It will be a great addition to Thunder Bayair service when we get the direct flightwith United to Chicago! Last week it wasfun to visit Chicago, primarily to spendsome time at the 39th Ryder Cup Matchesheld at Medinah Country Club locatedsome 20 minutes west of downtownChicago.

The Ryder Cup is the biggest sportingevent in golf, held once every two yearsalternating between the USA and Europe.As an avid golfer, it was definitely fun tosee these exciting matches between golferslike Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy upclose and personal along with 50,000 oth-ers!

This was the biggest event I have everbeen to with over 1800 media there includ-ing 900 in TV and 900 in print. I was toldthere were about 5 media members fromCanada, which made it quite unique forme!

They know how to do things in a big wayin the USA and it was a very thrillingatmosphere to be in with two teams, theUSA and Europe playing a series of teamand individual match play events overthree days. The venue was big with manycorporate tents and a 50,000 square mer-chandise store that did over $10 million inbusiness for the week. Pretty good sales!Some major corporate players were there

including American Express which provid-ed media with a portable hand held TVunit that allowed you to get the NBC feedwhile out walking on the course. That wasamaxing and made me wonder where willour technology end?

The matchs started with the USA takingwhat was thought to be an insurmountablelead on Friday and Saturday only to loseby the closest of margins at the 17 hole onSunday in the second last match. It reallywas an electric atmosphere and one I will

always remember. The chants of USA,USA or OLA, OLA from the US andEuropean fans on site was fun to be a partof and makes me want to plan to be at thenext Ryder Cup in Scotland in 2014. Thedestination of Chicago is onee I will defi-nitely come back to when we get the newdirect flight. This is a world-class city thatwill be about two hours away from us inThunder Bay!

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 3

Publisher’sNoteScott

Sumner

Chicago Will Be An Exciting Destination!

PAGE 4 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2012

PROVINCE LAUNCHES NORTHERN POLICYINSTITUTE

Ontario has launched an initiative that willallow Northerners more input into govern-ment decisions that affect the North.

The Northern Policy Institute is proceedingwith the help of special advisors, LakeheadUniversity President Dr. Brian Stevensonand Laurentian University PresidentDominic Giroux. The institute will bebased at the two universities in ThunderBay and Sudbury, and will work withnorthern post-secondary institutions andresearch organizations.

Investing in Northern Ontario’s communi-ties is part of the McGuinty government’sGrowth Plan for Northern Ontario. Astrong Northern economy creates localjobs and protects the services that meanthe most to families – health care and edu-cation.

QUOTES

“One of the guiding principles of the insti-tute is to stimulate public engagement anddialogue and promote the viewpoints ofNorthern Ontarians. The institute will pro-vide valuable and welcome opportunitiesto members of the public to share theirideas.”

— Bill Mauro, Parliamentary Assistant tothe Minister of Northern Development andMines

“In extensive consultations across theNorth during the development of theGrowth Plan, Northern stakeholders werehighly supportive of establishing aNorthern Policy Institute. I am pleased tolaunch a policy institute that will provideinput from a northern perspective forprovincial policies and programs thataffect Northern Ontario. As a NorthernMinister and as a life-long Northerner, Iwelcome any tool that ensures the uniqueneeds of the North are understood andmet.”

— Rick Bartolucci, Minister of NorthernDevelopment and Mines

"I'd like to give special thanks to NOMAand Common Voice Northwest for theirstrong advocacy of a Policy Institutethroughout the Growth Plan consultationprocess as well as all Northerners whoshared that vision and, of course, toPresidents Stevenson and Giroux for theircontinued commitment to seeing usachieve this important goal forNortherners".

— Michael Gravelle, MPP, Thunder Bay-

Superior North

“The Northern Policy Institute’s mandatecomplements the themes of the GrowthPlan and sets the tone for a collaborative,evidence-based multi-sector approachengaging public and private sector partnersto conduct research. The Institute will pro-vide a Northern perspective, grounded inquality research to guide the policy devel-opment and economic decisions of govern-ments, communities, business and industry.Input from First Nations leadership will bean important part of NPI's work, by includ-ing an Aboriginal perspective in develop-ing policy recommendations affecting theircommunities as well as communitiesacross the North.”

