections offered by masks or vaccines. At present, there are no Canadian cases on point dealing with COVID-19 to provide guidance. There are posted speed limits on our roads, but those limits are always subject to the overriding consideration of driving safely based on the circumstances at hand. The absolute restrictions that remain must be obeyed. What you do beyond that is a matter of individual choice, subject to being second-guessed and facing the consequences if your choice is found to be inappropriate. Professional advice should be sought up front to help you make the right choice. Jeff Palamar is the leader of the Labour and Employment Law Practice Group at the Winnipeg law firm Taylor McCaffrey LLP. Since 2008 Jeff has been listed in the peer-selected Best Lawyers in Canada in his field. He focuses on helping employers thrive by finding creative and proactive solutions to the challenges they face. Taylor McCaffrey LLP is the exclusive Manitoba member of the Employment Law Alliance, the world's largest network of labour and employment lawyers.

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Advancing the People Side of Advanced Manufacturing

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine had the chance to sit down with Stewart Cramer, Chief Manufacturing Officer, and Kelly O’Neill, Director of Education & Training, with NGen – Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster to talk about what the group is working on related to education and development of Canada’s manufacturing workforce.

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Prairie Manufacturer (PM): NGen is a rather unique organization in that you’ve got a broad mandate to work on advanced manufacturing across Canada, but not just in a specific sub-sector. Not to mention you’re also working with partners and organizations beyond the manufacturing sector, like educational institutions, academia, and tons of other private- and public sector groups, and you’re not just focused on operations or efficiency. What has NGen been doing related to the people side of advanced manufacturing?

Stewart Cramer (SC): When we started building our programming for the supercluster, we travelled all over Canada talking to manufacturers, listening to employers. We did surveys, webinars, working groups, and discussion sessions. What really came back as the number one concern of Canadian manufacturers is workforce; that we won't have enough of the right people trained in the right areas. There are tremendous gaps and there are more coming. We see a tidal wave of retirements coming, and manufacturers don't have good answers for how they're going to staff their businesses going forward. The challenges are compounded because of all the changes associated with Industry 4.0. Canada has an existing workforce that is highly skilled and well trained, but not necessarily prepared for everything that's coming down the pike. What NGen has broadly focused on is what we call creating the workforce of the future and creating the more capable companies of the future to employ those workers, There are a couple of paths we've gone down, one of which is upskilling. As COVID-19 began to hit, we recognized that manufacturing workers were being underutilized; they were either being employed part-time or being furloughed and sent home.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

We recognized that there's great training available, but it's not always easy for companies to find. It's also not always easy for companies to know what to do, so we created a program around existing training that would support companies in both their transformation and transition toward Industry 4.0 and for their short- to-medium-term survival. NGen pays half of the training fees for the courses we have approved. We've also invested in the workers of the future and youth skills development. We've created a website called Careers of the Future intended to help young people see themselves in manufacturing careers and to dispel some of the myths around careers in manufacturing. We’re also supporting a project called Virtual Robotics Training Academy, which is a phenomenal way for young people to learn how to program industrial robots. We're doing some work around leadership development and transformation to help manufacturers – especially SMEs – better understand how to drive their companies in the future and keep people at the centre of what they’re doing. After all, it’s always about people, not just process. This program, the Transformation Leadership Program or TLP offers some unique tools to help companies develop and successfully execute transformation strategies with a real focus on team alignment and achieving well-defined and measurable outcomes. We've really got a kind of wide base of programming, and we're also looking to partnerships with business schools around work-integrated learning and internships.

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PM: There’s been coverage in the news lately that for us to get younger people more interested in manufacturing as a career, we need to get to them when they’re super young; that high school and after is simply too late. What role does NGen playing in working with these younger cohorts?

SC: We're doing some of that with our Careers of the Future, though that's really aimed more at kids in high school. The heart of what we're really trying to do is connect the dots, because a lot of the things that kids do in and out of school are very much like what they would do in a manufacturing career. It’s about helping them understand that manufacturing jobs are clean, safe, technically advanced, and incredibly rewarding. Kelly O’Neill (KO): When we think about workforce development, it's incumbent on us to consider the entire lifecycle from being a student to being an adult learner. NGen has a broad mandate, and we're starting to roll out a variety of pieces across the different periods of the student life cycle, and we are doing some important work with The Martin Family Initiative that recognizes the contributions advanced manufacturing can make to economic reconciliation. Working with Indigenous learners from grade 6 through adult learners, NGen & the MFI recognizes this opportunity to invite Indigenous peoples into this critical transformation of the workforce. I think, yes, absolutely, we must start younger. People have started their career planning by high school, so we need to engage with the younger students and their educators. What’s interesting right now in our society – business and beyond - is that we have an entire workforce of people who went to school in in a way that school doesn't look like anymore, so we need to be able to speak to many different groups in many ways. The high tech is great, but high touch is also very important, and we’re working to carry a variety of resources that will be applicable to all sorts of industries within advanced manufacturing but to varying comfort levels and specific learning styles. We're looking into some exciting diagnostics that have been developed and widely piloted.

We’ve really got a kind of wide base of programming, and we’re also looking to partnerships with business schools around work-integrated learning and internships.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

Dynamic Source Manufacturing:

20 Years of Innovation and Connectedness By Heather Patrao-Rasiah, Dynamic Source Manufacturing Inc.

Connecting Technology and Our People The age of digital transformation and the Internet of Things (IoT) is an empowering one. It isn’t just about technologies that speed up tasks or robotics that replace people’s jobs. It is about innovating products, workflow, safety, and quality customer experiences in a way that allows companies to focus on people first. Dynamic Source Manufacturing (DSM) is a global Electronics Manufacturing Services provider that pushes the boundaries of new technology. Our strong commitment to Industry 4.0, our Lean manufacturing philosophy, and continuous improvement has positioned us to fixate on meaningful staff roles and deeper customization of our digital strategy. Founded in 2000, where DSM started out with just 6 employees in Calgary, Alberta, we embarked on automating our factory from day one. Our journey brought us to reach new milestones: In 2015, we opened a manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona. In Calgary, we are pleased to be moving into a new state-of-the-art building this October. Now celebrating DSM’s 20th year, we are honored to be doing our part in paving the way to building world-leading capabilities in advanced manufacturing.

