Library_strike
Feature article July 28, 2005
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Library strike could come next week
by Jeff Green
Last-ditch mediation is taking place this week in an attempt to avoid a strike or lockout for 93 unionized staff members at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. A strike would affect service at all 17 branches of the library, including nine branches in Frontenac County.
The union local represents library staff, as well as technical and maintenance personnel. Some part-time library personnel, who are known as Pages, are not part of the bargaining unit.
Nancy Mohan, a librarian at the Isabel Turner branch in Kingston, has been the representative to the negotiations for library staff, along with a representative from the Canadian Union of Public Employees. This is Mohans third involvement in negotiation since the amalgamated library came into existence in 1998, and it has been very different from the other two negotiations.
The other negotiations featured a more cooperative environment. This time management has brought in a consultant, John Platz, as their chief negotiator, and they seem determined to claw back on some important working condition issues.
Particularly of concern to Mohan is the matter of worker accommodation.
There are times when workers, for health or other reasons, need specific accommodations in the work place in order to continue working. The practice that has developed in these cases has been for the union and management to be involved in the process. The union had intended to strengthen this process through this negotiation, but management is seeking to minimize union involvement.
An individual who is seeking an accommodation is in a vulnerable position, Mohan says, and we consider it is in their interest that their union be involved. Management doesnt seem to see it that way.
A major issue in the current impass is the matter of overtime.
What management is telling us is that they want more flexibility in determining worker hours.
Under the previous agreement, maintenance personnel have been working a 40-hour week, and everyone else 35 hours. If they go beyond that time, Mohan says, management is obliged to pay overtime.
The two sides are also at odds over health benefits.
One issue that has not been raised thus far is wages. That is not unusual, according to Nancy Mohan. Wages dont usually come up for discussion in any collective agreement until the final hour, she said.
Wage settlements are not generally very high in public sector agreements. The previous agreement had a 2% (about the rate of inflation) increase in each of the three years of the agreement.
Heading into mediation, Mohan still seemed puzzled by the negotiating style of management this time around.
There havent really been any negotiations, she said. Mr. Platz keeps saying that management is not happy with this or that policy, but we are not meeting to discuss policy; we are trying to negotiate a contract.
John Platz is President of Platz and Associates of Mississauga, a Human Resources Consulting company.
In describing the companys approach to collective bargaining, the company website promotes itself to corporations in this way: You may find that your collective agreement is not viable in the present business climate and is limiting your ability to meet required business objectives.
If mediation talks fail this week, unionized workers at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library will be without a contract as of August 2.
I would certainly recommend to the membership that they should not work without a contract, said Nancy Mohan.
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Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright
Vision Awards celebrate small business in Land O' Lakes
by Jeff Green
It may not have been Oscar Night in the Land O’ Lakes but there was a buzz of excitement at Camden Braes Country Club last week as about 90 people waited to hear which businesses would win the first ever Vision Awards.
The awards themselves were large carved plaques, made by Rodger MacMunn, and they were presented to businesses from the seven townships that are a part of the Land O’ Lakes Tourist area. One business among the seven received larger plaque, acknowledging them as the overall Vision Award winner.
The awards came about because the Land O’ Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) wanted to find a way to celebrate corporations, within the for profit and not for profit sectors, that have shown ability to innovate and expand in the past few years.
The evening included a dinner and speeches from MPP Leona Dombrowsky and Rob Wood.
Leona Dombrowsky spoke from the perspective, not only of a local MPP, but of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs as well. In one part of her speech she talked about how she had first encountered the Land O’Lakes as a child in Tweed.
“The used to be a restaurant in Tweed called the Gateway,” she recalled. “When it first opened it was called the Gateway to the Land O’Lakes. I remember asking my father ‘what are the Land O’Lakes?’ ‘That’s God’s country’, he told me.”
Minister Dombrowsky also made reference to the funding programmes and other initiatives that are in place through her Ministry and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for rural economic development.
Rob Wood has had a successful business career and now runs 8020 Info in Kingston. He talked about some of the information he has gathered over the years about tourist related businesses and tourist regions, and how Land O’Lakes-based tourism operators need to be able to find niche markets.
For example, he noted how a friend of his in Kingston was entertaining a visitor from overseas. “The visitor had always wanted to see the Canadian Shield, so I sent them to Parham. All of us know of Parham as a good community, and a hard place to farm, but for these people it was an exotic location.”
