people technology innovation

v 5.1 2011
$4.95

techlifemag.ca

Does local food

have a future in alBerta?

countdown to 50 years

social media
what you should know

a top alum

nominate

the 48 hours
that changed Jim Barrs Business

your old nait photos and win! p. 62 & 66

share

retirement
savings mistakes to avoid

game

Bet youd

Play his

tyler ste. marie swings for a mobile app knockout

SEARCHING FOR
EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETES?
Theyre named MVP and play on the all-star team.

SENSATIONAL
MEMORABLE MUSICIANS?
They get Juno awards and earn gold records.

NOTABLE NAIT GRADS?

Theres special distinction for them, too.

As part of NAITs 50th anniversary celebrations in 2012, 50 outstanding alumni will be recognized in a commemorative issue of techlife magazine. Were searching for these fabulous 50 right now and we need your help. Do you know a NAIT grad who has made a particularly significant contribution to their industry, workplace or community? Someone who has led a remarkable life or is an influential leader? Nominate that person at www.nait.ca/top50. You could win an iPad2 just for sharing the tip!

Closing date for nominations 31 December 2011 WWW.NAIT.CA

taBle of contents

techlife > contents

40

32
on the cover
15 32
Social Media
What You Should Know

technofile
17
The Future in 3D New 3D technology for tablets and smartphones means you can forget about the glasses Data Control
Alumna helps 10 NAIT health sciences programs digitize the paper trail

27

Bright Lights, Big Savings

Students roadmap for lighting upgrades at Alberta Envirofuels generates as much as 50 per cent in savings

32

The Games People Play

That simple game on your mobile device has disrupted the video game market and opened a virtual world of opportunity for a new generation of developers, designers and programmers

Bet Youd Play His Game

Tyler Ste. Marie swings for a mobile app knockout

40 The 48 Hours That

Changed Jim Barrs Business

19

innovate
28 Your House and the
Rising Sun
A primer on the alternative energy technology choices available to the homeowner

38 A Living Laboratory
The Sturgeon River watershed offers lessons on the impact of human activities

50 Retirement Savings
Mistakes to Avoid

21

Rolling into Action

Robotic technology thats poised to speed up Albertas manufacturing industry

54 Does Local Food Have a

Future in Alberta?

62 Nominate a Top Alum 66 Share Your Old NAIT

Photos and Win!

22

31

Rosemarys Angels
Denturist instructors make a discovery that may have saved a patients life

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

New applied research finds high-intensity fitness training with a breathing apparatus improves performance for some

PeoPle
40 California Dreamin
Jim Barr earned the chance to pitch his company to investors in the high-tech mecca of San Francisco. Follow him through 48 hours in the valley

24 Home for the Holidays

Make your home look festive with light, texture, colour and a reindeer project

techlifemag.ca

63

54
DePartments
48 Fit for Life
Two Personal Fitness Trainer grads re-energize Edmonton seniors

24
53
Postcard After the fire: NAIT photography grad returns to Slave Lake Spaces
Go inside NAITs renovated dental clinic Scan this QR code to connect to techlifemag.ca for news, videos, stories and interviews posted every month. Accompanying this issues web extras and contests are bar codes that make it easier to connect with online content. All you need is a QR code reader, which you can download for free from your smartphones app store. Then, using the reader, scan the codes found throughout the magazine.

6 7 8 9

Contributors Editors Note Feedback Connections with the President

NAITs new VP; the LRT is coming; meeting student needs; engaging employees

cUlinait
54 The Local Food Challenge
Building a sustainable market for Albertas food producers isnt easy, but chef Blair Lebsack is cooking up a plan

61

10 Newsbytes

62 5 Ways to Get Involved

With NAIT

11

Preview
An inside look at emerging innovations at NAIT

63 Job Description
Edmontons new Epcor Tower marks a milestone in Mike Ropers career as carpenterturned-project manager

58 Where Our Chefs

Love to Shop
The local suppliers instructors turn to when stocking their kitchens

13

Reading Room
2011s most talked-about technology books

65 Acclaim
Award-winning grads, staff and friends

59 Recipe
Smoked duck and saskatoon berry tart with parsnip

15

3 Questions Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Google+. Do you? More importantly, should you?
Nine mistakes to avoid when saving for retirement

65 Click
Whats new at techlifemag.ca

50 Ask an Expert

66 Rewind
Dig up your old NAIT photos and you could win

v5.1 2011

contriButors

PAGE f 28

When asked to do an illustration for Your House and the Rising Sun, a look at renewable energy systems available to homeowners, Sandy Brown readily agreed. The project combined her love of illustrating with the chance to become familiar with these exciting technologies. One of the things I love about techlife magazine is how much information is packed into each issue, says Brown. I am constantly learning something new from it. Brown works as a communications specialist with NAITs Department of Marketing and Communications, supporting the Department of Continuing Education.

techlife
v5.1 2011

people technology innovation

techlifemag.ca

editor

Sherri Krastel

managing editor
Kristen Vernon

associate and online editor

Scott Messenger

PAGE f 31

Ruth Juliebo wears many hats. After several years behind and in front of a TV camera, she brought her natural curiosity and love of storytelling to NAIT. Three years later, her NAIT hats have included media relations, internal communications and, most recently, video production. Juggling video shoots by day and wrangling the schedules of three young daughters by night, Juliebo happily made time to cover this issues feature on research involving ber-fit firefighters. Enjoy the video web extra accompanying her article. Its all in a days work.

art director
Derek Lue

associate art director

Andrea Yury

designers

Debra Bachman Smith, Sandy Brown, Trina Koscielnuk, Sheena Riener

copy editor
Kathy Frazer

circulation manager
Lynn Ryan

Nicole Rose (Marketing 08)

advertising manager contributing writers

Eliza Barlow, Fiona Bensler, Armand Cadieux, Rachelle Drouin, Klay Dyer, Nida Farooqui, Ruth Juliebo, Frank Landry, Cheryl Mahaffy, Theresa Shea

contributing photographers

PAGE f 54

Visiting farmers markets with chef Blair Lebsack gave Cheryl Mahaffy new respect for the growers behind local food and for the chefs who are putting local on our dining radar. With a penchant for spending more hours at the keyboard than in the garden, Mahaffy grows more word-pictures than cauliflower and cabbage. Perhaps not surprisingly, shes among the growing number of citizens rooting for the preservation of the fertile agricultural land that is essential to Edmontons food security. An Edmontonian since the early 1980s, shes the author of Thats Amazing, the recently released history of Sport Central, and is working with a local survivor of the Rwandan genocide to tell her story.

John Book (Photographic Technology 87), Brandon Boucher (Digital Media Design 09), Leigh Frey (Photographic Technology 01), Garrett Key (Photographic Technology 11), Jason Ness (Photographic Technology 00), Blaise van Malsen

subscriptions

Send changes of address to circulation@techlifemag.ca. Sign up for the techlifemag.ca e-newsletter at techlifemag.ca/subscribe.htm.

freelance submissions letters to the editor

editor@techlifemag.ca

Send queries to editor@techlifemag.ca. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

advertising and circulation inquiries

circulation@techlifemag.ca

PAGE f 32

A barbeque is called a braai, and boots and bonnets are parts of a car if youre asking Blaise van Malsen. He grew up and studied photography in South Africa, and has worked as a photographer on three continents and as many oceans. Van Malsen started his career at NAIT earlier this year shooting curriculum content before he clinched the role of photographer in the Department of Marketing and Communications. Photographing people today who will change the world tomorrow is incredibly rewarding, he says, reflecting on the photo shoot with Bitshift Games Inc. NAIT people have a genuine enthusiasm for their jobs that in turn makes mine easy!

Techlife magazine is published twice a year by NAIT Marketing and Communications. Online features are published regularly at techlifemag.ca. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of NAIT or the editorial team. Techlife is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, abiding by the national magazine advertising/editorial guidelines (albertamagazines.com).

a report on giving managing editor

Fiona Bensler

contributing writers

Rachelle Drouin, Nida Farooqui

contributing photographers

John Book (Photographic Technology 87), Leigh Frey (Photographic Technology 01), Jason Ness (Photographic Technology 00), Blaise van Malsen

techlifemag.ca

editors note

Its thAt EnErGy And AntIcIPAtIon of bEInG on thE brInk of somEthInG ExcItInG PoIsEd to tAkE thE nExt bIG stEP - thAt wE cElEbrAtE.
although ive never been much of a gamer, its hard not to be enthused by the possibilities that lie ahead of the young faces of the gaming industry, profiled in our cover story (The Games People Play, p. 32). The evolution of the industry onto mobile platforms has created a whole new set of career and business opportunities waiting to be embraced by a generation of developers, designers and programmers, including Digital Media and IT (DMIT) student Tyler Ste. Marie, Rudy Janvier (Computer Engineering Technology 08), Justin James (DMIT 11) and Matt LaRose (DMIT 11). Its that energy and anticipation of being on the brink of something exciting poised to take the next big step that we celebrate in this issue. Like novaNAIT client Jim Barr, for example. His trip to San Francisco to pitch his company to a group of tough ex-pat venture capitalists was a journey of discovery for the driven entrepreneur, and resulted in a new if unexpected direction for his online business (California Dreamin, p. 40). Alums-turned-culinary instructors Blair Lebsack and Hong Chew are part of the momentum behind a movement to take eating local from fad to mainstream (p. 54). The two are improving the relationship between Albertas farmers and chefs and influencing the next generation of chefs to embrace the benefits of cooking local. The next time you eat at Ernests dining room on Main Campus, you can see for yourself, as the inimitable restaurant is moving towards having 50 per cent local ingredients on its menu. There are more game-changers in store for NAIT, not the least of which is a new academic model, which, over the next two years, will focus on helping students achieve both career and personal success and introduce never-before-seen options, including flexible course registration (Big Academic Changes, p. 10). On the transportation front, getting to campus is about to take a step towards greater sustainability with the construction of the new North LRT line to NAIT (p. 10). By 2014, students, staff and visitors will be able to enjoy the speed and efficiency of the train. Best of all, in 2012, we will celebrate 50 years since NAITs very first class of students 29 Communication Electrician apprentices began their training in 1962. Were planning a commemorative issue of techlife dedicated to the past half-century, and are looking for your photos of the good old days, as well as help identifying our top 50 alumni to feature in these pages. There are prizes to win, so check out pages 62 and 66 for more information and lets get the party started!

Sherri Krastel Editor editor@techlifemag.ca

v5.1 2011

feedBack

heres what youre saying aBout us, in print and online.

great issue, with a number of interesting and useful articles (techlifemag.ca e-newsletter, Aug. 16, 2011). Thanks for sending it. Perrin Beatty President and CEO The Canadian Chamber of Commerce i was dismayed to read Greetings from Uganda (p.48, V4.2, spring 2011). The two references to religion were out of place in a magazine representing a public institution. Teresa Engler Electrician 09

have you read a story in the magazine or at techlifemag.ca that inspired or challenged you? We want to hear from you.
heres how you can reach us: email: editor@techlifemag.ca techlifemag.ca (comment online by logging in through facebook) twitter: @nait www.nait.ca/facebook mail: sherri Krastel editor, techlife magazine 11762 106 st. n.W. edmonton, aB t5G 2r1
Published comments may be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

Subscribe to the techlifemag.ca e-newsletter at techlifemag.ca/subscribe.htm.

take our survey

Scan this QR code to take our readership survey or visit

Winners
Last issue we asked readers to identify the NAIT location in the photograph on p. 57 for a chance to win the books featured in Workbooks (p. 13). The correct answer: the south lobby of the F or Medical Wing on Main Campus. Congratulations to our five winners: sherry Gibbs (Biological Sciences Technology 93), luc lefebvre (Personal Fitness Trainer 07 and NAIT recreation facility attendant), don murray (Chemical Technology 67), claudia Villeneuve and scott wyman.

techlifemag.ca/ survey.htm.
Need a QR code reader? See p. 5.

Your GIfT Can

ChANGe the Future

A bequest is a thoughtful, practical way to make a real impact. Its a lasting contribution that allows you to give beyond your lifetime. Bequests to NAIT support students and have enabled hundreds to receive the financial support they need to complete their studies. Your bequest could: establish a student scholarship in your name purchase equipment that enables hands-on learning fund applied research
Charitable Registration Number: 10778 1205 RR0001

For more information: Department of Advancement 780.471.8800

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS www.nait.ca

8
techlifemag.ca

connections With the President

PolytEchnIc
nait is an extraordinary post-secondary institute a polytechnic that focuses on making a real and significant impact on Albertas economic prosperity. We work to enable our province to be internationally competitive. We align our programs and research with current and emerging needs. That makes NAIT essential to the future of Alberta. We are very proud of this role. We are practical and pragmatic. As a polytechnic, we are fundamentally different from universities and colleges in a number of ways, including what we teach and how we teach. These differences are a good thing. We focus on just four education and research pillars: science and technology, business, health care and trades. In each field, the learning is experiential: hands-on and using state-of-the-art equipment. The difference is also clear in our relationship with Alberta industry. These relationships play a critical role in ensuring our programs and research are relevant and responsive to the evolving economic environment. Our courses are developed in cooperation with the provinces business and technology leaders. NAIT applied research, conducted by staff and students, addresses real industry challenges and produces innovative solutions that can be put to work in a variety of fields across Alberta. Our efforts to prepare our students for real jobs and careers also set us apart from universities and colleges. Graduates of NAIT are immediately employable: they have the skills, the experience and the enthusiasm that saw 91 per cent of the class of 2010 employed a short time after convocation. From the moment they leave us, our students are ready to start making a difference of their own. We have defined and differentiated the institute as an educator for the real world for nearly half a century. We intend to grow, but only while honouring our heritage as a polytechnic or technical institute. Weve seen the strength in that, and we recognize it as a solid foundation to build upon as we achieve our full potential in serving Alberta. Were extremely proud of what we are, in the same way that I am to be president and CEO of NAIT, one of Canadas leading polytechnics.

