Prairie Manufacturer - Issue 2 • Volume 8

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Out of the woods, into the plant

Issue 2, Volume 8 • Winter 2023

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Be Kind And Get Involved Taylor McCaffrey is proud to support local economic development including small business events, social causes, health and wellness initiatives, arts and culture, multiculturalism, leadership and children and youth charities. We partner with over 100 organizations a year to help support and celebrate local businesses, important causes and events.

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in this issue

15 Over the northern horizon

The variety that is manufacturing isn’t just in the mix of sectors or products offered by companies, there’s the variety in geography where this manufacturing takes place, too! Meet some companies making a go of it from the higher latitudes of our region.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

4

Editor’s Notebook

6

The Human Factor

8

Economic Roundup

20

Saskatchewan Spotlight

44

Women in Manufacturing

54

5 Questions

12 Let the good times roll

Hosting parties for your employees and their families may be good for morale and engagement, but they are fraught with risks of legal liability for employers. However, the risks aren’t unmanageable, and there are ways to mitigate them without doing away with the party altogether.

22

22

Anxiety in the workplace We’ve all been there. Competing deadlines, highstakes reports, or finicky clients – there’s a reason work-related stress is among the top contributors to long-term absences. Mental health plays a significant role in the performance of your employees, which also affects the employer, so learn how to be aware of this issue and how to remedy it.

28 In conversation with... Dr. Maggie Penfold

28

The holidays are a time of joy, good cheer, and quality time with loved ones, but they’re also a time of elevated stress, social expectations and obligations, and times when we might find ourselves out of sorts. Dr Penfold helps us explore this stress, ways to cope, what we should be looking out for in ourselves and others, and what we can do to help.

32 Attracting younger board members

What’s the average age of the folks on your board of directors? If it’s edging closer to the triple-digits, you’d better be thinking about how you can attract some fresh faces into the mix. But how exactly can you do that while maintaining the consistency and stability that your organization needs?

next issue Wellness and health products Supplements, vitamins, pharmaceutical products, and fitness and health gear are keeping folks hale and healthy across the region. Meet the makers behind these innovative products and learn how they’re improving lives at home and abroad.

Sleep on it What’s the connection between innovation, safety, productivity, and sleep? What impact does sleep (or the lack thereof) have on people and teams? How do we get better at sleep and make it a priority?

Booking deadline: May 10, 2024 | Material deadline: May 17, 2024

32

OUR NOTEBOOK

Don’t confuse connection with commitment Connected people come and go.

Committed people plant their feet and stay.

By Ronda Landygo & Jeff Baker

A

few weeks ago, a colleague of ours wrote a post on LinkedIn that struck a chord. The first line read, “You’re replaceable to everyone except your family and friends.”

As two people who have always been dedicated to our work — and who have poured a large portion of our professional and personal lives into the pages of this magazine — it was a timely reality check.

Over the last seven-and-a-half years, we have been incredibly fortunate to grow this humble publication from a hastily scribbled concept (and a near-illegible one at that!) on the back of a cocktail napkin to the robust, nationally recognized brand it is today. And we would be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to say thank you. The age-old saying is true: it does, in fact, take a village, and we have the best damn village around — from our production and sales team to our advertisers, and to you, the manufacturing leaders who have come to trust us as a regular source of insight and information. At its core, Prairie Manufacturer is simply a reflection of the community it serves.

When we launched this project, it would be fair to say the odds were stacked high against us. We were the smallest-of-

the-small publishing houses, fiercely independent with razorthin budgets, locally designed, woman-owned, and dedicated to covering a historically male-dominated industry. We weren’t supposed to survive. We weren’t supposed to grow our sphere of influence. And we definitely weren’t supposed to become a two-time Manitoba Magazine of the Year award winner in the process. But through even the darkest days, we wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer, and we wouldn’t compromise our vision.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because many manufacturers in Western Canada have navigated a similar narrative. Yet here we are, not only surviving but thriving. Just like you!

While there is no doubt in our minds that we would not trade a single moment of this journey for anything in the world, for our little group, we have to admit time has had a funny way of blurring lines.

The truth is the last few years have been difficult. Our tightknit team has lost loved ones, navigated career disruptions, battled illnesses, moved across town and across the country, tackled unprecedented workloads, and have stared down too many forks in the road to count. These tribulations, though,

Ensuring you can and do periodically ‘unplug’ from work is one of the best things you can do to maintain a high level of professional performance.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

While there is no doubt in our minds that we would not trade a single moment of this journey for anything in the world, for our little group, we have to admit time has had a funny way of blurring lines.

have reminded us not to conflate being connected with what we understand to being meaningfully committed.

It's a tough lesson — one that many people often recognize too late in life. So, we wanted to pause for a moment to share some of our reflections on what we have learned along this path in the hopes that you can avoid making some of the same mistakes we did.

First and foremost, you have nothing without your health.

And it’s impossible to properly take care of that - both physical and mental — when you can’t detach from your inbox. So, put the phone down. Dedicate at least 30 minutes each day to doing something physical. Make the decision to prioritize prevention or the decision to prioritize treatment will eventually be forced upon you.

Second, relationships deteriorate when they’re not deliberately nurtured. One year from now, the only people who will remember you took that Zoom meeting or conference call while on vacation are your spouse and kids. You’ve built a stellar team at work for a reason, so trust them — they can handle it.

Third, creativity and productivity are muscles. They need to be constantly exercised; but they don’t repair and strengthen without occasional rest. Ensuring you can and do periodically ‘unplug’ from work is one of the best things you can do to maintain a high level of professional performance.

Fourth, never lose the joy. Like most entrepreneurs and executives, we walk a tightrope between passion and obsession every day. We love what we do and who we do it for. When that

Publisher Ronda Landygo ronda@prairiemanufacturer.ca 877.880.3392 Editor Jeff Baker jeff@prairiemanufacturer.ca

spark begins to flicker, it’s time to reset. For example, there are countless studies that have demonstrated the importance of laughter in workplace productivity. When the Prairie Manufacturer team is firing on all cylinders, laughing is something we do regularly; it’s an easy barometer for us on the state of our individual and collective well-being.

And last, but certainly not least, give back whenever you can. Most of the great ideas we’ve had have been shaped by individuals outside our traditional ‘work boundaries’ — typically while engaging in sectors that are largely detached from publishing or manufacturing. Volunteering is a great way to gain that exposure and feel good about it.

As we venture into the New Year, there will be boundless opportunities to improve your organization. Our only ask is that you start by committing to improving yourself. After all, the most critical input in modern manufacturing remains people; and you should only accept the best quality inputs into your supply chain.

On behalf of the entire Prairie Manufacturer team, thank you for sharing this journey with us. We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you and your loved ones a safe and healthy holiday season!

© Copyright 2023 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.

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Cover photo: Vermette Wood Preservers Proudly printed by Quantum Graphics & Consulting Printed in Canada | 12/2023

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5

THE HUMAN FACTOR

Full steam ahead

for systems thinking!

A systematic approach leads to sustainable change, empowered teams

By Kara Finney

W

ith everything that is going on around the world today, let along on our own streets or in our neighbourhood, we need to be talking about solutions that work. There is a need to figure out how to put things in motion and figure out what direction to go in for things to get better.

But change for the sake of change results in everyone running in circles.

Understanding first where we are going – a picture of what success looks like and what ‘better’ looks like – opens space for innovation and creativity in the solutions we bring forward. Having everyone directed towards one common point will have us pulling together to that point, as compared to working at odds or cross-purposes.

It’s all connected To be effective in change, it is tremendously helpful to see that the world is made up of systems, and that all those systems are intricately integrated, wrapped into one another. One small change can positively impact one thing while negatively impacting another. It’s a sort of ‘butterfly effect.’

At Workplace Education Manitoba, we train people in and we ourselves believe in systems thinking. It’s about understanding that there are systems and understanding the importance of how the

systems work and impact us each and every day.

Systems thinking is a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships, rather than splitting it down into its constituent parts. It has been used as a way of exploring and developing effective action in complex contexts, enabling systems change.

But if we are looking for change – it isn’t just about systems thinking – it is about engaging a “learning mindset.”

Change your mind A learning mindset is an openness to learning, to being inquisitive. It is a frame of mind that is consistently present; it’s an attitude and ultimately can be a culture of being solutions-based.

Solutions that are tried and tested and changed based on whether we hit the goal we were aiming for. It’s learning from each iteration of a proposed solution and improving on it each time.

This is the thing: for every bit of learning for each individual within a system, everyone is impacted. Imagine the change in a workplace system when an inventory sheet is now filled out properly as compared to running out of parts, or clarifying questions are being asked to confirm understanding instead of having to “do it again.” How

about a team where difficult questions and differences of opinions create a dynamic and innovative working environment as compared to arguments and avoidance.

Take aim, be open to change Learning is the key to change that can be targeted and intentional. It’s being mindful of what isn’t working and, more importantly, what is working. It’s understanding what is going well and being open to hearing what isn’t and why.

It’s being inquisitive and aware of those folks or methods that unexpectedly have the answer.

Be willing to create a process of change that is grounded in a learning mindset. By doing so, and in turn creating and supporting systems or habits for learning and skill building, we will all become successful, just because the process works and, as a result, the system is a success.

And yes, I understand the complicated nature of what I just said. It isn’t just one skill or one person. This is big and it may feel insurmountable, but change is funny. When you have a long way to go, one small change in direction can greatly impact where you end up. Just make that small change with purpose so that you end up close to where you need to be.

The people that most impacted me throughout my career were those that guided me with their experience but allowed me the space to make my own mistakes.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

Resiliency is the key Having been in a leadership role for many years, I realize that some will read this and will resonate with the words. For others, maybe not so much. What I can say is this: The people that most impacted me throughout my career were those that guided me with their experience but allowed me the space to make my own mistakes. This space and experience helped build my self-confidence but, more importantly, my resilience.

That resilience is the ability to keep coming back, to not give up, to be inquisitive, to not assume the first answer is the best one, and most of all, to figure out what success looks like before acting.

It can be too easy to lose track of where you are going if you don’t look up once in a while. In hindsight, I am who I am because of a few people that created an environment rooted in a learning mindset.

Kara Finney is Chief Executive Officer of three partnering organizations: Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM), Essential Skills Manitoba (ESM), and Workplace Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (WPLAR) – organizations that directly support both Skills for Success and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) across Manitoba and Canada. With extensive experience in manufacturing and supply chain, Kara understands the benefits and opportunities of integrating Skills for Success and RPL into the workplace and beyond.

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One small change can positively impact one thing while negatively impacting another.

It’s a sort of ‘butterfly effect.’

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7

ECONOMIC ROUNDUP

For Prairie manufacturers, climate change risks are becoming very real

By Jason Myers

I

nsurance premiums are on the rise for the foreseeable future.

At the same time, property, casualty, and manufacturing insurance coverage is becoming harder to get. Prairie manufacturers are already feeling the pinch.

That’s what happens when insurance markets harden.

Carriers show a limited appetite for risk. There is heightened underwriting scrutiny. And terms for coverage become less favourable at higher premium costs. Property insurance rates are already at 20-year highs.

To some degree it’s an outcome of inflation which has pushed up the cost of insurance claims. Financial market uncertainty has also had an impact in reducing risk appetite on the part of capital investors. But the biggest cause of the problem is the escalating volume of claims - it’s not an issue of man-made disasters. Globally they have accounted for about $10 billion annually for the past 15 years or so. It’s the impact of the growing number of natural catastrophes – NatCats for short – and especially catastrophic weather events.