Revolutionizing Our Workflow to Increase Efficiency Over the last decade, we are proud to have collaborated with companies providing innovative solutions that support DSM’s vision. We partnered with Cogiscan to incorporate component traceability systems, providing instant reporting and the ability to trace lot codes to serial numbers. Through our Assure X-Ray Component Counter from Nordson DAGE, our component counting accuracy is 100% with a 95% reduction in count time.

When we originally implemented our Juki Automation System for intelligent storage management, we realized a significant difference in our inventory footprint: A 95% reduction in kitting time, and 100% kitting accuracy. This year, our team is taking this a step further to optimize productivity, speed, and product turnaround time for our customers. Recently, DSM installed an Autonomous Mobile Robot from Omron Automation, with attached carrying trays from Vention Industrial Robots. This robot is programmed to selfnavigate from the shipping area and deliver materials to our Juki storage system throughout the day, a process that our team used to take on manually. Later this year, we plan to install a Cobot arm (robotics designed to interact and work safely with people) to augment our material handling processes. In addition to transforming our workflow, incorporating robotics and automation achieves much more. Our enhanced production cycle frees up time for our team to focus on more important responsibilities, improves access to materials, optimizes workspace, and significantly increases our level of safety in the factory. Removing the need for manual heavy lifting reduces the risk of accidents and injury. Feel free to check out our robot in action via our website.

Looking Ahead DSM has come a long way over the last 2 decades, and we are not stopping here. We are exceedingly grateful to partner with like-minded companies that help us move forward in advanced manufacturing to reach our shared Industry 4.0 goal. As we look toward the future, we are increasingly building synergism between our community and technologies to help our customers achieve their goals, to empower our team, and to strengthen partnerships to last a lifetime.

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PM: How is the work that you’re doing different than what’s been done in the past for workforce development for the manufacturing sector?

SC: I think one of the things we've done differently, is, as Kelly mentioned, taken a very broad perspective and in a real sense, identified our constituents as the Canadian workforce of the future no matter where they are in their journeys today. Some of them are already working, and others are still in elementary school, secondary and post-secondary schools across the country. Another thing we’re doing that’s different is helping companies understand the relationships between their future employees and the types of relationships that are needed to be successful. One of the gaps that we're trying to address with our Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) is that companies who take on a digital transformation fail about 80 per cent of the time. This is typically not because the technology doesn't work. It's really about leadership; it's about what value proposition they’re trying to achieve, what projects they’re taking on, how are they are strategizing and launching them, and how they execute.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

A lot of it ties back to people, and so a big part of the TLP is around peoplecentric leadership, and the people-side implications of Industry 4.0. It's about change management, and we're hoping that by creating this more virtuous cycle, we can build that workforce, but we can also build the relationships between the companies and their future employees. We're trying to make connections all over the ecosystem, and we're trying to be the bridge between industry and academia and between industry and primary and secondary education. It’s those relationships that are going to result in young people making choices to pursue careers in manufacturing in Canada. There are a lot of groups that have approached this in bits and pieces, and I think they've done some really good work. There's a lot of great stuff out there, but not many people are approaching things in a holistic way. And it has to be approached holistically, because we need to look at what those careers are going to look like over the full career lifecycle, which means how do we create lifelong learning.

We’re not competing with anybody. We’re just here to make sure everybody wins and, at the end of the day, manufacturing flourishes.

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PM: NGen is really looking at these challenges through a different lens, aren’t you?

SC: Absolutely. Typically, manufacturing programs focus on engineering schools. We’ve focused on the business schools, because NGen’s mandate is to build highly profitable, successful, growing manufacturing businesses for Canada. That’s how you create a sustainable workforce, and it’s how you drive our economy forward. We've spoken with business schools across Canada to discuss manufacturing as a business, and the conversations have been quite interesting. Some of the business schools say that we should be speaking with the engineering school, and we say ‘well, we're talking about businesses that happen to manufacture, not people who like to build stuff, who might like to make a buck every now and then.’ NGen is interesting because, first, we’re sector agnostic. Second, we have a broad charter to be a connector. We try to be a bridge in that we have domain expertise in manufacturing and technology, but we also have extensive expertise in education and training. We're trying to find a way to be multilingual and speak to all of those stakeholders. We’re the organization that brings them together at the table to say, ‘Hey, Canada has a problem we have to solve together.” There are 1.7 million jobs in manufacturing in Canada, and it's 10 per cent of our GDP. Let’s not just protect it, let’s grow it to make sure those jobs are there, and that those good jobs become better jobs. I think it's a unique opportunity because of the way the supercluster’s been set up. We get to be that middleware, and we don't have to pick one side or the other. We bring people together to facilitate dialogue and let the ideas start to percolate, then we can support them with projects and training. In some cases, we're creating new training or encouraging universities and colleges to create micro-credentials from existing programs. In other cases, we’re just facilitating and promoting the great work they've already done, and, because of our charter, we can do both. We're not competing with anybody. We're just here to make sure everybody wins and, at the end of the day, manufacturing flourishes.

There are 1.7 million jobs in manufacturing in Canada, and it’s 10 per cent of our GDP. Let’s not just protect it, let’s grow it to make sure those jobs are there, and that those good jobs become better jobs.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

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PM: Do you find there’s any issues with territoriality in the networks or groups you’re facilitating or working with? How do you get around that, or better yet, how do you work with it?

