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Launching Great Ideas I Are Post-Secondary Campuses Safe? I saitalumnilink.ca

Abuse inthe kitchenIs it tolerated for the perfectsteak, or is it just ego?

SPRING 2010

OnlineJob BankPage 3

Meet theAldreds4

CONTENTS14 Meet the Aldreds

Cheryl and John took great risks to follow their dreamsand now their passion will transform SAIT for generations.

22 Abuse in the KitchenIs a chef’s occasional temper tantrum in a professionalkitchen part of the culture, or is it abuse? Writer JenBlackwood sits down with the Banff Centre’s ExecutiveChef, the Sous Chef, and the catering manager tofind out more.

28 Launch!After losing everything but his car in the dot com bust,see how Gord McDonald rose from the ashes and startedover. Today he and two friends inspire and mentorbudding young entrepreneurs to launch their big ideas.

34 Campus SecurityA look into the unique challenges of keeping thosewho work, live and learn safe at SAIT.

SAIT ALUMNI LINK Spring 2010 1

SAIT News and Views

Pet CPR 3

Alumni Job Board Online 3

LINK Readership Survey 4

Tashi Rubling… 5Tradesman of the World

The Difference Between 6Life or Death

Secrets of the Olympic 8Skeleton Sled

Biodiesel — is it Food 18for Fuel?

Cracking into the Sunflower 20Seed Business

Awards and Honours 11

Inside the Events 38

Class Notes 40

Get Involved 42

Flash Back 43

First Person 44

SAIT ALUMNI LINK Spring 20102

It’s hard to imagine a world without SAIT graduates doing their thing. Inthis edition of Alumni LINK, I’m struck by the broad range of places andopportunities our alumni are exploring. From the Dalai Lama’s residence inNepal to the Olympics in Vancouver, SAIT grads have their sleeves rolled upand they’re making — literally — the world a better place.

From the kitchen to biodiesel, from Spitz sunflower seeds to Tasers, weare in the middle of a whole lot of cutting edge stuff! But we also have asoft side. As we go to press with this issue, we’ve learned of a group ofSAIT paramedic students who, with the support of their instructors, traveledto Haiti to assist in earthquake relief. Read about this life-changingexperience on our Alumni LINK news blog at saitalumnilink.ca.

But if all the good work SAIT grads are doing at home and around theworld isn’t enough, we have some historic news to share with you. Johnand Cheryl Aldred, longtime supporters of SAIT, have taken philanthropy toa whole new level. Their jaw-dropping gift of $15 million in support of theTrades and Technology Complex, coming to SAIT’s main campus in fall2012, is monumental and something to be celebrated by all SAITstudents and alumni. Read their inspiring story in “Meet the Aldreds”on page 14. I hope you have the opportunity to meet them in personone day. If you do, please say “thanks”. The size of the Aldred’s gift isimpressive, but it’s not nearly as impressive as the reasons, or themanner, in which they gave.

You should be proud to be a SAIT alumni and every word in this issueexplains the reasons why. ■

ALUMNI LINKEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brian Bowman

MANAGING EDITOR Irene Chanin

EDITOR Linda Symmes

CONTRIBUTORS Sergei Belski, Jen Blackwood, Susan Cardinal,Josie Drever-Chu, Laura Fetherstonhaugh(Journalism ’11), Melanie Jones, Todd Kimberly,Emily Kreiberg (Journalism ’10), ShannonLeclair (Journalism ’10), Trevor Miles, EwanNicholson, Kaitlin Norton (Journalism ’10),Alison O’Connor, Helmut Schoderbock, JulieSengl, Heather Setka, Romeo Valera, Colin Way,Michelle Woodard.

LAYOUT AND DESIGNDesign Asylum

PRINTINGCommercial Print Craft

The Alumni Link is published three times a yearby SAIT Alumni and Development as a serviceto SAIT alumni, donors, students, partners,faculty and staff.

Alumni Link invites your advertising, lettersto the editor and comments. Please directthem to [email protected].

ALUMNI LINKSAIT Alumni and Development1301-16 Avenue NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4Email your Letter to the Editor: [email protected]: 403.284.7010 (address updates) or 403.284.8279 for all other inquiriesFax: 403.284.8394Email: [email protected]

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YOUR PRIVACY and SAIT Alumni and Development

Who has access to my information?Only individuals working or volunteering for SAIT, who have signed a non-disclosureagreement, and who have a specific need to see your contact information for alumni,marketing or development purposes have access to your personal information.

Does SAIT Alumni and Development sell data?No, it does not. SAIT Alumni and Development enters into partnerships to providebenefits and services to its members and releases contact information to only thesepartners. SAIT is at all times responsible for safeguarding your information.

I prefer not to be phoned and I only want to receive certain kinds of mail –what do I do?Contact us at 403.284.7010 or [email protected]. It is our responsibility to ensurethat your information is accurate and treated according to your wishes.

The Official WordSAIT’s External Relations Division collects information on behalf of SAIT, under theauthority of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and thePost-Secondary Learning Act, for the purpose of administering alumni relations,marketing, and development programs for SAIT. Any information submitted by anindividual to SAIT may be used to update his or her record. Information gatheredfor these purposes, is disclosed and used in compliance with Alberta’s Freedomof Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Individuals who submit information tothe External Relations Division acknowledge the above and consent to the collectionof personal information.

For more information or to make changes to your records, please contactSAIT Alumni and Development at 403.284.7010 or [email protected].

Common household itemsthat can poison your poochMost pet owners know that largequantities of chocolate, antifreezeand rat poison are highly toxic totheir pets if ingested. However,other household items are equallydangerous and much lesser known:

• Xylitol, a common sweetener foundin candy and chewing gum, is apotentially deadly toxin for dogs,as it creates sudden drops in bloodsugar that can lead to seizureand death.

• Potato trimmings and potato eyesare deadly, as they damage thenervous system and kidneys.

• Apple seeds contain potentiallydeadly arsenic.

• Salt, when ingested in largeamounts or on a regular basis,can cause kidney failure andimbalances in a dog’s electrolytelevels.

• All products of the avocado plantare poisonous to dogs, includingguacamole dip made fromavocadoes.

Typical dog reactions to poisoninclude: vomiting or diarrhea, irregularheartbeat, seizures, dilated pupils,difficulty breathing, pale gums,swollen abdomen, muscle tremors,bloody/painful urination or defecationand/or bleeding from any orifice.

If your dog has any of thesesymptoms, it is crucial that you getyour pet to the vet immediately orcontact the Animal Poison ControlCenter at (888) 426-4435. They’reopen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.If you suspect your pet has eatensomething toxic, never wait for thesymptoms to develop.

Resources compiled fromwww.vetinfo.com


NEWSANDVIEWS

What you need toknow to keep Groverand Fluffy safe

Would you put your mouth overthe jowls of a great big slobberingBoxer to save her life as she laydying in a dogpark?

That’s a decision that faced Toronto resident Matt Armstrong this January as hewas walking with his wife and their neighbour’s 50-pound Boxer, Sheena.

When Sheena suddenly collapsed in the snow and stopped breathing, Armstrongused the CPR skills he had seen a veterinarian perform on the Dr. Oz show, andthanks to his efforts, Sheena is alive and well today.

In our culture, as pets become ever more like members of the family, knowing howto perform CPR or first aid on a furry creature is an increasingly valuable skill.

Luckily for Calgarians, SAIT is now running a course called Pet CPR and First Aid(CPRS-112). The hands-on workshop covers primary care and general healthprocedures for all sorts of creatures.

Previous workshop attendees have loved the course’s hands-on training. Theveterinarian brings her own two dogs to practice on, and participants have learnedhow to use the techniques on their guinea pigs, cats, parrots, and even snakesand newts. “I want to know to how protect my pets, just like I do my two children,”says the School of Health and Public Safety’s earned revenue coordinator, LisaJones. “I want the numbers to go up in this course,” she says, “because petsare valuable.”

If Sheena could talk, I’m sure she would agree with the sentiment. If you’d liketo be your pet’s hero, sign up at sait.ca. ■

by Emily Kreiberg (Journalism ’10)

Out of work and looking for a job in your field?

Trev

or M

iles

Check out the job board on sait.ca where employers can post job offerings, and studentsand alumni can post their resume. In 3 easy steps, you can browse job postings, find amatch, and then post your resume.