The insurance industry defines a catastrophe or disaster as an event that causes insured losses of $25 million or more.

Across Canada the number of natural disasters has quadrupled since 2008. The Prairies have had their fair share of them – from wildfires and heatwaves to storms that bring flooding, wind and hail damage, and an increasing number of tornadoes.

The worst year for insured losses was 2016, the year of the Fort McMurray wildfire which accounted for 72 per cent of the $5.96 billion in total claims paid out in Canada. The fire was the worst natural disaster for insured payouts in Canadian history.

Second on the list comes 2013 when flooding in southern Alberta - Canada’s third worst NatCat - accounted for just over half of the $3.87 billion in insured losses across the country that year.

Then come 2021 and 2023. In 2021 catastrophic weather events across Canada resulted in just over $3.0 billion in insured losses. About 25 per cent of those claims were in the Prairies.

Windstorms that year caused $134 million in insured losses in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Flooding led to an additional $120

NatCats cause damage to materials, final products, and equipment. They disrupt delivery schedules and supply chains, pushing up costs and in some cases forcing a suspension of operations. These are risks that need to be managed and insurance provides only partial coverage.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

Across Canada the number of natural disasters has quadrupled since 2008. The Prairies have had their fair share of them – from wildfires and heatwaves to storms that bring flooding, wind and hail damage, and an increasing number of tornadoes.

million in damages in all three provinces. And the hailstorm that hit Calgary that year resulted in about $500 million in insured losses.

Even worse was 2022 – the third worst year on record.

Insured damages across Canada totaled $3.12 billion, with $470 million in claims paid for losses in the Prairies. It started in April last year with severe storms in Alberta and Saskatchewan and flooding in Manitoba which caused $85 million in insured losses. In June, storms across the Prairies resulted in $105 million in insured damages. In July, storms in all three provinces led to another $145 million in insured losses. Then $55 million more in August as a result of the Alberta hailstorm.

This year hasn’t been much better, although losses are still being calculated. Wildfires and floods have filled the headlines this year. We do know that about $300 million in insured losses were caused by summer storms in the Prairies. Remember the June floods in Alberta? They cost the insurance industry $40 million. The Canada Day storms and tornado in Alberta and Saskatchewan? Another $100 million. The Calgary hailstorm in July? Another $110 million. And don’t forget the severe storms and tornadoes in Alberta and Manitoba in late July. They added an additional $40 million in insured losses.

That was all on top of the wildfires across the country –

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9

Very few manufacturers are aware of these new obligations – and relatively few currently have an emission tracking and reporting system in place.

$720 million in insured losses arising from the Okanagan and Shuswap fires alone (the 10th worst catastrophe recorded in Canada) – and the storms and flooding that hit Ontario, eastern Canada, and Nova Scotia particularly hard.

Canada and the Prairies have suffered over the past few years, but weather-related natural disasters are a global phenomenon. And insurance is a global industry, with carriers reliant on multinational re-insurers to provide coverage (yes, even insurance companies need insurance).

Around the world, insured losses from weather-related NatCats have been increasing at an annual average rate of five to seven per cent over the past decade. There were 421 NatCats around the world in 2022, up from 396 in 2021, with insured losses amounting to US$125 billion. Worldwide insurance claims from weather-related events during the first half of 2023 amounted to US$50 billion, up from $48 billion for the same period last year and the second highest since 2011.

But insured claims are only part of the human and economic costs suffered as a result of weather-related disasters. Over 31,300 people around the world lost their lives from NatCats in 2022. And, according to the global reinsurance industry, insured losses accounted for only 45 per cent of the US$275 billion in total economic losses estimated last year. That’s not too far off the estimate for the 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray. It caused an estimated $9.9 billion in total economic damage, of which only $4.3 billion or 42 per cent was insured.

Prairie manufacturers know all too well that the risks to their business are not only from escalating insurance premiums.

NatCats cause damage to materials, final products, and equipment. They disrupt delivery schedules and supply chains, pushing up costs and in some cases forcing a suspension of operations. These are risks that need to be managed, and insurance provides only partial coverage.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

Now the insurance industry itself is forcing manufacturers and all industrial clients to take positive action, not only to cover their own risks, but more broadly those of global climate change as well. Multinational reinsurers are requiring carriers to report the carbon emissions of their customers. In Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is requiring insurers and banks to report the emissions of their clients by January 1, 2025.

What does all this mean for manufacturers? In the Prairies and across Canada, they will have to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions by the 2025 deadline. Very few manufacturers are aware of these new obligations – and relatively few currently have an emission tracking and reporting system in place. The consequences of non-compliance are at best much higher insurance premiums and very likely the inability to secure property insurance at all.

These new measures will be transformational. They will require new investments, but they will be necessary for any manufacturer that wants insurance coverage for their business.

On the positive side, the need to monitor emissions from energy use and production processes may be the first very important step to understanding where process improvements, cost savings, and productivity enhancements can be made. It will in any case require the implementation of digital tools that will accelerate the adoption of new technologies and enable improvements throughout manufacturing systems, companies, and supply chains alike.

Jayson Myers is CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada – the country’s advanced manufacturing supercluster. An awardwinning 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.

2023 Food and Beverage Report: Mid-year update Six months after our 2023 Food and Beverage Report was published, we look at how food and beverage manufacturers have performed so far this year, provide forecasts for the remainder of 2023 and early 2024, and highlight trends to watch moving forward.

Margins are looking to be lower in 2023

Inflation driving strong sales growth in H1 2023

Table 1: Food manufacturing sales are up in the first half of 2023

Sales numbers for the first half of 2023 (H1) were steady, with an increase of 8.4% for food manufacturing and 7.3% for beverage manufacturing compared to the same period in 2022 (Table 1).

120

Table 1: Food manufacturing sales are up in the first half of 2023 2023 H1

2024 H2f

Index of gross margin % of revenue (2019 = 100)

100

88.6

80

54.9

60

H1f

40

$, BILL.

%, Y/Y

$, BILL.

%, Y/Y

$, BILL.

%, Y/Y

Food and beverage

80.6

8.3

84.0

2.7

82.4

2.2

Food

73.2

8.4

75.6

2.1

74.3

1.6

Bakery and tortilla products

8.5

16.2

9.2

6.6

9.1

7.2

Dairy products

8.9

6.6

9.5

4.5

9.5

7.0

Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food

5.2

11.3

5.5

1.8

5.4

2.5

Grain and oilseed milling

10.9

15.4

9.6

-12.0

9.4

-13.9

Meat products

19.6

5.2

20.1

0.9

19.8

1.2

Seafood preparation

3.0

-1.8

3.2

15.2

3.5

15.6

Sugar and confectionary products

2.7

10.1

2.8

2.0

2.5

-6.9

Beverages

7.4

7.3

8.4

8.6

8.0

8.1

Soft drinks

2.5

13.7

2.6

3.1

2.7

9.2

Breweries

3.5

8.1

4.0

9.7

3.8

10.7

Distilleries

0.7

13.1

0.8

27.9

0.7

4.0

Wineries

0.8

-14.1

1.0

-20.0

0.8

-2.4

Sources: Statistics Canada, FCC Economics

These are nominal sales numbers, meaning they do not account for inflation. When accounting for inflation, growth for food manufacturers in H1 was 1.0% and -2.6% for beverage manufacturers.

Considering the large increase in nominal sales in H1, we see 2023 sales for the food and beverage sector at $164 billion (5.4% growth).

Food and beverage manufacturing margins have been under pressure since 2019, and 2023 will be no different. Beverage margins will struggle more than food, with margins nearly 50% lower than in our base year 2019 (Figure 2).

20 0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023f Food

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023f Beverage

Source: FCC Economics, Statistics Canada

Trends to watch Softening labour markets The job vacancy rate for food manufacturing and food wholesalers is in line with pre-pandemic averages. Wage growth remains an issue for employers.

Foodservice demand Earlier this year, real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) spending on food services returned to pre-pandemic levels. With an economic slowdown occurring, this type of discretionary spending will struggle to grow. It could even contract if the slowdown turns into a recession.

Slowing global economic growth Exports are still strong in 2023, though lower than the last two years. Any global slowdown – particularly in the U.S., Canada’s largest agri-food trading partner – will impact export sales opportunities.

For additional forecasts and commentary, read our full mid-year review at fcc.ca/Economics Graeme Crosbie, Senior Economist

THE LEGAL BRIEF

Let the good times roll…

but not out of control With the fun, comes the responsibility

By Peter Mueller & Allison Kilgour

H

osting parties for your employees and their families may be good for morale and engagement, but they are fraught with risks of legal liability for employers. Alcohol use is at the heart of these risks. Too much consumption can lead to physical injuries, whether self-inflicted like falling down stairs, or by the conduct of another like sexual harassment or assault. Other issues that may not have even been contemplated five years ago, such as cannabis consumption, also raise a new category of concerns. However, these risks are not unmanageable. In this article, we will detail some of those risks and offer ideas for how employers can try to mitigate them.

Employers' Legal Obligations Employers have obligations in connection with the safety and well-being of their employees in the course of their employment.

Depending on the circumstances, an employee's injury at a party may fall within the scope of a compensable accident under the Workers' Compensation Act of Manitoba. If it does and a claim is accepted, this may have a negative impact on your cost of coverage going forward.

Employers are also prohibited under the Human Rights Code from knowingly permitting, or failing to take reasonable steps to terminate, harassment of one person by another person when they both are participating in a work party for which the employer is responsible. Harassment means, among other things, a series of objectionable and unwelcome sexual solicitations or advances. More broadly, employers have a duty to ensure, so far

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health, and welfare at work for all workers under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. Another liability risk concerns employees who cause injury to non-employees. In the case of a social event, this could be a spouse or other guest of an employee. It may also include staff of another employer working at the event. In some circumstances, employers can be held responsible for the misconduct of their employee and be effectively ‘on the hook’ as if the employer had caused the injury directly to the third party (referred to as vicarious liability). This could arise where an intoxicated employee gets into a fight with the guest of another employee.

If a work-party injury to an employee is not covered by workers compensation or the injury is caused by a non-employee (whether self-inflicted or at the hands of another non-employee at the party), social host liability may apply, particularly if an employer is the holder of a social occasion liquor permit.

Lastly, under the Cannabis Act, it is a crime for an organization to possess cannabis, and punishment is in the form of a fine up to $100,000. While this might seem obvious to some, it clearly means that cannabis should absolutely not be served at workrelated functions.

Party Pooper: Reducing the Risks This likely does not constitute a ‘hot take,’ but we think alcohol and recreational cannabis use is the main driver behind the heightened risks of legal liability addressed above.

Employers are prohibited under the Human Rights Code from knowingly permitting, or failing to take reasonable steps to terminate, harassment of one person by another person when they both are participating in a work party for which the employer is responsible.

Every employer will vary when it comes to risk tolerance for legal liability. The most risk-averse employer may wish to cut alcohol altogether and instead hold a different kind of event to achieve the same goals as the party would have (I.e., team building, employee appreciation, etc.). Considering that, apparently, each new generation seems to be consuming less alcohol than the generation prior, this may be an option that won't cause too much discontent among staff, depending on the demographics. This other kind of event could still be a ‘party,’ just without booze. Other options could include daytime events that offer team building and recognition of staff success, but in a setting where most wouldn't expect to be served alcohol.