Proudly

Photo by blaise van malsen

Glenn Feltham, PhD President and CEO glennf@nait.ca

v5.1 2011

neWsBytes

execUtive
by 2013, nait students in some programs will be able to learn at a time, place and pace that best suits them. Semesters will be 15 weeks long and the institute will offer a combination of delivery options including day, evening, online and accelerated weekend courses. Some programs will give students the option to take courses before applying for the program, choose how many and

alum joins nait

as a nait grad (Accounting 74), Dr. Ray Block came full circle this April when he became vice president administration and chief financial officer following David Janzens retirement. Along the way, Block expanded his education to include a CGA designation and a PhD in Public Health Sciences, which has served him well as a former Alberta Mental Health Board president and CEO and a current Alberta Health Services Board member. Before coming to NAIT, Block was vice president finance and administration at Athabasca University. Right now, hes busy preparing NAITs financial, HR and registration systems for its new academic model (see story on this page). Im thrilled to be back on NAIT campus and to be working with such an enthusiastic and collegial staff, says Block. Scott Messenger

workplace
to become one of the worlds greatest polytechnics, NAIT is committed to providing an outstanding workplace. The institutes first employee engagement survey, conducted this spring, was an important step towards that. Overwhelmingly, faculty and staff reported a high level of satisfaction with the institute, their jobs and their co-workers. But the survey also indicated areas for improvement, including communication, clarity around NAITs future, infrastructure and more. Well use that information to inform decisions that affect the institute and our collective future, says Dr. Glenn Feltham, president and CEO. The survey will be conducted, and acted upon, annually. S.M.

Build a Better

bIG AcAdEmIc chanGes

which courses to take, transfer between programs, and enroll in common credit courses with students from other programs. This student-focused approach is the motivation and guiding principle behind NAITs new academic model, which is anticipated to be fully implemented in the next two years. The model will build on NAITs current strengths of handson learning and responding to industry needs. The new academic model is designed to support every aspect of the student experience. By being relevant, responsive and flexible, NAIT can help students achieve both personal and careerrelated success, says Dr. Paula Burns, provost and vice president academic. Nida Farooqui Im absolutely thrilled to see the LRT extension to NAIT under construction, says Dr. Glenn Feltham, NAIT president and CEO. This project supports our sustainability vision and will be an enormous benefit to our staff and students. As the City of Edmonton builds the $755-million, 3.3-kilometre extension northwest from Churchill Station downtown

full
10 techlifemag.ca

sPEEd AhEAd

when it goes into service in 2014, the new North LRT line to NAIT will provide students, staff and visitors with a sustainable transportation alternative.

to NAIT, students, staff and visitors to campus can expect construction, followed by LRT testing around the institute from now through April 2014. The NAIT LRT station will be located at street level on the south corner of Main Campus alongside the athletics facilities. The city estimates that weekday LRT ridership will increase by 45,000 when the extension opens. The ride from downtown will take approximately nine minutes. Fiona Bensler

PrevieW

an insiDe looK

at emerGinG innovations at nait

Photo by Jason ness; lrt image suPPlied by the city of edmonton illustration by derek lue

musIcEArs to your
you walk into your house, pull out your smartphone, select a playlist and immediately hear your favourite songs broadcast in the room where you stand. Sound like a luxury? Zenovia Electronics Inc. founder and CEO Logan Jacobs plans to make home and commercial audio automation simple to install and use, affordable and as common as turning on the lights. Now working to raise more seed funding and develop the prototype, the novaNAIT incubation client hopes to be manufacturing and marketing the first generation Zenovia home automation system within a year. Projected cost to supply and install into new construction: less than $3,000 for eight rooms of audio on demand. Sherri Krastel

if a tree groWs in the forest

with 1,600 trees growing on an abandoned well site near Peace River as part of a reclamation research program, researchers needed an efficient, reliable way to monitor the growth of the aspens, black spruce, white spruce and dogwoods. Which is why they traded pen and paper for radio-frequency

identification (RFID) technology. This summer, students working for the novaNAIT Boreal Research Institute marked the year-old trees with credit card-sized RFID tags, supplied by novaNAIT incubator client Triple-i Tracking Technologies Inc., a startup founded by three Bachelor of Technology grads. That technology went into action for the first time this fall when second-year Forest Technology students recorded data, including the height and diameter of the young trees, on mobile devices after scanning the RFID tags. Kristen Vernon

rooftoP research
it can be tough to figure out how to grow and maintain a green roof in central Alberta, where the summers are short and the winters long and cold. But that could change as a result of a three-year study being led by biological sciences instructor Dave Critchley from NAITs School of Sustainable Building and Environmental Management. Hes looking at how existing green roof technologies and strategies can be adapted for a northern climate. Green roofs essentially roofs used as planter boxes can reduce solar radiation and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the research, roofing evaluation modules and data loggers installed at the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert are being used to collect information about a range of factors, including water and nutrient retention. The equipment was purchased by NAIT with help from a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant. Frank Landry
v5.1 2011

11

THE DEGREE WITH DIRECTION

Tyler Mowbrey earned a Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management degree in just two years, building on the strength of his previous IT diploma. Now hes pursuing an MBA on the west coast, while employed as a consultant for a leading software provider. NAITs BTech degree combines advanced technical knowledge with critical thinking, leadership and managerial skills. With a range of elective courses and a choice of full-time, part-time and online study options, its a great t for a career thats going places. Where are you headed?

SCAN THIS TO HEAR TYLERS STORY

WWW.NAIT.CA/BTECH

EDUCATION FOR THE REAL WORLD

12 techlifemag.ca

reading room

BiBliotech
WIN these books!
Visit techlifemag.ca/what-technology-wants.htm for a review of Kevin Kellys What Technology Wants and for details on how to win it or one of the books featured here.

in time for the holidays, a look at three of 2011s most talkedabout books on technology.

Alone TogeTher: Why We expecT More FroM Technology And less FroM eAch oTher by sherry turkle
Can technology deliver emotional fulfillment? That question is the core of Alone Together, psychologist and MIT professor Sherry Turkles final installment of a trilogy that includes The Second Self and Life on the Screen, two pioneering studies of technologys effect on the human condition. Turkle comes to her answer by examining the role of robots in society and of social media and wireless communication in our lives. Technology is a great enabler, but can machines, for example, provide true companionship? Do Facebook and texting adequately replace face-to-face contact? Turkle is unconvinced: Technology reshapes the landscape of our emotional lives, but is it offering us the lives we want to lead? After reading her investigation of our quest for intimacy in the digital age, expect to re-evaluate your own relationship with technology, and, in turn, people. Scott Messenger

The neT delusion: The dArk side oF inTerneT FreedoM by evgeny morozov
With The Net Delusion, Evgeny Morozov issues a gloves-off challenge to the notion of the Internet as a threat to authoritarianism. The book preceded Arab Spring, but Morozov didnt recant in a March article at guardian.co.uk. Perhaps the outsize revolutionary claims for social media . . . are only a manifestation of western guilt for wasting so much time on social media, he wrote. Lively, smart and a tad cranky, Morozov blogger, researcher and scholar focused on the political impact of the Internet thrashes what he calls the cyber-utopian mindset. Just as Twitter and Facebook appear to have the power to spark revolution, dictatorial regimes have turned the web into a machine for propaganda, surveillance and tightening control. Whether you agree with Morozov or not, The Net Delusion reminds that, fundamentally, the Internet spreads information, not democracy. S.M.

reAliTy is Broken: Why gAMes MAke us BeTTer And hoW They cAn chAnge The World by jane mcGonigal
Jane McGonigal is a powerful player in the world of game theory and development. She has created awardwinning games (specializing in games that tackle realworld problems), delivered a TED talk, and contributed to The Economist, New York Times, Wired, MTV, CNN and NPR. And as a fan of her ideas generally, I anticipated her first book like an avid gamer awaiting the release of the newest Call of Duty or Halo. Written for gamers and non-gamers alike, Reality is Broken argues that games are not merely time-wasting distractions. Computer and video games are fulfilling genuine human needs that the real world is currently unable to satisfy, McGonigal writes. They are teaching and inspiring and engaging us in ways that reality is not. They are bringing us together in ways that reality is not. As the sexy, witty and hip evangelist of the power of games and gamers to reinvent industry, education and even human civilization, McGonigal would easily convince her core audience. I, however, left this book questioning the newness of McGonigals vision and the crispness of her argument. But for those who want to understand where game-based technologies are heading, Reality is Broken will prove engaging and informative. Dr. Klay Dyer Dr. Klay Dyer is the director of Applied Research and Scholarship at novaNAIT. He is also a speaker who inspires organizations to add value through a renewed emphasis on creativity, responsible leadership and innovation.

Photos by leigh frey

v5.1 2011

13

From rocket science, to research or retail. In manufacturing, argriculture and health care, natural gas means more than jobs. Fact is, natural gas is helping create careers. And we couldnt be prouder. We are Encana.
Follow us on twitter.com/encanacorp Like us on facebook.com/encana Watch us on youtube.com/encana Connect with us on linkedin.com/company/encana

Visit www.encana.com for current career opportunities

14 techlifemag.ca

3 questions

on bEInG social
facebook, twitter, foursquare, Google+. Do you? should you? our social media experts weigh in.
I DONT CARE WHAT YOU ATE FOR BREAKFAST. WHY SHOULD I TWEET? WHATS YOUR TOP PRIvACY PROTECTION TIP FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USERS?

Web Extra
Get more privacy protection tips at techlifemag.ca/ social-media-privacy.htm. Follow NAIT on Twitter: @NAIT Like NAIT on Facebook: www.nait.ca/facebook

WHAT IS GOOGLE+ AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Marketing instructor Raymond Bilodeau teaches Social Media Marketing in NAITs JR Shaw School of Business. He tweets at RayBilodeau.

If all youre tweeting is what youre eating, then Im likely not following you. However, if you are an expert in a field Im interested in, then, likely, I will be following you to keep up on whats happening. For this same reason, I tweet to demonstrate my expertise, share links to my blog or interesting articles and maybe even just for fun.

Social media is like being at a dinner party. (Note: I didnt say a house party with friends.) Review who is following you on Twitter and block the undesirable, and clean out your Facebook friends.

Although I have been invited to Googles new social networking service, Google+, I have not found a use for it. This may go the way of Wave or Buzz [two Google social media flops]. Nonetheless, if its from Google, its worth watching.

A radio journalist with iNews880 and 630 CHED, Brittney Le Blanc (Radio and Television 07) was one of Edmontons top 25 most active tweeters last year. Find her on Twitter at britl.

Its not about what you ate, its about who you are. Tweet to find out the latest news and to connect with your city and the people in it. Ive made some great friendships and would say I am more in tune with the city since joining.

Use common sense. Everything you type is a reflection of you and stays on the Internet forever. Think before you post. Dont badmouth your friends, significant other, and certainly not your client, employer or potential employers people can see what you do online.

To be honest, I dont know. Im still trying to figure that out. So far, it seems like a tool more for the social media early adopter crowd than the average person. Im going to hold out a little longer to make sure its not another Buzz or Wave.

Kathleen versteegt, a principal at Papertree Creative, was among the top 10 most active Edmonton tweeters last year. This three-time NAIT grad (Graphic Communications 06, Computer Systems Technology 08, Digital Media Design 10) and current Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management student can be found on Twitter at guitarkat.

There is more to Twitter than breakfast. There is lunch, dinner and dessert, too! Actually, most people dont do this often enough for it to become an issue. Its a common misconception. Twitter is a great source of information on local happenings [search #yeg on Twitter for Edmonton-related tweets], a way to connect with people who share similar interests and a forum for asking questions.

Photos suPPlied

Dont post or check-in where you live (dont get more specific than neighbourhood, at most). When youre posting photos online, tweeting or even checking in on Foursquare [a location-based social networking site] be aware that the post may include your GPS coordinates or location.

Google+ is a way to filter who hears what you say. By placing people in circles, you choose who sees your posts, unlike on Twitter and, until very recently, Facebook (Im sure youve encountered the, But my mom is on Facebook! issue before).

v5.1 2011

15

SHOUT IT OUT!
do you know a nait graduate whose achievements make you want to stand and cheer?
nait celebrates successful alumni with two awards that recognize exceptional achievement

alumni award of distinction

celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of NAIT alumni who have earned professional prominence and have contributed significant service to NAIT or the community.

spirit of nait alumni award

recognizes remarkable achievements earned by a NAIT alum within 12 years of graduation.

Visit www.nait.ca/alumniawards for details or for more information email alumni@nait.ca or call 780.471.8539.

submit your nomination before the deadline: december 31

DR. HANEEF MIAN Ledcor Group Applied Research Chair in Oil Sands Environmental Sustainability

were filling the gap between existing oil sands environmental research and real-world solutions that have an immediate impact on sustainability. Our focus is on applied research working with industry to develop market-ready, cost-effective, practical solutions for improved tailings management, water management and land reclamation. Our research teams, supported by NAITs multi-disciplinary expertise and resources, investigate oil sands environmental challenges and take ideas from concept to commercialization. Lets talk about working together.

FOCUSED ON OIL SANDS

SOLUTIONS
Contact Dr. Mian | Ph. 780.440.1680 | Email: haneefm@nait.ca

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS | www.nait.ca/ledcorchair

11762 106 St. Edmonton Alberta Canada t5g 2r1
16 techlifemag.ca

technofile

[ gadgets ]

THE FUTURE IN
most people are familiar with stereoscopic 3D, which requires the viewer to wear special glasses. The effect is created by presenting the same two-dimensional image from two slightly different perspectives to the left and right eye, separately. Stereoscopic display can be achieved in various ways. Anaglyph techniques include the classic red-blue glasses, with two images in two colours viewed through lenses of the same colours. In alternate frame sequencing, liquid crystals in the lenses of the glasses momentarily block the viewing path, ensuring each eye sees only the image intended for it. Still another technique is polarization, where two images are viewed through polarizing glasses that filter light in such a way that each eye sees a specific image. But going forward with 3D technology, glasses are a barrier. People dont want them: carrying them around is a hassle and sharing them is unhygienic. For these and other reasons including expense 3D stereo with glasses is no longer appealing to consumers.

new 3D technology for tablets and smartphones means you can forget about the glasses.

OuR ExPERT

Armand Cadieuxs 20 years of experience as a professional designer and entrepreneur includes founding Spiral Art & Design and 3D Interactive Inc., a development studio that creates serious games, or simulations for industrial training and other applications. Now that hes sold the company, Cadieux is a game design instructor with NAITs Digital Media and IT program.