Step 1: Go to sait.ca/studentemployment and click on the ‘Students Enter Here’ tab

Step 2: Type in your 9-digit SAIT ID number as your username and create a password

Step 3: Find the job of your dreams

OR link directly to the job board at: www.myinterfase.com/sait/studentregistration.aspx

And click on ‘Cheat Sheet’ to get you started.

1

2

3

Save your Kitty!

Learning simple techniques to reviveAsa (the cat, above), and others like

her, can save her life and your wallet.


NEWSANDVIEWS

MagazineReadershipSurvey RESULTSIn January 2010 we surveyed 34,000 alumni to see if you felt theAlumni LINK magazine was meeting your needs, and to learn moreabout what you want. Thank you to everyone who responded tothe online survey — your feedback is valuable to us and willhelp us make the magazine better with every issue. We received3,196 responses from alumni who graduated in 1940 through2009. The results are in, and here’s what you told us.

Paper vs Online• Most prefer the print magazine

(54%) though 69% would like toread both print and online.

• Most of the people who prefer online cited environmental concernsand the cost of paper and postage.

What we will do:

• Continue to print the magazine onenvironmentally friendly paper ata printer who is certified by theForest Stewardship Council (FSC).

• Expand Alumni LINK news onlinewith behind-the-scenes stories,photo galleries, opinion polls,photo contests and more. Goto saitalumnilink.ca.

Top 10 topicsof interest • Applied research (38%)

• Alumni in their professions (35%)

• Business and industry (35%)

• Issues facing higher education (34%)

• Environmental issues (31%)

• SAIT’s history and traditions (29%)

• Cultural events and performances (27%)

• Health and healthcare (27%)

• Campus construction updatesrelated to the Trades and Technology Complex (26%)

• Student research and projects (25%)

What we will do:

• Include more stories in everyissue to reflect your interests.

• Invite your comments on everystory.

Areas you wouldlike us to do more• Alumni job listings and resources

to help you find jobs.

• Ways for you to get involved with SAIT, such as volunteering ormentoring opportunities.

• Share more program specificinformation in the types of storieswe tell.

• Tell you about lifelong learningopportunities, such as continuingeducation or distance learning.

Tell us how we did— send your lettersto the editor [email protected]


One look at Tashi Rubling’sresume tells you there’ssomething special about him:Project Manager of theDalai Lama’s residentialpalace in Dharamasala,Program Director for SOSChildren’s Villages in India,Nepal, Ethiopia, Cambodiaand other parts of Asia.And then there are thephotographs: Tashi withPrime Minister Chrétien,His Holiness the DalaiLama, Richard Gere, thePresident of Cambodia.

It’s hard to imagine this charismatic,affable man escaping by foot fromoccupied Tibet at only six years old.“In 1959, we followed the Dalai Lamato India,” he says. “I can rememberhuge mountains of white as the elderscut their way through the snow.” Oncethey reached India, Tashi was selectedto attend a school in Dharamasala runby SOS Children’s Villages, a Europeanchildren’s rights organization thatprovides loving homes and educationfor children all over the world.

SOS sent him to the UK to completea college education in engineering,where besides earning a technicalcertificate, he met His Holinessthe Dalai Lama for the first time.His Holiness visitedEngland in 1970,giving Tashi thenickname: EnglandUpso (meaningmustache or‘hairy one’)due to Tashi’spenchant forfacial hair.

Tashi returned to India in 1978 towork for SOS Children’s Villages in anyway he could. “I was lucky enough tobe sent for education. It was time togive something of myself,” he says.

Hands-on training buildscommunity

And giving of himself is what he’sbeen doing ever since. Putting hisnatural abilities for problem solvingand working with machines into action,Tashi helped build SOS Children’sVillages and vocational schools insouthern India and Nepal. “I am, bycharacter, a problem-solver. I loveworking with tools and my hands,”he says. “I also love teaching people to look after themselves.” Since1984, he’s run vocational programs in

Nepal, Ethiopia and all overEast Asia, training youngpeople in the very skills thathave led to his amazingsuccess.

In 1991, Tashi and his familyimmigrated to Canada to bereunited with his wife’s family.

“Until then, I belonged tonobody. I was not a refugee,

but I was not a citizen. Canada was acountry which I could call my own,” hesays. He was hired as an apprenticemillwright at SAIT, where he studiedand worked under Ed Mooney. “Iremember thinking he’d never work aday as a millwright,” recalls Mooney,Tashi’s Journeyman and mentor.“I saw him going on to bigger andbetter things.”

Building Dalai Lama’s palaceThat may be true, but his passion forempowering young people by learningtrades has been important to him.During his tenure in Nepal in the late1980s, he was asked to return toIndia for a very special project: tobuild the Dalai Lama’s new palace.He employed students from hisvocational program in Nepal. “Iwanted to show that tradespeopleare important for the developmentof a country,” he says. “Withoutthem, nothing can be built.”

On paper Tashi may be Canadian,but he’s clearly a citizen of the world.He makes an impression (and adifference) wherever he goes — hispassion and enthusiasm are infectiousas his ever-present grin. ■

by Melanie Jones

Tradesman of the WorldTashi Rubling is not yourordinary millwright

Tashi with Richard Gere in 1992

Dalai Lama (centre) nicknames

Tashi (far left) the ‘hairy one’

Edmond Hillary in Pokhra, Nepal

Former

Prime M

inister

Jean

Chrétien

(left)

with Ta

shi

in Ethiopia 2001


NEWSANDVIEWS

What started out as a friendlyconversation between neighbours hasturned into a 6,500 kilometres roadtrip spanning three countries, days ofwhite-knuckle driving and a gift on fourwheels from SAIT’s School of Healthand Public Safety. This story hastraction — and now, a SAIT trainingambulance at work in Guatemala!

When Lisa Allen, academic chair ofthe Prehospital Care Program, learnedthat her neighbour Wayne Skogmanof Okotoks was planning a trip toGuatemala to help needy Mayanfamilies, she jumped at a chanceto help. Allen shares Skogman’spassion for helping those who can’thelp themselves. Skogman wasplanning the trip and Allen spread theword. “It’s about connecting people.It’s just an example and a reflectionof what our faculty (is) all about.”

What is old is new againIt just so happened that Allen had anold 1985 ambulance all but retired.It had outlived its purpose in SAIT’shigh-tech paramedic training programwhere only advanced equipment isused. Still in excellent condition,Allen knew it would be well-used andappreciated by paramedics in CentralAmerica. “It’s old to us but new tothem,” says Allen who speaks fromfirst-hand experience.

In 2007, Allen travelled to Belize totrain fellow paramedics in basic firstaid so she knew intuitively how to

help. “It was a perfect win-winsituation,” says Allen. “We had anold ambulance that we can’t use butthey have the ability to fix it becauseit is not filled with computer chipsand the things in the new vehiclestoday.” Knowing that Wayne Skogmanwould be behind the wheel all theway to Guatemala sealed the deal.SAIT sold the ambulance for $2,000to the Be One to Help Foundationof Alberta (BOTH), a charitableorganization run by Wayne Skogmanand his wife Judy Harvey.

At 61, Skogman is not only asuccessful businessman (RolloverPremium Pet Food in High River) butalso a journeyman carpenter. “There’sa whole world of difference betweenhere and home,” says Skogman. “Athome we have social structure, athome we have welfare, at home wehave food banks. “There isn’t sucha thing in Guatemala”, he says.

Hope on wheelsThe ambulance was just thebeginning. Skogman soon inheritedtwo ultrasound machines courtesy ofthe Diagnostic Imaging (DI) programat SAIT that has recently gone througha major technological upgrade. “Ihope it will improve their emergencyresponse and save lives that wouldnot normally have been saved withoutthis technology,” says Marcia Docherty,DI academic chair. The ultrasoundmachines are used to image internal

The DifferenceBetween Lifeor Death

organs such as the heart and abdomento see what might be wrong.

Many others outside SAIT pitched intoo, donating 40 pairs of crutches,four wheelchairs, six stretchers,gloves and bandages not to mentioncarpentry tools, power tools andschool supplies. After eight months ofcollecting donations, the ambulancewas ready to hit the road, fully loadedand with a new set of tires. “We couldnot sleep in it. We could not move init… it was cubed out.”

They were ready!