SC: We just love seeing cool manufacturing projects. We’ve found brilliance everywhere we’ve looked, including some great projects in the Prairies. One thing we do is find capable people around Canada who are doing work that we think is complementary. We constantly make the introductions to facilitate the connections between companies, groups, and institutions. It’s a kind of cluster-building, because at the end of the day, we’re too small a country, population-wise, to not take advantage of all our strengths, regardless of geography When we learn of best practices in one part of the country, we’re going to share it widely and make as many connections as possible between all sorts of smart people. We’ve made huge investments in education, training, and manufacturing in every province and territory, but it's been fragmented. Through NGen’s Amp Up initiative, we've got people taking courses from across the country. I’ve got a company in PEI that signed up for courses with Sask Polytech, UBC’s Sauder School, and the BC Alliance for Manufacturing, as well as industry-based training from Montreal. All these courses were developed through public funding (i.e., taxpayer investment), so it’s really a no-brainer to make the connections to get as many Canadians as possible to take the courses and improve our return on investment.

What’s interesting right now in our society – business and beyond - is that we have an entire workforce of people who went to school in in a way that school doesn’t look like anymore, so we need to be able to speak to many different groups in many ways.

To learn more about NGen, their current and future projects, and how you can get involved, please visit www.ngen.ca today.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

PHOTO COURTESY: XTENDED HYDRAULICS & MACHINE

Spotlight on By Prairie Manufacturer Staff

hen you think of Saskatchewan, what’s the first thought that comes to mind? Canada’s breadbasket? Potash? Roughriders? Well, add in high-technology, innovation, and unmanned aerial vehicles, and you’d be right! Meet two Saskatchewan-based manufacturers who are driving innovation in their respective fields and having tremendously positive impacts on people and the environment.

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Rob Tebb - Xtended Hydraulics & Machine Emerald Park

ince 2013, Emerald Park, Saskatchewan-based Xtended Hydraulics & Machine has been manufacturing, repairing, and custom machining hydraulic cylinders for customers across Canada and beyond. Xtended is a Certified Aboriginal Business with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and has been 100 per cent Indigenous and privately owned since its start. About half of the company’s staff are of Indigenous descent, and the owners employ a 50:50 management staff policy of women and men. Xtended is run by partners Katherine and Rob Tebb. The company is deeply rooted in Saskatchewan, said Robb, and not just because his family goes back 10-plus generations in the province. Tebb says that Saskatchewan just makes sense for his manufacturing company and their future.

“We have access to a tremendous workforce here in the province and there’s so much skill and talent that is essentially untapped,” says Tebb. “We started the company as a way to give back to our community, so we’re big into apprenticeship and trades training, which is giving us one of the most hard-working and dedicated workforces out there.” “Being in Saskatchewan means we get to work with the great folks at Sask Trade and Export Partnership (STEP),” says Tebb. “They are so well connected around the world, and they take the time to understand our business and what we can offer. They can make the introductions to the decision-makers in our target markets.” As you might expect with being located in Saskatchewan, Xtended has strong ties to the province’s potash mining industry, but that doesn’t mean Tebb and his team are resting on their laurels.

“We hired a sales manager out of the oil and gas industry, so I asked him what the needs of that industry might be,” says Tebb. “He said for the last twenty years that he’d been getting asked for a retractable quill for pipeline chemical injection, and there just wasn’t one on the market.” “My first reaction was ‘what the heck is a quill?!” Tebb says. A quill is a needle-like piece of equipment that hangs down into a pipeline to allow for the injection of chemicals like drag reducers or diluents, or to allow for off-gassing of the pipe. Regular quills are fixed in place through an access port, and they create an obstacle to pipeline maintenance equipment like pigs. “Making the quill retractable is a game changer,” says Tebb. “A company can save tremendous amounts of time, money, and GHG emissions when they don’t have to send a crew out to extract and reinstall the quills. They can save

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“Our productivity in the North American region is second to none.” Seth L’Hoir

Plant Manager CNH Industries Saskatoon

Saskatchewan’s highly productive workforce presents many opportunities for manufacturers. In 2020, SK had the 2nd highest manufacturing productivity in Canada. Saskatchewan is young and well-educated. Youth aged 15 to 24 accounted for 13% of those employed in the province in 2020. Three out of five employed people in the province have completed at least some post-secondary education or training. Saskatchewan has worked hard to establish a favourable business environment for manufacturers with many competitive advantages such as a low corporate income tax for manufacturers and processors at 10%, targeted incentives, and world-class research and development facilities. Saskatchewan’s manufacturers are building leading edge products and technologies such as continuous mining equipment, autonomous farm equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and deep-space antenna systems. The province’s large natural resource sectors present many supply chain opportunities for manufacturers and service providers. For more information on what Saskatchewan can offer your business visit saskatchewan.ca/invest.

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even more if the quills are automated and controlled remotely, which our hydraulics systems allow.” Tebb said there were two factors behind the development of his company’s new technology. First, he credits his staff for being able to bring the idea to life.

“The teamwork that went into bringing this design to reality is nothing short of incredible,” said Tebb. “The other factor was working with great Saskatchewan partners like the Saskatchewan Research Council. From our initial contact to the finishing product

we could not have asked for a better experience,” said Tebb. “It’s world-leading knowledge and expertise right in our own backyard,” he continued, “and we’re fortunate to be able to tap into it.”

amount of chemical used by up to 95 per cent.” “There are more than 570 million farms around the world,” says McCann, “and 560 million of them are microto small farming operations. Most of them will never have a large piece of equipment touch their fields, but drone technology reduces the capital outlay needed and can service even the smallest of operations.” “Even in larger farming operations, drone technology makes sense,” McCann explains. “There’s often some part of the field that’s a challenge to reach with traditional large implements due to topography or geography, so taking to the air expands the farmer’s reach.” Asked why Precision AI chose Saskatchewan as its home base, McCann offers a quote from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s long-time business partner: fish where the fish are.