The main event of the evening followed as the award winners were announced. The winners from Frontenac County included Desert Lake Resort Bill and Marnie Pederson from South Frontenac; The Land O’ Lakes Communications Network from Central Frontenac; North of 7 Restaurant and Freshmart from North Frontenac; and Custom Cover ups and Murry’s Music from Addington Highlands. Theo and Penny and Nieburg of Napanee, who have undertaken the development of an outdoor mall on Palace Road, were the grand prizewinners.
Land O’Lakes Tourist Association Manager Terry Shea, who organised the awards and the ceremony, was happy with the way the event unfolded, and LOLTA is planning to hold them again in two years time.
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Legalese - October 6, 2005Thinking of starting a business? Part II
by Peter Graham, staffLawyer
I now have some idea of how Sylvester Stallone felt as he finished Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3.... Upon the completion of last week's column on starting a business, I was just warming to the task. There was so much more to say.
Last week we reviewed the basic forms of business ownership. Deciding which form is only the beginning of the legal part of the planning process required before you open your doors.
If you decide to operate as a sole proprietor and the name of your business is other than your own name, you must register it with the provincial government. Depending on the type of business you may also require a licence from the provincial government (e.g. plumbers, mechanics etc.) and a municipal licence (e.g. restaurant, beauty parlour etc.). You must also check such things as local zoning to ensure that the location of the business does not contravene local by-laws.
If you decide to operate as a partnership, you and your partners must register the partnership name with the provincial government. The licensing requirements and zoning must also be reviewed. In addition, from a practical point of view it is important to decide what role each partner will play in the partnership. What are the expectations of each of the partners? Details should be worked out as to how the profits and losses will be divided. What happens if one of the partners wants to leave the partnership, or is unable to continue? Careful consideration of these issues before the business starts will avoid many potential problems. It is recommended that these arrangements be written out in a formal partnership agreement to avoid any misunderstanding.
If you decide on operating the business as a corporation, an application must be made for Articles of Incorporation. The name of the corporation must be searched and evidence supplied that it is not confusing with the names of other businesses.
The key element to remember in incorporation is that you have created a separate legal entity. This artificial “person” makes its decisions differently than a sole proprietor. Staff is hired to carry on the day to day operations of the business. Major decisions are made by the Board of Directors (the "guiding mind of the corporation"). The Board is responsible to the shareholders. In many small businesses, the staff, the Board and the shareholders are the same people. Even so, corporate formalities must be followed. Board decisions and annual shareholders meetings must be properly documented. An annual return must be filed setting out such things as the location of the current head office of the corporation and the members of the Board.
There are many government programs available to assist you in preparing business plans and obtaining financing for your business. An excellent source of information is the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade's web site at www.ontariocanada.com. Following the link “Starting Your Own Business” will take you to information on this topic including Your Guide to Small Business and links to the Ministry’s Business Advisory Services. The Business Advisory Services may also be reached by telephone at 1-800-461-2287.
To bring your business idea to reality takes much study and planning. Detailed planning greatly improves your chances of success. Good luck.
A column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.
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Legalese - September 29, 2005Thinking of starting a business? Part I
by Peter Graham, staffLawyer
A column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.
You may have been lying on the beach this summer, or floating on one of the many beautiful lakes in North Frontenac. The rough and tumble world of business seemed far away. But think again. That chip wagon in the parking lot was making money hand over fist - and if you had a nickel for every ice cream cone sold at the local stand you would be rich!
If your thoughts of going into business for yourself go beyond the daydream stage, you should know about the basic forms of business ownership.
The easiest form of business to start is a sole proprietorship. The business is you. Start doing anything (that is legal, of course) with a view to profit and you are in business. Simplicity is a factor that makes this form of business ownership attractive. However, there are a few drawbacks. Because you are the business, you are personally responsible for the actions and debts of the business. That is, your personal assets may be seized by creditors of the business if you cannot pay the debts. You must also report the net income from the business as income in your personal income tax return.
If you think you may get lonely owning the business yourself you may wish to start a partnership. As in a sole proprietorship there must be a business carried on with a view to profit. In addition, the partners must have an agreement to carry on the business together and share the profits (or the losses if they occur).