Photos by nait staff PhotograPhers

Autostereoscopy delivers the same 3D effect, but without the glasses. This has actually existed for several years but is just now beginning to penetrate the commercial market. The effect requires a screen with extremely high resolution. Manufacturers are now racing to develop such displays for tablets, smartphones and TVs, giving users the option of watching 3D movies and playing 3D games. As well, theyre starting to offer devices with cameras designed for taking 3D photos and video. In Canada, LG has released a 3D tablet, the Optimus Pad, as well as the Optimus 3D smartphone. HTC has also just released its new 3D smartphone, the Evo 3D. And as we go to press its rumoured the next iPad and iPhone will have autostereoscopic display, too (they have already achieved a display resolution high enough!). Keep an eye out for that and other pre-Christmas releases, when several more brands will bring 3D-capable products to market. Armand Cadieux

3D

v5.1 2011

17

NAIT GOLF TOURN AM E N T

NAIT GOLFI DAY, S E P TE M B E R E N 0 1 1 F R TOURN AM 9, 2 T
F R I DAY, S E P TE M B E R 9, 2 0 1 1

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FR F R I DAY,I DAY, TEP TE M B E R 9, 2 0 111 S E P S E M B E R 9, 2 0 1

Thanks to our generous sponsors, NAITs recent Cuban-themed golf tournament provided funding needed to support our student-athletes in their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence. Muchas gracias

CATFISH COFFEE ROASTERS | CLARK BUILDERS | ENBRIDGE PIPELINES INC. NORTHERN BEAR GOLF CLUB | SINCLAIR SUPPLY LTD. | TELUS

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

18 techlifemag.ca

ph 780.471.6248 | www.nait.ca

technofile

data control
software developer Great Big Solutions Ltd. hired Kathryn Fraser to sell a program called CompTracker right after she graduated from Business Administration Marketing in 2004. She took to it instantly, recognizing its potential to help ensure grads are ready for the challenge of serving the healthcare industry. Its a great way to streamline data gathering, says Fraser, who has since become the companys owner and CEO. For example, to become a certified paramedic, students have to show competency in up to 400 skills in various settings hospitals, classrooms and ambulances. Imagine the paper trail for that. Last year, NAITs paramedic program tried CompTracker to help eliminate that trail, and it impressed Michael East. Were able to follow students much more closely now, says the programs associate chair. An ambulance attendant working with a practicum student can verify a completed health-care skill (starting an intravenous, for instance) and immediately enter that into the students records by way of a mobile device. Its neat, quick and to the benefit of student and instructor alike. If a student is three-quarters of the way through practicum, and I see hes only got 25 per cent of his competencies done, I can jump on it, East adds. NAIT now has 10 health programs using CompTracker (up from three last year). Given its success so far, CompTracker could soon be put to further use in additional programs in the School of Health Sciences and beyond. While Fraser builds on the relationship with the health programs, she also has plans to market CompTracker for similar uses with trades programs here and worldwide. But shes also mindful of growing too quickly. Were a small company with limited resources, she says. Its easy to get stretched too thin. The expansion we achieved within NAIT this year was the result of many peoples ongoing efforts, and we consider it a huge opportunity and success. Theresa Shea

Photo by leigh frey Photo illustration by sandy brown

kathryn frasers mobile software has helped 10 nait health sciences programs streamline data gathering, enhancing the student experience. left, an example of how comptracker has been put to work by naits respiratory therapy program.

v5.1 2011

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With Gateway, its personal.

Service Excellence starts with Technical Expertise
As a leader in the air conditioning, heating and refrigeration industry, Gateway knows that success depends on the quality of our people. We take pride in providing the highest degree of customer service available a goal only achieved through knowledgeable employees with a commitment to excellence.

24 hour service locations across Western Canada www.gatewaymechanical.ca

20 techlifemag.ca

technofile

ivan gonzalez (left) inspects automation equipment he designed for luff industries ltd., represented by luigi fasoli and, at right, robert fasoli.

rollInG Into action

ivan Gonzalezs robotic technology is poised to speed up albertas manufacturing industry.
the wheels for ivan gonzalezs idea were set in motion during a 2006 business trip to Europe. Gonzalez, a mechanical engineer, was touring factories in Italy and Germany where steel rollers for conveyors were assembled when he discovered the process was far more automated than back in Western Canada, where much of the work is done by hand. A year later, Gonzalez, who had been doing similar work for an Alberta company, started Igon Robotics Inc. He would use the latest technology to design and build robotic equipment that would automate the assembly of conveyor rollers an updated version of what he had seen in Europe. The company moved into novaNAITs business incubator, the Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation. Now, with business guidance and prototype development services from novaNAIT NAITs centre for applied research and technology transfer Gonzalezs Automated Rollers Assembly Machine Intelligence System is being tested by Calgary-based Luff Industries Ltd. The prototype has the potential to cut the assembly time for a single conveyor roller from roughly two minutes to half a minute or less, says Gonzalez. Its going to be phenomenal, and its going to take the place of some of the manual operation thats in our plant right now, says Matthew Fasoli, general manager of Luff Industries, which supplies conveyer components to a variety of companies, including many involved in the oil sands. With Ivans innovative ideas about automating different manufacturing processes, were hoping to save some labour in the grand scheme of things and reduce costs. Gonzalez says while this particular machine was made specifically for Luff Industries, the technology can be tailored to automate manufacturing processes for other companies. Sandra Spencer, novaNAIT business manager, says the key for Gonzalez will be identifying other clients and keeping the momentum going. She notes theres little direct competition for the company at the moment. He needs to make sure once this ones ready to go hes started the design and build on the next project, or at least identified who his next customer is going to be, Spencer says. Igon Robotics, Gonzalez says, is in talks with Luff Industries about building additional equipment that would help automate production in other areas of the companys manufacturing plant. Frank Landry
v5.1 2011

Photo by blaise van malsen

21

technofile

steve cheema and rosemary kuiken

rosEmArys angels
ask rosemary kuiken about Steve Cheema and Tom Sulek and shell tell you theyre her special angels. The two Denturist Technology instructors made a discovery that likely saved her life. Its a serendipitous story that started in 2009 when Kuiken became a patient at the NAIT Dental Clinic. That same year, LED Dental Inc. donated its VELscope to NAIT. Cheema was asked to familiarize himself with the tool which assists in identifying abnormalities in the mouth, including those not visible to the naked eye and develop protocols for how it would be used in the clinic. It was January 2010 when he went in search of his first patient on whom to test the scope. He scanned the charts, identifying Kuiken, who was in to have her dentures adjusted, as a good candidate because of her history of smoking. While he says he expected her tissue to be a little different, I didnt expect to find anything. Normal, healthy cells produce chemicals that glow under the light of the VELscope. Abnormal cells, including denture sore spots, scar tissue and cancer, appear dark. When he looked through the scope into Kuikens mouth, Cheema saw a dark line on her tongue. He asked Sulek, who was also supervising in the clinic that day, to take a look. Cheema referred Kuiken to a pathologist, who confirmed that the line Cheema had seen was, indeed, cancer something that surprised Kuiken, who felt fine. If it wouldnt have been for that scope and Steve and Tom, says Kuiken, trailing off. They probably ended up saving my life. Kuiken, 59, had surgery in November 2010, losing a small part of her tongue in the removal of the tumour. Aware that it could have been much worse, Kuiken, who has smoked since she was about 20 and has quit many times, is now trying to cut down to two cigarettes a day and, soon, give up the habit entirely. This year, students in the Denturist Technology program will begin to use the VELscope routinely. Kristen Vernon

22 techlifemag.ca

Photo by blaise van malsen

I (WE) BUILT THIS

Were Big - one of the most diversified companies in Canada, with huge, multi-disciplinary projects springing up all over the continent - and were looking for solid, dependable people to join in and lend a hand. We offer an exceptional work environment. Management is approachable, ethical and accountable. Innovation is respected, effort is rewarded and job safety is a primary focus for absolutely everyone: zero incidents is the goal. Hours are reasonable, home life is encouraged and remuneration is competitive. If youre good, a career with us is as secure as it gets.

now hiring. Apply onlIne At: WWW.ledCor.CoM/CAreers

BUiLDing

CiViL

inDUSTriAL

MAinTEnAnCE

Mining

TELECoM
v5.1 2011

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technofile

try a monochromatic colour scheme with different shades of the same colour.

24 techlifemag.ca

[ hoW to ]

home for the holiDaYs

making your home look festive doesnt need to involve a huge outlay of cash or the talents of martha stewart. We asked interior designer Peggie melnychuk-millard for a few simple tips to add holiday cheer at home. read on for melnychuk-millards thoughts on light, texture, colour and a great idea for building a pair of outdoor reindeer.
Kathy Frazer
LIGHT uP YOuR LIFE DONT STOP AT RED AND GREEN ADD RICH TExTuRE

Photos by leigh frey

with new lighting products continually introduced, its becoming easier and more fun to add seasonal ambiance by creating centres of light throughout your home. The light output and colour of LED (light-emitting diode) lighting is improving, and the price is coming down, making LED choices attractive. As well, LED lights are not hot, so theyre especially versatile indoors. Look for LED stick lights that resemble branches, and arrange some in a large clear vase filled with coloured Christmas balls, or add them to an entrance-way urn filled with cedar and pine boughs. Ropes of LED lights (lights encased in plastic tubing) are beautiful wound through artificial greenery strung along a banister or curled above your top kitchen cabinets. For instant drama, add a coloured bulb to a pot light. Try red or green in an interior wall niche, or outdoors in a section of soffit. Simply replacing some of your knick-knacks with items that reflect light can also be effective. Increase seasonal sparkle with shiny ceramic, metallic and mirrored surfaces.

while the red and green colour scheme is traditional, a change can be refreshing. No need to pack all those reds and greens away and start over. Keep one of the colours, say the reds, and add new items in an analogous hue like purple, to achieve a rich, harmonious scheme. (Analogous colours are those adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.) Or go monochromatic, using different shades of the same colour. For example, add lime, apple, emerald or sage to traditional forest green. Feeling brave? Add a punch of colour with an artificial tree in an unusual shade. A brown tree with all-green ornaments decorates Melnychuk-Millards office at Go Design Group.

heavier textures both visual and tactile can up the cosy quotient in a room. Replace your cotton or silk toss cushions with velvet ones. Place a warm woven throw over the back of the sofa or go bolder with red faux fur. Fill a large basket or bowl with pine cones, and add extra texture to your Christmas tree with sprays of twigs or, for an exotic look, feathers.

reindeer proJect
even an inexperienced woodworker can build this pair of reindeer in a weekend. the wooden pieces fit together like a puzzle and best of all, stack flat for storage after the holidays. Youll get both reindeer out of a sheet of plywood and need nothing else but an electric jig saw, paint brush and exterior paint. Plus the plans, of course purchase the instructions online at woodstore.net/4footlarrein.html.

OuR ExPERT
Were not opinionated we just have a lot of good ideas. Thats how peggie melnychuk-millard (Interior Design Technology 96) laughingly describes Go Design Group, the interior design firm she and business partner Tammy Mackay (also from the class of 96) own and have operated in Edmonton since 2003. The company, which employs two other NAIT grads on its staff of six, is busy with a wide range of projects from office and retail

Share your favourite holiday decorating idea by Dec. 1, 2011 for a chance to win these reindeer plans. Scan this QR code or visit

analogous colours are adjacent on the colour wheel.

spaces to trendy cafs and upscale show homes.

techlifemag.ca/holiday-decor.htm.
Need a QR code reader? See p. 5.

v5.1 2011

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IMPROVE YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL

NAIT Continuing Education focuses on industry-driven education that provides a competitive advantage when it comes to earning power or second career choices. Professional development starts with building new skills that set you on the path to advancement. NAITs flexible learning options allow you to fit classes around your personal or professional commitments. Business Degrees, Diploma and Certificates Trades & Technology Health & Safety Digital Media & IT Culinary & Hospitality General Interest

Call 780.471.6248 or visit www.nait.ca/ConEd

EdUcATION fOR ThE REAL WORLd

AN INsTITUTE Of TEchNOLOGY cOMMITTEd TO sTUdENT sUccEss

ConEd Techlife_Ad_Fall11 VF.indd 1 11-08-04 9:13 AM

nait computEr training cEntrE

The Computer Training Centre (CTC) offers a range of information technology (IT) learning opportunities from introductory training to advanced courses all designed to help you stay on the cutting edge. As Albertas leading trainer of IT professionals, we can also customize certificates and courses to meet the specific needs of your business and industry. Our expertise in IT training includes: AutoCAD/CADD/MicroStation Geographic Information Systems Database Computer Programming IT Management Web Developer Software Testing Linux/UNIX Windows Servers and Systems Networking and Security PC Servicing Digital Communications Accounting Office Technology

Learn more at nait.ca/ctc phone 780.378.5008

Education for thE rEal World

an institutE of tEchnology committEd to studEnt succEss

26 techlifemag.ca

technofile

Big savings
mike swanson, electrical specialist at Alberta Envirofuels Inc., wanted a roadmap for upgrading lighting at the companys compressor and utility buildings, where it makes a blending component for premium gasoline. He wanted a solution that merged environmental awareness with cost efficiency and improved the quality of lighting. The project turned out to be a perfect applied research capstone project for Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management students Ryan Kirstiuk and Nadiya Herman, who graduated in 2011. Kirstiuk (also a Civil Engineering Technology grad, class of 07) took the lead role. He analyzed Alberta Envirofuels lighting system and then suggested the company trade its existing HPS (high pressure sodium) lighting for new, highly efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lights. By December 2010, the company had changed all the indoor lights in the compressor building and some in the utility building. Kirstiuk calculated that switching
Photo by leigh frey

BriGht liGhts,
when alberta envirofuels inc. (above) wanted environmentally friendly lighting options for its facilities, it turned to nait students.

to LED would save Alberta Envirofuels as much as 50 per cent or approximately $59,000 in electricity and unit replacement costs over the approximate 10-year lifetime of the lights. In time, Kirstiuks work could save the company even more. We will make upgrades to lighting throughout Alberta Envirofuels in the future based on budget availability, says Swanson. Meanwhile, Kirstiuk, an engineering technologist in property management at Atco Gas, hopes to bring what he has learned about green lighting to his employer and a broader market. A lot of places might be interested in LED lighting but not be aware of the savings, he says. Sometimes the upfront capital costs scare off interested parties. However, after his work for Envirofuels, Kirstiuk now has the cost- and energy-savings numbers to share with those interested in making the switch. Theresa Shea

v5.1 2011

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innovate

your housE and the rising sun

web extra
For what you need to know and do before getting serious about alternative energy technologies, visit

techlifemag.ca/ energy-efficienthomes.htm.

this fall, 24 students started classes in NAITs new Alternative Energy Technology program, where theyre being trained to work in the growing Alberta industry. Or, in essence, like Wayne Gretzky says, to skate to where the puck is going, not to where it is, says Gordon Howell, a professional electrical engineer and principal with Howell Mayhew Engineering Inc., who will teach a solar photovoltaic and solar thermal course in the new program. This is a transformational change in society. This is an energy revolution. To prepare for this takes a long time. And it requires the right policies and trained people.