“Saskatchewan is at the heart of crop production in Canada, and there’s a tremendous amount of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit present in this region,” says McCann. “We’ve got the key elements here for a precision agriculture corridor between Regina and Saskatoon. Companies here – manufacturing, technology, and ag - and the people here are just great at creating and collaborating,” McCann says. McCann also gives credit to the support offered by the Saskatchewan government through the STEP program for helping Precision AI grow and take on the global market from the heart of the Canadian breadbasket. “STEP, the research council, and the Global Trade Hub… it all combines to make Saskatchewan the perfect spot for our business.”

Dan McCann - Precision AI Regina

recision AI is a Regina-based agtech start-up aiming to support sustainable farming practices with computer vision technology. Dan McCann with Precision AI explains that the company’s technology enables the application of herbicide to individual weeds in row crop farming situations – particularly when using the company’s newest drone-based systems. “Using traditional high-clearance sprayers, producers would be spraying herbicides on potentially the whole crop,” says McCann. “More than 80 per cent of the chemical would be wasted because it wasn’t ending up on the weeds.” “In an industry where margins can be razor tight and your product is at the mercy of Mother Nature, wasting 80 per cent of an input during any application just doesn't make sense – financially or environmentally,” McCann says. “Our technology can reduce the

Saskatchewan Spotlight Advanced Manufacturing and Ag Tech - Saskatchewan companies design and produce world class advanced manufacturing solutions, providing high-tech equipment that boosts productivity in traditional resource based economic sectors - Recent innovations include monitoring and autosteering systems for the agriculture industry and unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing to be used in control and monitoring systems for agricultural purposes.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

- Saskatchewan is the second-largest exporter of agri-food products in Canada, with sales reaching $16.9 billion in 2020. - Along with resources like agriculture crops, potash, uranium, oil & gas, and rare earth minerals like helium and lithium, Saskatchewan has advanced research centres to support development and processing in those areas.

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WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

Start Here to Get There By Bev Stuart

From strong roots I grew up in Winnipeg’s Weston neighbourhood. Some folks might know this area more for the CP rail yards or for being a tougher area of the city. No matter, though, it was my home, and I have always been proud of where my journey began. I grew up in a family with working parents who made enough to give us a good life, but there wasn’t any extra. My dad was a self-employed entrepreneur, and while he owned a couple of different businesses, they weren’t runaway successes. My mom worked in management in the restaurant and hospitality field and was a fantastic leader. I learned a lot watching her manage people from a place of genuine care and compassion. At a very young age, I learned that if there was anything I wanted, I’d have to work for it (and work hard!). Like other kids at that time, I had flyer routes and paper routes to earn my money, and I babysat for neighbours around us. I had my first part-time job at 15 and was a supervisor by the time I was 17.

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Early indicators Looking back on my time in school, it’s almost funny how no one talked to us about what might lay beyond high school. Post-secondary was barely mentioned, and any talk about ‘careers’ was minimal at best. Because I was so passionate about sports, the perpetual career advice I received was (of course) to become a Phys. Ed teacher. Sport for me was life-giving. It was engaging for both my body and my mind. It was freeing in many ways, but I’d never felt more ‘part’ of something than being on a team playing toward a common goal. It was more than just a pastime; it was exactly where I wanted to be! For me, it didn’t matter if I was a team captain or just another player. I was always taking on some sort of leadership role regardless of my position, and I was always cheering on my teammates and trying to lift them up if a

play didn’t go as planned. I played both team- and individual sports but loved the team dynamics. The strategizing and the review of the game that had just happened was second nature for me. I would analyze what I could have done differently and how the game might have turned out had my team and I done something differently. I was always asking ‘how can we make it better for next time.’ Naturally, I loved to win, but as long we played well and tried our best, I was ok with losing – because we’d get them next time. I was a visualizer when it came to playing sports. In baseball, for example, I would imagine the ball coming toward me on second base, and I would run the double play through my mind with multiple scenarios – second base to first, or second base to third, or second

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All of this was leadership, just in a bit of disguise: building teams, developing a shared vision, aligning around shared values, strategic planning, and finding joy and passion in meaningful work.

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base to home plate. I can still feel the exhilaration of making a double play. It wasn’t ‘til later in life I realized this skill was crucial to my career. All of this was leadership, just in a bit of disguise: building teams, developing a shared vision, aligning around shared values, strategic planning, and finding joy and passion in meaningful work. That’s something that my mother taught me as I was growing up. Find something you love to do, and you’ll never really ‘work’ a day in your life. If I’m not able to find the fun in what I’m doing or where I’m doing it, it’s a sign that I need to move along.

Forward and back

After high school, despite what might have been expected of me, I headed to university, but I had to leave my degree program early. It was a tough decision, to say the least, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. My mom suggested that I look into careers in IT, as she said, “I think computers are really catching on.” Well, she was undoubtedly correct, and while taking Information Systems Management courses at night, I landed an incredible job with a progressive company that valued and supported continuous learning and education. Although computer programming wasn’t for me, computer operations and network administration were. After just a few years working in the field, my leadership abilities were acknowledged, and I was placed into a management position. I was very fortunate to be with a company that believed in the value of education and supported me in my

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educational journey. Even though I had to leave university when I was younger, I ended up getting a much more well-rounded learning experience through part-time study while working full time. I ended up completing credentials in administrative management, human resources, and adult and continuing education. Working in management, I discovered I had a knack for spotting and uncovering great people who would be a good fit on my team. Back then, there really wasn’t much formal education for computer operations or network administration, so people weren’t formally trained for the roles; they’d typically learn on the job. So, I would spot internal talent in other business areas, have a ‘career conversation’ with them, and encourage them to apply for opportunities within my department – and, of course, hire them. I loved everything about my role and the organization, so I was torn apart when the company announced that it was moving to Alberta. Leaving Manitoba was not something I wanted to do at that time in my life.