Destination — Panajachel (Pana as itis known locally). Pana is an isolatedtown in the Guatemalan highlands withbreathtaking views of three volcanoesand the beautiful Lake Atitlan. But it’snot the scenery that draws Skogmanand his foundation to work in this partof the world, it’s the need. The area

An ambulance, ultrasound machinesand hospital supplies bring hope toMayans in Guatemala


is 90% Mayan. The Maya are theindigenous people of Guatemala,many of whom live in poverty withno education or proper health care.So with his three sons to help sharethe driving, Skogman left Canada onNew Year’s Day in the middle of ablizzard hauling a 20-foot trailer witha second vehicle following, also fullyloaded. “It’s a bit of a boat (to drive),”says Skogman in one of his manyunderstatements describing the11-hour days often navigating roadsno wider than the ambulance itself.It took eight solid days of driving toreach Pana and nerves of steel. “A lotof people call it a nightmare, I call itan adventure,” says Skogman.

Why drive? So they could take a lotof stuff and make sure everythingdonated would get delivered in person,intact and to the right people—thepeople in need. To do that Skogman

worked closely with a Pana-basednon-governmental agency, MayanFamilies. They pointed Skogman to thepublic health clinic and the volunteerfirefighters and ambulance team,known as the Bomberos. “Wayne hasbeen like an amazing... like a miraclehas been sent down here,” saysSharon Smart-Poage, co-founder ofMayan Families. “He appeared with hisambulance full of fantastic things.”

The arrival of the ambulance was abig deal in Pana. The Bomberos threwa celebratory lunch for Wayne and histhree sons with local dignitaries onhand and the whole ambulance and firefighting unit dressed in uniform. “Theyare just absolutely thrilled, they’rejust thrilled,” says Smart-Poage. Theambulance is bigger than most. It canhold three stretchers, increasing theBomberos’ ability to respond effectivelyto large-scale accidents or calamities.

Meantime, the ultrasound machineshave gone to two medical clinics —one to a public clinic in Pana that hasa birthing centre but no ultrasoundequipment. This clinic serves 20,000residents. The other ultrasoundmachine went to a small clinic in thevillage of Santa Cruz across the lake.

“Every day you’re allowed to make adifference here,” says Skogman whospent two months working in Panaafter the big drive. He’s built anaddition to a school and helped buildcabinets to store some donated schoolbooks, all the while training two youngmen in carpentry skills. “They have anever-ending need,” he says.

And for SAIT’s Lisa Allen, connectingpeople is what it’s all about. “It makesyou feel like you contributed so thatmakes you feel good.” ■

by Susan Cardinal

We had an old ambulancethat we can’t use but theyhave the ability to fix(should it one day breakdown) because it’s notfilled with computer chipsand the things in thenew vehicles today.

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

Way

ne S

kogm

an

“

”


NEWSANDVIEWS

Long before gold medallist JonMontgomery’s beer march throughWhistler Village and MellisaHollingsworth’s tearful apology forher fifth-place finish, SAIT’s AppliedResearch and Innovation Services(ARIS) team was well aware of thehighs and lows of skeleton.

After all, they’re avid fans.

Machinist (’07) Jeffery Smith andwelder Brian Dorn (’99) love it. Somuch so, they watch competitionsfrom Europe over the Internet.

ARIS director Dr. Alex Zahavich loves it.During the 2010 Winter Olympics, hewas trackside as a volunteer in sporttransport and equipment inspection.

Their admiration for skeleton and itstalented Canadian athletes began noton the sidelines, but in the ARIS lab.Of course, that part is hush-hush.

Top secret plansAsk Zahavich a direct question aboutskeleton sleds designed and built atSAIT, and you won’t get a straightanswer. What you will get is a boyishgrin, a chuckle and a message track.“We advanced the technology,” hesays.

ARIS began working with bothBobsleigh Canada Skeleton andOwn the Podium — the initiative toimprove Canada’s international sportsstandings — about five years ago.The plan is to provide Canadianathletes with a better, faster sled.This research and development fallsunder Top Secret program, and that’swhy Zahavich only divulges a fewvague details.

ARIS started with close to two dozenvariations, and slowly whittled theselection down to four premiumprototypes. Retired Olympian PaulBoehm has been essential in thisprocess. The current SAIT carpentryapprenticeship student has takeneach model for a track test-run.

“We are all so interested in improvingthe product,” Boehm says. But he toois sworn to secrecy about what theseimprovements really are.

The reason for the mystery is to giveCanadian athletes an edge. It’s notcheating, but finally catching up withthe rules of the game, Zahavich says.“We’re neophytes at this comparedto the Germans and the Americans.”

Secrets of theOlympic skelton SLED

Welder Brian Dorn (’99)(left) and Machinist JefferySmith (’07) (right) estimateit takes about 10 hours ofmachining and 10 hours ofwelding and fabrication tobuild a skeleton sled fromstart to finish.


Ser

gei B

elsk

i

Despite any temptation to spill hisguts, Zahavich stays on his messagetrack. Because it can all come downto a few one-hundredths or even one-thousandths of a second, it’s notworth the risk. “That’s the level ofsignificance in consequence,”Zahavich says.

Building a mysteryIn the ARIS lab, the attitude is perhapsa bit less grave. Smith and Dorn jokeabout the surreptitious nature of theirwork. “We’ll tell you everything,” Smithsays. But they never actually do.

Dorn will say it takes about 10 hoursof machining and 10 hours of welding

and fabrication to fashion a sled.He serves up his own wry smilewhen he admits they can now builda skeleton sled from start to finish.However, this look is not so muchconspiratorial, but fiercely proud.“To be part of that, it’s really exciting,”Dorn says. “To give our athletes agreat tool to do well with.”

Look out worldWhile ARIS now offers equipmentmaintenance for several athletes, afully-built SAIT sled wasn’t on the trackat Whistler. Athletes train for years onequipment before they’ll compete on it,Zahavich says. With this in mind, he

firmly believes a SAIT-stamped sledwill make it to the 2014 WinterGames. He doesn’t call it faith.No, that’s leaving it up to chance.

Instead, Zahavich says he employs“dogged determination”. Despite thecriticism of Own the Podium and thefinancial cuts it could face, he canalready see a SAIT skeleton sled inSochi, Russia. “We’ll find a way tomake it happen.” ■

by Heather Setka


Clayton Klyne, Chad Klyneand Lyndon Wiebe areChefs who created anonline cooking show whiletravelling across Asia ona shoestring budget.

NEWSANDVIEWS

In 2008, SAIT Professional Cooking alumni Lyndon Wiebe,Clayton Klyne, and Chad Klyne, decided to add a newdimension to their travel plans that would take them on aseven country journey from Bali to Beijing. Originally fromCanada but working in Australia at the time, they agreed tosave enough money to not only fund their trip, but to filmtheir own food and travel series along the way.

They didn’t know then how dedicated they would becometo the online project they later called Without Borders (WB),or how many experiences and opportunities would cometheir way because of it.

“It just took off and became an obsession,” says Wiebe in a phone interview from Winnipeg.“Some days we worked 12 hours, and it was way more stressful than any other job I’ve had.”

The hard work paid off, however, as WB received the 2010 Tasty Award for Best Travel Serieson the Web.

According to Wiebe, the project itself challenged their personal boundaries by forcing them to“get out there” and explore the countries in a way that would entertain viewers.

“In northern Vietnam, we killed a cobra and ate the heart,” recalls Wiebe. “If we hadn’t hadthe video camera, we never would have done it.”

Wiebe also tells of a daring time at a Cambodian market when they asked their tuk tuk driverto choose a food for each of them. Their lunch ended up including ‘snake on a stick’ and anentire baby sparrow, beak and all.

It is this kind of curiosity that has led them to be approached by big name film companies likeFrantic Films to potentially pitch a show together. Wiebe has also been invited to audition tobecome the host of the Canadian series of the popular food and travel show Diners, Drive-Insand Dives.

Wiebe refers to himself and the Klynes as the “three muskateers,” and says they would loveto go back to Asia with better equipment and “just get lost.”

For now, Wiebe is happy to relax in Winnipeg, working nine to five for the first time in hislife. The Klynes are also doing well, having returned to Australia to work as chefs at a newrestaurant called Mist.