But if alcohol is on the menu, consider some of these ideas for risk mitigation: • Have and enforce a drink limit policy • Limit times during which alcohol is served • Arrange for rides home at no extra cost to the employee and guests • Offer non-alcoholic drink options • Avoid promoting the event with a focus/emphasis on alcohol consumption • Ensure those serving alcohol are trained and directed to monitor for overconsumption • Clearly communicate to employees that recreational cannabis is not permitted at the event • Ensure those monitoring for alcohol overconsumption are also trained in monitoring for signs of cannabis use – I.e., bloodshot eyes, increased appetite, slowed reaction time, impaired coordination, and drowsiness – or designate another monitor who can do so Risk mitigation goes beyond taking steps to limit the amount of alcohol consumed and hoping nobody chooses to bring their

own recreational products. In addition to those options, making sure you have an updated and widely known and distributed harassment prevention policy is important so that if anyone believes they've been harassed, there is a method to bring the incident to your attention. At the end of the day, employers need to know if these incidents have occurred so that they can be responsive to them. Failing to act means major risks of breaching the Human Rights Code for a failure to take reasonable steps to terminate harassment.

As an employer in control of the workplace, you have the inherent right to set workplace rules and policies. This authority does not vanish when hosting a work party. The rules and expectations you have for your guests should be clearly communicated and enforced if breached. A policy prohibiting cannabis use at work events could go a long way in preventing unauthorized consumption, which is often hard to observe, based on the discrete nature of edible cannabis products. Further, if the decision is made that no alcohol or substances of any kind are to be consumed at the event and an employee does so, disciplinary action should be taken, regardless of whether there was a consequence of the breach or not.

It is also useful to remind employees of the expectations of the employer (including drug, alcohol, and behavioural policies), as well as educate employees on the risks associated with overconsuming alcohol and mixing alcohol and cannabis products.

At the end of the day, holiday parties and other social events can be a great way to bring your employees together in a fun and relaxed environment. As much as you may want to encourage a good time, remember that too much of a good thing cannot only be harmful, but it might turn into a liability.

Peter Mueller and Allison Kilgour are lawyers at Taylor McCaffrey LLP in Winnipeg.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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PHOTO COURTESY: VERMETTE WOOD PRESERVERS

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

Over the Northern Horizon

With a lot of land, comes a lot of space to innovate and produce

By David Quinn www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

15

T

he variety that is manufacturing isn’t just in the mix of sectors or products that companies offer, there’s the variety in geography of where these companies are located, too!

Often in Canada, though – especially for those folks living in the more densely populated southern areas) our sense of this country’s geography tends to be viewed in an east-west orientation. We tend to lump the higherlatitude reaches of our provinces (and the Territories) into a singular area – the North – if we consider them at all.

Well, there might not be the large urban centres, but that doesn't mean there isn’t manufacturing and innovation taking place. With improving access to broadband and transportation connections, the ‘where’ and ‘when’ of manufacturing are becoming somewhat less of an issue than they used to be.

Let’s meet a few of the folks who are making a go by making things just over the northern horizon.

Paul Bros. Nextreme

Founded in 1978, Yellowknife-based Paul Bros. Nextreme is the second business by the Paul family and continued the family’s roots in welding and metal fabrication. With a 12,000 square-foot shop space, including a dedicated machine shop with CNC lathes, mills, plasma cutters, rollers, brakes, and saws, the company services the entire Northwest Territories from its home base.

Supporting the extensive range of products and services, the company employs a diverse team including welders, ironworkers, millwrights, pipefitters, machinists, industrial painters, and engineers, and maintains COR and CWB certifications. Regular training is also provided to ensure the workforce is up-to-date with the latest standards, methods, and equipment.

All the company’s directors are Northwest Territories-bornand-raised and are from the three recognized Indigenous groups: First Nations (Dené), Métis, and Inuvialuit. Paul Bros.

Nextreme is not just in the North, they’re of the North and for the North in everything they do.

Beyond the welding and fabrication services, Paul Bros.

Nextreme serve the region through the manufacture and distribution of welding supplies and equipment, painting and coating supplies, steel supplies and PPE, ensuring the safety of their partners and neighbours, and working to keep costs down by bringing production as close to site as possible.

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PHOTO COURTESY: PAUL BROS. NEXTREME

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

RCFarmArm

Clairmont, Alberta Growing up on a farm in Alberta’s Peace Country, Vincent Pawluski always loved to tinker. Whether it was the Fisher Price boat that he hot-rodded with a small motor and propellor, or the remotecontrolled drill stem that was a science fair project for Vincent and his friends.

The tinkering continued into adulthood with the spare-time development of remote-controlled devices of all sorts, one of which – the RCFarmARM – has become almost an overnight sensation winning over farmers across the country and beyond.

Pawluski’s career took him away from the farm he and his father owned and operated, but the agriculture ‘bug’ never left Vincent or his family as they travelled across the continent in an RV for eight months before coming back to Alberta and settling in Okotoks.

“We always felt most comfortable near some type of ag activity. I needed that in my life to give me balance and purpose,” says Pawluksi.

After his sabbatical roadtrip and landing in southern Alberta, Pawluski ended up working in construction before getting a job with Seed Hawk, which pointed him back in the direction of his roots in agriculture. From Okotoks, the family moved back to the Peace Country to farm once again (and continue the tinkering and building).

Winning its first award in 2021 at Canada’s Farm Show, the RCFarmArm is now an on-farm business where Pawluski and his family produce and market the patent-pending wireless tractor control system. It’s just like the Fisher Price toys, but on a much grander scale!

RCFarmArm was developed to reduce the number of times a farmer needs to transition between the tractor cab, the implement behind, and the countless injury hazards between them.

“You seem to always be running around the tractor and the machine to shut it off, especially when something goes wrong and there’s two of you. Sometimes the second person doesn’t exactly know what button to press because they’re not all laid out the same, or the keys are on the column or the corner post behind you. With RCFarmArm, if something goes wrong, you just calmly press the button,” Pawluski explains.

Unlike other remote-control systems, RCFarmArm doesn’t require any alterations to the tractor itself. It’s designed to overlay or sit atop the existing controls and works its magic through mechanical ‘fingers’ that physically manipulate the switches and other controls of the tractor. It can be installed with a couple of screws and taken off without any trace of it being there.

Pawluski says that traditional manufacturing processes would be prohibitive to the development and constant re-jigging of the product, but that commercial-scale 3D printing is able to meet the business’ demands and produce even the most intricate assemblies and components. And the cool thing? It’s all being done on the Pawluski family farm outside of Clairmont.

PHOTO COURTESY: RCFARMARM

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Vermette Wood Preservers Spruce Home, Saskatchewan In 1973, brothers Archie and Gil Vermette went into business together with the goal of honouring and supporting their parents while making life better for their respective families – something that was at the heart of their family’s Métis heritage.

Growing up, the brothers worked on the family farm but also helped with the family’s forestry business, all the while building their own business. As adults, each brother pursued separate careers, but they still maintained the forestry business. In 1973, they purchased land in Spruce Home, Saskatchewan, along with a log peeler and loader, marking the start of Vermette Wood Preservers (VWP).

The company started out treating agricultural fence posts using the dipping process, which treated the posts using a blended solution of creosote and diesel.

But the wood preservation industry continued to innovate and improve, and VWP kept up by updating their operations in 1982 and constructing the facility that continues to operate today on the company’s 26 acres of land.

Today, the company produces a wide variety of treated wood products (and untreated by-products) that meet the needs of customers across North America. Archie’s son Perry assumed management and ownership of the business, keeping it a family operation.

Under Archie’s leadership, VWP expanded their product offering with treated product lines including fence posts, utility poles, wood pilings, bridge timbers, pipeline blocking and sleepers, plus custom treating, the company’s products are found in applications that keep the lights on, the roads and rails connected, structures stable and level, livestock and wildlife safe, and homes and businesses fuelled.

From the beginning, Archie and Gil committed VWP to exclusively using an oil-based wood preservative called Penta.

As an oil-based treatment, Penta isn’t water-soluble, which means that wood products treated using this method won’t leach harmful products (like arsenic) into the ground water. And the best part?

The oil used as part of the Penta treatment process is biodiesel, a biodegradable and renewable product manufactured from biomass like plant-based oils and animal fats.

PHOTO COURTESY: VERMETTE WOOD PRESERVERS

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Rapid Skills for Success The future of work is changing.

Increasingly, employers are looking for talent with a blend of the most up-to-date theoretical and hands-on training. Those looking to enter or advance their careers are seeking education that is flexible and fast.

RRC Polytech’s Micro-training provides it all, including seminars, workshops, customized training and micro-credential courses that award recognized digital badges.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND MECHATRONICS Engineering and technology collide in these leading-edge micro-credential courses, offered through the new Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics at RRC Polytech.

Advanced Manufacturing Micro-credential Courses:

NEW

Gain the information technology skills to excel in manufacturing, finance, education, the public sector (government) and more.

Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program: Build the future of intelligent machines, through programming developed in partnership with Siemens, a global leader in technology.

RRC Polytech is the only post-secondary in Manitoba to offer Siemens Level 1 and Level 2 Mechatronics Systems Certification.

LEARN MORE rrc.ca/amm

NEW

Saskatchewan Manufacturing: a story of shared success

B

uilding opportunities, rewarding jobs, and thriving businesses – those are just some of the benefits that manufacturers provide. Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector is key to creating a resilient and diverse economy to the benefit of all people in the province.

When we look at Saskatchewan’s manufacturing industry, what do we see? A diverse sector full of innovative technology, skilled workers, and business savvy entrepreneurs ensuring the province stays a step above the rest. More importantly, we see pride. Pride in the work they do, the impact they have, and the growth they’ve had right here in Saskatchewan.

The provincial economy relies on the manufacturing sector and growth in the last year alone is impressive. Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan for 2030 outlines a goal to increase manufacturing exports from the province by 50 per cent. In 2022, Saskatchewan exported $9.9 billion in manufactured goods. That’s an increase of 28.5 per cent compared to 2021, and it’s 18.8 per cent of Saskatchewan’s net exports over the year.

What has been driving export growth? The province’s nearly 2,000 manufacturing companies play a pivotal role.

Saskatchewan has top-tier manufactured products, including fabricated metals, food manufacturing, and machinery. Last year, Saskatchewan’s manufacturers had tremendous success with $25.6 billion in total shipments across a variety of categories, including: • Food products – accounted for over 28 per cent • Chemical manufacturing – accounted for over 13 per cent • Machinery manufacturing – accounted for over nine per cent • Wood manufacturing – accounted for over four per cent The Government of Saskatchewan understands a competitive business environment is key to ensuring all sectors can thrive.

The Province continues to offer a suite of incentives and a clientfocused service to make doing business easy.

To further build the economy and move forward on its commitment to economic reconciliation, in 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan established the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation (SIIFC). The SIIFC provides up to $75 million in loan guarantees to support increased Indigenous investment. The corporation was launched to improve access to capital for Indigenous communities and their economic entities to invest in the areas of natural resource development and value-added agriculture.

The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to protecting the provincial economy, and growth in the manufacturing industry is a major part of that.