When one door closes… When the company moved away, and I didn’t, it was a perfect opportunity

Women Making,

Exporting & Innovating Helping you grow your business is our business. Advice • Training • Networking Financing • Peer Mentorship

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Suzan Stupack, The STAK Co.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

for a shift in my career. I transitioned into the field of career and workforce development because I realized that this was something that came very naturally to me as a leader. My purpose-driven journey led me to the Manitoba Institute of Trades & Technology (MITT), where I have worked in numerous roles; the latest as Vice President, Business and Organizational Development. It’s a position that combines the best of all my career and learning experiences with my passion for serving as a leader. Last year, our president asked me to step into an acting role as the Vice President, Academic. I’m going to be honest, I thought he was losing his mind, but he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself; what a wonderful feeling to be on the receiving end of someone seeing your strengths and capabilities that you haven’t – yet. My term in the role was rewarding and I learned so much more about the organization and myself.

For my next act… I’m in a different stage of life, and I’ve got plenty for which to be grateful: my family, including my now-grown children, my challenging career, wonderful friends, and more! Now, though, I’ve got some time and new energy to spend

on myself to keep growing as a leader. It’s my love of learning and desire to be a better leader that’s got me pursuing my master’s degree in leadership. Like the rest of my education, the part-time program I’m taking is very much applied and experiential learning, so it really feels like home. For those who know me well, it’s not a surprise that I’ve taken on this latest challenge. It’s been something I’ve just done all my life. My daughters – one of whom actually just graduated from MITT – have never asked me why I’m doing this; they know why and they are as proud of me as I am of them.

It’s my love of learning and desire to be a better leader that’s got me pursuing my master’s degree in leadership.

Finale? Far from it! What’s next for me? I genuinely love what I do and am grateful to work with such an amazing team of people. Working as part of the executive team at MITT, I get to be creative, innovative, and strategic. I am honoured to coach and mentor rising stars across the organization, and as a leader, I am still learning and stretching myself every day. I am making a difference, and for me, this personal and professional value is deep-seated. I enjoy sharing with others the insights I’ve gained through my life, and I want to, in a way, pay it forward to the others, like me, who are out there making a go of it, regardless of their backgrounds or origins. I’m empowered and encouraged by where I’ve come from. I Started There to Get Here, and I’m not slowing down one bit! After all, when you rise to any challenge, you’re just taking yourself to the ‘next level me!’ Bev Stuart is Associate Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives at MITT. She has over 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, career and workforce development, and strategic human resource planning and development. Her experience includes working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, designing, developing, and implementing initiatives and strategies for developing Manitoba’s workforce.

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In conversation with…

Dr. Robyn Harrison

all and winter are typically respiratory illness season in Canada, and with that comes the usual suspects of influenza, RSV, and so many common colds. But, what if anything about the last 18 months has been typical? Prairie Manufacturer’s editor, Jeff Baker, spoke with Dr. Robyn Harrison to explore what we’ve learned so far in the COVID-19 pandemic and what we can do going forward to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus and other viral infections we typically experience at this time of year. Dr. Harrison is an Infectious Disease Specialist working in Edmonton and a Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta. She is also Communicable Disease Consultant for the province-wide Alberta Health Services Workplace Health and Safety Program, and Vice-chair of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). *This conversation took place on August 6, 2021. Jeff Baker: I must confess, Dr. Harrison, every time I have a conversation about COVID-19 and the impact on business, I hope it’s the last one. However, we’re 18-plus months into this pandemic, and there doesn’t seem to be an ‘end’ in sight. Where are we really at in the terms of the pandemic life cycle? Dr. Robyn Harrison: While no one knows with absolute certainty what the length of this pandemic life cycle will be, we can be very optimistic that vaccines will shorten it. We also know that historically pandemics eventually do end, although they often take two to three years to resolve when there are not effective vaccines or treatments for the circulating virus. After 18 months’ experience in Canada, and a little longer globally, we see that illness from this virus comes in waves. Unfortunately the virus has not gone away (yet). In fact, we seem to be on the verge of a fourth wave as we speak. Fortunately though, for the first time in Canada, we're in a new and significantly improved era: that of COVID-19 vaccination. This places us in a much better position this fall as compared to last fall.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

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PHOTO COURTESY: DR. ROBYN HARRISON

Guidelines and rules may change in different jurisdictions at different times, so it is important to keep on top of your provincial or territorial public health guidelines and orders.

We know we have new variants of the virus that have emerged through the pandemic, and that some of those variants spread faster and more easily from one person to others, but we also see an increasing number of people who are gaining protection (including protection from the current variants of the virus) through vaccination. Some have likened this to race between variants of the virus and protection from vaccines. The vaccines are doing very well. I do not think anyone can predict exactly how the next few months will play out as we look forward to a pandemic finish line. It seems we are getting very close, but we are not quite there yet. The world still needs more people immunized.

we are a lot further ahead this year than we were last year and we should certainly high five that. We should high-five things like the science that has brought us remarkably effective vaccines. We should recognize the commitment to health that those around us have shown by choosing to be vaccinated and by staying home when ill in order to protect others. So while we can't yet declare the pandemic over, we can say that we're rounding a bend, and we now need to work out how we're going to get across our finish line safely. It is in sight.

JB: So, are we high fiving too soon?

JB: What should we have learned by this point about respiratory illnesses and the impact they have on our lives and society at large?

RH: Well, we've got a lot to be proud of at this stage in the pandemic so I think we can high-five a little along the way! I've been watching Olympic events this week. The teams can certainly high five the successes that bring them to the Olympic event, and even to those final moments in a race, but we also know things can change in a fraction of a second, so no one can afford to lose focus too early. Reflecting upon our collective ability over the past 18 months to pivot and adapt to working and living differently when it is necessary to do so is important. Combining that knowledge and practice with the power of vaccines means that

RH: The SARS-CoV-2 virus (that is the virus that causes COVID-19) has really highlighted our connectivity - our people, our workers, their families, our friends and families, and our travellers. We're all connected, often in ways that we might not appreciate until we see the spread of a virus. Infections can be acquired during travel, or at a celebration; in the community, in a household, or at work. Viruses can impact our productivity, cause fatigue or lasting symptoms, or they can lead to loss of life. We cannot always predict who will be most severely affected, and viruses can impact us indirectly when we grieve for others.