Visit www.withoutborderschefs.com ■

by Laura Fetherstonhaugh (Journalism ’11)


AWARDS &HONOURS

Left to right: Silver medal winner John Liang(Professional Cooking ’06); gold medal winnerColleen Eraer (NAIT student); and bronze medalwinner Alexei Boldireff (NAIT student).

Alumnus cooks up a silver medal mealJason Liang (Professional Cooking ’06) served up a winningcombination at this year’s Alberta Junior Culinary Challengehosted by SAIT, February 26.

Pan-seared hazelnut crusted pork tenderloin, blackenedAtlantic salmon and Grand Marnier crème caramel wereon Liang’s menu that won him the silver medal behindColleen Eraer of NAIT.

Competitors raced against the clock topull together a three course dinner froma strict list of ingredients provided bythe Canadian Culinary Federation.

Cooking technique and skill, productutilization and safety and sanitationwere some of the criteria the judgeswere looking at in the contestants’performances and final products.

Liang’s menu for thecompetition:

Appetizer: duo of pan-searedhazelnut crusted pork tenderloinwith port and cipolini onionreduction and caramelized appleand pine nut crusted turkeygalantine with pancetta crisp

Main: blackened Atlantic salmonfillet with grilled asparagus andvine ripened tomato carpacciowith balsamic reduction

Dessert: Grand Marnier crèmecaramel, sun dried cherry andpineapple compote with freshwhipped cream

Sony World Photography WinnersCongratulations to Laura Fetherstonhaugh and Cody Spence, two first-year journalism students who were amongstthe 12 shortlisted photographers chosen from six institutions worldwide for the 2010 Sony World Photography Awards.The Student Focus award is an extended university programme that has grown from 10 universities in Europe in theinaugural year of the awards, to a staggering 120 institutions across six continents, making it the world’s most high-profile student photography award. The 2010 theme focused on “War and Peace” as reflected in the students’ country.Fetherstonhaugh and Spence won a trip to Cannes, France for the World Photography Festival April 22-27th, 2010.

The overall winner will be awarded approximately 50,000 Euros’ worth of photography equipment for individualstudents and their institution department, courtesy of the sponsor, Sony.

Cody Spence Laura Fetherstonhaugh


NEWSANDVIEWS

Hel

mut

Sch

oder

bock

One phrase defines Christine Beard’s (Pastry and BakingArts, ’03) style in the kitchen and her career as a chef —sense of urgency. In fact, the phrase looms under the clockon the kitchen wall at Bouchon in Beverly Hills where sheonce worked, as a constant reminder of what it takesto succeed.

“Every kitchen is different with respect to intensity levelsbut the intensity should always be there. I know as soon asI put on my apron it’s go-time. The products we produce forguests to enjoy have a deadline — that day, or that morning,or that night — so we have to be quick on our feet.”

“You choreograph chaos into beauty.”

After graduation she fumbled around the kitchen at theJasper Park Lodge for a short while and then went onto work at the Brook Street Hotel in Ottawa under PastryChef Patrick O’Connell. In 2004, Beard moved to the UnitedStates to work at the Inn at Little Washington. She wasthere for two years before moving on as the Pastry SousChef at the Fairmount Washington. Six years as a pastrychef and Beard decided it was time for something different.About eight months ago, she took a job at Bouchon — afive star restaurant in Beverly Hills where she learned tobake bread for the stars.

“Bread is completely different,” says Beard. “In a senseI feel like I am starting all over again.”

But that’s the way Beard rolls — so to speak. Along withher sense of urgency, she believes her success dependson constantly learning new skills. “It’s been a greatlearning experience and I’m very happy to add bread intomy repertoire of what I can do. It makes me stronger inthe end, I think,” says Beard.

SAIT gave her a basic understanding of the ingredientsand equipment she would be using in the field, but fromthere on in, a desire to learn and be adaptable werecritical to her success in the kitchen.

…SAIT gradbakes up an

exciting career

Flexibility is key for survival. You haveto be able to change and mold. It’s veryimportant to have a plan B and maybeeven a plan C and D as well.

“Flexibility is key for survival. You have to be able to changeand mold. It’s very important to have a plan B and maybeeven a plan C and D as well.”

It’s not all about the work, though. It’s also important tohave fun, and for Beard there was lots of that at Bouchon.As a movie buff she is quite excited to be in Beverly Hills,surrounded by celebrities. Serving stars like Jay Leno andVictoria Beckham has been a real treat.

“We’re very calm and collected, and we never make a bigscene,” says Beard of meeting someone famous at therestaurant. “But I think some of us have a secret list ofguests that would freak us out if they came in. I have alittle crush on Orlando Bloom. If he ever comes into thekitchen, I may freak out.”

Only a few weeks ago, Beard took on a new challengeat Michael Mina’s XIV restaurant to perfect her moderndessert techniques. Beard’s ability to adapt and challengeherself lets her thrive under the constant sense of urgencyin any kitchen. “Every kitchen is different,” says Beard.“But I think part of your growth (as a Chef) is learninghow to manage that intensity.” ■

by Alison O’Connor


SAIT campus will change dramatically over the next fewyears. When the Trades and Technology Complex (TTC)opens in fall 2012 the inner city polytechnic will lookmuch different than it did for previous alumni.With great change, there’s much tobe gained. But something’salso lost.

Making ROOMfor progressIn January 2010, a giant onthe SAIT campus came down. TheColonel James Walker Building wasdemolished to make room for the new TTC.

In its short history (at least as buildings go), its many purposes ranged fromthe glamorous as an airplane hangar and a testing site for radioactive material— to the banal — as office space and storage.

Constructed in 1986, it was one of the “youngest” buildings that Sig Zoller hasseen come down in his 25-year history working for SAIT.

Students in the Aircraft Maintenance program once used the building’s hangarspace to work on smaller airplanes, helicopters, and float planes. “That’s notyour standard typical lab,” says Zoller, who works for facilities management.

However, an air hangar on an inner city campus does present some problems.“It was a bit of a bother,” says Zoller. “Because when they did take the planesout to test them, it got noisy.”

Sound reflectors blocked some of the racket from ‘copter blades and planeengines, but not all. “It would disrupt some of the classes,” says Leslie Hannah,manager of planning and development.

Since the Aircraft Maintenance program moved to the Art Smith Aero Centre atthe Calgary International Airport in 2004, Zoller said the building had “multi-lives.” It held a number of small lead-lined rooms with one-foot thick walls thatwere specifically designed for X-ray testing.

The hangar was also an occasional event venue. Concerts, such as an MTVpresentation of Mobile and the New Cities during the 2008 academic year,gave students a unique rock n’ roll experience.

Despite its many lives, the building wasn’t serving a function that warrantedkeeping it, Hannah says. She says it would’ve been too costly and difficult toreadapt it. The hangar, at 9.8 metres high, was “not quite two stories” andwould’ve required too much work to turn it into useable space.

But Hannah is more pragmatic than sentimental at seeing the building torndown. “It served its purpose,” she says. ■

by Heather Setka

Who was Colonel James Walker?

In 1975 during the province’scentennial, Colonel James Walker wasnamed the “Citizen of the Century.”He was chosen from 138 potentialcandidates.

While this honour sounds lofty, manySAIT alumni who walked the halls ofthe building named to honour him likelyhad no idea who he was. It turns out hewas a man of many means and talents.

According to a report prepared byCalgary historical consultant HarrySanders, Walker was born nearpresent-day Hamilton, Ontario.

Throughout his life, he was a memberof the North West Mounted Police (theprecursor to the RCMP); a homesteader(on the present site of the InglewoodBird Sanctuary); a sawmill operator;and Calgary’s first unofficial mayor.He also served overseas during theFirst World War (with the CanadianForestry Corps) and started Calgary’sfirst telephone network.

As if that weren’t enough, Sanderswrites that Walker served on the originalhospital board; acted as justice of thepeace; helped found the Protestantschool district; organized Boy Scoutsand cadet troops; and was instrumentalin securing the agricultural groundsfor what is now Stampede Park.

Sanders says his civic-minded naturelaid the foundation for the Calgary weknow today. “If you want to create a cityfrom scratch, that’s the kind of personyou want,” says Sanders.


Meet the


continued on next page…

When John and Cheryl Aldredmet 20 years ago, she wasworking at a bank and John’scompany, Enerflex Systems hadgrown from a one man shop toa multi-million dollar company.They always knew they wouldgive back to the community,but never did they imagine theycould give back so much.