Students are learning about technologies from biomass to fuel cell to solar electric to geothermal in the new Centre for Sustainable Energy Technology and could one day consult with you about what renewable energy system makes the most sense for your home or business. Here, instructors and advisers in the program offer a primer on the alternative energy technology choices readily available for the homeowner. Kristen Vernon

illustration by sandy brown

28 techlifemag.ca

1 solar photovoltaic (pv; also known as solar electric)

this technology converts sunlight into electricity and works anytime the sun is shining. Who should consider solar Pv? When people ask me about solar PV, I turn that question back on them and say, Why would you like to do this? says Rob Harlan, executive director of the Solar Energy Society of Alberta, who will teach in the new program. If its simply economic return on investment, they may not have the stomach for it at this point in time. Common reasons to consider solar electric are a desire to lessen your environmental footprint, to make a statement or to give back to the utility grid.

Pros
Solar PV modules are extremely long lasting (they have a 25year warranty, have no moving parts and can handle extreme temperatures). The original photovoltaic cells that were invented in the 1950s are still operating, says Harlan, although cells do lose efficiency over time. Systems are easy to install. Solar PV is quiet and non-polluting on site.

cons
Cost, though this is changing. The price of photovoltaic modules the largest expense upon installation has dropped 70 per cent since 2008, and that trend will most likely continue, says Harlan. At the same time, as pressures drive up the cost of electricity in Alberta, we are headed to grid parity or the point at which the cost of solar PV is at least equal to grid power, which Harlan anticipates is five to 10 years away in Alberta.

Storage capacity of off-grid systems. We can consider storage as the holy grail of the renewable energy industry, Harlan says. A south-facing exposure is optimal. What people dont know about solar Pv: As temperature drops, efficiency goes up, says Harlan. Thats because heat reduces the performance of silicon solar cells. Cost*: $36,000 for a 5,000-watt solar PV system connected to the grid. A system this size would serve an average house that uses 539 kilowatthours of electricity a month. (Source: Harlan) Return on investment (the point at which the initial capital cost of the technology is paid off in energy cost savings): Its a long time, says Harlan, and it depends on a number of factors, including utility rates, the value of the dollar, the cost of solar panels and government incentives. *All costs are rough estimates.

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innovate

2 solar thermal
an average domestic solar thermal system provides about 15 per cent of a homes space heating and 70 per cent of its hot water. Who should consider solar thermal? Leigh Bond, president of Threshold Energies Corp., an alternative energy design/build contractor and an adviser to the NAIT program, suggests people who are building new homes consider both solar thermal and geothermal, but acknowledges the decision comes down to what people can afford. Because a geothermal system relies on electricity to operate the heat pump, installing solar thermal can be a great way to offset electricity costs (which are greater with geothermal). For people retrofitting their homes, solar thermal (along with solar PV) is Bonds recommended alternative energy technology.

(also known as geoexchange, geothermal heat pump, a ground source heat pump or earth energy)
electricity excluded, the average domestic geothermal system can meet 82 per cent of your homes energy needs, covering space heating, cooling and hot water (see chart below). This free low-grade energy stored within the Earths crust is actually stored solar energy. Who should consider geothermal? Every new home for sure and every new commercial building, Bond says. Geothermal is also being installed at the subdivision level in some new developments, which means the homeowner doesnt pay upfront for the piping in the ground (which is about half the capital cost of geothermal), but is charged a monthly fee to access it. (And in this scenario, the capital cost is about $5,000 more for geothermal compared to natural gas, Bond says). Its also possible to retrofit an existing home with geothermal, but even with the $4,375 grant from the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes program, its a costly undertaking (remember, on a retrofit, youve got to dig up your yard and add the cost of re-landscaping to the job and most people have more than $4,500 in landscaping, Bond says).

3 geothermal

Pros
It can be easily installed when retrofitting a home. Its relatively inexpensive. It contributes a significant amount of domestic water heating.

cons
Average systems provide only a small percentage of space heating needs. Storage. In one day, we get enough energy shining on the earth to last us the whole year, Bond says. The problem is, how do you store that energy? A south-facing exposure is optimal. What people dont understand about solar thermal: Albertans think they can heat their homes with solar thermal, but thats not the case. Cost: $9,800 for a family of four (Source: Bond) Return on investment: 15 years (Source: Bond)

Pros
Energy stored in the earth is available at all times. In Alberta, geothermal is 11 per cent more greenhouse gas friendly than natural gas. The pipes in the ground are a permanent asset expected to have resale value, Bond says.

cons
It is expensive to install. It increases the overall electricity consumption of your home. What people dont understand about geothermal: People think the temperature of the ground needs to be room temperature otherwise it wont work, Bond says. It doesnt work like that. It works at cooler ground temperatures. Cost: $50,000 (about half the cost is for the piping in the ground). Regarding the high upfront costs, Bond emphasizes that, apart from electricity, Geothermal addresses 82 per cent of your annual energy needs in one technology an amount he considers to be in line with the price of installation. Return on investment: Eight to 11 years (Source: Bond)
RESIDENTIAL ENERGY uSE Space heating 63 per cent Water heating 17 per cent Appliances Lighting Space cooling Total 14 per cent 4 per cent 2 per cent 100 per cent

Source: Natural Resources Canadas Office of Energy Efficiency

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innovate

harder, bEttEr, faster, STRONGER

when temperatures are well and cardiac function with VO2 above 500 C and the air is filled max testing. The test reflects with toxic smoke, a self-contained physical fitness by measuring the breathing apparatus is one of maximum amount of oxygen your a firefighters most important body can use while exercising pieces of equipment. Consisting the higher the value, the greater of a high-pressure air tank, face the fitness. mask and pressure regulator, its Men who trained with both a lifeline and a stopwatch. an apparatus experienced an A breathing apparatus is average increase of nine per cent capable of supplying clean air for in VO2 max levels over those who trained without one. Dreger 30 to 60 minutes. But depending says the improved ability to get on a firefighters fitness and oxygen to the working muscles exertion level in a high-stress gives firefighters more power and environment, that window can endurance. be reduced to as little as eight If you cant make it up minutes. Dr. Randy Dreger, Personal Fitness Trainer instructor, the stairs to save somebody, youre not much help to the recently looked at how highsituation, says Scott Starling, a intensity fitness training while firefighter at Station No. 2 in wearing a breathing apparatus downtown Edmonton. At 250 affects a firefighters performance. pounds, Starling doesnt call If youre going to work cardiovascular endurance his wearing the [apparatus], strong suit. But as training with you should train using the the mask grew easier during [apparatus], says Dreger, whose Dregers five-week program, he research was supported by gained enough confidence in novaNAIT and fire departments in his overall fitness that he would St. Albert and Leduc County. We recommend the experiment to needed scientific proof to show colleagues. Physical fitness that this type of training works. is probably one of the most Over five weeks, 27 men and important aspects of our job, women trained on stationary he says. bikes twice a week under the To Dregers surprise, the supervision of Scott Paradis study showed no difference in (Personal Fitness Trainer 10), fitness levels between women Dregers research assistant. who trained with the apparatus Half the group wore a breathing and those who didnt opening apparatus while they trained; the the door to further research to other half didnt. try to explain why. At the beginning and end of the five weeks, the researchers Ruth Juliebo compared participants lung

dr. randy dregers five-week training program left firefighter scott starling (left) feeling more confident in his overall fitness.

Photo by leigh frey

web extra
Scan this QR code to see Dr. Randy Dregers program in action or visit

techlifemag.ca/firefighter-training.htm.
Need a QR code reader? See p. 5.

v5.1 2011

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innovate

cover story

that simple game on your mobile device has disrupted the video game market and opened a virtual world of opportunity for a new generation of developers, designers and programmers.

story by
SCOTT MESSENGER

Photos by
BLAISE vAN MALSEN

illustrations by
TYLER STE. MARIE AND PIETER PARKER

the Games PeoPle

graphics from the mobile game app Super Punch

32 techlifemag.ca

v5.1 2011

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innovate cover storY

the home of rudy Janvier (centre) was the site of the development of Super Punch, the mobile game app that won the spring 2011 great canadian appathon. after the contest, Janvier joined (from bottom left) Jeremy Burns, tyler ste. marie, pieter parker and stephen Baden to form Bitshift games inc.

he game is simple. The villainous Dr. Competent awaits you on a dark city street. A frantic, funky soundtrack plays out in blips and beeps on your smartphones tiny speaker. Dr. Competent doesnt actually seem that bad: hes short and lab-coated, and looks imported from a G-rated comic strip. Nevertheless justice must be served, and youre just the superhero to do it. When your power meter spikes, you start punching by tapping and swiping your screen, sending Dr. Competent spinning into deep space on a parabolic flight that eventually brings him back to earth. Thats it. Game over. Maybe 30 seconds have passed.

Thats Super Punch, one of the latest entries into the casual game market for mobile devices. Besides being simple, its pointless and enough fun to make it one of the top apps on your smartphone or tablet. Or at least thats what NAIT Digital Media and IT (DMIT) student Tyler Ste. Marie is banking on as one of the founders of Bitshift Games Inc., the Edmonton startup responsible for Super Punch, available this fall in the Windows Marketplace. From a business perspective, the game is already an enviable success. This spring, its earliest form earned Ste. Marie and partners Pieter Parker, Jeremy Burns and Stephen Baden the $25,000 top prize at the Great Canadian Appathon, a 48-hour coding contest that drew 100 teams from across Canada. That has put the group in the unusual position of being a startup with its bank balance in the black. The prize funded the founding of the company following the Appathon, but the competition also highlighted other advantages. In 48 hours, the team created a working prototype with nothing more than laptops and workspace at the home of Rudy Janvier (Computer Engineering Technology 08), a friend who has since joined Bitshift. In other words, overhead is exceptionally low. And as big video game nerds, the talent is already in place, says Ste. Marie, one of the artists behind the game. Learning to be entrepreneurs: thats going to be the toughest thing.

34 techlifemag.ca

Despite that knowledge gap, developers like him are shaping into a formidable threat to an industry based on elaborate, expensive games. Super Punch and games like it are proving to be a disruptive technology. Theyre giving rise to a new generation of game-makers who, despite growing up with cartridges, controllers and cathode ray TVs, are no longer convinced the console is king. the traditional u.s. video game market, worth about $18.6 billion in annual revenue in 2010, is showing signs of contraction. This spring, May sales dropped 14 per cent year-over-year, the worst hit in almost five years. June represented a 10-per cent drop. In contrast, the mobile app industry is rapidly growing. By 2010, the major app stores were collectively generating more than $2 billion annually, up 160 per cent from 2009. Games made up more than half the revenue. Its these casual games that are sending shockwaves through the industry, says Armand Cadieux, a DMIT game design instructor. One reason is the scaled-down production, illustrated by Bitshifts 48-hour code crunch, and the resulting higher return on investment in the case of a homerun app. On the consumer side, he also points out that the games are easy to play, accessible through a platform undergoing steady adoption, highly addictive, and appeal to a broader audience, including women, who account for about half of users. Maybe most importantly, theyre cheap. The hottest game apps dominated by the Angry Birds franchise cost about a dollar; quite often, they cost nothing. In-game advertising or purchases of new levels or features provide the bulk of revenue. Overall, for a new developer looking to get a foot in the industrys door, even as a freelancer or startup, casual games might seem the ideal point of entry. But competition is fierce. Like much of the entertainment industry, this is a hit-driven business that measures success in volume sales, particularly because of how it has embraced the user-entitlement culture of the Internet. Bitshifts Parker, who has gravitated towards the businesss management role while keeping a hand in development, understands that, but doesnt like it. Early game apps were valued higher, he says, until developers undercut each other to boost sales. Now everyone expects that. [Developers] are still thinking, How can we get the best $1 app out there? and I think thats the wrong attitude. For now, Bitshifts plan is to buck this trend by charging a price reflecting the games value, possibly joining a minority of game apps that cost $3 to even $10 for HD versions. If it has to take some punches along the way, we think it will be better in the long run. Hes probably onto something. The Apple App Store (which takes 30 per cent of an apps revenue) recently raised prices in keeping with demand. This July, the company announced that more than 200 million users had downloaded more than 15 billion apps. Analysts see prices rising higher still, as no doubt numbers of users will, too.

game aPP
ANGRY BIRDS
Strategically launch birds at a fortress of enemy pigs. armand cadieux NAIT, Game Design Instructor

my favourite

PLANTS vS. ZOMBIES

Use mutant plants to kill zombies attacking your house. Justin James Digital Media and IT 11 Fluik Entertainment Inc., Programmer

PEGGLE
An addictive peg-busting game involving 55 levels. tyler ste. marie Digital Media and IT Student Bitshift Games Inc., Partner

GAME DEv STORY

GDS

Steer your own game company to bestseller success. matt larose Digital Media and IT 11 Fluik Entertainment Inc., Junior Game Artist

PHOENIx WRIGHT, ACE ATTORNEY

As a rookie lawyer, its your job to defend the questionable innocence of your client. pieter parker Bitshift Games Inc., Partner

illustrations suPPlied

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innovate cover storY

as a recent hit on the iPhone and iPad, Office Jerk can claim a relatively small but significant share of those numbers. One of several titles produced by Fluik Entertainment Inc., located in a pink stucco walkup just off downtown Edmonton, the casual game represents the success Bitshift has set its sights on. As of this summer, the free app (which makes its money on advertising, in-game purchases and, recently, branded merchandise, including mugs and iPhone covers) reached 9.5 million downloads and had hit No. 1 in 50 countries. That made room for the full-time additions of programmer Justin James and junior game artist Matt LaRose, both freshly minted DMIT grads (class of 11). Office Jerk is another simple game. The jerk sits at his desk and you throw stuff at him: muffins, staplers, even the fan that creates the wind current the physics, as gamers call it that affects your toss. LaRose worked on animating things including the jerks facial expressions, the supplies on his desk and the objects thrown at him, while James reconfigured the game for Android, Googles fast-rising operating system. They work with a team of less than 10, coding and designing together in a space the size of a master bedroom. At lunch they can play console video games on a big screen TV in front of a pink leather sectional, approximating Silicon Valley casualness. Its still kind of like school, says James of the atmosphere and the learn-on-the-job guidance he receives. Apart from Jamess experience developing a PC-based game called Goobers that paid his way through school, and LaRoses freelance work, this is the pairs first view of an industry they didnt expect to crack so soon. That said, the veteran gamers arent surprised by the market shift that opened the door. There has been a huge explosion of casual gamers, says LaRose. He attributes that to the iPhone and, surprisingly, a console. Wii has made gaming accessible to all sorts of people. Before, gaming was just for a hardcore audience 30-, 40-hour-long campaigns that youd

play through. James agrees, suggesting a stigma around video games in general may have lifted. Now your mom can pick up a Wii controller and bowl. Though theyre both nostalgic enough for those immersive, consolebased games to want to one day make them, theyre not interested not yet, at least in taking that leap of faith into entrepreneurism and setting up a shop like Bitshift. This is a risky market (none of Fluiks several other titles have performed as well as Office Jerk). In fact, their work cycle is based, essentially, on trying to outpace user-fickleness. After downloads of a new version of a game plateau, a slight dip signals the need for yet another. You repeat this until you get that freefall, says James. Then you abandon ship and go to the next game. Though Office Jerk is far from those twilight metrics, Fluik is busy planning for another hit, the nature of which remains a trade secret until release. Ive been sitting at my desk working on another game, says James. Ill just say that. if all goes well, Super Punch would likely work according to a similar model. The way I want to see Bitshift is definitely as the indie game developer, says Ste. Marie. Just a small team . . . . Were not really making a company to sell it to Google. I want to have a say in whats happening. Parker feels the same. I dont want to be managing something thats so huge it takes up all my life. The main thing that drives Tyler and myself and a lot of game developers is passion. Its something we enjoy. We just want to create a scenario where were doing it full time. And hes convinced now is the time to try. The future Cadieux describes for this industry is, for new developers, both good and bad. A low barrier to entry, for instance, in terms of startup costs, means the potential of a rising flood of competition giving gamers plenty of options. The customers going to give you two

right to left, programmer Justin James and junior game artist matt larose take a break with co-workers lisa lindsay and pat sluth at edmontons fluik entertainment inc., the company responsible for the hit game app Office Jerk.