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

I think the SARS-CoV-2 virus has taught us about how we interact with others too, especially where this virus is most contagious in the hours and days when a person first develops symptoms. The virus can spread easily even before people suspect or realize there's a problem. This has been a major challenge. What we keep learning with respiratory infections (about ways we can reduce the risk of spreading them) is that outdoors is better than indoors; that we need to stay at home when we’re sick; and that hand washing and physical distancing work to prevent spread. We need to properly consider the “three C's”: crowded spaces, confined spaces, and close person-to-person contact. If we can manage those, then we can manage the spread of illnesses. In addition, effective vaccines are our most powerful tool to add to this prevention mix. Vaccines can help us to stay connected and protected. Some people get vaccines to protect themselves since it offers direct protection to them; and if we all do that, then we can collectively protect many others because if we don't get sick, then we're far less likely to pass something on to someone else. JB: The public health and hygiene measures we’ve been practicing over the last 18 months – isolation, physical distancing, barriers, masking, etc – are

old hat for most of us, but some rules are changing in some places. What should we consider continuing to do through the coming respiratory illness season? RH: We're entering a whole new phase now, facing a fourth wave of COVID-19 in Canada, but with the presence and power of vaccination. Other usual respiratory viruses may also resurface at this time. As a result, COVID-19 vaccines and influenza vaccines are recommended for age-eligible Canadians. We should strive to remain flexible, and attentive at this time. Communication with the frontline workforce will also be very important for businesses. Guidelines and rules may change in different jurisdictions at different times, so it is important to keep on top of your provincial or territorial public health guidelines and orders. Every leader will also need to be prepared to be flexible and adaptable in their own business setting. For example, we still need to treat COVID-19 infections in workplaces seriously. Supporting people to stay home when ill will protect others and the viability of the workforce. Vaccines are proving to be incredibly effective at preventing severe disease and death, but even as good as they are, they do not offer 100% protection for every person so there can still be a few rare cases of infection in those who have had their vaccines.

This is great time to bolster or fine tune communication channels within workplace settings. Think carefully about how you want to communicate when a change in direction in your setting may be necessary. How will you let everybody know if change in the work setting is required? How will you talk about it? What if you need to get a message out quickly and efficiently and have people engaged in the conversation? JB: How do we keep people engaged when so many might be sick and tired of everything we've been doing and they just want to get back to normal? RH: I think this will boil down to efficient and honest communication. Ideally, we let people know in advance when change is coming. In work settings, it will be good to celebrate changes such as opening some of the activities that people used to enjoy at break time or allowing people more flexibility to visit in person, but it may also be wise to alert people to the fact that it is possible at times they may have to temporarily revert to some of the old methods – a sort of “standby” period. Reminding people of the power of vaccination to get us all back to normal activities safely can also help. Try to assist those who may feel uncertain or hesitant about vaccines to learn more from trusted resources to help them reach their goal of moving past the pandemic time.

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JB: From an OH&S standpoint, how can a business manage a workforce with both vaccinated and unvaccinated people?

If there have been pandemic modifications made to breakroom spaces or schedules (to reduce crowding in poorly ventilated settings for example or to improve access to hand cleaning) then consider engaging the team in making decisions about what changes might be helpful to keep over the longer term.

RH: The first thing, I would say, is that this is a very good time to bolster vaccination of the workforce. There are some great examples of industries and businesses across the Prairies doing this already. For example, I was asked this spring if I could help promote confidence amongst a company’s workforce as someone who can speak to vaccines and the science around them. Taking the time to address questions or concerns of those who may have questions or feel hesitant about vaccines is time well spent. Research shows that people who are hesitant or uncertain are not necessarily against vaccination. Education can help. When not everyone is immunized in a community, and knowing that not everyone has an immune system that allows them to respond optimally to the vaccines, reminds us that the virus can still enter a worksite because this virus hasn't gone away. Some businesses are looking toward incentives for workers to be immunized, or allowing time away from work in order to obtain vaccine doses; and some are exploring making vaccines a condition of employment. Every industry should be looking for ways to learn what barriers to immunization might exist for people in their workforce and exploring ways to ensure workers have access to vaccines. Facilitating access to trusted resources to assist those who are uncertain about vaccines to feel confident and proceed with immunization can also help.

JB: Is it okay to do more than the public health guidelines or rules say to do? RH: Yes, it is okay, and I think we really need to foster a culture that lets that happen. For example, if people choose to wear a mask and it doesn't interfere with their work or other personal protective equipment for other tasks, then why can’t they wear a mask? It’s been very interesting through the pandemic, because even in businesses where people were accustomed to seeing masks, there were stories of people saying they felt ridiculed or made to feel silly for wearing a mask, and that clearly should no longer be the case since a mask can protect someone else. Every business also needs to consider carefully how they support people to speak honestly and stay home when they're ill with a contagious respiratory illness. All it takes is one contagious person to infect many other workers and their families and so on. One thing we've seen is that a culture of presenteeism when ill with a communicable disease can and does cause harm and unintended consequences.