A partnership runs very much like a group of sole proprietors in that each partner must report in his personal income tax return his share of partnership profits. However, a partner is personally responsible not only for his own acts and debts but all the acts and debts of his partners made on behalf of the partnership. If the debts of the partnership are more than the partnership can pay, the personal assets of any of the partners may be seized by creditors in collection proceedings. Likewise, if one partner is involved in wrongdoing as part of the partnership business, all partners may be sued. In law, this is referred to as the partners being jointly and severally liable for the obligations of the partnership.
Another way to own a business is to start a corporation. This is done by making an application to either the federal or provincial government for Articles of Incorporation. These Articles are the birth certificate of the corporation. The key feature of this form of business ownership is that it is a legal “person” separate from its owners. Generally, it incurs its own debts and is responsible for its actions without involving the personal assets of the owners. This is referred to as limited liability, which is an advantage of this form of business.
There are many factors to take into consideration before deciding what form of business ownership is best for you. It is recommended that you consult your lawyer for advice before firing up the grease in your own chip wagon or starting the business of your dreams.
Part II
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September 29, 2005. | Navigate | .
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Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright
Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation:Annual General Meeting
by Jule Koch Brison
A year ago last May, the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) had its official opening in Harrowsmith, and since then it has won two provincial awards for excellence; completed 42 projects; created 43 full-time job equivalents; and disbursed nearly $700,000 in loans.
It has also created an on-line business directory that now has over 270 listings, and provided in-depth counseling sessions to 118 businesses and/or potential new businesses. Recognizing that the future of Frontenac County lies in its youth, the FCFDC has encouraged youth entrepreneurship by: holding pizza lunches in local schools to talk about business planning; running a student business plan competition in which two local youth won $750 each; and establishing a bursary program for students to attend St. Lawrence College.
Last week the FCFDC held its Annual General Meeting at Rivendell Golf Club and Jim MacPherson, coordinator of the Land o’Lakes Communication Network was the keynote speaker.
One of the best-known projects that the FCFDC has helped to fund is the award-winning Frontenac E-Waste Recycling Centre (FEWR) in Sharbot Lake. FEWR is a project of the LOLCN, and since its opening last November, FEWR has refurbished over 14,000 computers and distributed them to schools and libraries. Jim MacPherson brought home to his listeners how important this has been not only for schools and libraries, but also for the environment. “By weight, 6% of a computer monitor is lead – that’s about 1 kilogram of lead,” he said.
In addition to its corporate clients, the FCFDC has also helped many individual entrepreneurs turn their plans into reality.
Bradley Smith, another speaker at the AGM, is the owner of Frontenac Foam Insulation, and a current client of the FCFDC.
Smith first went to a bank to get a loan to start up his foam insulation business. He described his encounters with loans officers this way: “They said, ‘you’ve got no money; so we’re not going to give you any money.’” Smith shook his head, “That didn’t seem right! If I had money, I wouldn’t need to go to them in the first place!”
After he was rejected by the bank, Bradley Smith went to the FCFDC, who lent him the funds he needed to start up his business, including money for training.
Frontenac Foam Insulation has taken off. Smith has hired an employee and is busy from morning until night. He even plans to bring his father into the business. He ended by saying, “Now I just have to find some employees who don’t mind snakes and spiders.”
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Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright
LOLTA to award marketing visionaries
by Jeff Green
Do you run or do you know of a business that has made great strides in recent years to improve itself and play a larger role in the community?
The Land O’Lakes Tourist Association is inviting members of the public and business people to participate in the selection of nominees for its inaugural Marketing Vision Awards.
“We are celebrating those businesses that have taken steps in recent years to increase sales and job opportunities; who have been innovative and expanded their businesses, and have brought new concepts to the marketplace,” says LOLTA Executive Director Terry Shea.
It’s simple to nominate a business, requiring only a 30 –50 word explanation of why the business deserves recognition. Nomination forms will be available in the Frontenac News next week as well as at www.lol.on.ca.
One finalist will be chosen from each of the townships within the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association region, which includes South, Central, and North Frontenac, Addington Highlands, Stone Mills and Loyalist townships, as well as Greater Napanee and the Municipality of Tweed.
Nominees need only be located within the boundaries of the Land O’Lakes, they need not be LOLTA members.
Each finalist will receive a commemorative hand-carved award by Rodger MacMunn, approximately 18” x 18” in diameter at an awards dinner on September 29 at Camden Braes Golf Club in Camden East. Guests will include MPP Leona Dombrowsky and a second keynote speaker. Tickets to the dinner, which will be a harvest dinner, will be available by calling 1-888-840-4445.