36 techlifemag.ca

minutes to evaluate your game, says Cadieux. As soon as theres any frustration theyre going to go, This is crap. Next! On the plus side, however, is the uncharted vastness of the playing field. Mobile casual games represent a market in its infancy, Cadieux points out. Smartphone penetration in Canada and the U.S., for example, is just 30 to 35 per cent. As well, since good games tend to be non-linguistic, theyre virtually borderless. Even the way developers make money on games has plenty of room to evolve, he adds. But the biggest advantage rests in the mobile devices themselves. While the industry called 2011 The Year of the Tablet, Cadieux also believes the smartphone shouldnt be overlooked. The technology is way ahead of what were producing. There are so many things we can do with this. His eyes go wide as he lists features like motionsensing and 3D technologies. Pretty trippy stuff. The team at Bitshift knows its going to be up to companies like theirs to discover just whats possible with these devices, thus ushering the video game industry into its next phase. You wont be able to just release one game, make millions and go live on the beach, says Parker. Theres a lot of work to do.

BUilD YoUr aPP-titude

Developing and selling apps, games included, has become more than a niche business. In response, NAIT launched its Apple iPhone/iPad Developer certificate program in March 2011, as the first one of its kind in Alberta. The part-time program, offered through the Computer Training Centre, teaches the fundamentals of app development and provides insight into the Apple programming philosophy, giving students a solid entry point into a market estimated to be worth $100 billion by 2015. Visit www.nait.ca/coned

Thats fine with Ste. Marie. As he finishes his diploma and prepares to advance to his own next level in life, he couldnt ask for a better game plan. As a kid, he says, That was the best way I could connect with my friends: through video games. Its probably been the biggest social aspect of my life. Now, to make that a career, and to turn my silly little sketches into a game into something that works and moves its actually quite magical.

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innovate

lAborAtory
its the same kind of struggle thats going on in communities across canada. human activities, from agriculture to urban development, strain vital aquatic ecosystems. this has caught the attention of researchers in naits Biological sciences technology program, who have been tracking the impact urban development is having on waterways and natural areas, using the sturgeon river watershed in central alberta as their laboratory.* our studies are designed to look at best management practices that can benefit the sturgeon river watershed, but can be applied to watersheds elsewhere in alberta and canada and possibly globally, says laurie hunt, the programs associate chair and senior faculty researcher.
Frank Landry
*this applied research program is funded by the alberta conservation association, the natural sciences and engineering research council of canada and through a court penalty stemming from the aug. 3, 2005 cn train derailment and oil spill at wabamun lake.

a living

DANGER: THICK ICE

snowmobilers should avoid sensitive parts of the sturgeon river and stick to designated trails in order to avoid killing fish, suggests new nait applied research. biological sciences students found ice is thicker under snowmobile trails because compacted snow removes a thermal barrier, allowing cold to penetrate deeper. the conclusion was drawn after measuring ice thickness and water depth at 10 sites along the sturgeon river near st. albert, and onoway, west of edmonton. at each location, a measurement was taken under a snowmobile trail and nearby, at an undisturbed location. at some sites, under the tracks the ice was almost a metre thick and a few metres away the ice was perhaps half-a-metre thick, so it was significantly different, says debbie webb, a biological sciences instructor and senior faculty researcher. that can be hazardous to the health of shallow waterways like the sturgeon. thicker ice takes longer to melt in the spring, which can lead to more winterkill, according to the researchers. as well, thicker ice can fragment the river during the winter, making it harder for fish to move between deep pools, where oxygen levels are higher. if the ice is too thick, the fish cant get through, says student researcher lindsey oberst, who graduated from the biological sciences program in 2011. what we found in quite a number of areas was the ice was frozen right down to the bottom. oberst says its important for snowmobilers to be aware of the impact they can have on the ecosystem.

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uNDER THE BRIDGE

it may provide traction for vehicles during the winter, but the salt and sand mixture used on st. albert bridges also gets into the sturgeon river, potentially harming the fish and invertebrates that live there. additional sedimentation or salt in aquatic ecosystems has been shown to be detrimental to aquatic life, explains hunt, who co-led the applied research project that examined the impact of road salt and sand on the waterway. the researchers, including six students, collected snow and water samples at four bridges and at two control sites along the sturgeon river. like many northern cities, st. albert uses a sand and calcium chloride mixture on roadways and bridges. with help from als laboratory group in edmonton, which did some of the analysis, as well as funding from novanait naits centre for applied research and technology transfer and the alberta association of colleges and technical institutes, the researchers found higher concentrations of salt and sand in the samples taken at the four bridges. they concluded bridge deck plowing, the spray from passing vehicles and runoff from the roads was to blame for the problem. leah Jackson, manager of st. alberts office of the environment, says similar findings have been made in different municipalities across the country. as a result of the research, st. albert will look at its snowplowing procedures to see if anything more can be done to minimize the amount of sand and salt getting into the river, she says.

IN DEFENCE OF THE uRBAN COYOTE

coyotes dont appear interested in dining on st. alberts dogs. the conclusion comes after biological sciences students collected and analyzed coyote scat. we were interested in whether coyotes were using the corridor through the city of st. albert, says hunt. we were also interested in whether they were eating pets. the research found urban growth isnt stopping coyotes from venturing into st. albert, but the predators generally avoid busier areas of the community, and stay away from pets. with funding from novanait and guidance from university of alberta and alberta government researchers, three students found evidence of coyotes along the citys river valley and adjacent ravines, concentrated along the eastern and western edges, suggesting the animals are avoiding the downtown area. hair samples from weasels, rodents, deer and even bovine were detected in the scat, but not from cats or dogs, indicating coyotes were eating a wide variety of animals, but not pets. the coyotes use the sturgeon river valley corridor primarily to travel between two natural areas on either side of the community, hunt says. the study shows its important to maintain natural corridors whenever possible to allow for wildlife movement, she adds.

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Photo by blaise van malsen

PeoPle

story by
SCOTT MESSENGER

PhotograPhy by
BRANDON BOuCHER

cAlIfornIA

jim Barr earned the chance to pitch his online company to investors in the high-tech mecca of san francisco. hed have liked to come back with a cheque. What he got instead altered the course of his business.

his june, jim barr left his office at novaNAIT, the institutes centre for applied research and technology transfer, for a whirlwind trip to foggy San Francisco, California. For the web-based media entrepreneur, it had the potential to seriously ramp up operations. The Bay Area and Silicon Valley remain the mecca of high-tech, populated by giants like Apple, Google, HP and more. But, most importantly to Barr, the region is home to a group of Canadian entrepreneurs and investors called the C100, host of 48hrs in the Valley, a boot camp with the power to transform a startup into a multimillion-dollar concern. As head of one of 20 Canadian companies (and the only one from Alberta) accepted to that event, Barrs dreams suddenly seemed within reach. The president of Seekers Media Inc. is, in almost all ways, a typical entrepreneur. Barr is outgoing and optimistic to a point nearing mania. Hes driven as much by risk as ambition. Hes used to relentless uncertainty and stress, and hes comfortable with being, at 38, greyer than most people his age. For novaNAITs entrepreneur in residence and Seekers Media adviser Randy Thompson, it was Barrs tirelessness and knack for multitasking that earned him a spot in 48hrs: Those things are essential if youre going to take a company to market quickly. On top of all this is the fact that Barr, a tenant of novaNAITs business incubator (the Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation) always has a next step in mind. Having established two brands SnowSeekers, the online and mobile guides to winter activities (including his beloved snowboarding), and, following a similar vein, the recently launched FestivalSeekers Barr was eager for a foothold in California, its population of more than 37 million enough to convince most entrepreneurs of a rich return. Pitching to the C100, and the possibility of impressing potential investors, was a means to that end. Growth for Seekers Media had been steady but bootstrapped: slow, hard-won and mostly selffinanced. Things were about to change. And they did just not exactly how he expected. This is how Barrs trip to one of the worlds hottest spots for business unfolded.

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above, Jim Barr in san francisco between events during 48hrs in the valley. opposite page, from left, a mixer hosted by c100 for canadian companies invited by the non-profit organization to its entrepreneur boot camp; Barr receives advice about his company, seekers media inc., from former stumbleupon ceo michael Buhr and fellow 48hrs participant, torontonian sandy gibson.

day 1, 12:35 P.m.

Barr sits in the departure lounge at Edmonton International Airport in a blue blazer and jeans. Between checking texts, he muses about an ideal, post-San Fran future for Seekers Media. Hes nervous, but so stoked. The nerves are in the unknown, he says. Theres so much here that could totally change us and take us to some outstanding heights. Previously, the plan was to grow into Eastern Canada. No, advised one venture capitalist. Go south. Improve your market by an easy five to 10 fold. So now Barr asks, his mind fixed on the Golden State, What happens when SnowSeekers Tahoe comes into play? He points out how his model, built out in Alberta and British Columbia, is proven: roughly 100 clients, a handful of shareholders and revenues surpassing $605,000 since inception in January 2009. Take that and put it into California, and allow the markets to cross-pollinate. To him, its all but reality. Its not a question of if for us but a question of when, he says in the minutes before boarding. Roughly three hours later, as the plane descends to San Francisco International, Barr unbuckles and jumps across the aisle for the view of the city as the wing tips earthward.

day 1, 3:15 P.m.

At the airport, shortly before the first 48hrs event, Barr distills his goals. The trip is an opportunity to make connections, but we need some capital, he says bluntly. Im tired of bootstrapping. Ive spent so much energy watching my bank account. He recalls a pitch he made in Calgary that didnt generate a single dollar, but less to bemoan it than to upend it as motivation. He boards a train for downtown San Francisco without hesitation, as if its a subway back home, and mulls over his business plan for the upcoming pitch, less than a day away. Seekers Medias secret sauce, he says, is scalability: spa-seekers, zenseekers, retirement-seekers, on and on. He smiles at the possibilities. Later, checking into his hotel, he presses the clerk, unsuccessfully, for a discount. When youre starting a business, Barr says, youve always got to be wheeling and dealing.

day 1, 5:19 P.m.

I understand the networking game, says Barr, but what doors are out there that we as a company dont even know exist? At the 48hrs welcome mixer, held at a lively bar in a slightly shabby part of town, he starts investigating. Free food and drinks fuel conversation between company execs invited from across Canada.

Web Extra
Visit techlifemag.ca/ festivalseekers.htm for a look at Seekers Medias latest brand, FestivalSeekers.com.

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The average age might be 30; male is the gender best represented. The place is packed. A DJ spins vinyl. The air doesnt move. Still in his blazer, Barr is one of the few attendees sporting semiformal. I thought you were a VC! Roy Pereira tells him. The Toronto-based CEO and founder of Shiny Ads, a company dealing in online advertising, means venture capitalist, or potential funder. He masks disappointment with a smile. Only VCs wear jackets, he persists. Come on. This is California. Barr moves on. Hes blessed with a personality that allows him to wade into conversations like theyre open water, but hes still relieved by the casual atmosphere. Its a little more chill than I expected, he says. Instead of it being, Lets talk about your business, its, Lets talk about surfing. Im good with that. C100 member Debbie Landa is also making the rounds and, as CEO of Dealmaker Media, connector of startups and leading business executives, the Saskatoon native sees the event differently. If you have the luxury of being here, use it to the full potential, she says. Be direct. Let go of that Canadian chitchat and get down to business. But lengthy commiseration remains a popular activity. Sandy Gibson, co-founder of ConnectedN, focuses on the fundamental challenge of how to raise capital, specifically for his business-to-business marketing platform. Dude, if we all knew that, we wouldnt be in this room right now, Barr tells him. Nevertheless, Barr will leave the event upbeat. A lot of this is about expanding the Rolodex, he says out on the street. Thats the value of being in an incubator like the Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation. How would I have heard about this event otherwise? He pauses, his mind backtracking to conversations of minutes earlier. God, he says. How much money do you have to raise before you start actually making it?

the c100
Canadian Chris Albinson likes to refer to his community of fellow expats in Californias Silicon Valley as the lost province. One reason is size: an estimated 300,000 of us live and work in the region. Another may be that its a community that remembers where it came from at least if the C100 is any indication. Formed by Albinson less than two years ago with Anthony Lee, a general partner at technology venture capital company Altos Ventures, the C100 was a response to the global downturn and modelled after the successful efforts of India and Israel in marketing their entrepreneurs in the United States. The same should be done, they figured, for Canadians. So, they invited 98 other top Canadian execs and investors to be charter members of the non-profit organization. We felt we owed a lot to Canada, says Albinson, a veteran investor in startups. Today, the C100 supports entrepreneurs from back home with events like 48hrs in the Valley, a boot camp that connects Canadians to business in the region. Since inception, the group has brought down more than 110 entrepreneurs, seen roughly $180 million raised and two C100 companies exit one, social media monitor Radian6, selling for $326 million. But for Albinson, success isnt measured in millions. Mostly, C100 is about building a better entrepreneurial community and meeting a need for mentoring and business development. It brings everyone up a level.

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Novanait client Jim Barr at rocketspace, which offers shared office space in downtown san francisco.