Manufacturers tackle COVID-19 response

Looking forward…

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“It’s just the flu” JB: When should or could we expect the COVID-19 virus to become just one of the ‘usual suspects’ in our repertoire of respiratory viruses? Do we want to get to that point? RH: Ideally, we would like to just drive COVID-19 out of here. If everyone the world over were safely vaccinated quickly so that the virus didn’t have a chance, that would be optimal. However, we need to be prepared for the possibility that the virus will stick around and persist season after season like many other illnesses do. While public health measures are always available to us as tools, the hope is that vaccination will eventually take the edge off this viral infection by reducing severe disease and death to the point where we can use vaccine together with basic hygiene measures such as respiratory etiquette and handwashing alone for prevention. The challenge will remain though for those people who can't be immunized, or for those whose immune systems are weak so they do not respond well enough to the vaccines for protection. We currently face this challenge with influenza too. It reminds us of the importance of taking care to distance/mask and stay home when ill for the protection of others if even ill with influenza-like symptoms such as fever and cough. The next four months will be telling. JB: As a physician working in the field of infectious diseases, vaccines, and workplace health and safety, what words of wisdom can you offer to our readers? RH: The world has seen on average two to three pandemics per century, but this one in particular makes history because past pandemics have been caused by influenza viruses whereas this pandemic was caused by a novel coronavirus instead, and it posed new scientific challenges. COVID-19 is a serious disease, and we are all collectively seeing science and public health guidance evolve in realtime; but the virus has only been half the story. This has really been a story about people and how we communicate, how we succeed or fail in working together, and how we navigate political, business, and social ways of life. We’ve learned a great deal about how we can better protect workplaces, workers, families, and communities in the face of communicable diseases including the important role for industry to support vaccination, and endorse the efforts of public health, science, and medicine. Business leaders need to have a voice and if we can partner to do this we will be stronger.

e all know COVID-19 has had significant negative impact on Canada’s economy, society, and health. But did you know other respiratory illnesses, like influenza and the common cold, also negatively impact our country? Each year in Canada: - Influenza causes an estimated 2,500,000 cases of illness (but because it’s often underreported, the actual number may be closer to 4 million) - Influenza results in 3,500 deaths - Influenza causes more than 12,000 hospitalizations and 175,000 emergency department visits - Influenza-related deaths are the highest among vaccine-preventable diseases - On average, each hospitalized case of influenza costs our healthcare system nearly $15,000 - The common cold results in more than 8 hours of lost productivity per person, per infection - More than $300 million is spent on cough and cold remedies, which for the most part don’t improve symptoms or change the course of illness Every year in Canada, approximately 7.5 million workdays are lost to influenza, and on average, people miss three to five workdays each. If people come to work sick, their productivity drops by about 50 per cent. People who have to work with these sick people in the workplace also experience a significant drop in their productivity. A study by Queen’s University concluded that employees who come to work sick cost employers twice as much in productivity losses than employees who stay home. When accounting for indirect (lost productivity) and direct (doctor visits and medicines) costs, the study estimated the annual productivity loss at more than US$40 billion each year in Canada. The good news? The same measures that help fight COVID-19 can help mitigate the impacts influenza and the common cold have on our businesses, our people and families, and our society.

Visit www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html for information about vaccines and other health topics.

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Despite a Rare Genetic Disorder … Kayne Sees His Dream Come True!

How our Compassionate Dream Community Made it Happen Kayne is a happy, fun-loving kid – with Chronic Granulomatous Disease, a rare genetic disorder. “He started showing the signs at about one year old,” Kayne’s mom says. Kayne was growing pale. His blood hemoglobin (red blood cell) levels dropped. And he got pneumonia. When Kayne was 2, he developed a cyst on his leg. And for the next two years, he was in and out of the hospital – often because his temperature would shoot up unexpectedly. After that, Kayne’s condition seemed to settle down. So, his mom enrolled him in kindergarten. He loved it. But he developed a chest infection that sent him back to the hospital. After he was released, he was still receiving care for pneumonia and heart palpitations. Finally, he had stem cell transplant surgery, and it went well! Because of his illness, Kayne was never able to play like the other kids. So, his dream was to have a backyard playset with a tunnel and a slide. And that’s what he got — thanks to our Dream Community (including you!) and their incredible generosity. We are also so grateful to a team of volunteers from Princess Auto, who worked from morning to night to get the playset set up for the big reveal. “The look on Kayne’s face made it all worthwhile,” says Jen at Princess Auto. Kayne’s mom agrees. With a big smile on her face, she said, “Kayne told me, ‘This is so fun! I love you, mommy. You’re the best!’” Yes, that really does make it all worthwhile, and it’s the support of our community that makes it possible. Thank you!

If you’d like to help make more dreams come true for kids like Kayne - visit www.thedreamfactory.ca/donate to make a donation; or learn more about how you can get involved with a Dream come true in your community.

Here’s Kayne, happier than ever, enjoying the playset of his dreams, made possible by you – thank you! Can you see the resemblance to his original plan?!

Prairie Manufacturer is proud to support The Dream Factory - a Manitoba charity making dreams come true for children in our community who are battling life-threatening illnesses.

Makers making a difference Manufacturers make the world a better place by giving back, paying it forward By Jeff Baker

aking things is old hat for manufacturers around the world, and right here at home on the Prairies. For some companies and leaders, altruism in the driving factor behind the giving back, while for others, though the altruism is still there, it’s part of a larger business decision around brand and product awareness and employee engagement and retention. Regardless of the impetus behind the initiative, it’s always heartening to hear of or see a company and its employees doing something that makes a positive difference in the community, local or global.

Supporting the community Wendell Wiebe, Chief Executive Officer of Manitoba Aerospace says companies in his sector – and beyond – realize they’re part of a larger community and ecosystem and they have a role to play in supporting the people who make up those communities. “Leaders tend to believe in the importance of giving back to their communities,” says Wiebe. “The larger picture of corporate social responsibility has helped highlight how critical it is to make the world a better place for people.” Wiebe explains that Manitoba Aerospace members have a history of

generosity that goes well beyond the companies’ facilities and employees. “Thirteen years ago, our members decided that they wanted to start an endowment fund to support the students who were training in programs that would feed the industry’s workforce,” Wiebe says. “We were doing an awards dinner and gala and a golf tournament that were the largest fundraisers for that endowment fund. Today, there’s more than $400,000 in the fund, and we were able to award 14 scholarships to students in the past year.” “The scholarships started out at a couple hundred dollars,” explains Wiebe. “This year, the scholarships are in the area of $1500 per student, so the industry really is making a difference for the workforce of tomorrow.”

projects each year, donating their time so deserving families can purchase a home of their own.” “There are members who participate in the Dragon Boat races each year, in the Multiple Sclerosis Society bike rallies, in Indigenous community outreach and service campaigns,” Bowen says. One initiative called Sleep in Heavenly Peace has companies coming together to build beds – single and bunk – for children in the local community so, as the project’s motto says, no child will sleep on the floor in our town. Bowen explains, “one of our members is taking a full day in October to focus on building beds, and they’re bringing together resources, materials, and people from other organizations to build as many beds as possible.”