At the dinner, an overall winner will be announced, and that business will receive a larger hand-carved award.
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Feature Article
January 26, 2006
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Addingon Highlands EconomicDevelopment Strategic Plan
by Jeff Green
Forty or so business people from the Highway 41 corridor met in Kaladar early last Thursday morning. They spent the morning considering the strengths and weaknesses of the township as a place to do business. Using laptop computers and a network hook-up, a consultant kept track of individual opinions, slowly constructing a coherent strategy for economic development in the township.
The strategic planning initiative was funded by the Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC). The session was organized by the Addington Highlands Economic Development Committee, under chair Bill Brown.
At the planning session, which coincided with a business breakfast, Bill Brown announced that he will be leaving the area to move to Kingston at the end of March. Brown has been living in Addington Highlands for seven years, and he was the founding Chair of the Economic Development Committee,
The Committee has been very active in recent years, particularly in promoting a resort development initiative. Just last week, committee members travelled to Golden Lake, with a developer, to talk to the Council of the Pikwakanagan Algonquin First Nation in an attempt to convince the Pikwakanagan Council to join Addington Highlands in trying to convince the Province of Ontario to free up some Crown Land for the project. (Most of the Crown Land in Addington Highlands is included in the ongoing Algonquin Land Claim).
Ball_outdoor
Feature Article
February 9, 2006
Ball Outdoor stays open
Late last week things looked pretty bleak at Ball Outdoor Sales on Road 38 in Godfrey. Large transport trucks were loading up new boats and ATVs from the lot in front of the busy snowmobile, ATV, boat and chainsaw dealership. A finance company had claimed back all of the merchandise and the business seemed to be gone.
However, Lloyd Lee and Doug Brown, the former owners of Ball Outdoor Sales, are involved in talks with the bank to try to avoid the business closing.
Lee and Brown owned Ball Outdoor Sales for 11 years before selling it two years ago. Since that time Doug Brown has remained with the business as an employee. Lee and Brown also count themselves among the creditors of the business.
“We have received a lot of support through phone calls and people stopping by in the past few days. Everyone is telling us how important this business is to Central Frontenac and is wishing us well in keeping it going. Since we have a good record with suppliers, such as Arctic Cat and Lund , they have said they would work with us in any way possible.”
Used boats, ATVs and Snowmobiles remain available, as well as new and used chainsaws.
The service department has remained open throughout the tumult, and Brown said that Ball Outdoor Sales will maintain a small staff for the time being.
“We will be running winter hours, 8-5 weekdays, and 8-12 on Saturdays for t
Vca
Feature Article
February 16, 2006
Verona CommunityAssociation business lunch
by Jeff Green
Fifteen members of the Verona and area business community gathered last Thursday for the first ever Verona Businesspeople’s Luncheon at Mom’s Restaurant in the heart of the village.
The Verona Community Association (VCA) organised the event. The VCA is well known for organising events such as the Verona Festival and the annual Christmas tree lighting. It had its origins as a business association. After a few years, however, it became clear the business owners did not have enough time to take very active roles in organising community events, and the Community Association was established.
VCA President Marcel Quenneville has been working to enhance the warm relationship between the association and the business community. He started his remarks at the lunch by presenting the results of a business survey the VCA conducted last summer.
Seventy-four percent of businesses surveyed said that the residents of Verona and the surrounding areas were their main customers, and 67% agreed that their business increased greatly in the summer months. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed said they have a good working relationship with other local business owners, and 80% said their business has improved over the past few years.
Perhaps the most interesting responses were to a question about what comes to mind when business owners think about what Verona needs most. The most highly recognized need was for a pharmacy, followed by a motel or more bed & breakfasts. As to what could help satisfy the needs of the community, attracting new businesses and developing parking were the most commonly identified items.
Marcel Quenneville introduced Tom Revell, owner of Verona Computer and Satellite and the webmaster for the VCA website. Tom Revell demonstrated how the site is set up and talked about improvements that are underway, including the development of an up to date categorised business directory, complete with links to member business sites and/or email addresses. Listings on the site are free to any business that has been involved in any VCA activity through financial or in-kind support.
Terry Shea, the General Manager of the Land o’ Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA), also addressed the gathering. He discussed the role of the tourist association in member communities. The new focus of LOLTA, encapsulated in the new “Let’s Go” slogan, and their 2006 “experience planner” and vacation map, is on single day excursions for visitors to the region.