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day 2, 9:21 a.m.

Barr starts the first of the mornings two mentoring sessions in a tiny office at RocketSpace, which offers shared office space for tech startups. Gibson of ConnectedN shares the time. Early stage adviser Michael Buhr plays mentor, bringing experience as former CEO of StumbleUpon and senior director of corporate strategy at eBay. SnowSeekers arose from the combination of his past as a journalist and marketing and sales jobs in tourism, Barr explains, and from an abandoned book deal. Terms included a slim royalty of seven per cent on a $29 book and no ownership of content. Basically, he tells Buhr, the guidebook went fully digital as the SnowSeekers mobile apps. Buhr likes the concept, but wonders if its truly ready to move into California. Barr listens quietly. My gut feeling is to find a way to build it out before you expand somewhere else, says Buhr. Why take the risk when you have so much opportunity to expand in Canada? But can I do both? asks Barr. Buhr isnt convinced. Maybe we revisit this a year from now. Just before the focus turns to ConnectedN, Gibson considers SnowSeekers competition. The thing thats not being done well is content. You can do that, he tells Barr. At the second round, mentor Dan Martell takes Barr and session-mate Pereira of Shiny Ads to a nearby caf. The co-founder of Flowtown, a social marketing platform for small businesses, takes a more general approach than Buhr, peppering his pair with advice: be brutally honest about risk with your earliest investors; limit the time-suck of raising capital by raising more from fewer sources; generously valuate your company; talk to veterans in your field. Then he asks if he can be of any more help. Uh, introductions to VCs would be good, says Pereira. Regarding SnowSeekers, Martell does get specific about California: forget it for now. Capitalize instead on the proximity of Washington and Montana. The [market] overlap is what gives you that competitive advantage, says Martell. Though Barr understands the value of all the advice he has received, he seems overwhelmed by it, even disheartened. In fact, a few hours from his pitch, his optimism has eroded significantly. Hes distracted and unsmiling. He needs to refine his presentation. I know Im going to get eaten alive by the VCs, he says before disappearing to work. He shrugs, willing himself as quickly as possible into a state of acceptance. But it is what it is.

day 2, 3:30 P.m.

Barrs pitch, in an office near the San Francisco waterfront, keeps to the seven minutes allotted by organizers. Attending are a handful of other entrepreneurs, along with dealmakers Chris Albinson, C100 co-founder and a managing director at Panorama Capital, investor in life sciences and technology companies; Ron Warburton of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC); and Export Development Canadas (EDC) Pascal Britt-Ct. Barr wasnt quite right about being eaten alive. The atmosphere is relaxed and supportive, the tension rising only mildly when Albinson questions some of Barrs growth projections: Ive been in this business for 20 years, he says, and you dont see companies with that kind of profitability, ever. But Barr correctly anticipated the conclusion: no one considers Seekers Media VC-backable at least at this stage. As VCs, says Warburton, Were looking for world-changing technology. The average investor is looking for a 10-times return. That is the reality. But still, the BDC managing director of venture capital is impressed. I think youll do really well, he tells Barr. You can still have a very good, profitable business. Barr brightens. Im okay with that. Britt-Ct, as EDC information and communication technology senior associate, suggests Barr should be in touch about his Washington and Montana plans. But its Albinsons final comments cautious but encouraging that lift the clouds from Barrs horizon. Theres a signal there, he says of Seekers Media. Theres a heartbeat. Is it going to be a winner of the 100-yard dash? Its too early to say. For Barr, thats enough. The feedback session ends and he gathers his presentation materials. When a guy like Chris says youve got something? he says. With that, hes smiling again. that night, back at RocketSpace for snacks and drinks, Roy Pereiras reflections on the day turn philosophically toward the life of the entrepreneur. Youre a gambler, he says, but hopefully youre counting cards. Or at least you have some understanding of the game. Certainly, Barrs understanding has changed, and grown, thanks to the C100. The next day, before leaving San Francisco, he would meet informally with prospective investors and come away not with a cheque but with connections hed see as nearly as valuable. Regardless of whether those lead one day to cash, those meetings represent the kinds of doors that, back at that first 48hrs mixer, Barr hoped might open for Seekers Media. And even with no certain end

jim Barrs
Dont be afraid to talk to people about your idea. Carefully pick your allies and talk it through. Feedback from likeminded entrepreneurs is essential; dont fret too much about losing your intellectual property.

STaRTup TIpS

Figure out how youre going to pay for everything. It sounds obvious, but whatever you do, its going to cost far more money and take more time than youve budgeted.

Just keep moving. The only direction is forward, and evolution is only possible with momentum. Never rest.

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Were looking for world-changing technology. The average invesTor is looking for a 10-Times reTurn. ThaT is The realiTy.
- RON WARBURTON MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VENTURE CAPITAL, BDC

as part of his last 48hrs in the valley event, Jim Barr delivers his pitch for seekers media brands snowseekers and festivalseekers to a group of venture capital investors and other 48hrs participants.

to the bootstrapping that brought the company to San Francisco, he gave the impression that even knocking on them if not getting a foot in had offered a better view of his future. I dont feel the same, he said, just hours before leaving for Edmonton. I feel so much bigger and enthusiastic. Im so excited to get back to Alberta. Randy Thompsons view of the future for Seekers Media is also optimistic, at least within certain parameters. Is Jim going to be a global media brand? Probably not, says the serial entrepreneur. But is he going to be the leader in his space? Absolutely.

Barr is fine with that. All of a sudden were a billiondollar business and I cant go snowboarding as much anymore. But he knows that even becoming a multimilliondollar business is going to take work, along with a new plan. Californias on the back-burner, but Washington and Montana are new priorities after tightening his focus on the local market by seeking investment back home to finance two new positions: a business development officer and a chief technology officer. What we do now is make sure this is the best product we can make it, says Barr. Are we there yet? No. But we will be.

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nait and seekers media

Besides connecting Seekers Media to the C100 through novaNAIT, the institutes centre for applied research and technology transfer, NAIT faculty, staff and students have supported the company since September 2009, when Jim Barr became a tenant of the Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation. Members of the Department of Teaching and Academic Development, for example, initially built the core technology for its mobile apps, and students and instructors from Digital Media and IT (DMIT) helped produce Sunny on the Slopes, a short film about a Mongolian girls efforts to learn to ski. Recently, Seekers Media again turned to DMIT for assistance. Students developed a system that allows event organizers, advertisers and Barrs staff to upload information to the Seekers Media sites. Going forward, Barr would like to see more partner projects. Its a win-win, he says. Its an opportunity for us to get a solution we need, and its obviously an opportunity for students to get some real-world experience.

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life
-SEAN REID PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER GRAD

fIt for
earlier this year, Tom McClocklin wouldnt venture to the dining room at his retirement community for dinner. Rather, the 91-year-old would eat alone in his room. Ive had a frozen shoulder since I dont know how long, which makes it very difficult and painful to raise my arm, says McClocklin. It was embarrassing for him to prop up his hand just to lift up a cup. But after just eight weeks of specialized exercise with Personal Fitness Trainer grads Sean Reid and Andrew Do, McClocklin no longer has problems eating on his own. In fact, he has even begun work on his golf swing again. Im just amazed at the improvement that [exercise] has made, he says. McClocklin is just one of about a dozen seniors whose average age is 85 who Reid and Do helped during their practicum this spring at Touchmark at Wedgewood, an adult retirement community in west Edmonton. During that time, the pair confirmed their belief that, with the right exercise, senior citizens can lead full, active lives. Often, because of a lack of mobility, the elderly are watching their lives fade away as they get older, says Reid. Do found it refreshing to work with the seniors because they were sociable, focused and eager to learn. Reid says he found helping seniors 48 techlifemag.ca

oftEn, bEcAusE of A lAck of mobIlIty, thE EldErly ArE wAtchInG thEIr lIvEs fAdE AwAy As thEy GEt oldEr.

Fiona Bensler

Photo by leigh frey

gain independence, confidence and mobility rewarding. In fact, their practicum was so successful they joined with fellow class of 2011 graduate Cynthia Robb to form Tight Assets Fitness Training Inc., which will serve the older adult and corporate training market under the companys Pillars of Strength Fitness Training brand. They returned to Touchmark in August to teach a mens class. This has been a life-changing experience for Tom as well as other residents who participated in the practicum with the Personal Fitness Trainer students, says Brenda Edmonds, the facilitys life enrichment and wellness director. It could have an even greater impact in the future, she thinks, if more seniors get involved. As for McClocklin, he kept up with his exercises about three times a week after his initial training ended and also joined the August class. Do says McClocklin must continue exercising daily to maintain mobility and strength and to decrease muscle loss. I dont want to wreck the progress that I have made, McClocklin says.

eight weeks of exercise with personal fitness trainers andrew do (pictured) and sean reid helped 91-year-old tom mcclocklin get his golf swing back.

e
how to

keeP moving
sean reid and andrew do recommend three key exercises for seniors 65 and older who do not rely heavily on mobility aids.
Single leg balance engages the core and legs and improves balance. Hold the back of a chair, lift one leg and balance on the other for five seconds. Ten to 15 repetitions per leg. Two to three sets. Gradually increase the length of time you balance on each leg to 20 seconds. As you do, decrease the number of repetitions, keeping the time per leg to about one minute for each set.

Stand up and sit down to improve lower body strength. Sit down in a chair very slowly, in a controlled motion and stand up for a second, then sit down again. Eight to 12 repetitions. Two to three sets. vacuum and kegel exercises strengthen pelvic floor muscles vital to core stability. This helps with balance and posture and reduces incontinence. For vacuums, pull navel towards the spine as far as possible while breathing normally. For kegels, pull in and up. Hold two to three seconds and relax. Eight to 10 repetitions. Two to three sets.

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ask an eXPert

nurturE your nest eGG:

nInE mIstAkEs to AvoId
when it comes to saving for retirement, many of us ignore our situation until its too late and have unrealistic goals. People think they have it all figured out, says finance instructor Tannya McBride, and thats mistake No. 1 that they think they dont need the advice. A majority of working Canadians age 25 to 64 say they are saving for retirement, yet less than half report knowing how much theyll need to save to maintain their standard of living when they retire, according to Statistics Canadas 2009 Canadian Financial Capability Survey. Here, McBride and three other NAIT financial experts point you in the right direction with advice on avoiding common mistakes when saving for retirement.
Kristen Vernon

web extra
Make the most of your RRSP contribution before the deadline. Visit techlifemag.ca/ rrsp-deadline.htm.

50 techlifemag.ca

NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY MAKING PRODuCT-CENTRED FOR YOuR RETIREMENT DECISIONS No one will ever care as much A lot of people get distracted about your retirement as you will. by products, but there are a lot The onus is on the individual, says of products that can help meet Hardeep Gill, a certified financial your goals you just need to planner and associate chair in know what your goals are, says Bachelor of Applied Business Gill. Most financial planning Administration Finance, who conversations are usually advises people to pick up a book or around products: What mutual take a course (NAITs Department funds should I own? Should I be of Continuing Education offers an investing in Canadian equities? Introduction to Finance class; Those are all the wrong questions. visit www.nait.ca/ConEd). The first question is, what are your goals? Product decisions, says NOT KNOWING WHAT Gill, are implementation decisions YOu WANT that should come later. Understand what your goals are and how much you need and HAvING HIGH-RISK allocate the right amount of money INvESTMENTS AS YOu toward that, says Jeff Shigehiro APPROACH AND ENTER (Business Administration RETIREMENT Management 03), a certified One of the ways where people go financial planner and owner of wrong is extremely high exposure Shigehiro Financial Planning Inc. to equities or higher-risk stocks Make sure that you, your spouse or mutual funds as they approach and your adviser have a clear retirement, says Shigehiro, who understanding of your vision for advises lowering your risk five retirement. If that means you years before and five years after want to retire somewhere warmer retirement. As you approach or you want to sit at home and retirement, you should have higher be a hermit whatever you want, exposure to fixed-income, loweryou just need to figure that out. volatility investments. Theyre And its never going to be bangnot going to earn you a high return, on accurate because the world but theyre not going to drop. changes, your life changes. And thats why its important that on a long-term basis youre always reviewing your vision.

NOT PuTTING YOuRSELF FIRST Your retirement comes first, says McBride (Bachelor of Applied Business Administration Finance 07), a certified financial planner and instructor in NAITs JR Shaw School of Business. Its great that you want to save for your kids education, but the best gift that you could possibly give to your children is not having them take care of you when youre old because you run out of money.

8 9

THINKING YOu CAN LIvE OFF GOvERNMENT PENSION PLANS One of the reasons people dont plan for retirement is because they think theyre going to live from government plans. The truth is that government plans are very minimal, says McBride, who suggests talking to an adviser to learn how government plans work and how your income in retirement will affect what youre eligible to receive.

6 7

REACTING EMOTIONALLY RETIRING WITH DEBT TO THE MARKET Before you even start saving for Mutual funds are designed for retirement pay off your consumer the long term, says Kristie Butler debt, McBride says. Then, balance (Bachelor of Applied Business saving for retirement with paying Administration Finance 09), an down your mortgage. The optimal investment fund specialist with situation would be that you retire ATB Securities. As an investor, with no debt, she says. you have to remember markets are bound to move up and down. NOT PARTICIPATING They do that on a daily basis. IN YOuR EMPLOYERYou have to learn to discipline SPONSORED PENSION yourself. If you know you have a PLAN OR NOT long time horizon, dont watch uNDERSTANDING IT your money all the time, let it do A lot of times, you have to optits thing. And take the advice of in and you should. Sometimes your adviser. employers have matching RRSP plans thats free money. Its a no-brainer, McBride says. If youre one of the roughly 32 per cent of Canadian workers with an employer-sponsored pension plan, educate yourself about your company plan by talking to your employer or the human resources department.

OuR ExPERTS
kristie butler Business Administration Finance 07 Bachelor of Applied Business Administration Finance 09 Investment fund specialist with ATB Securities tannya mcbride Bachelor of Applied Business Administration Finance 07 Certified financial planner and instructor in NAITs Bachelor of Business Administration program
illustration by derek lue

hardeep gill Certified financial planner and associate chair in NAITs Bachelor of Applied Business Administration Finance program

Jeff shigehiro Business Administration Management 03 Certified financial planner and owner and president of Shigehiro Financial Planning Inc.

v5.1 2011

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THE DEGREE THAT DELIVERS

Alexandria Mah works full-time as a Revenue Canada auditor, plays intercollegiate soccer for the NAIT Ooks, and is pursuing both a degree and a CGA credential. She needed a degree program that delivered exibility and results and found it in NAITs Bachelor of Business Administration. The BBA builds on Alexandrias previous JR Shaw School of Business diploma, allowing her to nish quickly and work toward her accounting designation at the same time. And the choice of full-time, part-time and online course options means she can tailor her studies to t her busy schedule. Find out what NAITs BBA can deliver for you.