One of John’s first bosses andmentors, John Partington, immediatelyknew that John’s drive, talent and workethic were bigger than anything theirlittle northern town in England couldhelp him accomplish. He convincedJohn to move beyond the class barrierthat existed in the UK at the time; andlook for more opportunity elsewhere.He encouraged John to dream.

Taking risks to follow yourdreamsGrowing up in Oxfordshire, England afterthe war, John at the young age of 23,decided to sell his ’33 Austin Healeysports car to raise money for airfareand emigrate from England to Canada.

He landed in Winnipeg… in thewinter…with $400.

He got his first job as a mechanic’shelper at an International Harvesterdealer in Winnipeg before movingto Calgary in early 1968. He wasencouraged to challenge the heavy-duty

mechanics exam at SAIT. “Back in theUK I had completed a fairly rigoroussix year student apprenticeship atRycotewood College, Thame Oxfordand graduated with a TechnologicalCertificate in Agricultural Engineering,but my credential wasn’t recognizedhere in Canada”, he says. He passed,and got his license. A few years laterJohn found another mentor at Pamco,the Canadian distributor of Waukeshaengines, in Calgary, AB. By the timeJohn was 31 he went from fieldservice representative to president infive years. “Back then,” he saysjokingly, “I was too dumb to realizeyou shouldn’t be a president by theage of 31. I just believed that if youkept your head down and workedreally hard you would advance.”

Five years later he cashed in hisRRSPs, persuaded his roommate andanother friend to invest some cash,and signed a personal guarantee atthe bank to raise the money heneeded to start Enerflex Systems. Hewas the company’s only employee in a200 sq foot cubbyhole above a bank.

When John thinks back to those earlydays when he was starting out on hisown, he remembers words he learnedfrom his mother. “She introduced meto the concept of a ‘gift package’ —a belief that we are all put on thisearth born with our own unique setof gifts, and innate talents”. For John,using your talents to be successful

is not just about financial wealth. “Iwould define success as discovering,developing and making the absolutebest of your gifts. There can be nogreater misery than spending a thirdof your life doing a job you hate,regardless of how well it pays. Andthere’s nothing more exhilarating thandeveloping a skill that makes youwonder why you’re being paid to dosomething you love”.

Around the same time as John wasexpanding his company, he met hisfuture wife Cheryl. Cheryl Aldred (neeWhite) thought one day she would bea political speechwriter. Born andraised in Oklahoma City, she graduatedwith a degree in public relations andjournalism from Oklahoma StateUniversity. Her aspirations of workingin government never materialized.Instead she worked in retail banking inTulsa. In 1988, in the cold of winter,Cheryl moved to Canada to be withJohn. They married in the summer of1990. Since that time Cheryl has beeninvolved in a number of philanthropicpursuits. But John points out, with atwinkle in his eye, that her mostsignificant achievement is puttingup with him.

Patrons of the useful artsPutting in more than you take out hasalways been important to the Aldreds.“It’s something I call ‘passionateengagement’”, says John. “It’s notall about giving money, but gettinginvolved in our community. Passionateinvolvement… comes with the senseof making a difference, however small.”

Giving young students a breakand helping them to advance theireducation was one area the Aldredsthought they could make a difference.So in 1999, Cheryl and John foundedthe Cadmus Foundation to support thetrades with scholarships, and striveto improve the perception, image andsocial status of the trades as a career.“Almost without exception, people whoare really successful have always hadsomeone who taught them somethingor gave them a break that put themon their path to success.

ALDREDSJohn and Cheryl followed theirdreams and now their passion willtransform SAIT for generations.

16 SAIT ALUMNI LINK Spring 2010

Just having someone believe in you...Thirty years later you remember thepeople that gave you a break,” saysJohn. Investing in scholarships to givestudents a boost towards graduationwas critically important. To date $1.2million has been awarded and theresult is 858 students have beengiven a break to help them continuetheir education.

Elevating the status of a tradeseducation and convincing parents andyoung people that a career in the tradescan lead to great accomplishmentsis the second goal of the CadmusFoundation. “There is a perceptionthat people with a university educationprovide the brains while trades just do

the manual work. That might havebeen the case 50 years ago, but notanymore. In fact, we know a few ladieswho are quite tiny, but make excellentwelders,” says Cheryl. But changingthat perception doesn’t happenovernight. It means advancing theknowledge base within the institutionand investing heavily in equipment,labs and classrooms. The Aldredsresponded and invested in theTrades Teaching Chair and donatedsignificantly to equipment. The nownamed Cadmus Fluid Lab includeseight newly designed hydraulic trainingsystems that students can safely useto recreate the various scenariosthey will find on the job.

But their greatest gift came in April,2010, when the Aldreds gave $15million to SAIT’s Trades and TechnologyComplex, the largest personal gift ever

Vision: to support the trades withscholarships and strive to improve theperception, image and social status ofthe trades as a career.

Meaning: In Greek mythology, Cadmus iscredited with inventing the alphabet andwas the patron of useful arts. There isalso mention of Cadmus as the founderand builder of the City of Thebes.

Scholarship: Every year 50 studentswin $1,000 each, and 28 students win$3,500 each for academic achievement,financial need, and leadership in thecommunity. Since inception, the awardhas given away $1.2 million to 858deserving students.

Meet the ALDREDS given to a polytechnic or college inCanadian history —- A gift that willtransform the campus and thousandsof lives. When completed in 2012, thenew Complex will provide the campuswith more than 740,000 square feetof additional training spaces, and allowup to 8,100 more students to furthertheir passion in energy, constructionand manufacturing. The largest ofthree buildings in the Complex at morethan 440,000 square feet, will benamed the “Aldred Centre” and willhouse the Enerplus Innovation Centre,the School of Construction, and theSchool of Manufacturing andAutomation, which is fitting givenwhere John got his start. “My family isinvesting in the Trades and TechnologyComplex because not only will it betransformational for SAIT for manygenerations to come, but it will elevatethe stature of trades and how they areperceived as a career choice,” saysJohn. “I am living proof that a tradeseducation can not only result in arewarding career, doing somethingyou love, but it can lead to greatsuccess that enables you to giveback to others.”

“My hope is that there is a youngSAIT student who follows theirpassion, works hard and one daygives SAIT $50 million for Phase12 of this project” he says. “That’sthe dream.” ■

by Linda Symmes

The Trades Teaching Chair was createdin 2000 to let a SAIT instructor take asabbatical and advance their research,training and expertise in their field forone year. To date the Foundation hasinvested $480,000.

Equipment: In 2005, funding foreight newly designed hydraulic trainingsystems lets students recreate variousreal-world scenarios, but at lowerpressure systems for safety. The labspace was also renovated to make roomfor the new training tools, and is nownamed the Cadmus Fluids Lab.

That same year, the Foundationpartnered with Enerflex Systems to

purchase a much-needed Rapid Prototypemachine for the computer integrateddesign program. This equipment letsstudents take a concept from design in2D to produce a plastic model of theirdesigns in 3D. The value of thisequipment has been felt in the widercommunity. The Misericordia Hospitalhas used the machine to build an exactreplica of a severely deformed patientskull to assist surgeons in determiningtheir surgical approach.

This machine has also been used tobuild a prototype of the bull elephant’sbroken tusk at the Calgary Zoo.

More you didn’t know about the Cadmus Foundation Founded December 29, 1997, by John and Cheryl Aldred

…continued from previous page


It began as an initiative to green upcampus operations, pure and simple.

The dean of the School of Hospitalityand Tourism saw an opportunity toconvert a waste stream into a revenuestream. He wanted to stop paying tohave used cooking oil from the culinaryschool’s Highwood Restaurant hauledaway for disposal by turning it into avaluable product that’s good for theenvironment — biodiesel. It was agood fit.

The department of Applied Researchand Innovation Services evolved thatsingle environmental directive intoan opportunity to green up the veryprocess of producing biodieselglobally; to make making biodieselpure and — at least for thetechnically savvy — simple.

The science of biodieselAs a chemical engineer and theprincipal investigator behind SAIT’sBiodiesel Program, Reece Winterexplained the process of biodieselproduction in layman’s terms: “Fatsand oils (triglycerides) react with analcohol (methanol) in the presenceof a catalyst to produce biodieseland glycerin.”