Bigger than any one company

Learning the ropes

Wiebe’s colleague, Barbara Bowen, Director of Special Projects at Manitoba Aerospace, explains that the association-level initiatives are just the start for many companies. “Our members are all doing things on their own, and they’re helping drive positive change throughout the larger community,” says Bowen. “We’ve got a company that regularly convenes a team of employees to work at Habitat for Humanity building

Beyond the obvious charitable work, Manitoba Aerospace members also extensively support the training institutes that develop the next generation of workers. Wiebe explains that some of the materials used in the manufacture of aircraft have ‘use by’ dates, after which they aren’t allowed to be used in commercial production. “These materials are very advanced and are very expensive to purchase,” says Wiebe. “Manufacturers offer their expired

“At the end of the day, it’s about companies and their people connecting with the larger community for the benefit of all. We all have to take care of each other.”

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

PHOTO COURTESY: HEART TEAM/FACEBOOK

“Usually, the HEART missions are recovery-only. This one was different in that it ended up being a rescue and we actually got to speak with these folks and their family.”

materials to the schools, and the students get hands-on experience with the actual goods and machines they’ll be using on the job.” “Even if the manufacturers don’t have materials to donate,” says Wiebe, “they often have arrangements with their suppliers to permit the schools to purchase materials and supplies at preferred customer rates.” “At the end of the day, it’s about companies and their people connecting

with the larger community for the benefit of all,” Wiebe says. “We all have to take care of each other.”

Sunday outing goes awry For some manufacturers, giving back and paying it forward means taking to the skies. Literally. Jack Maendal, CEO of Morris, Manitoba-based Ecopoxy, and managermember of Oak Bluff Colony, a local Hutterite community, took part in an

intensive search and rescue operation for a lost elderly couple. In June 2021, Brian and Evelyn Watt of Morris went for an afternoon drive with no destination in mind. It’s something most of us have probably done at some point in our lives, and it’s usually without incident. It’s a great example of the journey being enjoyable itself. But what makes this afternoon drive story different is that it resulted in missingpersons bulletins, search parties, and

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Lost in the wilderness With no idea where they were, family and friends of the Watts were rightfully concerned for their safety and wellbeing. They reported them as missing to the RCMP who then issued missingpersons bulletins and made appeals to local media outlets to enlist the public’s assistance in finding Brian and Evelyn. That’s when members of Oak Bluff Colony, took notice and jumped into action. The community showed just how big a heart they have for their fellow humans.

Wearing your HEART on your sleeve In response to the all-too-common deaths of community members and others due to drowning, members of Oak Bluff Colony established the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team, HEART. Normally, HEART is involved in the recovery of drowning victims’ bodies from bodies of water. Recently, the team has undertaken recoveries in Saskatchewan, recovering a drowning victim from more than 100 feet of water, and travelled to British Columbia’s Shuswap region to recover a victim from Mara Lake. HEART conducts their recovery missions using their team of highly skilled and specially trained divers and some of the latest technology in underwater surveying and imaging, including sonar, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and a small fleet of agile and powerful recovery vehicles.

Asking for help, giving of help HEART stepped up to take part in the search for the Watts because the region in which they were reported lost was very close to the Red River, and there was a very good possibility they may have ended up in the water.

“I feel incredibly blessed that we have access to an airplane, and I was able to use the gift of aviation to go and search.”

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2021

Maendal said that it’s just in his community’s nature to act when called upon. “It’s in our DNA as Hutterites,” says Maendal. “We want to help; we need to help.” “I feel incredibly blessed that we have access to an airplane, and I was able to use the gift of aviation to go and search,” Maendal says. “We had no idea whether we would find these people,” explains Maendal. “We prayed together and asked the Lord to show us where we should look, because we really had no clue.”

Take to the skies Maendal, along with his brothers Manuel and Paul, and Manuel’s wife, Janet, took to the skies to conduct an aerial survey of areas where the Watts might have ended up. “You want to have four pairs of eyes looking in all directions,” says Maendal. Flying more than 500 kilometres above south-central Manitoba in just under two hours, the gambit eventually paid off. “Janet was the one who spotted the vehicle in the ditch,” Maendal says. The vehicle was visible for only seconds due to the thickness of the bush, so Jack circled the plane back around for another look. Sure enough, there was the vehicle. They were able to record the position of the vehicle, radio the information to their colleagues on the ground who headed out right away to find, hopefully, the Watts alive and well, and contact 911 to alert the authorities. “We stayed circling for a bit to let those folks know that we saw them, that this wasn’t just a fluke,” says Maendal.

A happiest of endings When the ground crew finally reached the vehicle, they found Evelyn Watt inside, and a couple folks carried on down the path to search for her husband. Thankfully, they found Brian about a mile away, laying on the ground, but awake and aware. “Usually, the HEART missions are recovery-only,” says Maendal. “This one was different in that it ended up being a rescue and we actually got to speak with these folks and their family.”

PHOTO COURTESY: HEART TEAM/FACEBOOK

extensive media coverage. To say it was an adventure might be an understatement! The Watts went for their afternoon drive and found themselves along a road that gradually disappeared from under them. From pavement to gravel, to dirt, to grass, and eventually a rough track in the parkland bush of Manitoba’s Red River Valley, the Watts ended up with their vehicle falling into a washout and becoming hopelessly stuck. The couple decided to leave their vehicle and walk through the rough terrain to find help. When the ground condition grew worse, walking turned into crawling, and Brian got well ahead of Evelyn before she decided to turn back to the relative protection of their vehicle. Brian had carried on after Evelyn reversed course, and the couple spent the night in the wild apart from each other; Brian in the open, Evelyn in their car.

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