— Dr. Brian Stevenson, President,Lakehead University

“The Northern Policy Institute will focuson northern policy priorities in partnershipwith stakeholder groups from throughoutNorthern Ontario, including municipalassociations, Francophone groups, labourgroups, universities, colleges, Indigenousorganizations and private sector industry.The Institute responds to the expressedintent of northerners having a stronger sayin policy directions affecting the North.This investment over the next five yearswill allow for policies that are proposedfor and by the North, leading to bettercommunity engagement in the decisionsthat affect the day to day lives in our com-munities.”

— Dominic Giroux, President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University

A search is underway for the foundingChief Executive Officer, who will overseethe institute’s preparation of a five-yearbusiness plan. In April 2011 a question-naire was sent to over 1,400 individualsand organizations to provide input on therole and mandate of the Institute.The Institute will play a role in monitoringthe implementation of the Growth Plan forNorthern Ontario, which the provincedelivered in March 2011.The Northern Ontario Heritage FundCorporation will provide $5 million toestablish the institute.

Bill Mauro, MPP“ I don’t think it has taken a long time toestablish an organization like this as thereis a lot of work that goes on behind thescene to establish things like the boardmake up and so on. The two foundingpresidents will be on the board and beginthe hunt for the other 8 board membersand the hunt for the CEO. There will thenbe the creation of the business plan. I thinkwe will see them develop policies that areresearched and have a broad base of sup-port across Northern Ontario. When theybring forward ideas that will help NorthernOntario primarily in economic develop-ment, they will already have positionedthemselves through research to make areally strong case and hope that the gov-ernment of the day wil be positioned torespond quickly. This institute will beindependent of government and located atLakehead University. We have created aninstitute that was requested by northernersthat was felt to be important to them to getthe ear of the government to develop poli-cy.”

Michael Gravelle, MPP“ I feel incredibly excited and really alsoemotional about this announcement today.It is really a historic day for NorthernOntario. Really it is the best example youcan find of northerners speaking directlyto the provincial government saying this iswhat we need, a non profit, independentnon partisan organization that will providerecommendations to the government of theday. It has ben a dream for many likeCommon Voice, NOMA and Chambers ofCommerce. I believe this organization willwork for everyone here in NorthernOntario.”

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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 9

by Jeff Mowatt

You know the scenario... your workday isrunning smoothly and manageably whensuddenly you find yourself dealing with onecustomer in front of you, another on thephone, while a third arrives with just aquick question. When organizations bringme to conduct customer service seminars, Ifind this is one of the most frequent chal-lenges frontline employees ask me toaddress. While there are no absolute rulesfor juggling customers (you need to adapt toyour workplace's business realities) here are

5 tips that we findwork well for ourclients in reducingstress and boostingcustomer loyalty.

Tip #1 Remember,this is good

Having lots of customers wanting to dobusiness with you is wonderful. It meansyou and your organization are in demand.The obvious solution to juggling multiplecustomers is just to hire more people. Ofcourse that's oversimplified, and may makeno economic sense - especially when theremay be only one or two rush periods duringthe day or week. When you see more cus-tomers arrive, don't let them see you sweat.Take the professional approach and broadenyour smile - even though it may be slightlyforced. Keep in mind the adage of LL Beanwho said, "Customers are not interruptionsto your work, they are the purpose of yourwork."

Tip #2 Don't make things worse

One of the most frequent gaffs in frontlineservice is when a customer needs to ask aquestion but the employees are preoccupied- talking with each other. Even more aggra-vating is when the staff congregates tosocialize while customers are left to fendfor themselves. The place for employees tochat and hold meetings is in the staff area;not in front of customers. When you're onthe floor, make yourself visible and avail-able to customers. Of course, that alsomeans not interrupting your co-workerswho are talking to customers. If you need totalk to a coworker who's taking care of acustomer, give your colleague a quick nod,then let him/her come to you when they'vefinished with the customer. If you absolute-ly must interrupt, then excuse yourself andapologize to the customer for the interrup-

tion, and as you leave, thank the customerfor their patience.