Terry Shea pointed out two important points for Verona area businesses. The first is that 2/3 of the visitors to the Land o’ Lakes region come to visit with family and friends who reside in the region on a permanent or seasonal basis. By making their services known to the local community, businesses will be accessing tourists as well. The second point is that LOLTA is now working with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation to encourage tourists who are staying in Kingston to come out to the surrounding region for day excursions.
“ Kingston , which has the ability to accommodate large numbers of tourists, is having difficulty keeping those people in the area for several days. The average tourist spends less than two nights in Kingston . If we can encourage people to spend and extra day in Kingston by spending a day in the Land o’ Lakes, it would be good for everyone,” Terry Shea said.
As the meeting wound down, and the people in attendance got ready to go back to work, there was broad agreement that the lunch had been successful. Although all of the people attending the meeting knew about the other businesses in the community, many of them had never met the people running those businesses.
Dianna Bratina, the Manager for Economic Development with the County of Frontenac , attended the meeting, as did Ann Pritchard, the Chief Executive Officer of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation.
There have been similar kinds of efforts made recently, in Central Frontenac and Addington Highlands , to bring business people together in order to build a stronger business community. Those initiatives were both undertaken by the local townships, through economic development committees. The Verona business lunch had no township involvement, and there were no South Frontenac councillors in attendance.
Cf_official_plan
Feature Article
February 16, 2006
CFOfficial Plan workshop -- Planning for Tomorrow's Community Today
Every municipality has a vision. It may be expressed as part of a strategic plan or a capital works program. More often than not, that vision is set out in an Official Plan, which is like a blue print for how a community will grow and develop. The Plan describes how land in the community should be used. It deals mainly with issues such as where new housing, industries, offices and shops will go and what services like roads, parks and schools will be needed. It also provides for the protection of fish and wildlife habitat and the conservation of heritage buildings and landscapes. With an eye to public safety, the Plan will identify areas that are unsafe i.e. floodplains, or where special precautions have to be undertaken, such as building on contaminated soils or near a landfill site or heavy industry. In rounding out the content of an Official Plan, a municipality will set out its goals and objectives - in essence its vision on what kind of a community residents and businesses want to live, work and play in.
In Ontario today, municipalities must plan for a 20-year time horizon when preparing a new Official Plan. This is often described as the planning period. Municipalities will project population and employment growth and how much land is required for new housing and other land uses to accommodate growth within the planning period. The Planning Act also requires that municipalities conduct a check-up every five years. This is a way to evaluate how they have progressed, whether they are achieving their goals and objectives, and whether changes should be made to the Official Plan.
The Township of Central Frontenac has just initiated the first five-year review of its Official Plan. This process is expected to take six to eight months and involves consultation with residents and businesses in the community. There are several issues that are particularly relevant to the review and will be incorporated into the program for public consultation. The first of these is lake management planning. With the increasing demand for waterfront residential development, questions arise as to how much development is feasible without compromising the water quality of our lakes and rivers in Central Frontenac. Should lake management plans be prepared for all lakes? Who should prepare these plans? Should higher standards be imposed in conserving shorelines in their natural state?
Many shoreline areas are only accessible by private roads. Poorly constructed and poorly maintained private roads may make access by a fire truck difficult or impossible. Questions arise as to whether new private road construction should be permitted at all; whether there is merit to permitting minor extensions to existing private roads; and whether further development on existing private roads should be curtailed. Currently, the Official Plan only permits new private road construction where water access is not feasible or where a condominium is proposed.
The sign of a healthy community is a prosperous business community. In Central Frontenac, businesses provide important services to local residents as well as to the tourism industry. Ways and means to encourage new business development and to retain existing businesses warrant discussion.
A new issue is ‘green energy’. An Official Plan can provide the framework for permitting alternative sources of energy such as wind turbines. Should the Official Plan for Central Frontenac make provision for ‘green energy” facilities?
Successful communities are ones where residents are active and involved in community planning. Central Frontenac is no different. Make your voice count by participating in the five year Official Plan Review. Join your neighbours in attending community workshops. A workshop oriented to the general public is scheduled for tonight, February 16, 7 p.m. at the Oso Community Hall. Next Thursday, February 23, 7 p.m. at the Olden Community Hall there will be a session that will include topics of interest to the business community.
(submitted by Tunnock Consulting)
anyone who lives or works in the Ottawa Valley .