SCAN THIS TO HEAR ALEXS STORY

WWW.NAIT.CA/BBA

EDUCATION FOR THE REAL WORLD

52 techlifemag.ca

Postcard

a third of slave lakes buildings were destroyed by a wildfire this may, including the town hall (pictured).

AuG. 18, 2011

after the

fire

growing up in slave lake, wed had evacuations for other fires before, but I never thought fire would hit our town. That seemed so unbelievable. Im living in Edmonton now, and I remember the night, May 16, when everyone left Slave Lake. When my sister, her fianc and my cousin showed up at my doorstep, they all smelled like smoke, and theyd lost pretty much everything except what they had with them. Fire had hit the town. It sounded like my parents place might be gone. It took a while for it to sink in. I really wanted to go back and see for myself. I wasnt sure what to expect. I didnt really have a plan of what I wanted to take photos of. When I first arrived, I didnt take any. That felt wrong. I didnt take photos of my grandparents place when they were there. Their trailer was reduced to nothing, but their garage was completely untouched. My grandpa was really affected by it. Its hard to see your grandma crying. It was really difficult; I really didnt know what to say or do. Its hard to make them feel better when theyre standing in the rubble. My grandparents are living with my parents now. My parents live on an acreage surrounded by trees; some were completely charred. Also, my dad has a shop there.

Photo by garrett key

The trees alongside that had burned and charred the sides of it, but everything inside was fine. Were so fortunate that the fire came so close and we still have a home. Its a really weird mixture of being happy that my parents place is still standing and, at the same time, there are all these people I know who lost so much. It was hard to shoot, but, at the same time, I appreciate documenting it. Its easy to forget some of these things. Its a nice reminder to know that, through this tragedy, people persevere. I think a lot of people are staying and are going to rebuild. Its a close-knit community. People built their lives and their homes here. I think there are a few who have decided its time to move on, but most have decided to stay. It starts with the town office: theyd just finished building that and the library. Brand new. Now they have to start all over again, but I think the community will continue as it was.
GARRETT KEY PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY 11 As told to Rachelle Drouin

Techlife invites nait students, alumni, staff and friends to share experiences and photos from their travels.
v5.1 2011

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culinait

the local food

Building a sustainable market for albertas food producers isnt easy, but chef Blair lebsack is cooking up a plan to make it happen.
s usual on a saturday morning, Blair Lebsack (Cook 98) is hanging out at farmers markets in and around Edmonton. But as I discover when tagging along at City Market Downtown one cool day in June, hanging out is not a spectator sport for this chef, who joined the NAIT culinary arts department in January. Besides picking up some delicious looking asparagus, cherries and granola for his own dining table, hes nailing down details for an upcoming dinner at Natures Green Acres, where hell don the white hat to roast one of the grass-fed pigs raised by Shannon and Danny Ruzicka, owners of Natures, a family-operated farm. And hes lining up fare for Ernests dining room at NAIT, where hell be in charge of hot lunches in the fall.

challenge
A
Lebsacks enthusiasm for this food bubbles over as we graze 104 Street amid buskers and bustle. At Mighty Trio Organics, where bottled canola, hemp and flax oils glint tall and elegant in the sun, he enthuses about the bright colours, nutrient value and absolutely phenomenal flavours co-owner Sean Superkoski achieves by cold pressing small batches of fine seeds. At Smoky Valley Goat Cheese, he marvels at how quickly Holly Gales hobby of making artisan cheese has become a full-time occupation as customers demand more. At the Gull Valley Greenhouses megastand, he raves about the Tiemstra familys tomatoes, his favourites bar none.

chef Blair lebsack at riverbend gardens a large, sophisticated producer and one of several major contributors to albertas local food economy.

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story by
CHERYL MAHAFFY

Photos by
JASON NESS

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culinait

Reducing our reliance on faraway factory farms also increases food security, Lebsack says. Edmonton is the farthest reach for California products, so if anything ever goes wrong in California, were the first to be cut out of the loop. But only if we support these artisan farmers will they continue to exist. Toward that end, Lebsack is launching a local chefs collaborative aimed at matching farmers with chefs to help move more local food into restaurants no longer niche, but mainstream. as executive chef at the high-volume Shaw Conference Centre, Simon Smotkowicz has set a goal of doubling his use of 10 per cent local food by the end of 2012. He knows the extra time involved, from scouting out suppliers to preparing potatoes that no longer come peeled. He also knows that this food typically costs somewhat more than mass-produced fare, although that difference can be offset by choosing less popular cuts of meat and in-season produce. But diners appreciate the results, he says. It can be an edge for a restaurant, because these products are always much better quality. Yet only a minority of area chefs is dedicated to using local food, says Smotkowicz, whose culinary leadership earned him an honorary diploma from NAIT in 2003. As president of the Canadian Culinary Federation Edmonton Chapter, he is determined to change that. Its not a case of either-or, he says. Because we eat local doesnt mean weve got to say no to everything else. Its like being on a diet use moderation. Noting that a chefs collaborative in Victoria is succeeding in putting more local fare on the menu, Smotkowicz imported the concept in collaboration with Dine Alberta and asked Lebsack to lead the charge. An initial meeting last November, hosted by Alberta Agriculture, led to a producers showcase at Northlands in February. More than 200 attended the showcase and the buzz was encouraging, Lebsack says, but few chefs changed their buying habits. To overcome inertia, the collaborative intends to build a list of local producers that want to work with restaurants, he says. We need to see some long-standing relationships, not just oneoff purchases. lebsacks mid-summer farm dinner at Natures Green Acres illustrates the dance involved in expanding the clientele for local food. The event is attracting quite a crowd, but expanding the table is not as straightforward as it might seem. Were butchering one pig just for this, Lebsack notes. Its not as if killing another half pig is a viable option. The chefs collaborative faces that same issue writ large when connecting chefs with potential suppliers,

at edmontons city market downtown, chef Blair lebsack checks out his favourites: (from top) mighty trio organics oil, tomatoes from gull valley greenhouses and smoky valley goat cheese.

Its no accident that Lebsack knows the people behind the food. During nearly five years as executive chef at Madisons Grill in the Union Bank Inn, a steady stream of farmers flowed through his kitchen, stocking a menu that always leaned local. He stands among a growing subset of chefs who recognize that eating local is more than a fad its essential. Eating local is not primarily about calculating the distance from farm to table, Lebsack says, but about supporting the artisan and specialty farms that showcase what our land can actually produce. Besides upping the taste and nutrition quotient, eating local fuels our economy, reduces the energy consumed in transportation and, as todays tour illustrates, builds community.

56 techlifemag.ca

Lebsack adds. We have to be careful. The Ruzickas raise 20 animals a year; we cant put them in contact with the Shaw Conference Centre and the next thing you know theyre all out of certain cuts and have nothing for the farmers market. Its a fine balance. Even for larger producers, weather and disease can wreak havoc on supply. One grower we meet says 70 per cent of his crops remain to be planted due to rain; in previous summers, the issue has been drought. But by working in concert, producers and chefs are finding ways to ensure that whats on the menu walks in the door in time to be served. Distributor Lori Menshik offers one such safety valve. Operating as Full Course Strategies from a downtown warehouse, she sources local food on behalf of chefs. If I know Ill have something on my menu for six to eight months, shell make sure she has that on hand, Lebsack says. Farmers are also partnering up to do business in volume. Edgar Farms has a stall at the market today to sell asparagus, its specialty. But the farm is also part of the Innisfail Growers Co-operative, whose five families have banded together to attend more markets and attract larger accounts. Some producers have grown so large and sophisticated that they could dependably supply our entire region, Lebsack says. He points to Kuhlmanns Market Gardens and Riverbend Gardens as prime examples of operations that run like clockwork, grow fantastic crops and sell some of it all year thanks to greenhouses and climate-controlled storage. Their excess goes to large grocery chains to be shipped who knows where, he notes. Ideally, this food would stay closer to home, replacing shipments from afar. The chefs collaborative aims to address volume issues by matching users with right-size suppliers. Say youre using all prime cuts and someone else is making burgers, Lebsack says. Why dont you team up to work with these suppliers, so farmers are not butchering animals and being left with too much ground beef? Hank Strokappe (Retail Meatcutting 05) of Farm Fresh Lamb offers a case in point. He swore off restaurants after dealing with some high-handed chefs who wanted nothing but prime cuts at a discount. Yet he now supplies four Edmonton eateries. What makes it work? Creativity. Theyre not afraid to cook with different cuts. Part of the onus lies with suppliers, Strokappe admits. When I first started cutting shoulder steaks, they didnt sell. But now we do boneless stewing meat, which works well in curries, and we do up a boneless shoulder roll with netting. So were more creative in how we market the cuts. He credits NAIT instructors with laying the foundation. They drilled into us that a job worth doing is worth doing right.

like a growing number of consumers, NAIT instructor Hong Chew (Culinary Arts 93), the Canadian Culinary Federation Edmontons Outstanding Member of the Year for 2011, wants to know not only where but how the food was grown, harvested, stored and shipped. I dont specifically follow the 100-mile diet, although most of the things sold at farmers markets come from within 100 miles, he says. Noting that British Columbia berries, fruit and seafood greatly expand our menu in a short-summer province whose winter fare leans to root vegetables, he adds, I believe food should transcend provincial borders, and Im a big supporter of anything Canadian. We have so much to offer from the Canadian perspective in terms of food coast to coast and north to south. Recognizing NAITs role in equipping the next generation of chefs to cook local, both Chew and Lebsack are making a point of injecting local fare into the curriculum. Ernests, the dining room where culinary arts and hospitality management students cut their teeth, now uses 30 per cent local fare and is aiming for 50 per cent, Chew says. Were doing it gradually in baby steps, trying to switch key products over. Incoming students are fueling the shift, Chew adds. His colleagues are interested as well, but many are focused on covering set curriculum rather than scouting out local producers. As a culinary management instructor with a focus on procurement, hes in a perfect position to shift buying patterns by taking students to area farms and inviting producers such as honey producer Lola Canolas Patty Milligan to campus. Patty is a great educator, just passionate about what she does, he says. Thats what you want to see from a local standpoint. Indeed, featuring the people behind the food is one of the keys to promoting local, Chew says. When we put a certain product on the menu, there has to be a story behind the product. Thats how you educate the consumer about where the food comes from. And if local is what consumers demand, he adds, Guess what, there will be a lot more local produce. like many vendors at that Saturday market, Alan Irving is expanding carefully while refusing to compromise quality, producing pork products that my tour guide declares absolutely phenomenal. In fact, Irvings Farm Fresh stands as one of the models of healthy growth, says Lebsack, who has visited to help stuff sausages and watch the family in action. There are a lot of really good success stories out there, Lebsack adds. Right now, the producers are doing a better job than the chefs. Theyre offering all these really good things, but were not buying enough. We need to see more of it on our menus.

BecaUse We eat local Doesnt mean Weve Got to saY no to everYthinG else. its liKe BeinG on a Diet Use moDeration.
SIMON SMOTKOWICZ ExECUTIVE CHEF, SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE

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culinait

BEEF

Where oUr chefs

MEAT

love to shop
DAIRY BEEF FRUITS + VEGETABLES
GuLL vALLEY GREENHOuSES

FRUITS + VEGETABLES With the lineup of local food suppliers getting longer by the year, we thought youd enjoy finding out where culinary instructors Blair lebsack and hong chew go to stock their kitchens. GRAINS

DAIRY
SMOKY vALLEY GOAT CHEESE

MEAT
FOuR WHISTLE FARM

OTHER
BRASSICA MuSTARD LTD.

Hydroponically grown tomatoes, beans, lettuce, peppers, basil Phil and Carolyn Tiemstra, Blackfalds GRAINS gullvalley.ca gullvalley@platinum.ca 403.885.2242
INSPIRED MARKET GARDENS

Artisan cheeses and yogurts Holly and Larry Gale, Smoky Lake smokyvalleygoatcheese.com holly@smokyvalleygoatcheese.com FRUITS + 780.383.3798 VEGETABLES

Lamb, beef, pork, poultry Marius and Twiggy De Boer, Millet BEEF fourwhistlefarm.ca fourwhistlefarm@yahoo.ca 780.387.BEEF (2333)
GREENS, EGGS & HAM FAMILY FARM

Unique mustards Desmond Johnston and Karen Davis Calgary brassicamustard.com desmond@brassicamustard.com karen@brassicamustard.com 403.277.3301
BIRDS & BEES ORGANIC WINERY AND MEADERY (previously En Sant)

MEAT

THE CHEESIRY

OTHER

Herbs and edible flowers Gwen Simpson, Edmonton inspiredgardens.ca info@inspiredgardens.ca 780.910.9363
MO-NA FOOD DISTRIBuTORS

Artisan sheep cheese (also glutenfree beef products)

GRAINS Rhonda and Brian Headon, Kitscoty BEEF osolmeatos.com/cheesiry.html cheesiry@gmail.com 780.522.8784
SYLvAN STAR CHEESE

DAIRY Fowl, duck eggs, sausages, smoked meats (also vegetables, including all-year heritage greens, edible flowers, spinach)
Mary Ellen and Andreas Grueneberg, Leduc greenseggsandham.ca FRUITS + VEGETABLES info@greenseggsandham.ca 780.986.8680
HOG WILD SPECIALTIES

Albertas first and only organic winery and meadery (honey wine) Chrapko family, Brosseau birdsandbeeswinery.com info@birdsandbeeswinery.com 780.657.2275
LOLA CANOLA NATuRAL HONEY

Mushrooms, fresh and frozen berries, wild rice, grains and pulses Michael Avenati, Edmonton monafood.ca info@monafood.ca 780.435.4370
PEAS ON EARTH ORGANIC GARDEN

Lactose-free gouda, gruyere and DAIRY OTHER edam cheese John Schalkwijk, Red Deer sylvanstarcheesefarm.ca info@sylvanstarcheesefarm.ca 403.340.1560

Wild boar meat, bow hunting, GRAINS barbecues Earl and Deb Hagman Mayerthorpe hogwild.ab.ca dhagman@hogwild.ab.ca 1.888.668.9453

Unfiltered, unpasteurized honey and honey products Patty Milligan, Bon Accord lolacanola.com info@lolacanola.com 1.877.921.3657

FRUITS + VEGETABLES

Certified organic produce Eric and Ruby Chen, Sturgeon County peasonearth.ca contact@peasonearth.ca 780.973.6680
RIvERBEND GARDENS

GRAINS
GOLD FOREST GRAINS

OTHER

WHERE TO BuY: Products are

IRvINGS FARM FRESH

Seasons first vegetables thanks to riverside microclimate Aaron and Janelle Herbert Edmonton riverbendgardens.ca aaronherbert@albertacom.com 780.378.9606
STEvE & DANS FRESH B.C. FRuIT

Organic farm-milled flour and whole grains John Schneider, Morinville goldforestfarms.blogspot.com OTHER goldforestgrains@yahoo.ca 780.987.3743
MIGHTY TRIO ORGANICS

Gluten-free Berkshire pork products, British style Alan & Nicola Irving Round Hill irvingsfarmfresh.com info@irvingsfarmfresh.com 780.672.2787
NATuRES GREEN ACRES

available directly from producers, at various farmers markets, select restaurants and retail outlets, as well as through local food distributors. Check with producers for details.