Tip #3 Walk-ins take priority over phone-ins

If you already have a visitor in front of youwhen the phone rings, the visitor gets prior-ity. The visitor took the time/spent the gasmoney to arrive in person. Unless you havecallers with genuine emergencies, don'tinterrupt a visitor to pick up the phone.That's what voice mail is for. If you musttake the phone call, ask the visitor's permis-sion, explain that you want to focus onthem, so you'll quickly take a message andget back to your conversation. Then tell thecaller that you are with another customerbut will look into their request and call themback. That way, even if the caller insists onimmediate service, the visitor sees that youare at least trying to make them the priority.

Tip #4 Acknowledge walk-ins right away

If you are on the phone or face-to-face witha customer when a visitor walks-in,acknowledge the visitor immediately witheye-contact, a smile and a quick, "I'll bewith you in just a few minutes (or howeverlong it will be)." By acknowledging the vis-itor, you are conveying that you are awareof them and that you are working quickly.And it tells the person in front of you thatyou have other people waiting. Usually,they'll get the hint that you need to wrap-up.

A common challenge is how to politelyinterrupt a phone caller to acknowledge awalk-in visitor. Here's a quick tip - say theperson's name. "John, excuse me. I just hadsomeone walk into my office, may I put youon hold for a moment? Thanks." Beginningwith the person's name gets their attentionimmediately without being rude.

For new arrivals who have just a quickquestion... If it is indeed quick, that's great;give them the ten seconds they need andthen get back your first person. If it's goingto take more than ten seconds then tell theperson, "That's going to take a few minutesto go over, so I'll finish taking care of thisperson which will take me about x minutes,then I'll be happy to help you. Meanwhile,if you'd like to sit, grab a coffee... Thanks."

Tip #5 Address chronic staffing/line man-agement issues

In tip #1 I pointed out that hiring more staffmay not make economic sense. However,

when customers constantly get the impres-sion the organization is disorganized,understaffed or uncaring about customers'time, that's a problem that requires morethan just having staff work faster. Managersneed to either hire more staff, considermoving phone calls to a call centre, orimplement line management practices.Speaking of which, you'll find tips on han-dling waiting lines by clicking on my relat-ed article, Yes, I Mind Waiting. Meanwhile,be thankful that business is so good. Here'shoping that this helps makes managing mul-tiple customers less frustrating for everyoneconcerned.

Customer service strategist and profession-

al speaker, Jeff Mowatt is an authority onThe Art of Client Service . . . Influence withEase®. For Jeff's other tips, self-studyresources, and training services on manag-ing multiple priorities, click ManagingMultiple Priorities.

This article is based on the criticallyacclaimed book Becoming a Service Iconin 90 Minutes a Month, by customer servicestrategist and professional speaker JeffMowatt. To obtain your own copy of hisbook or to inquire about engaging Jeff foryour team, visit www.jeffmowatt.com orcall 1.800.JMowatt (566.9288).

Managing Multiple Customers5 tips for juggling customers, callers and walk-ins

12 Things to Know About First Nations Joint Ventures© 2012 Brian Babcock and FharaPottingerDoing business with First Nations is justlike doing business with anyone else, allthe normal rules apply, except when theydon’t.

Here are some tips on a successful jointventure:

1 Determine who you aredoing business with – a First Nation; aTribal Council; an Economic DevelopmentCorporation; some other not-for-profit cor-poration; a for-profit corporation; or someother group of individuals who happen tobe First Nations people.

2 A First Nation has inter-nal self-government, a Chief and Council,but the structure may vary. A contract witha First Nation must be passed by BandCouncil Resolution (“BCR”) to be effec-

tive.3 Even if you have already

obtained a BCR, it is important to know if

the First Nation is under Third PartyManagement or other funding restrictions.