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All of this moves forward the Province’s goal of growing Indigenous participation in Saskatchewan’s natural resource sector. It’s also an important step in furthering economic reconciliation with the province’s Indigenous communities and organizations by enhancing their ability to gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.

Food manufacturing shipments continue to be a successful area for the province with $7.2 billion in shipments. That’s 28.1 per cent of the total in the province and they are poised for even further growth. Machinery manufacturing is also a major growth area, with $2.4 billion in shipments and is on track for more growth this year.

Another aspect of fostering a competitive business environment is to continuously grow and diversify the number of export markets. In 2022, exports from Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector reached 120 markets. Saskatchewan now exports more than $1 billion in total exports to 10 markets— Brazil, Middle East and North Africa, India, Bangladesh, ASEAN, Japan, China, the European Union, the United States, and Mexico.

The people who work within the sector and the careers they pursue are also diversifying. This includes the skilled talent within production facilities, engineering fields, consulting firms, software development, specialized trades, and many others. There were nearly 32,000 people employed within the manufacturing industry in 2022.

One defining feature of this workforce is productivity. In Canada, the average manufacturing Gross Domestic Product per hour worked is $69.30. Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector is significantly above that average at $81.50. This is the second highest in Canada, and one of only two provinces above the national average.

What’s next?

The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to protecting the provincial economy, and growth in the manufacturing industry is a major part of that. As mentioned in the Throne Speech, the Province is developing an investment attraction strategy to encourage further investment into Saskatchewan and its key sectors. The government is also committed to sharing Saskatchewan’s story on the global stage, promoting the work this province is doing across all sectors. This will support the manufacturing industry as it continues to diversify the economy and expand global and domestic markets, while creating jobs and opportunities within the province.

The past year was a successful one for Saskatchewan and its manufacturing industry, but the work is far from over. Growth and expansion will continue to succeed through meaningful partnership with businesses and communities. The province is poised to capitalize on shared innovation and expertise to achieve growth records while remaining the stable supplier the world needs.

Equipment Manufacturing Drives Saskatchewan’s Growth Saskatchewan has the infrastructure, the workforce and the right incentives to drive manufacturing growth: •

Low corporate income tax rate for manufacturing and processing of 10%.

•

Qualifying R&D expenses may be eligible for a 10% refundable tax credit for the first $1 million.

•

Saskatchewan manufacturers have access to markets of 270 million people within a two-day drive.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Trade and Export Development will work with you to help you grow your business or start a new venture in Saskatchewan.

thinksask.ca

Saskatchewan Manufacturing Sales Topped

$25.6 Billion in 2022

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Anxiety in the Workplace Psychological safety of the team impacts physical safety, productivity, and profitability

By Mariame Khoury

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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e’ve all been there. Competing deadlines, high-stakes reports, or finicky clients – there’s a reason work-related stress is among the top contributors for long-term absences. But what happens when too much stress becomes anxiety?

Why does it matter?

Stress is a part of everyone’s lives, but there’s a discernible difference between stress and anxiety. While some signs of stress and anxiety might overlap, stress is usually manageable and for some it can even be a motivating challenge.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a different experience. It can be compared to an overwhelming inescapable black cloud. The American Psychology Association depicts it as an emotional response to the anticipation of future concerns, which can instill a fear of danger, misfortune, or any other significant threat. These fears are translated through real-life symptoms such as muscle tension, fast breathing, or a fast heartbeat.

Now, imagine being in a situation where anxiety is related to your workplace – a place you depend on for income and professional development, a place in which you spend a majority of your days and hours. In some cases, this work-related anxiety does not just stay at work, it follows you home and into your social life. It is ever-present and inescapable.

An employee experiencing anxiety at work is unable to give their all, period. They may become distant from their team and work community; they may have a higher rate of absenteeism and forget or miss deadlines, et cetera. These factors not only become an obstruction to production and quotas to be reached, but they also block the professional development of the employee. Thus, mental health plays a significant role in the performance of an employee, which also affects the employer. For this reason, management should be aware of potential anxiety in the workplace and how they can remedy it.

Is anxiety a workplace hazard?

An effective workplace culture recognizes the potential presence and factors of workplacerelated hazards and addresses them. Yes, you read that correctly: I referred to work-related anxiety as a hazard!

By definition, a hazard is anything that can cause potential harm to an individual, or damage to property. So, let’s put this into context: a machine operator suffering from anxiety at work will not apply full attention and focus while performing their task, and therefore is at risk of injuring themselves, other employees, or causing property damage.

Anxiety can also be costly. Consider this: an administrative employee experiencing anxiety at work can lose the focus and attention needed for required tasks, leading to missed deadlines, mistakes, or oversight, which can be costly to the company’s bottom line.

These two examples demonstrate why having systems in place to mitigate anxiety at work can be a game changer for employees and employers, both in terms of production and occupational health and safety. By implementing such systems as an employer, not you only do you show care for the well-being of your employees, but you also ensure the tasks you need accomplished have their full attention and focus. Happy employees, happy company! Safe employees, successful company!

In some cases, this work-related anxiety does not just stay at work, it follows you home and into your social life. It is ever-present and inescapable.

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Mental health plays a significant role in the performance of an employee, which also affects the employer. For this reason, management should be aware of potential anxiety in the workplace and how they can remedy it.

“Stress and anxiety at work have less to do with the work we do and more to do with weak management and leadership.”

- Simon Sinek Some risk factors for workplace-related anxiety are workload, unclear job role or expectations, workplace conditions (e.g., ergonomics), and lack of demonstrated leadership from management, amongst others. In my experience as a safety advisor, the latter is the most significant and controllable cause of work-related anxiety; it also relates to the overall culture of an organization.

Unbeknownst to some folks, there is a difference between managers and leaders. If you’re in the business of continuous improvement and best practices, I invite you to get familiar with what leadership is and how it can affect your organization.

™

WORRIED ABOUT NEW HIRES? Our FREE Online Safety & Health Orientation Course is designed to meet legislated safety onboarding requirements - so you can focus on what matters to you.

VISIT US AT

madesafe.ca

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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In my experience as a safety advisor, a lack of demonstrated leadership from management is the most significant and controllable cause of work-related anxiety.

So… what is the employer’s role?

Like with other hazards, preventative measures can help avoid workplace-related anxiety, so let’s explore some options for prevention.

Here are three ways we recommend addressing workplace-related anxiety: Training: Providing your leaders and employees with awareness training on anxiety is a great starting point. Moreover, it sets the bar for best practices in training just a little higher. We don’t all know what anxiety is and may just chalk it up to regular stress we need to deal with. As we now know, it is not. Such training can help in identifying, measuring, and controlling workplace anxiety. Another type of training is in emotional intelligence. This type of training brings enlightenment on self-awareness, selfregulation, empathy, and social skills. It is important to note that the new generation of workers may expect empathy from their management, something that probably was taboo to mention 30 years ago.

Employee feedback: When employees are given a genuine opportunity for feedback, they usually speak up. It’s important to take feedback seriously and follow up in a timely manner – even if it’s simply to tell them you’ve heard their concerns and are looking into a possible solution with upper management. Asking for feedback (and getting it in the future!) will only work if their concerns are acknowledged and followed up on.

Existing (or introducing!) Safety Management Systems: The inclusion of a mental health component in your safety management system (SMS), through your employee wellness program, is beneficial for your employees. It offers counsel and advice on ways to cope with stress and anxiety. For more information on including a psychological health and safety component in your SMS, refer to the CSA Standard Z1003-13, Psychological Health and Safety In The Workplace.

Mental health issues are no longer something to keep out of the workplace. It’s imperative that employers recognize this as a potential work-related hazard, as solutions often exist within their power.

So, if you take something away today, it’s this: lead by example and make sure the necessary resources are available to your leaders. If your employees are experiencing high levels of anxiety, ensure they have support – whether that’s being able to talk about it with your frontline leaders, feeling comfortable giving their feedback, or having existing management tools available. The benefits of doing so will speak for themselves.

Mariame Khoury is a Safety Advisor with Made Safe Manitoba. She is always excited to be a part of the continuous improvement journey that leads to the improved health and safety of manufacturers and workers.

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Injuries prevented and lives saved.

That’s the VALUE of SAFE Work.

safemanitoba.com

PHOTO COURTESY: DR. MAGGIE PENFOLD

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In conversation with…

Dr. Maggie Penfold Mental health during holidays

T

he holidays are often a time of joy, good cheer, and quality time with loved ones, but they’re also a time of elevated stress, social expectations and obligations, and situations where we might find ourselves out of sorts.

Prairie Manufacturer’s editor, Jeff Baker, sat down with Dr. Maggie Penfold, a clinical psychologist working in private practice at Wolseley Wellness on Corydon in Winnipeg, to explore holiday-related stress, how to cope with the pressure, what we need to be looking out for in ourselves and those around us, and what we can do to help.

Dr. Penfold’s practice addresses a range of common mental health concerns for adults living in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba in 2016.

This conversation took place on November 2, 2023, and has been edited for length and clarity.

NOTE: This conversation touches on the topics of suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know needs help, please refer to the Mental Health Resources on page 31.

Jeff Baker (JB): The holiday period can come with all sorts of stress and pressure. Why do we feel that stress around what's often expected to be a joyous time?

Dr Maggie Penfold (MP): There is often a lot of stress and time pressure that shows up around expectations of what we want to do, what we think we should be doing, how we should be feeling, or about the experiences we’re hoping to have.

We're often aware of or have assumptions about expectations from other people of what we're going to be doing with or for them. On top of all that, we add in all of these extra activities, gatherings, chores, and errands on top of the everyday things we are already trying to do. And then there’s even more if travel is involved.

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JB: So, why do we do this to ourselves?

MP: We all have our different reasons for doing it.

Even though it is stressful and there's that pressure, there's some kind of importance to it; there's a meaning that we attach to doing these things. There's the joy of being able to spend time with people that we want to see and celebrating the joy of the season with people that we love and care about. We want to make the most of it and that does require time, energy, effort, and planning.

JB: Is the stress that we feel around this time of year (or anytime at all) always a bad thing or are there some good things that can come out of it?

MP: Stress mobilizes us; that's basically the function of it. It's there to signal that there's something we need to do or someone or something that needs our attention.

Where it can become problematic is if we don't have a good way of working with it and if we're not getting regular breaks from it. Even if the stress is related to something positive that we want to be doing, it’s important to have time to recharge and regroup. We’re not machines, so we need those breaks and the relief they bring.

JB: Particularly around the holidays, there can be some degree of pressure to be merry, to be sociable, and be in the festive spirit, but is it okay to not feel that way?

MP: Yes, it is! A lot of people put pressure on themselves to feel a certain way or hope they're going to feel a certain way, and there’s also the hope that others will be feeling in good spirits too. When we notice that our experience isn't matching up with what's going on around us or what we were expecting, it can be a challenge to stay with what’s in front of us. But no matter what feelings our surroundings are meant to elicit from us, it’s really ok for us to experience the full range of human emotions.

JB: How can we share with those around us that we might not be feeling the same joy or happiness they’re feeling, or do we even need to share what we’re experiencing?

MP: We can share that information if we want to, but we're not obligated to do so. We can decide if we want to keep that private, or we can be selective about who we're sharing it with. Sometimes we have different emotional experiences that come and go for reasons that aren't totally obvious. It might be that there is something that we need to address, but it doesn't always make sense to listen to those internal reactions. Some people might think that if they’re not listening to their internal reactions or not sharing them that they’re being fake.