SAIT’s Biodiesel

Program isanything but

IDLE…

Stop paying to have used

cooking oil from the Highwood

Restaurant hauled away for

disposal by turning it into a

valuable product that’s

good for the environment —

biodiesel — convert a waste

stream into a revenue

stream — it’s a good fit.

Ewan

Nic

hols

on

In Canada, the feedstock used in theproduction of biodiesel is often non-foodgrade products or animal tallows.

NEWSANDVIEWS


The science behind biodiesel is notnew. People are making it all over theworld and the process is all prettysimilar according to Reece. “You’vegot oil. You’ve got alcohol and youmix it. The difference is how you goabout doing that.”

When Reece and his research teamfirst started producing biodiesel oncampus, they did things similar to therest of the world. They combined thetriglycerides (used cooking oil fromcampus) with alcohol (methanol,because it’s cheap) into a traditional“home brew” reactor unit. The processproduces two layers of product. Oneis glycerin, which SAIT is exploringnew uses for (that’s a whole otherproject). The other is biodiesel.

“In your biodiesel you’re going tohave leftover alcohol, residual glycerin,soap, salts, etcetera, suspended insolution,” explained Reece. “A typicalwater washing procedure would involvemixing it with water and agitating it.The water dissolves any impuritiesand separates out from the nowclean biodiesel product.”

But this water wash system flushesaway excess alcohol and produces awastewater stream that’s caustic andtoxic. “It’s full of soaps and otherharmful contaminants,” explainedReece. “It’s too much for the City’swater treatment plant to handle. Sowhat are you going to do with it?”

A custom solutionGiven that the main impetus formaking biodiesel on campus was todo something good for the environ-ment, it just didn’t make sense to beintroducing a new environmentalissue in the process.

After looking around at what otherswere doing in the world of biodieselproduction, Reece realized he wasn’tgoing to find a pre-made biodieselreactor unit that did everything hewanted it to do. His wish list includeda line item to develop greater capacityfor production. The existing reactor

was maxing out at about 150 litresper week, but the demand for SAIT’shigh quality biodiesel had alreadyoutpaced the supply.

That’s when Reece decided. “We’vegot all the resources internally hereat SAIT to make a world-class reactorthat does everything. Why don’t wejust build it here?”

And so they did.

The department of Applied Researchand Innovation Services’ advancedfabrication team built the prototypeaccording to Reece’s specifications.The design focused as much onprocess as it did on structure.

“This new process doesn’t useone drop of water to produce fuel,”said Reece. “It relies on advancedpurification technologies (ion exchangepurification resins) instead of waterwashing.” This dry wash system saveswater and completely eliminates thewastewater stream. It also means allthe leftover alcohol (methanol) thatused to be lost in the wash cannow be distilled back out of thebiodiesel and recycled for use inthe next batch.

“It’s a process that really is all greenfrom start to finish,” said Reece.“Plus it produces fuel a lot moreeconomically on larger scales.”

And thanks to the innovative designof this homegrown reactor, productioncapacity is way up.

The old system’s design meant everystage of production was done in thesame tank. There was a real bottle-neck as the single vessel served asthe wash tank, the cleanup tank, thedrying tank — tying up the reactorunit for the entire week.

This new reactor has separatesettling tanks for the separate phasesof production. “A single batch isdouble what it was before at 300litres and we can do a new batchevery day now,” said Reece.

SAIT has an ongoing contract withGreenway Fuels to distribute itsbiodiesel to local customers. Theyhave a customer waiting list.

And, it’s edibleBiodiesel can be used in anythingthat runs on diesel fuel, fromautomobiles and farm equipment tocommercial generators and floodlightsat construction sites. It’s a naturallubricant and as such, provides betterlubricity for diesel engines than regularpetroleum diesel. Its solvent natureassists in cleaning soot from the fuelsystem. And because of biodiesel’shigher oxygen content, it burns cleaner,with up to 75% fewer tailpipe emissions.Its non-toxic, environmentally friendlyproperties are what keep biodieselin demand.

“It’s as biodegradable as refinedsugar; 10 times less toxic than regulartable salt,” said Reece. “You coulddrink biodiesel if you were so inclined.It may not sit too well in the stomach,but it’s harmless.”

Harmless. That is after all, the wholepoint. ■

by Julie Sengl


Sowingthe SEEDS of

marketing successSunflower seeds Hamilton’s

latest snack food successstory

NEWSANDVIEWS

Rom

eo V

aler

a


Born and raised in an Alberta smalltown, it would have been logical forMyles Hamilton’s first career choice tobe oil and gas. But when Hamiltonfinished high school in 1979 and wasconsidering a career in marketing, itwas the food industry — not the oilpatch — that caught his eye. “It’sfunny to look back now, but then I feltthat oil and gas didn’t have much ofa future. I decided to go into the foodindustry because people always needto eat,” says Hamilton. “I guess I waswrong about where the oil industrywould go,” he chuckles. “But I wasdefinitely right about food.”

Over the next 29 years Hamiltonwould get to know the food marketwell. After graduating from SAIT’sbusiness administration program andearning his BA from Washington StateUniversity, he spent six years withProctor & Gamble, then 15 with snackfood giant Frito-Lay. In 2006, whenSpitz International owners Tom andEmmy Droog wanted to take theirsunflower seed business to the nextlevel, they looked to Hamilton’s yearsof experience and skill in snack foodmarketing. “We ended up becomingbusiness partners and turned whatwas a good company into a great one.In only a couple of years we launchedseveral new products, expanded theSpitz brand into Eastern Canada andQuebec, and introduced the brandinto the U.S.”

Hamilton says that seeing a brandsucceed is one of the most rewardingparts of his work. “It’s exciting to seethe products in the store. It becomespart of your life — you see yourproducts in your kids’ lunchboxes,as snack food at parties, in the gasstation and when you stop into thestore for a carton of milk. When mykids were as young as two years oldthey were automatically straighteningstore displays right along with me.”

Keeping displays looking good, properlymerchandised, fresh and at the rightprice point are all keys to creatinga winning product combination. Tosuccessfully do this across NorthAmerica, as he did with Spitz,

Hamilton says you need to have clearexpectations, excellent execution andstrong leadership. “Every role I’ve hadin my career involves leading people.I think first and foremost you needintegrity to lead successfully. If yourteam believes in you and trusts you,you have the credibility you need toget out of the starting blocks.”

After that you have to get results.“Marketing is a creative business,but it’s also about the bottom line,”he says. “Profit and loss are blackand white — you can’t hide from thenumbers. You earn credibility fromintegrity, but also from getting results.”

And Hamilton has proven he can getthe job done. Spitz quickly grew to be,by far, the number one sunflower seedbrand in Canada and number three inthe U.S. with a range of sunflowerand pumpkin seed products (dill pickleis the company’s fastest-growingsunflower seed flavour and Hamilton’sfavourite). That’s when the big playersin the highly competitive snack foodworld took notice. Frito-Lay, a divisionof PepsiCo Inc., wanted to break intothe Canadian sunflower seed businessand Spitz, with its strong brand, wasits first choice. When Frito-Layapproached Droog and Hamilton inOctober 2007 they decided to selland spent the next 14 months working

through the transaction. “Sellingto a Fortune 500 company has itscomplexities, trademarks and patentsare just a couple of examples, butPepsiCo is a great marketing companyand a good match for Spitz — bothcompanies have strong brands anda lot of consumer equity.”

Now Hamilton is taking a short, well-deserved break to concentrate onpersonal projects before heading backto work this summer. “I’m consideringgetting back into the food business.It’s a great industry and definitely myniche. Over the years I’ve built a lotof relationships with people who arepart of it.”

Looking back, he sees SAIT as theperfect place to start career training.“Twenty-nine years ago I made thejump from Airdrie, then a small townwhere I knew everyone, to go to SAIT. Smaller classes, more classroom timeand an interactive program combinedto make an easier transition for meas a small-town kid.” SAIT was alsowhere he met his future wife. “And Ihave lots of friends from SAIT we’vestayed connected with overthe years. Whether it’s work,school or personal life it’s allabout relationships. It’s whatlife is all about.” ■

by Michelle Woodard

Profit and loss are black and white — you can‘t hide from the numbers.You earn credibility from integrity, but also from getting results.


Chefs are egotistical jerks that yell, swearand throw things in their kitchen. They’realways right, and don’t dare refer to themwithout using the word Chef (capital C).