4 Determine the fundingsource for the First Nations side of theventure.

5 Unless INAC orAANDC sign the agreement, do not counton their participation.

6 A Tribal Council isformed by a group of First Nations. Sometribal councils are strong, central organiza-

tions while others have very limitedpower. It is difficult but crucial to find outwith which one you are doing business.

7 An EconomicDevelopment Corporation (EDC) is a sep-arate legal entity from a First Nation orTribal Council, though they often havesimilar names and overlapping leadership.This is a vehicle for accessing funding, taxadvantages, and to operate outside the for-malities of the First Nation.

8 The finances and inde-pendency of these EDCs varies, and so, asin doing business with anyone, do yourdue diligence.

9 There are other not-for-profit corporations operated by FirstNations, or their people. As they may lackthe funding and tax advantages of an EDC,it is important to consider what advantagesthey may bring.

10 For-profit corporationscreated by First Nations are a business likeany other. Their access to land, resourcesor funds is unique in each case.

11 First Nations peopleindividually can be great business partners,but like anyone else, they can also belousy. People are people. First Nationspeople have few automatic rights thattransfer to non-aboriginals.

12 A Joint Venture may bethe perfect vehicle to meld business con-cepts of enterprise for profit with FirstNations traditions, but it is not ideal forevery situation.

Weilers is a leader in creative legal solu-tions for businesses and First Nations.

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(Thunder Bay, ON, September 11, 2012) –Thunder Bay area employers expect arespectable hiring climate for the fourthquarter of 2012, according to the latestManpower Employment Outlook Survey.

“Survey data reveals 20 per cent of employ-ers intend to hire in the upcoming quarter(October to December) while 10 per centanticipate cutbacks,” stated FlorentineBahlieda of Manpower’s Thunder Bayoffice. The other 70 per cent of employersplan to maintain their current staffing levelsfor the remaining months of the year.

“Thunder Bay’s fourth quarter NetEmployment Outlook of 10 per cent is aconsiderable decrease from the previousquarter report of 40 per cent,” saidBahlieda. “Although it is also a 10 percent-age point decrease from the Outlook report-ed during the same time last year hiringopportunities for the upcoming monthsremain optimistic.”

“Job seekers in all regions are likely to ben-efit from a positive hiring climate fromOctober through December, with employersin Western Canada reporting the mostupbeat Outlook,” said Byrne Luft, VicePresident of Operations, Staffing Servicesfor Manpower Canada. “Although regionalOutlooks have experienced moderatedecreases compared to the previous quarter,job seekers should maintain confidence inthe labour market as employers throughoutCanada anticipate the hiring pace willremain steady through the autumn. Most ofthe new jobs created in Canada this yearhave been full-time, high paying positions.Many of the job reductions have come frompart-time employment. This movementfrom part-time to full-time employment isan encouraging sign.”

Manpower EmploymentOutlook Survey Reveals

Canadian Employers ExpectRespectable Hiring Pace to

Continue in the FourthQuarter of 2012

(Toronto, ON, September 11th,2012) – Canadian employers expect the hir-ing climate to remain respectable for thefourth quarter of 2012, according to the lat-est results of the Manpower EmploymentOutlook Survey, the most extensive, for-ward-looking employment survey in theworld.

With seasonal variationsremoved from the data, the NetEmployment Outlook of 10 per cent is aslight decrease when compared to theOutlook reported in the previous quarter.This Outlook is also a three percentagepoint drop from the Outlook reported dur-ing the same time last year. However,results for the fourth quarter do representone of the more modest employer forecastsin more than two years.

The survey of nearly 1,900 Canadianemployers reveals that 16 per cent of themplan to increase their payrolls in the fourthquarter of 2012, while seven per cent antic-ipate cutbacks. Of those surveyed, 75 percent of employers expect to maintain theircurrent staffing levels while two per centare unsure of their hiring intentions for theupcoming quarter.