However, it’s important to consider your context, your values, and what’s important to you in this moment when you are deciding what, if anything, to do with these internal reactions.

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JB: How can folks navigate their darker periods through to the other side?

MP: It can help if you can plan ahead if you know this time of year tends to be difficult for you. Coming up with a coping plan ahead of time – when you’re likely thinking more clearly, feeling relatively fine, and might be more likely to connect with creativity – makes it more likely you will generate plans for coping that are workable for you. The key here is letting yourself do this before you actually need it. Also being able to recognize that this is a temporary state of things – that the stress is not never-ending – that you can remind yourself you’ve been through other stressors before and come out the other side, can be so helpful as you navigate the experience.

JB: Now, is disconnecting or disengaging a healthy way to manage or cope with the emotions or stress?

MP: Well, it depends on who or what we’re disengaging from, why we’re doing it, and how much we’re doing it. Certainly, we all feel that need to disengage or disconnect from time to time, and I think it can definitely be useful for us. It might be a way that we are able to carve out time to rest or cool down when emotions are running high.

The holidays can be a time when you end up being around certain people who are difficult for you to be with. It might be someone with whom you have a difficult relationship history or someone you’re having more recent conflict with. Sometimes disengaging or disconnecting is the best thing you can do to have time to regulate yourself and preserve relationships that matter to you. I think it can be a really helpful strategy, but it's important to consider the why and how much you’re doing it.

JB: So, it's not the only tool in your toolbox?

MP: Yes, and it’s helpful to let yourself plan ahead: who can you call if you need to reach out for some support or a helpful distraction? What are some activities that you enjoy doing? Can you make sure that you have a plan to connect with those things? Booking self-care appointments, health appointments, or different things like that can also be helpful.

JB: How about disconnecting and disengaging in terms of the workplace?

MP: Organizations can really support their employees by letting them be fully disconnected from the workplace. In business now there’s so much contact and connection - e-mail, texting, social media, phone calls – so letting people fully disconnect or at least reducing their connectedness for a time can help.

Another thing that employers can do is allow for flexibility around the various holidays and days of significance that folks in our society celebrate. It’s important to remember that not everyone celebrates

Christmas or Hanukkah. There are countless other religious and cultural holidays that people mark, and we can help reduce the stress by allowing flexibility in the time off we grant, lightening workloads where possible, and just showing compassion and care for our co-workers.

JB: The holidays can be a time when some folks might delve into the ideation and possible follow-through of suicide and self-harm. Is there an increase of these behaviours around the holidays or at some point down the road?

MP: I have looked into it before, and it's not always the case that suicidal ideation or self-harming behaviours peak in December, but I do think there's something about the pressures that come with the holiday season that can lead to increased distress. If you're already experiencing some mental health difficulties, the stress of the season might exacerbate them. It's not necessarily that the risk is higher in December, but sometimes with the slowdown of some things around the holidays, it can sometimes be a bit more apparent that people are struggling.

JB: How can a workplace or work team support their staff or colleagues who might be dealing with this stress however it may be manifesting, whether it's depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidality, or another way?

MP: Providing contact information for crisis resources – local, provincial, or national – well ahead of time can be helpful. Start circulating the information about mental health resources and encouraging staff to consider and plan ahead and develop a coping plan for holiday-related stress before the holidays is useful. Companies can share information about the signs that somebody's mental health might be deteriorating, letting people know what to watch for, and encouraging people to engage in assertive reach-out if that's something they feel comfortable doing with their co-workers.

It’s important that we promote and encourage assertive reach-out. We need folks to not stop at ‘Well, they said they were fine, so my work here is done,’ rather we need them to think about a plan to check in at a certain frequency, and how this looks will depend on some factors including the comfort and familiarity that co-workers have with each other.

JB: Is there any difference in how family members or friends might help their loved ones compared to their co-workers?

MP: Similarly, I think it's assertive reach-out, like if something seems a bit off or if someone doesn't quite seem like themselves, be sure you’re making contact and reaching out. Things you might be looking for are changes in their demeanor, including if they’re usually more sociable but are noticeably more irritable or withdrawn, or if there’s been a dip in their hygiene or appearance, or possibly a change in their ability to focus

and concentrate. It’s just being aware of the things that are out of the ordinary.

It’s also important to note that when we’re checking in and helping our loved ones (and even colleagues) that we don’t want to put any unnecessary decision-making burden on them. Instead of just asking ‘What would you like to do?’ or ‘What can I do to help?’ it might be more useful to add in or say something like ‘Would you like to go for a walk/to a movie/for coffee – something specific - with me?’ or ‘I have some extra food I’d like to bring to you.’ If somebody’s experiencing significant mental or physical health difficulties, they might also be having increased struggle with indecisiveness and taking initiative on things.

JB: Where can people turn if they need help?

MP: If things are reaching a crisis point, if there's a need for support that family or friends can’t offer, or if there’s a safety concern or crisis, your best call will be to your local mental health crisis response centre. Most major cities will have a mobile crisis service of some sort, and there is always the option of going to the local emergency department or calling a national crisis line.

It’s critical to let yourself think ahead and plan when you’re not immediately worried about another person or when you’re not having a struggle yourself. I would encourage everyone – even if you don’t think you need it – to have this information accessible because you never know when somebody, including yourself, might need help.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health concern or crisis, there is help available.

Talk Suicide Canada Call 1.833.456.4566 (available 24/7) Text 45645 (available 3pm-11pm Central time) Wellness Together Canada Adults: text ‘WELLNESS’ to 741741 Youth: text ‘WELLNESS’ to 686868 Hope for Wellness For Indigenous people across Canada Call 1.855.242.3310 (available 24/7) Trans Lifeline 1.877.330.6366

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Attracting Younger Board Members

By Linda Wood Edwards (Boomer)

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B

oards across Canada who want to engage younger people are wondering why they can’t seem to attract them. It’s because what we always did to recruit directors doesn’t work anymore. Younger people have different interests and needs than those who went before them, and we can’t tap into their diverse perspectives until we satisfy those.

This is an important issue because seasoned directors are getting tired and want to hand over the reins -BUT only to people they trust to not screw up everything they built. In my experience, you can’t trust what you don’t understand, so let’s get a baseline of the seven living generations (as of 2023) according to Alisha Dotel on

TheFamilyNation.com. Once we are clear on what each of us can bring to the table, we can take steps to more agediverse boards.

Greatest Generation (1901-1924) Ages 99-121. Economic and social disorders (Great Depression, WW II) they experienced shaped their values. They respect authority, value responsibility,

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are patriotic, have a strong work ethic, and are loyal. They’re not on our boards anymore, but their influence is still felt.

Silent Generation (1925-1945) Ages 78-95; aka Traditionalists. They helped shape 20th-century pop culture with rock musicians, television legends, gonzo journalists, and iconic filmmakers.

The economy was growing and many prospered. They bring traditional values, respect, a strong work ethic, self-sacrifice, determination, dedication, and flexibility.

We still have a few on our boards, and many organizations’ constating documents were created by this group.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Ages 58-76. Boomers were present for many of the technological advances in the last 50 years and have shaped our social context. They are goal-oriented, focused on personal fulfillment, eager to develop, like technological innovation, and started the rise of feminism and the desire for equality. Many Boomers are still on our boards and in key management positions.

Generation X (1965-1980) Ages 43-58. This generation is most relevant in relation to technology and serves as a bridge between older and younger generations. They created video games and artificial intelligence. They are independent, resourceful, ambitious, eager to learn new skills, and creative.

They value diversity and challenge and try to balance work-life. Most current board members and managers are Generation X. Millennials (1981-1996) Ages 27-42; aka Generation Y. Born in a time of declining birth rates, they have even fewer children than their ancestors. They grew up with the Internet and electronic devices and are the first global generation. They are entrepreneurial, love to learn, expect collaboration and understanding from others, engage in social activism, are digital pioneers, and are better educated than previous generations.

This is a prime target for recruitment!

Generation Z (1997-2012) Ages 11–26. For them, the economy was shaped by COVID-19. This is the most racially and ethnically diverse cohort.

They grew up in non-traditional families and are not fazed by racial differences, sexual orientation, or religion. They value education and know they can’t depend

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on one job for stability; they must be extraordinary to succeed. Some grew up in a recession and are frugal shoppers and conservative spenders. They read reviews. They are ambitious, politically and socially aware, engaged in social activism, and are digital natives. The oldest of these may be a target for board recruitment; all are the right age to learn about volunteer service.

Generation Alpha (2013-2025) Ages 0-10. Generation Alpha is not a return to the old, but the start of something new. They are the first generation to be fully born in the 21st century. Technology has shaped them in every aspect of life. While many are still infants, characteristics are (or are expected to be) a focus on both career and family, spending more time online, AI as their reality, personalized learning, living in the moment, and valuing individuality and diversity. Not currently on our boards, but we needed to close the loop!

No one likes being pigeon-holed, yet looking at generations this way helps us see who is running our organizations and boards, and where the next group of directors and employees will come from. It shows us both the challenges and opportunities in attracting younger people.

Whether you are looking to recruit board members or employees, it makes sense to focus on Millennials and Generation Z. What will it take to leverage their fresh ideas and perspectives, their talents and gifts? Checking a box for age diversity isn’t enough; we need to actually include them.

High tech isn’t high enough Millennials and Gen Z both share a passion for, and comfort with, technology.

Technology can be an incentive for them to join you (the wrong or absent technology will be a disincentive for them to even look at you). If you are not on several social media platforms and your website is not optimized for mobile devices, you are irrelevant to them. They learned via portals and software, and it is how they engage with others at work, as volunteers, and as board members.

A board portal is an investment, but it is essential. A courier envelope with a 200-page agenda package won’t cut

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it anymore. Think of it as a trade-off.

Younger generations can help the board use the system (and probably also up your social media game). In exchange, other directors can teach them some soft skills. (For Generation Z especially, the time spent on devices has led to isolation and poor social skills).

Make meetings easy Younger generations value flexibility and a balanced work/life schedule. Both generations came through the pandemic and expect meetings to be held in hybrid form. A remote work environment and virtual meetings are not just attractive, they are necessary.

Younger generations may not have the financial resources that older directors have and may also have different commitments at work and home. When planning your board meetings and divvying out extra committee work, be mindful of both timing and expected time commitment. Boomers and Gen X need to stop with the full-day virtual meetings. Honestly, we all stop adding real value after a few hours.

Don’t be pretentious. Younger people (mercifully) have a more straightforward communication style -- simple, concise language will get you further faster.

Onboarding and continuing education People of all generations are better when we know what is expected of us. An excellent onboarding program can show young recruits who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how they can help. Then – and this is important – let them help.

Millennials and Gen Z value learning and being acknowledged for what they learned. Business, technology, finance, or governance trends are good seminar topics that can help keep younger people engaged. Invite the older directors, too (you might be surprised). Also look to programs and services in your industry/sector or at a post-secondary institution such as Athabasca University.

Walk the talk Millennials and Generation Z care deeply about diversity in action, so your

D&I policies matter. If you are behind in embracing such initiatives, say so and ask them to help you move the needle.

They also care about social justice, sustainability, and safe and caring communities. How they spend their time needs to match their values. Consider holding a community service project/ day/event (e.g., a Habitat for Humanity build, soup kitchen, food bank, etc.).

End your service activity with a social that all directors (or staff) are invited to, whether or not they participated.