But don’t believe everythingyou see on TV.

…continued on next page


With chefs like Gordon Ramsaycreating a stereotype that they areequivalent to drill sergeants, it begsthe question — what are chefsreally like in the kitchen? Whenyou send your steak back becauseit’s over-cooked, does the plateend up broken on the floor in a flurryof swear words? Is there a youngchef being berated for his lack ofskills and being yelled at forgarnishing a plate incorrectly?

According to those in the profession,like many things, television showshave taken some creative license.Although the kitchen is a fast pacedenvironment that requires structureand urgency, temper tantrums, abuse,and personal attacks are not acceptednor do they happen. Not everyone iscut out for the kitchen environment,but what you see on TV needs tobe taken with a grain of salt.

Alumni Link sat down for a candidconversation with executive chefBeat Hegnauer, his sous chef PaulDokmanovic and associate directorof conferences Edward Marran atthe Banff Centre.

Hegnauer hails from Switzerland andhas been with the Banff Centre since1993. He heads up the culinary teamat the Banff Centre and the CalgaryAcademy of Chefs and Cooks votedhim Chef of the Year in 2003.

Dokmanovic has worked directly withHegnauer on a daily basis since 2003.He is a SAIT graduate and apprenticedat the Fairmont Banff Springs. Hedesigned the menus and kitchenoperations for the Banff Centre’snewest restaurant — Three RavensRestaurant and Wine Bar — and is

the winner of the 2008 InternationalAssociation of Conference Center’s(IACC) Canadian Copper Skilletcompetition.

Marran is the associate director ofconferences at the Banff Centre. Hecoordinates with the chefs on a dailybasis to meet the needs of his clients.He has been with the Banff Centrefor five years, and is responsible formaintaining the relationship betweenhis clients, his staff, and the kitchen.

What is it like to work ina kitchen?Paul – It’s quite fast paced. It’s veryprofessional. There are a lot of rulesthat we need to follow, so it can be abit militant. But I think it’s changedover the years. Unlike TV where youhave a chef screaming and yellingall the time, it’s more of a teamenvironment. A lot of the chefs arehands on and working with the teamas opposed to being told what to do.

Beat – A lot of people don’t understandthe culture of the kitchen. We have adeadline. We have to be ready to go.We can’t say “Oh, I’m late for 40minutes today. You get the foodwhen I’m ready.” A lot of peopledon’t understand that when thattime comes, we can get very excited.

We can get very pushy. But for areason. We cannot be late. That’sthe difference between an officeenvironment and the kitchen. Noteverybody is cut out for the kitchen

Ed – The direct correlation we haveis that we have an expectation thatour clients are going to sit down andeat and it’s going to be perfect. Andif it’s not, we hear about it first.Before anyone. So the front of thehouse relies on the back of thehouse. Fortunately, we have a goodsystem here.

Paul – There is so much communica-tion involved between front of houseand back of house. That’s when theperception of the stress level goesup and when things can get hectic.You have to keep a calm head inthat situation.

Do you think chefs need tohave a thicker skin?Beat – When I interview an apprentice,him or her, doesn’t matter, I’m goingto tell them all the negatives. Wework when your friends are off, wework weekends, we work Christmas,we work New Year’s, we are off othertimes. If you come straight fromschool and you come into thisenvironment, that’s a big change.I think the kitchen environment is



definitely an environment that isexciting and challenging. It’s somethingI miss when I’m not in it. I can’t seemyself as a front of house person.I don’t think we’d have any customersleft.

Paul – The sense of urgency is big.There has to be a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, even5th gear sometimes because of thattime crunch. There is a sense ofurgency in the business world, butfor us it’s physical. We’re running.But to me, it’s rewarding.

Ed – It’s micro as compared to ourmacro. We take it for granted thatthe food’s going to be there on time,that it’s going to be good, and thatit’s going to be hot. If food is notready, I have staff that have to workon re-selling. To be honest, moreoften than not, it can be the clientthat has made a change and thekitchen has to adapt, which canlead to a different product.

Beat – There’s nothing better to usthan to know the guest had anenjoyable meal from A to Z. It’srewarding to know the guest left happy.The guest does not know, can’t know,is not supposed to know, the logisticalproblems we have with products.

Paul – You become a great problemsolver.

Coming from school, do youfeel you were prepared for theenvironment in the kitchen orwas it completely differentthan your training?Paul – I did an apprenticeship, soI was working as well as going toschool, and I got to see the best ofboth worlds. Previously, I did a culinaryadvanced program in Ontario, whichwas strictly school. From there, it wasquite a shock. Not because of the waywe do things, but the sheer pace of

things and the volume. In school,we’re taught to make a small portionto perfection, but in the industry,you’re making a lot larger numbers,and it still has to be good.

What is your challengedealing with the other foodand beverage departments?Beat – It’s the understanding of howit comes about. And understandingthe way things just plain work. Menusare made to meet the cost objective. Ifsomebody wants to change something,they have a hard time understandingwhy they have to pay more. As long aspeople are working in the industry, theyhave more understanding.

Ed – I see Chef (Hegnauer) every dayto maintain a relationship with him.It’s a daily routine to just stop in andsay hi to maintain good communication.It wasn’t a challenging relationship tostart or maintain. But some of my staffdo have issues when dealing with thechefs and the kitchen — sometimesto the point of not wanting to talk tothem. But it’s because they only seeone side of the story. They don’t seethe aspects of food costs and labourcosts. The environment in the kitchenis consistent with kitchens and chefsI’ve seen everywhere. There is amilitant element, but there are suchsmall margins that there is a needfor rigidness. It’s effective and whereI have to be more sympathetic toemotions when dealing with staff,they have more flexibility that way.

Paul – You have to understand theother department’s struggles and whatthey deal with. Ed is a buffer. Hebrings the things to us in a nice waybased on what the customer said tohim when they’re angry. He receivesthe negative feedback and in thataspect, we have to understand what

he’s dealing with as well. We have tounderstand what the server is dealingwith. They could have had the worstday, but they still have to smile. Theystill have to give the best servicepossible. And there has to be mutualrespect and understanding in all ofthe food and beverage departments.

Beat – We can’t do it without front ofhouse and they can’t do it withoutus. As long as we can work together,which is still in many cases a struggle,it just works out so much better forthe paying customer.

…continued on next page

…there is a militant element, but thereare such small margins that there is a

need for rigidness…

Ed – It’s the direct ownership youhave. We have a direct ownership tothe client and ultimately need to solveany problems if they’re not happy.They have a direct ownership to theproduct, the margins, and everythingrelated to that gap in the middle thatmakes it a success. And the more weunderstand what their challenges are,and vice versa, and the more weunderstand what their objectives are,and vice versa, the smoother theprocess and the understanding, andthe better the product in the end.

Do shows, such as the oneswith Gordon Ramsay, wherehe’s yelling at people andthrowing things, make you feellike it negatively reflects onyour work environment? Paul – There’s been those instancesfor sure. It’s the heat of the moment.The heat of battle. It’s hot. Everyone’smoving fast. I think it’s the code offood and beverage that you just knoweverybody is going to lose it at onetime or another, and that’s just theway it is.

Beat – You don’t achieve anythingwhen you yell at people. But you haveto discipline people. No ifs or buts.You can’t let them run loose. Butthere are ways to do it.

Ed – One of the key factors weinevitably think of is that thesegentlemen have had plenty of successin their product. There have beengood ratings, awards and accolades.There’s a pride element as well as areputation element and upholding thatis paramount. Everyone can just dothe job and have a product in theend. But to 1. Ensure the product isalways perfect and 2. Live up to theexpectations that have heard aboutthe product, which is what our

business literally thrives on and3. To maintain the morale andenthusiasm, it’s a tough gig.

It’s always going to be a challengeand have that rush factor. From ourside, when we are selling a productthat has a reputation, we haveconfidence that this is going to bethe best product. We are out theresaying we are the best, and ifwe’re not, we look bad.

How do you motivate yourkitchen?Beat – We respect them. It’s a team.The four of us leading the kitchenwork well. It’s a team that makesit work.