“Job seekers in all regions are likely to ben-efit from a positive hiring climate fromOctober through December, with employersin Western Canada reporting the mostupbeat Outlook,” says Byrne Luft, VicePresident of Operations, Staffing Servicesfor Manpower Canada. “Although regionalOutlooks have experienced moderatedecreases compared to the previous quarter,job seekers should maintain confidence inthe labour market as employers throughoutCanada anticipate the hiring pace will

remain steady through the autumn. Most ofthe new jobs created in Canada this yearhave been full-time, high paying positions.Many of the job reductions have come frompart-time employment. This movementfrom part-time to full-time employment isan encouraging sign.”

MiningEmployers in the Mining sector

anticipate an upbeat fourth quarter in 2012,reporting a Net Employment Outlook of 18per cent. This is a five percentage pointreduction from the Outlook reported in theprevious quarter. The Outlook isrespectable, with a moderate decrease fromthe Outlook reported during the same timelast year. ManpowerGroup research revealsthat employers in the Mining sector havereported the strongest forecasts in six of thelast seven quarters.

Transportation & Public UtilitiesEmployers forecast a favourable

hiring climate, reporting a Net EmploymentOutlook of 15 per cent for the fourth quar-ter of 2012. This quarter’s Outlook is athree percentage point decrease from theforecast reported for the previous quarter; itis also a five percentage point decreasefrom the Outlook reported during the sametime last year.

Finance, Insurance & Real EstateEmployers report a Net

Employment Outlook of nine per cent forthe fourth quarter of 2012, indicating a cau-tiously optimistic hiring climate. ThisOutlook is a moderate decrease from theforecast of 14 per cent, which was reportedfor the previous quarter, and is a decrease ofthree percentage points when compared tothe Outlook reported during the same timelast year.

Wholesale & Retail TradeIn the Wholesale & Retail Trade

industry sector, employers anticipate ahopeful hiring climate, reporting a NetEmployment Outlook of 12 per cent. Thisquarter’s forecast is unchanged from boththe previous quarter’s forecast and theOutlook reported during the same time lastyear.

Ontario has completed a six-kilometerexpansion of Highway 11/17 east ofThunder Bay nearly a year ahead ofschedule.

The project supported about 400 jobs andincluded building a new interchange atHodder Avenue and relocating the accessroad for the Terry Fox Scenic Lookout.The new four-lane divided highway willstrengthen the northern transportation net-work by improving travel times and mak-ing travel easier and safer for familiesand businesses.

Another 14-kilometer section of the high-way from Mackenzie Road to BirchBeach is currently under construction andscheduled for completion next year, withfour more expansion projects planned.

Investing in Northern Ontario’s roads,highways and bridges is part of theMcGuinty government’s Growth Plan forNorthern Ontario. A strong northerneconomy creates local jobs and protectsthe services that mean the most to fami-

lies – health care and education.

QUOTES

“The completion of this first section ofthe four-lane highway between ThunderBay and Nipigon is a proud moment forme as MPP. I began the campaign to seethis happen when I was first elected in1995. Today, as we celebrate the openingof this first stage of the new highway,several other four-lane sections are underconstruction and more will follow. Icouldn't be more pleased that theMcGuinty government is committed tothe completion of this vital highway proj-ect — one that will dramatically improvesafety and increase the economic viabilityof the region"— Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay -Superior North

“The completion of this section of four-laning is further evidence of our govern-ment's ongoing commitment to majorhighway improvements in the northwest.Since 2003, we've made record-breaking

investments in our northern highways thathave strengthened our local economy andcreated jobs. We're looking forward tomore progress in the months ahead.”— Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay -Atikokan

“Through the Northern HighwaysProgram, our government has invested

significantly in four-laning projects thatare making our northern roads safer whilesupporting economic growth and job cre-ation for northerners.”— Rick Bartolucci, Minister of NorthernDevelopment and Minesthroughout Northern Ontario

PAGE 10 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS OCTOBER 2012

Expansion Completed on Highway 11/17 Near Thunder Bay

RESPECTABLE HIRING CLIMATE EXPECTED FORTHUNDER BAY