Work-life balance Work-life balance is more important to younger generations than it was for the previous ones. You need to make what you offer (and what you need from them) worthwhile. This is true for both boards and workplaces.

Depending on the nature of your board or organization, you may improve your odds of attracting young people by organizing social events such as happy hours, athletic events, wine/beer/scotch tours tastings, wall climbing, hiking, etc.

Look for behind the scenes opportunities as well -- trendy stuff you’ve not tried before. Golf tournaments are good and can raise cash for your causes, but there is so much more you could try.

Check your community calendar to see what’s coming up (e.g., festivals, exhibitions, sporting events, openings, public lectures) and tack on a board meeting or activity. This is an easy engagement strategy with very little risk.

Create a competitive challenge within your organization/company.

Boards won’t have much luck recruiting younger people to a three-year term. It’s time to think about one-year terms and short-term projects with clear deliverables. Younger people will engage, but they’ll shy away from a long-term commitment up front.

Connection Millennials are team oriented and collaborative and can be great ambassadors for your organization/ company. Keep them connected by sharing information about your AGMs, programs, events, volunteer opportunities, etc. Reach out personally

to invite them to something. Feeling welcome is important. Greet them and introduce them around. Find out what they value by asking and observing. A connected person is a loyal person.

Recognition and renewal Millennials received heaps of praise from their parents, but honestly, we all want to be recognized for the good we do. If you’ve been on your board for 15 years, you may not need another certificate of recognition (signed by yourself!), but younger people thrive on acknowledgement. Show them you value their opinions and contributions.

Once a year at a banquet may not be sufficient for this group. Because they access information immediately, there is an expectation that recognition will also be timely. Perhaps it becomes a piece of every meeting agenda.

The more the merrier Accommodating younger directors does not mean having to disrespect older directors and workers. There is not only room for all of us, but there is a need for all of us. I hope these ideas got you thinking about how you can engage younger people on your boards, organizations, and companies. In the meantime, keep up the great work in diversifying who is sitting at your table.

Linda Wood Edwards, owner of LUE-42 Enterprises, is a Certified Association Executive and a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada (CGIC).

She holds a Bachelor of Administration degree, a certificate in human resources management, and the Accredited Director designation. Linda consults on board governance to organizations across Canada, serving as Corporate Secretary to several.

She is CGIC’s Chief Examiner for Corporate Governance and a facilitator in the Directors Education and Accreditation Program.

www.commutron.ca

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Entrepreneurial spirit cleans up Third-generation entrepreneur pursues innovation and growth through WEOC National Loan Program

By Katrya Bolger

I

n 2011, Alma Correlo, her husband, and their seven children, arrived in Canada, 10,000 kilometres from their native Philippines. Within the year, she opened a business – Top West International – in her adopted hometown of Calgary.

The early days were filled with challenges, from hauling heavy equipment in the family’s one car, to managing impossible schedules of demanding work and a large family. “I would work 20 hours a day, arriving home at 1.00 AM before waking up at 4.00 AM to prepare the food for the kids, then return to work again,” remembers Correlo.

The entrepreneurial spirit has been passed down to her through the generations. “My grandmother had her own business. So did my father. And now there’s me. So even if we had to work another job, we’ve always operated our businesses on the side,” explains Correlo.

Correlo leveraged that background to carve out her niche in the cleaning business. Top West International provides a range of services, including janitorial services, biosecurity inspections, mandatory safety training and courier services. They do this with what Correlo calls “a safety-first approach” to the businesses they serve, which range from commercial buildings and construction sites to retail operations and fitness centres.

Fortunately, the company was equipped with innovative cleaning technologies and was well positioned to sanitize buildings amidst the threat of the virus. But as cleaning technologies rapidly evolved during the pandemic, Corello looked for ways to advance the company’s methods and capabilities. She wanted to take her business a step further but didn’t know how.

In 2022, she learned of the WEOC National Loan Program through Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a not-forprofit organization that offers tools and resources to women entrepreneurs across the province. AWE is also one of seven

“By helping us, WEOC also helped the organizations and families that we are serving…Help is important because we cannot exist without others.”

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After nine years of growth and expansion, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and the demand for Top West’s cleaning services increased.

loan fund partners for WEOC’s National Loan Program. The loan program provides funding of up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs or women-majority businesses across Canada.

Funded by the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to help women grow their businesses, the loan program takes an inclusive approach to funding, with no requirement to disclose credit score or collateral.

For an entrepreneur like Correlo, the loan program offered an opening to expand her business into Edmonton and proceed with further technological upgrades. “[The WEOC National Loan Program] was really a significant help because this loan was used to purchase equipment, upgrade and refurbish our existing equipment, and have additional payroll because we grew,” says Correlo.

That’s not to mention the impact of these services on the customers themselves: “By helping us, WEOC also helped the organizations and families that we are serving…Help is important because we cannot exist without others.”

Being a family business means that she is constantly balancing: “You have to take care of your kids, prepare the foods when you go home…When you get home, it’s already late and you have to prepare things for the following day.”

That comes on top of navigating the attitudes towards the cleaning business in general. “Not everyone understands the concept of cleaning and, sometimes, you are belittled.

They may look down on you.” It’s why she says building resilience as an entrepreneur requires “courage, leadership, and understanding of the people who work with you.

As to what’s next, Correlo says Top West International is looking to recruit more people to further expand their operations. On the family side, her children are looking into launching a manufacturing company focusing on textiles, passing along the deep entrepreneurial tradition.

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TACKLING

Food Security Issues in Northern Communities The Manitoba Experience

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S

upply Chain Manitoba, in collaboration with Winnipeg Airports Authority, is embarking on a vital project addressing the urgent issue of food insecurity in Northern Indigenous Communities in Manitoba. Supply Chain Manitoba operates under the transportation and distribution sector council of the Manitoba Government and is leading the charge to combat this pressing challenge.

Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) exists to connect communities. As a Canadian air cargo hub, WAA takes this responsibility seriously and is excited to work with Northern communities to find solutions to the food security challenges in the North.

Definition of Food Security: Food security, as defined by the 1996 World Food Summit, encompasses four key dimensions: 1. Physical Availability of Food: This pertains to the supply side of food security and is influenced by factors such as food production, stock levels, and net trade.

2. Economic and Physical Access to Food: Having a sufficient food supply at the national or international level does not guarantee food security at the household level. Concerns about access to food have led to a policy focus on income, expenditure, markets, and prices to achieve food security objectives.

3. Food Utilization: This dimension involves how the body optimally utilizes nutrients from food. It depends on factors like care and feeding practices, food preparation, diet diversity, and food distribution within households. Effective biological utilization of consumed food determines an individual's nutritional status.

4. Stability of the Other Three Dimensions Over Time: Food security requires the sustained fulfillment of these dimensions. Even if individuals have sufficient food today, they can be considered food insecure if they face periodic obstacles in accessing food, potentially affecting their nutritional well-being. Factors like adverse weather, political instability, or economic challenges, including unemployment and rising food prices, can influence an individual's food security status.

To achieve food security objectives, all four dimensions must be addressed simultaneously.

The challenge Residents of remote Northern communities in Canada face a dire food insecurity crisis, with rates 10 times higher than the Canadian national average.

The cost of food in these remote communities is excessively high, with prices for basic items like fresh fruits and vegetables significantly exceeding urban prices. As a result, a substantial portion of the residents' incomes goes towards low-quality and unhealthy food.

Reports have shown that food insecure people are more likely to live with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and asthma, and they are more susceptible to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. These negative health outcomes underscore the urgency of addressing food security in remote Northern communities.

Solutions on the horizon Recognizing the complexity of this issue, Supply Chain Manitoba and Winnipeg Airports Authority are adopting a multifaceted approach. Community-based food action stands as a vital strategy to combat food insecurity, complementing business activities, government programs,

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60%

FOOD INSECURE 14.4% of households in Manitoba are food insecure.

1 in 5 children in Manitoba lived in households that reported being food insecurity.

60% of residents in remote Northern Canadian communities are food insecure.

and comprehensive social policies. These multifaceted efforts are integral to addressing the root causes of food insecurity and creating sustainable, long-term solutions.

Moreover, the Manitoba government has pledged a significant investment of $1.3 million to strengthen food security in the province's north. This funding will support the Northern Healthy Foods Initiative (NHFI), which partners on food security projects and assists community-led initiatives.

The NHFI works to increase food security in northern Manitoba by supporting local and regional projects, with priorities including partnerships and community-led efforts. They work with government departments and community organizations to reduce food prices through subsidies and increase Indigenous participation in providing goods and services to the government.

The heart of the matter At the core of this project is the ambition to raise awareness about the food security crisis and encourage industry leaders to actively participate and take practical steps towards alleviating this urgent issue. By highlighting the severity of the problem and involving key stakeholders, the project seeks to drive real change and improve the quality of life for the residents of remote Northern communities.

This collaborative endeavour between Supply Chain Manitoba and Winnipeg Airports Authority represents a significant step toward a more food-secure future for remoted Northern communities. The convergence of public and private sectors, with government support, highlights the commitment to making tangible, sustainable improvements in the lives of those affected by food insecurity. Through shared knowledge and collective efforts, we can hope to create a brighter, more secure future for all members of these communities.

Join us We firmly believe that together, we can create a lasting impact and bring positive change to the lives of those in need. We invite you to join us in making a difference by addressing this pressing issue.

For more information, contact Supply Chain Manitoba on 204.231.0965 or Winnipeg Airports Authority on 204.987.7837.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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How Efficiency Manitoba can help industrial customers save energy & money

E

fficiency Manitoba is a Crown corporation dedicated to helping all Manitobans save energy, money, and the environment. They cater to a diverse array of participants from homeowners to large businesses, and communities across the province by providing financial incentives and expert advice to help you lower your energy use and create a sustainable Manitoba for future generations to come.

Efficiency Manitoba also works with industrial and large commercial customers throughout Manitoba to help identify, investigate, and implement energy-saving opportunities to make your facility’s operations more energy efficient. With help from their team of experts, they provide complimentary benchmark studies, energy efficiency assessments, and incentives that help offset the costs of steam trap audits and feasibility studies.

Once energy efficiency opportunities are identified, you can also receive incentives towards the implementation of energy efficiency upgrades. Their expertise in energy efficiency and

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technical support is there to assist you along the way. With their project-based approach, you can maximize your energy savings and incentives by participating in multiple programs that make sense for your business, helping you lower your operating costs, improve the systems you currently use, and reduce your environmental impact. That’s exactly how they helped McCain Foods Limited identify and implement several energy efficiency upgrades in their processing facilities.

Substantial savings for McCain Foods Limited McCain Foods Limited is the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products with two facilities in Manitoba. McCain Foods has been working with Efficiency Manitoba on numerous projects over the years including insulation and lighting upgrades, as well as a variety of energy efficiency upgrades to their manufacturing processes. Projects have ranged from compressed air upgrades, to refrigeration, to recovering waste heat for reuse

within their facility. Since working with Efficiency Manitoba, McCain Foods significantly reduced their energy use and GHG emissions at their two Manitoba locations and will realize substantial energy bill savings through these energy efficiency upgrades.

“With help from both the knowledgeable team members and financial incentives, Efficiency Manitoba’s Custom Energy Solutions Program allowed us to identify and implement numerous upgrades in our facilities,” remarked Mike Weissig, Sustainability Manager at McCain Foods Limited. “We’re already seeing the benefits and look forward to working together on future projects.”