Hemp, canola and flax oil; hemp powder and butter Sean Superkoski, Edmonton mightytrio.com mightytrio@gmail.com 780.265.4367

Grass-fed chicken, pork, nouveau beef Danny and Shannon Ruzicka, Viking naturesgreenacres.com naturesgreenacres@gmail.com 780.336.2265
SPRING CREEK RANCH

Apples, berries, peaches, nectarines, prunes, plums, pears and nuts from family orchard
illustration by andrea yury

Steven and Daniel Souto, Oliver, B.C. s_souto@hotmail.com 250.485.2037

Premium Angus beef, without added hormones or antibiotics Kirstin Kotelko, Vegreville springcreek.ca info@springcreek.ca 780.436.0335

58 techlifemag.ca

smoked duck &

saskatoon Berry tart
with parsnip
serves 4

tart shell
INGREDIENTS 280 ml (1 1/8 cup) all-PUrPose floUr 5 ml (1 tsp) salt 120 g (4 oz) UnsalteD BUtter, cUBeD 30 ml (1/8 cup) ice Water

METHOD
In mixer, combine half of flour and salt with the butter on low speed using paddle attachment. Turn up to medium speed and mix until completely blended, stopping and scraping sides as necessary. Reduce speed and combine remaining flour. Incorporate water. The dough will come up around the paddle and should feel smooth, not sticky.

Remove dough from mixer; confirm no butter pieces remain and mix longer if necessary. Allow to rest for 1 hour in plastic wrap. Roll out dough roughly 6 mm ( inch) thick and put into rectangle pastry pan with edges to the top of pan. Bake shell without filling, using pie weights to prevent puffing up, at 190 C (375 F) for about 20 minutes, then remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes at 180 C (350 F) until golden brown.

recipe courtesy of Blair lebsack and served at ernests dining room on nait main campus. for ernests menu and reservations: www.nait.ca/ernests 780.471.8676

duck Breast
INGREDIENTS 2 DUcK Breasts 450 g (1 lb) sasKatoon Berries 155 ml (5/8 cup) maPle WooD chiPs (availaBle at BarBeqUe sUPPlY or harDWare stores)

METHOD
Soak 125 ml ( cup) of maple wood chips in water for 1 hour. Place soaked
18 chips plus 30 ml ( cup) of dry chips

Cook skin-side-down until fat is rendered, or melted, and brown. On barbeque (or in well-ventilated kitchen), place foil pack directly over medium-high heat to start smoking. Place duck breast on side of barbeque with no heat. Quickly close lid to trap smoke for about 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

in foil poked with holes. Score the fat on duck breast (cutting a loose cross-hatch just through the skin) then cook in saut pan over low heat, draining fat occasionally.

ParsniPs
INGREDIENTS 2 ParsniPs 310 ml (1 cup) heavY cream 125 ml ( cup) Water 5 ml (1 tsp) salt 5 ml (1 tsp) BUtter

METHOD
Cut parsnips into 1.5-cm (-in) pieces and place in small pot with 250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream, water and salt. Simmer for 25 minutes or until parsnips are very soft. Blend smooth with hand blender. Pure should be thick; add butter and some of remaining cream if necessary.

ASSEMBLY
Put parsnip pure in tart shell. Place saskatoons on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 180 C (350 F) to heat through (roughly 10 minutes). Heat duck breast in oven for 5 minutes. Remove duck and slice very thinly. Remove tart, top with 4 pieces of sliced duck breast in 4 even rows. Cut tart into 4 portions and serve immediately.

Photo by John book

web extra
To add a crisp parsnip garnish to this recipe visit techlifemag.ca/ duck-tart.htm.

v5.1 2011

59

MTIS POST SECONDARY FUNDING

Mtis Training to Employment Services can provide support to Mtis students entering:
The final two semesters of a university degree, a college diploma or a technical institute program A certificate program of one year or less A college diploma or technical institute program for up to two years in length if the training results in an occupation designated as being in high demand The first and second year of technical training in a Registered Apprenticeship Trade The financial contribution for eligible clients may include tuition, mandatory books and supplies and income support. Mtis Scholar Awards are also available to students enrolled full-time in any certificate, diploma, applied undergraduate degree or undergraduate degree program at NAIT. For more information, contact: Mtis Training to Employment Services 1-888-48-MTIS 1-888-486-3847 Rupertsland www.metisemployment.ca Institute

Mtis Centre of Excellence

60 techlifemag.ca

sPaces

fillinG
Photo by blaise van malsen

station
after more than two decades as the place many of Albertas dental assistants cut their teeth in the profession, NAITs Dental Assisting lab has received a radical makeover. Our original equipment was over 20 years old, says Maureen Symmes, Dental Health Sciences chair. Now our students will be working with the most efficient and technical equipment. Thanks to $1.7 million from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (and $250,000 from NAIT), the lab was outfitted this summer with new chairs, cabinets, sinks and other staples of the practice, as well as state-of-the-art infection control equipment and digital x-ray machines found in Albertas most advanced clinics. NAIT students arent the only beneficiaries of the remodelling. The old equipment including 15 dental chairs, three x-ray units, cabinetry and textbooks was shipped to Rwanda to train up-and-coming dental health professionals. For Symmes, that means improved oral health in a country with extremely limited access to equipment and dental care. All of us in the dental area felt this was a really special cause, she says. Scott Messenger

v5.1 2011

61

5 Ways

get involved With nait

3
62 techlifemag.ca

1
Are you looking for ways to connect with other NAIT graduates? Like the NAIT Alumni Facebook page at facebook.com/naitalumni or join the NAIT Alumni group on LinkedIn at www.nait.ca/linkedinalumni.

TOp 50 aLuMNI

stay connected
Getting married, moving or changing jobs? Keep your contact information up to date with NAIT through the Alumni Connection website: www.nait.ca/alumniconnection. Keeping your information current will ensure you receive techlife magazine, the techlifemag.ca e-newsletter and invitations from NAIT without interruptions.

NAIT is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012. As part of the festivities, we are looking for NAITs top 50 alumni of the last 50 years. Tell us your pick and why at www.nait.ca/top50 and well enter you in a draw to win an iPad 2. Nominees must be graduates of NAIT credit or apprenticeship programs or retired from employment at NAIT. All nominations must be received by Dec. 31, 2011. Well draw for the iPad 2 on Jan. 16, 2012. Only the winner will be notified.

nominate a top alum at www.nait.ca/top50.

find nait alumni online

other ways to support nait

Not all gifts to NAIT need to be monetary. You can also donate goods and services. These donations help the institute reduce the cost of equipment, supplies and services. For more information, visit www.nait.ca/giftsinkind, or contact the Department of Advancement at 780.471.8800 or advancement@nait.ca.

employment services
Employment Services connects students, alumni and employers through online job postings. If youre a student or alum looking for a job, or if youre an employer looking to post a job, visit www.nait.ca/employmentservices to see what free services are available to you.

JoB descriPtion

its a tall order, but someone has to build it. as senior project manager for ledcor construction limited on the 30-storey epcor tower in downtown edmonton, mike roper (carpentry 00) works an average of 10 hours a day keeping the job on schedule, managing and reporting on budgets and monitoring the trades progress. nearly four years after he started on the project, tenants have moved into the building and construction is drawing to a close. as with every job throughout his 18-year career, ropers efforts are rewarded each time he drives past the tower the first new office tower built downtown in more than 20 years and beholds the concrete results of his labour.

such great

he ghts
communication skills are key I learned that the hard way on many occasions. You have to be able to deal with so many different kinds of personalities out there. If you cant get across what you need to get across, it can make or break your conversation. the work-life balance is good. Im usually home in time for supper and to see my wife, 18-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. Working longer hours during the week is a personal choice so I can have my weekends free. i like building stuff. Its a really good sense of satisfaction to be able to say, We built that, when I drive around Edmonton. Its really cool.
THE SKINNY

Eliza Barlow

edmontons new 30-storey epcor tower marks a milestone in mike ropers career as carpenter-turned-proJect manager.
in 1993 i was looking for a summer job. My dad was a truck driver with Ledcor and I got on with the company as a labourer on a job at Bonnie Doon mall. It piqued my interest in carpentry and construction work. i did a four-year carpentry apprenticeship with NAIT, graduated in 2000, and got my Red Seal. The way I became a project manager is a little out of the ordinary; most dont go the field route. I went from labourer to apprentice carpenter, journeyman carpenter, lead hand, foreman, superintendent, project manager and now senior project manager on the Epcor Tower since November 2007.
pay: Average: $95,000 location: With another potential skills shortage on the horizon, companies are now looking to get staff in place across Alberta work hours: Average: 41.9 hours/week; Mike Roper: 57 60 hours/week training: Extensive experience as project manager, plus construction and/or engineering credentials

Photo by Jason ness

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acclaim click

and the aWard Goes to...

Grads, staff and friends of nait continue to amass awards and accolades in everything from industry to innovation to athletics. here are a few recent winners.

3
NAITs Senator Thelma Chalifoux Award for significant contribution to aboriginal student success is awarded to imperial oil for its ongoing support of aboriginal education. Through its support of NAIT programs such as Aboriginal Pre-Technology and Chemistry on Campus, the company has provided hundreds of aboriginal students with unique opportunities to learn and succeed.

rosalyn naqvi-parasynchuk (Accounting 99, Bachelor of Applied Business Administration 03) earned the Spirit of NAIT Alumni Award for her professional accomplishments and volunteer activities. The vice president of Cameron Homes, Naqvi-Parasynchuk makes time to help out several community causes, including addiction recovery and homelessness while overseeing the companys home building division.

Celebrity chef corbin tomaszeski (Cooking 92) is the recipient of NAITs 2010 Alumni Award of Distinction. Raised on an Alberta farm, the former executive chef of Holts Caf in Toronto is better known for turning up the heat as the host of Food Network shows Crash My Kitchen, Restaurant Makeover and, currently, Dinner Party Wars.

Photos suPPlied

Competing against more than 1,000 professionals from 30 countries, six culinary students brought home 10 medals (four silver and six bronze) this spring from the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic at HOFEx 2011, Asias leading food and hospitality tradeshow. The students (some of whom have since graduated) ashley broad, pattaree poprasat (Culinary Arts 11), tiffany sorensen (Culinary Arts 11), phillip robidoux (Retail Meatcutting 11), jayden kresnyak and david leeder were members of Culinary Team NAIT, a group of students and instructors who compete regionally, nationally and internationally.

Skills Alberta rewarded stanley townsend, chair of NAITs Culinary Arts program, with the Skills Alberta Volunteer of the Year award for 19 years of dedication and involvement with the annual competition. A volunteer since the first provincial skills competition in 1993, Townsend has served as provincial and national technical committee member, regional skills coordinator and Try-a-Trade coordinator at World Skills in Calgary.

GOAL-ORIENTED
President Dr. Glenn Feltham reveals his hopes for NAIT
>techlifemag.ca/feltham-aspirations.htm

KING OF THE COuRT

David Dowards quest to bring pro basketball to Edmonton
>techlifemag.ca/edmonton-energy.htm

HAPPY HOMES Home inspector Paul Tobolski explains how to check out a house
>techlifemag.ca/home-inspection.htm

AuTO AFICIONADO Buying a car? Nick Thibault has an app for that and more
>techlifemag.ca/auto-app.htm

PuTTING OuT FIRES

Stories from the front lines of this years wildfire season
>techlifemag.ca/alberta-wildfires.htm

KNIFE TRICKS
Watch culinary chair Stanley Townsend transform veggies into flowers
>techlifemag.ca/vegetable-flowers.htm

v5.1 2011

65

reWind

nostalGic
lets get

get your photos published

and take home NAIT- branded merchandise.

dig uP your old nait Photos and you could Win.

in 2012, nait will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To help mark the occasion, we want you to help create a photo gallery of NAIT over the past five decades. Post the photos you took while you were a student or staffer photos like these by Bruce Woloshyn (Radio and Television 84) to the NAIT Alumni Facebook page (facebook.com/naitalumni) or email alumni@nait.ca. A team of alumni and retired staff will select photos that best capture the spirit of NAIT for publication in the 50th anniversary issue of techlife magazine in fall 2012. Visit techlifemag.ca/photo-contest.htm for contest rules. Deadline for submissions is March 30, 2012. 66 techlifemag.ca

radio and television arts students in Jasper in the early 80s filming a feature titled James Bombed. the photographs Bruce woloshyn shares paint an accurate picture of the amazing time we had in the radio and television arts program back in 1983 and 1984.

Photos suPPlied by bruce woloshyn

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Satised client since 2008

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At TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, we know how important it is to save wherever you can. As a member of the NAIT Alumni Association, you can enjoy preferred group rates and other exclusive privileges, thanks to our partnership with your association. Youll also benet from great coverage and outstanding service. At TD Insurance, we believe in making insurance easy to understand so you can choose your coverage with condence.

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TD Insurance Meloche Monnex is the trade name of SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY which underwrites the home and auto insurance program. The program is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada. Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. *No purchase required. Contest ends on January 13, 2012. Each winner may choose the prize, a 2011 MINI Cooper Classic (including applicable taxes, preparation and transportation fees) for a total value of $28,500, or a cash amount of $30,000 Canadian. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Skill-testing question required. Contest organized jointly with Primmum Insurance Company and open to members, employees and other eligible persons belonging to all employer and professional and alumni groups who have an agreement with and are entitled to group rates from the organizers. Complete contest rules and eligibility criteria available at www.melochemonnex.com. Actual prize may differ from picture shown. MINI Cooper is a trade-mark, used under license, of BMW AG, which is not a participant in or a sponsor of this promotion. / The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/or other countries.

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