What’s next?

McCain Foods isn’t stopping there. They’re currently participating in Efficiency Manitoba’s Strategic Energy Manager Program, which provides a number of additional supports including funding and training for an onsite energy manager to provide focus, expertise, and a strategic approach to energy reduction within their organization. Mike had this to say: “Having the opportunity to exchange ideas and entertain new concepts has been very helpful in growing our business while reducing energy consumption.”

Efficiency Manitoba understands the energy landscape is constantly evolving. They’re eager to work with you and your facility to find energy-efficient solutions that are tailored to your long-term needs.

Energy efficiency assessments: If your facility relies on processing and uses over 500,000 kWh per year, consider an energy efficiency assessment to better understand your energy use. Efficiency Manitoba will provide a high-level look at your facility’s energy consumption, identify major energy inefficiencies, and help find potential opportunities for energy-saving projects. Their technical experts conduct a walk-through of your facility, analyze your energy usage, and provide you with a detailed report and suggestions for Efficiency Manitoba programs that can help you save.

Steam trap audits: Efficiency Manitoba’s program for steam trap audits can help facilities that use steam for heating or process loads identify leaking and failed traps that can be wasting significant energy. They pay $15 per trap inspected to a maximum of $10,000 per audit. An added benefit: replacing failed steam traps can have a payback period of less than one year!

Your business is unique and your energy efficiency upgrades should be too. Efficiency Manitoba offers an array of programs for industrial and large commercial customers to help you pursue energy-saving opportunities that fit your needs.

Benchmark studies for compressed air systems: Many industrial processes rely on compressed air, and ensuring they’re as efficient as possible is important. Efficiency Manitoba offers complimentary studies of compressed air systems to help with this. They work with compressed air specialists who will visit your facility and perform a baseline logging of your system. Their technical experts will analyze the data and provide you with information to help you size a replacement unit properly and identify other areas for improvement. Once implemented, any energy efficiency upgrades to your compressed air system would qualify for incentives through Efficiency Manitoba’s Custom Energy Solutions Program.

Custom Energy Solutions Program: The Custom Energy Solutions Program — Efficiency Manitoba’s signature industrial offer — provides a performancebased incentive that pays up to $0.15/kWh and $0.30/m3 of annual energy saved. The more energy your project saves, the higher the incentive. You can take on several projects to maximize energy savings and eligible incentives, and their team can help you find the best option to save you the most energy.

Strategic Energy Manager Program: This initiative supports the hiring of a dedicated energy manager to foster a culture of energy conservation and commitment to long-term energy savings within your organization.

Efficiency Manitoba provides financial assistance to support the development and implementation of a Strategic Energy Management Plan, and you may be eligible to receive additional incentives on top of other Efficiency Manitoba incentives.

Efficiency Manitoba’s programs for industrial businesses

Feasibility studies: If you’re interested in upgrades related to electricity or natural gas savings and aren’t sure of your options or potential costs, a feasibility study can help. The study can quantify the technical viability, potential energy savings, and overall project economics.

Plus, Efficiency Manitoba offers financial incentives of 50% of the study cost up to a maximum incentive of $20,000.

If you’re interested in making your industrial or large commercial facility more energy efficient, Efficiency Manitoba is here to help. They have the expertise to assist in identifying energy-saving opportunities and can provide financial incentives to help you implement your project. Learn more at efficiencyMB.ca/industrial.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING

Keep Doing

What Scares You Transformation in the Women in Manufacturing Movement

By Andrea Aiello

W

hen the email arrived in my inbox to congratulate me on the successful application of the Women in Manufacturing tour across the United States, my first thought was “wow,” followed too quickly by, “what a great opportunity – for someone else.”

A connection of mine had passed on some information about a professional development exchange program sponsored by the US State Department. The program, Building Back Better: Women in Manufacturing, would bring together women from Canada and Mexico to explore best practices in engaging and retaining women in our industry.

It was three weeks long, fully funded, and would include travel to five different cities across the US. As we women do, my thoughts went to my son and husband (what would the impact of me leaving home for nearly a month?), my work and team (we just started onboarding a new employee – it would be irresponsible to leave that to someone else… right?), the long to-do list (insert whatever nonsense I told myself to talk myself out of such a prestigious opportunity), and I couldn’t see how it could happen, let alone even being one of only seven chosen among the long list of applicants who were undoubtedly more qualified than me.

But I couldn’t shake it. It stuck in my mind and oozed out of me any time I spoke with my colleagues. First, I shared it with my community of other Women in Manufacturing (there’s actually a formal WIM group – contact me if you’re interested in getting involved!), then my peers at work, and

We felt understood, seen. We had only met just days before, but by the end we said we understood each other better than our families did. And that is the power of community we need to inject in our roles at home.

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www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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PHOTO COURTESY: ANDREA AIELLO

With strong alliances, the right knowledge and champions, and a sense of community, we can break down barriers and empower the next generation of women to thrive in the industry.

family and friends followed shortly after.

The response was always the same – excitement and encouragement that I was the right person, and so persistent that it pushed me to finally apply. A few weeks of waiting, an exciting acceptance email, and I eventually found myself getting on a plane to Washington, DC to begin my journey.

Over the course of three weeks, a group of seven women from Canada and Mexico, hosted by Americans, began a deep dive into what we shared in common, what our greatest challenges were – personally and collectively – and where we could effect change. We met with local manufacturers, Women in Manufacturing chapters, government departments, technical colleges, trade associations, academics, career development organizations, and more. And the conversations we had! They were equal parts engaging, lively, vibrant, discouraging, and encouraging – all at once.

What we discovered was a whole lot of overlap across our three countries preventing women from accepting jobs in industry. Of course, there were the obvious culprits – lack of childcare, interest in STEM dropping off for girls as they go through middle school and high school, pay inequities, employer opportunities, and the need for different types of work benefits like flexible work schedules and programs to support women.

There were also not-so-obvious topics. Through exploring them, we found where many opportunities lay.

MATH MATTERS. Not only for professional pursuits in manufacturing, but math and numeracy support general independence for women. Whether it is calculating ROI, margins, inventory turns, payroll, or even personal budgets – there’s power in math and financial literacy.

Gathering, analyzing, and using data is an essential foundation that can empower women with professional performance and also give them a critical eye toward compensation, negotiation, and more.

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We met some great organizations who are building in math education in such fun and applicable ways that girls weren’t even realizing what it was they were learning. We must ask ourselves: why are the practical and useful teachings of math so often relegated to “lower levels” of learning in our high schools?

There’s no reason the math taught in “consumer” or “essential” math classes is the only place that teaches us compounded interest for investing, budgeting, or personal finance. These are the skills that set us up for success – even if we’re not a physicist or actuary.

ALLYSHIP IS MISUNDERSTOOD. So frequently we are asked what is allyship and why does it matter? The answer: for all the reasons that it mattered to any number of underrepresented groups throughout history. While we remain encouraged by the growing community of women in manufacturing, the needle really doesn’t move until we all understand how to support and champion the inclusion and development of women (and others, of course).

One of our favourite visits was by an organization called Equimundo, whose main goal is to promote gender equality.

The organization’s central tenet is that “male-identifying individuals must be active allies in achieving gender equality and full rights for women, girls, and nonbinary individuals.” Through a series of activities, our group explored the issues that allies might face and feel, and how we can provide training that addresses and encourages more voices speaking up.

CHAMPIONS ARE CRITICAL. Further to the point on allyship, at almost every stop along our journey, particularly at the manufacturers themselves, there were stories of how women with champions attained more (professionally and financially), than those who did not.

Though one can argue the difference between a champion and a mentor, one way this can be built into the culture

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and as a formal system is through the implementation of a mentorship program.

This was highlighted as a cornerstone of almost every group we met with, with clear benefits for both the mentor and mentee. Organizations need both mentors AND champions.

LIVING IN COMMUNITY. I will skip over the reasons we all know why community matters. Perhaps the sweetest benefit of my whole experience was living life with six strangers for three weeks and what happens within that context. Granted, we were all women in leadership positions, type A personalities, all selected because we shared similar criteria, but we were also an interesting cross-section of women from different parts of the world and cultures.

What were we neglecting? For one, our physical selves could receive more attention. Whether it was years of skipping meals, not being active enough, or choosing easy-but-nutritionally-poor meals, living together for three weeks meant we saw, we cared, we commented, and challenged each other to do better.

Second, we tended to sell ourselves short. One of my colleagues on the trip introduced herself as “working in administration.” After a short conversation, I realized how knowledgeable and insightful she was on certain topics and asked her again what role she was in. “Actually, I’m the owner,” she replied, a bit bashfully.

Why do we do this? As the weeks went on, we found our personal and collective voices, growing bolder and more confident, cheering each other on as tough challenges and opportunities were happening in our businesses and careers back home at the same time we were swimming in new information overload. And what impressed us? Instant connection. We felt understood, seen.

We had only met just days before, but by the end we said we understood each other better than our families did. And

that is the power of community we need to inject in our roles at home. Finding the friends and peers to act as cheerleaders or to keep us accountable.

So, after three weeks on a journey to discover what the rest of North America is doing to support Women in Manufacturing, what did we end up with? This journey has shown that women in manufacturing are on the cusp of transformative change. With strong alliances, the right knowledge and champions, and a sense of community, we can break down barriers and empower the next generation of women to thrive in the industry.

We see young women beginning to lead WIM programs, and they are doing so with such energy and vigour. They are not so interested in living solo lives and coming occasionally to talk about it with their WIM community. They want to LIVE in community and experience life together, to look out for one another, to have fun together because their jobs are stressful, to find friendship that blurs professional and personal, to learn together through book clubs – not only from speakers, but from observations and a-ha moments they are each experiencing.

A favourite stop of ours was the very first day in Washington, DC. We enjoyed a tour of the city with a focus on the contributions of women. There is an inspiration for the future when looking at history and how far we’ve come. It hits you like no other experience can. I think we’ve all known for years that stating and re-stating personal horrors is not the way we engage our young women. So, as we move from one stage of empowerment and into another, we’ll keep our experiences with us, but not be kept from moving forward by the scars some of our careers have garnered us.

Last but not least, what did this experience do for me? I learned who I can count on as cheerleaders in life – my husband, son, parents, my tightknit WIM circle, my champions (yes, I have them and they have been a game changer for me). My broader community who knows me enough to know I might be the right person for an experience like this. My girlfriends, and especially my sister, who

CME’S WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING SYMPOSIUM IS BACK!

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texted me every single morning of my trip with a note to seize the experience and be my best self.

I carefully chose what I was going to read to supplement this experience and settled on Quiet by Susan Cain.

What a gift to accompany a long journey where I was both solo and surrounded by company, and how acceptance of my introversion is driving a newfound boldness in myself. And last but not least,

I discovered (again) the thrill that comes stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something that scares you just a bit. It served as a good reminder that when those nerves sound like, “this isn’t for you,” they in fact might be telling you, “This is your path.”

Andrea Aiello is Director of Workforce Development with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters in Winnipeg.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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Manitoba Aerospace

honours industry excellence On November 23, 2023, Manitoba Aerospace held its 20th annual Aerospace All-Stars Awards of Excellence to recognize three recipients for their achievements in the aerospace, aviation and defence industries.

The event recognizes partners or individuals involved in or with the aerospace, aviation and defence industries who have demonstrated excellence in a variety of areas from leadership to business growth. Nominated by their industry peers, the 2023 Award of Excellence recipients are:

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PARTNERED CONTENT

Award of Excellence for Business Growth, Innovation, and Technology Development

F-35 TEAM AND PROGRAM MAGELLAN AEROSPACE, WINNIPEG Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg is a proud supplier of F-35 assemblies, the most advanced fighter jet in the world. The Magellan team built a state-of-the-art facility for the production and delivery of the F-35 horizontal tail assemblies to Lockheed Martin. The facility features innovative composite production and manufacturing processes. The team achieved several milestones, such as shipping the first horizontal tail within a year of opening the facility, delivering the 25th shipset within 5 years, and reaching the required rate of 60/65 shipsets per year in 2023. The F-35 program at Magellan provides high-value careers for about 150 employees and fosters growth and prosperity.

Magellan has established a unique advanced composites environment that produces the highest quality composite products for the aerospace industry using the most advanced technology in the world. Magellan is ready to support advanced manufacturing programs for future generations.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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Award of Excellence for Education

DR. PHILIP FERGUSON PRICE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Dr. Philip Ferguson is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manitoba and a leader in aerospace education and research. He teaches and mentors future aerospace engineers with innovative and hands-on methods that connect them with the local aerospace community and industry.

He also conducts cutting-edge research in developing and deploying aerospace vehicles for space exploration and remote sensing. His research has led to the launch of the first University of Manitoba satellite, the IRIS CubeSat, which studies the effects of space weathering on materials. He also applies his aerospace expertise to address issues of critical concern to Indigenous peoples, such as sea ice changes and satellite communication. Dr. Ferguson is a passionate and inspiring educator, researcher, and communicator who has made significant contributions to the aerospace field and society.

Award of Excellence for Training

JOSH AND ASHLEIGH CORDERY EAGLES WINGS FLIGHT SCHOOL, PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB Eagles Wings Flight School (EWFS) is a non-profit organization that empowers Indigenous youth to pursue their passion and achieve their goals in life. Josh and Ashleigh Cordery, the founders of EWFS, have created a life-changing opportunity for students and their communities. Josh, who is also an instructor at the 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School in Southport, has built this organization from scratch in his spare time. He and his team have established strong partnerships with companies and local First Nation communities to ensure the success of the flight school. They provide guidance and support to the students, not only in the planes, but also in life. Thanks to their dedication, the EWFS team has changed the lives of over 20 youth over the past 4 years who now have the foundation to explore further opportunities in the aviation industry. The EWFS team will continue to make a positive difference for Indigenous students in the future.

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“W

e are excited to recognize the recipients of the 2023 All-Stars Awards for their significant contributions to the Manitoba Aerospace Industry,” said Brent Ostermann, Chair of the Board of Manitoba Aerospace Inc. and StandardAero’s VP of Product Assurance and Quality.

Helping students and industry take flight “This evening is not only an opportunity to share in the successes of today, it also serves as an opportunity to raise funds to support the future of the Manitoba Aerospace Industry, through raising of funds for the Manitoba Aerospace Student Endowment Fund. Since 2003, over $400,000 has been raised and over 140 deserving students have received awards.”

Ostermann commented.

“Many of these students have graduated and become contributors to our aerospace industry, developing key specialized skills in aerospace or aviation through our provincial academic institutions. We are proud to bring the Aerospace community together to celebrate successes of our colleagues, while supporting the development of our future.”

This year’s student recipients are from Tec-Voc High School, Neeginan College of Applied Technology, Red River College Polytechnic and the University of Manitoba Price Faculty of Engineering.

Aerospace and defence in Manitoba Manitoba’s state-of-the-art aerospace, aviation, and defence sector is the largest in western Canada and is the third largest aerospace hub in Canada, producing and selling more than $2.0 billion dollars of products and services annually. Aerospace is one of the province’s premier industries and directly employs more than 5,000 highly skilled Manitobans.

About Manitoba Aerospace Manitoba Aerospace is a not-for-profit sector association that works to connect the local aerospace industry to national and international markets and also aims to develop a worldclass workforce to meet industry’s needs through partnerships with Manitoba educational institutions and other key stakeholders. We support and promote the local aerospace sector through business development, innovation, research, and technology as well as human resource initiatives.

For more information on the Aerospace All-Star Awards and past recipients, visit mbaerospace.ca.

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The Dream Book

generously presented by Bonafide Construction Solutions Give a toy, a stuffed animal, a family dinner, a backyard makeover, or even a dream come true. There are so many to choose from. Gifts that will mean the world to a child with a life-threatening illness, especially now, during the holiday season.

This is why we’re excited to announce that The Dream Book is back! The Dream Factory’s holiday gift guide is filled with the dreams of children, who despite their medical struggles, still dream big.

This book is stuffed with all the pieces that come together to bring dreams to life. But what really makes dreams come true is the kindness of our community. Whichever gift you decide to give, it’s really all about joy this holiday season - for the children who want to dream, and for you.

Right now, more children than ever are in need of a dream come true. Simply put, the demand for dreams and the need for support for families who have just learned that their child is sick is higher than it’s ever been.

At The Dream Factory, 2023 has been our busiest year yet. We welcomed over 60 new Dream Kids and their families into our Dream Community. Despite the diverse dreams of these Dream Kids, one thing remains constant: their love for Disney.

So, we need your help to bring the Disney magic to more Dream Kids, kids like Dante. This cheerful 5-year-old adores superheroes, especially Batman.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Fall 2019

Dante has faced extraordinary medical challenges since he was diagnosed with the rare liver disease, Alagille Syndrome, at just nine weeks old. His liver struggles to absorb nutrients, affecting his growth, organs, bones, and brain development. Despite this, Dante and his family focus on finding joy in the present.

A big source of that joy is the anticipation of his dream trip to Disney! Each gift this holiday season will help Dream Kids like Dante experience the magic of Disney with their whole family.

Your kindness represents the brightest parts of a period that is otherwise incredibly dark. And we are so grateful that you continue to be a source of light for Dream Kids and their families.

This year, we’ve teamed up once again with Bonafide Construction Solutions to make sure that every gift made through The Dream Book is matched up to $30,000. That means each gift will go twice as far in inspiring sick kids to dream.

We are so excited to share The Dream Book with our incredible community, giving you an opportunity to choose how you want to make dreams come true!

Visit www.thedreamfactory.ca/dreambook to learn how!

Scan this to check out The Dream Book now.

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. If you can, please consider making a donation to help make more dreams come true for kids like Dante. www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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5

QUESTIONS

about respiratory virus season and vaccines with Dr. Martin Lavoie

Why is it recommended to get vaccinated against influenza and now against COVID-19 every fall?

Each year, many respiratory viruses circulate and spread in our communities. The respiratory virus season is most active during the fall and winter months, typically spanning from October to March. Its exact timing, duration, and the impact on our health and wellbeing vary from year to year, but it happens every year and we see significant disease, complications, and death every year. A few viruses are better known and more impactful like influenza (some people call it « the flu » but that is a confusing term for many - influenza is a respiratory virus, not a gastrointestinal one), COVID-19, and RSV. The reason we recommend receiving certain vaccines every year is because the protection we get from those particular vaccines does not last forever, and particularly because many viruses evolve and change over time (looking similar like siblings at first but becoming more like cousins and distant cousins over time), so our immune system needs to get updated instructions to keep current with our protection against those viruses. This is particularly true for influenza and COVID-19.

What are vaccines? Why do they work so well?

To reduce the risk of disease and suffering, we have a variety of vaccines we can use to protect ourselves (direct protection) and others around us (by reducing the risk of spread - indirect protection).

Vaccines are manufactured products that contain ingredients able to safely and successfully guide our immune system to recognize and attack

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Winter 2023

things that can cause us to be sick, like bacteria and viruses. Vaccines are very good at giving our immune system the knowledge to quickly recognize and respond to viruses in advance of being in contact with them.

Your body safely learns and gets trained to defend itself because the vaccine does not cause the disease but provides enough details of the virus or bacteria for the immune system to get to work right away.

We can choose to get our immune system trained by getting the infection or by getting vaccinated.

The fall and winter infections are not so bad, are they?

Do we really need vaccines?

There is more out there than the common cold, sniffles, and sneezes during the fall and winter months. There are viruses like influenza, COVID-19, and RSV that have caused and continue to cause significant disease and suffering, including death, each year. In fact, influenza causes around 3500 deaths each year in Canada. We don’t have vaccines to protect against everything that circulates, but we are fortunate to have the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to protect us.

There is also a long list of other infections and conditions for which we have been able to develop excellent and safe vaccines. Vaccines have made a HUGE difference in our lives over the last many decades. In fact, they are so good at protecting us that most people forget how bad some infections were or can be, or even what some of those look like.

For example, infants and young children used to be hospitalized and sometimes die following infections such as measles, diphtheria, meningitis, tetanus, and poliomyelitis. Many of those infections were leading to severe complications and long-term after-effects, such as deafness, brain damage, sterility, or paralysis.

We eradicated smallpox from the world back in 1980, ending very severe disease and stopping its death toll. We have essentially eliminated measles from most parts of the world, and we only rarely see it nowadays.

Similarly, many other infections were significantly reduced in numbers and severity thanks to vaccines.

If we made many infections disappear or, for the most part, got them under control, why do we keep using those vaccines?

What we see today is the result of decades of efforts to reduce the presence of many viruses and bacteria, but it is also a direct result of where our current immunity barrier is at the individual and community level. We only rarely see measles, for example, only because we have a lot of immunity in our communities (i.e., very high

immunization rates) so that even when a few cases come into Canada from other countries, the measles virus is not able to find people who are vulnerable to it because they have very long-lasting learned immunity from the vaccine they received as children to protect them from being infected.

Without maintaining that immunity barrier in our communities, one case of measles would spread like wildfire, causing the return of large outbreaks, which would lead to severe cases and infant and childhood deaths. Until we can eradicate the cause of an infection, like we did for smallpox, those viruses and bacteria continue to be present, and our immunity defence needs to be maintained.

Are there any new or less-used vaccines that could make a difference?

One excellent vaccine that has now been available for about six years in Canada is the vaccine that protects against shingles. While not widely available via funded programs, it is a safe vaccine that offers excellent protection from shingles, a condition that can be debilitating due to the intensity of the pain it can cause, and that can lead to long term nerve pain. This vaccine is recommended for individuals who are 50 years of age or older.

Another vaccine to keep an eye on is the RSV vaccine. Until recently, we did not have a vaccine to protect against RSV; that being said, we have a product made of antibodies offered to infants at high risk of severe RSV disease. Earlier this year, a vaccine that should help protect elderly individuals was approved for use in Canada. This vaccine has yet to be reviewed by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which will assess its safety and capacity to protect individuals from RSV infection and severe disease.

One last thing: make sure you get your information on infections and vaccines from trusted and reputable sources. There is a lot of information out there, and it can be misleading, incorrect, biased or completely made up. Some of that can be unintentional, but we know that it can also be wilfully posted to mislead and cause harm.

Dr. Martin Lavoie is a physician with a specialty in public health and is a Clinical Instructor at the School of Population and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. A graduate of Université de Montréal in 1996, he has practised public health/community medicine in Québec, Alberta, and British Columbia.

www.prairiemanufacturer.ca

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