Paul – Work motivation for us iswe try to get them involved in menuplanning and if they have an idea,we implement that idea. I try tomake it fun. I will ask a cook oryoung apprentice to help with themenu which makes them feel worthsomething and that we really careabout their opinions. They feel valued,and that’s a big motivation. I alsolead by example and work alongsidethem and show them. It has a lot ofvalue. It’s also important to givecredit when credit is due.



…I think it’s the code of food and beveragethat you just know everybody is going to

lose it at one time or another…

What would be your advice togeneral Joe Schmoe sitting onthe couch and watching thesetelevision shows where thechef is aggressive andinappropriate and mean?Beat – Don’t forget it’s a TV show.It has to sell. Reality is different.I’m sure there are kitchens out therethat are pretty much the same. Butwith the TV show, the chef doesn’thave to run the kitchen for a long time.It is one episode, and it’s all staged. Ithink, with all TV shows these days, itis entertainment.

Paul – To the regular Joe, I wouldsay it’s great entertainment. Thereare some truths to the things theysee on TV, and there are some thingsthat are stretched out to create thedrama. There are certainly goodaspects and truths to what theysee on TV, but it’s not always soglamorous as it is on TV. However,the good chefs on TV had to gothrough a lot of years of cookingand experience to get there. GordonRamsay is the real deal. He providesentertainment on TV but the manis obviously a very successfulchef and he’s been workingin kitchens for years. ■

by Jen Blackwood


Check out SAIT’s revamped summercamps that run from July 5 – August 20.

Most of the 34 unique camps run forone week each, with a few exceptions,such as the movie director camp whichruns for two. Kids can explore theirinterests, discover hidden talents,and find the areas they are mostpassionate about.

New this summer is a girls-only camp —Einstein Shampoo Jr. Young girls ingrades 4 – 6, can learn the chemistrybehind their favourite beauty products.They’ll combine a variety of commonhousehold ingredients and experimentwith the science in everyday beauty andhygienic products to create a fun giftbasket at the end of the week.

Or your young Spielberg can join theMovie Director: Budding Directors’Camp (former known as Movie Making: Lights! Camera! Action!). In two weeks,kids will learn what it takes to make a movie, and improve their writing, actingand directing skills. On Friday Camp Day, where family members are invited tocampus for the day, budding directors can screen their final movie project inSAIT’s movie theatre.

Also new for 2010, is the Junior Leader Volunteer program, where former campersin grade 11 or 12 can give back to the community and gain valuable volunteerexperience for their resume.

Not sure which camps are right for little Billy? Helping kids find their strengthsand interests with a Clifton strength finder test is another fun way to help parentsdirect their kids to the right camp.

A few bonuses this year include FREE before and after care for children whoneed it, a bursary program, free parking and more. ■

by Shannon Leclair (Journalism ’09) and Kaitlin Norton (Journalism ’09)

Looking forsummercampsfor the buddingyoung chef orfilmmakerin yourfamily?

Kids can explore their

interests, discover

hidden talents and find

the areas they’re most

passionate about.


In 1999, Gord McDonald lost everything except his Honda and his house.He had a wife and a young family at home, but the dot com company hehad invested everything in crashed and burned.

“It took me out,” says McDonald. “My eyes were blood shot, I wasfinancially destroyed, and I was emotionally run into the ground.”

With the only remaining credit on the VISA, McDonald’s wife signed himup for Peak Potentials Training, a personal success training program.

“I thought my life was falling apart, and I knew I needed to get money intothe family,” says McDonald. “I was thinking I have to do something, andthis had better be worth it. And it was.”

The program, which focuses on knowing oneself and knowing what aperson’s potential is, set McDonald on a path of success that he is stillfollowing today. A far cry from where he was in 1999, McDonald, 53, is nowthe president and CEO of his self-financed, debt-free company — ProcessPathways, a data management and work systems design company.

As a successful entrepreneur, he is now hoping to influence and helpfuture entrepreneurs in their quest to start their own businesses — andvolunteering as a judge with the SAIT LAUNCH program is one way he isdoing that. “I want to be known as someone who cares enough aboutpeople and their successes.”

The LAUNCH program “is a business plan competition designed toassist SAIT students and alumni in building innovative new companies inthe Calgary region.” Participants are competing for a $20,000 first placeprize, $10,000 second place prize, and $5,000 third place prize. SAIT,the Government of Alberta, and businesses in the Calgary area, includingMcDonald’s company, have partnered together to offer prize packagesencouraging young entrepreneurs to get their business ideas offthe ground.


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BUDDINGENTREPRENEURSREADY TO LAUNCH


“The prizes will help get businessesstarted, but they’re not enough torun a business,” says AmandaDelamer, coordinator of studentservices at SAIT.

In this its pilot year, organizers expected to have approximately 15applicants before the concept paperdeadline in March. Participants thenwere put through a screening processbefore submitting a business plan atthe end of May. Selected participantswill pitch their business ideas to thejudging panel, including McDonald, atthe beginning of June, and winners willbe presented at the end of June dur-ing an awards ceremony.

McDonald was one of the originalpeople Delamer approached to beinvolved in the LAUNCH program,

and he was immediately on board.As a judge, he won’t have directcontact with the participants untilthe last stage, but he says he wouldlike to participate as a mentor level inthe future. He has also encouragedcolleagues and fellow entrepreneursto join the program as mentors.“This program is so worthwhile,” saysMcDonald. “Not just our society,but our independence, is based onentrepreneurial success.”

In addition to the cash prizes,monthly seminars are being offeredat SAIT in conjunction with LAUNCH,and participants have access to alist of mentors to help them developtheir business ideas.

David Milan, a SAIT graduate fromthe Cinema Television Stage Radio

(CTSR) program, started a film andvideo production company — PetrolFilms — in 2009. He is participatingin the LAUNCH program, and says thementoring aspect is just as valuable,if not more valuable, than thepotential prize money.

“(The program) gives me a chanceas a new business owner to haveaccess to people who are specializedin different areas,” says Milan. “I canbuy them a cup of coffee instead ofspending hundreds of dollars fortheir advice.”

Milan says he has made an effortto meet with each mentor that hasvolunteered with the LAUNCH program,some of them more than once.Although he had the basic knowledgeto start a business, he says meeting


…emotion equals passion, and passion equals core values.If you have those core values, and you can turn that intoone mission and deliverable, the success will be there…


with the mentors, who specialize inareas such as marketing, accounting,and time management, has been thebest part of the program.

“There is no downfall to the LAUNCHprogram,” says Milan. “Even if I don’twin, I’ve spent 6 – 8 months workingon my business plan, and I’ve hadaccess to great networking.”

As part of the program, participantsmust choose a primary mentor whenthey submit their concept paper. Milanhas teamed up with Curtis Buck, acertified management accountant(CMA) and owner of Grey WolfAdvisory Services.

Buck got involved in the LAUNCHprogram because of McDonald, whohe has been friends with for 25 years.Buck is also the CFO for ProcessPathways, McDonald’s company. Hesays it was McDonald’s excitement forthe program that encouraged him tosign up on a volunteer basis.

“It’s fun to be around entrepreneurs,”says Buck. “I love the energy they giveoff, and I try to find a way to be nearthem — whether it be the LAUNCHprogram or clients.”

“I love the business process, andentrepreneurs love their widgets —whatever that is.”

Buck says one of the things he lovesabout working with McDonald, andnow Milan in the LAUNCH program,is the passion they both have for theirproducts. “When the biggest issue iscontrolling the endless stream ofpassion they have, they’re in a goodplace,” says Buck.

He emphasizes that no matter what,the entrepreneurs he has worked with,and those that are participating in theLAUNCH program, will need to havepassion regardless of how successfulthe project looks like it will be onpaper.

“Emotion equals passion, and passionequals core values. If you have thosecore values, and you can turn that

into one mission and deliverable,the success will be there.”

McDonald says another element of hissuccess as an entrepreneur has beensurrounding himself with people suchas Buck who share his passion andbelieve in what he is doing.

“I can’t afford to surround myself withtoxic people,” says McDonald. “There’sno point wasting time with people whocan’t take me forward. When you’renot feeling it, you need to get aroundsomeone who is.”

He also says balance is extremelyimportant as an entrepreneur, andspending time with family is just asimportant as spending time on abusiness venture.

“I made sure to spend lots of timewith my kids when they were growingup,” says McDonald. His daughteris now 20 and his son is 17. “It isnot worth giving up your family. Nobusiness is worth that.”

McDonald emphasizes that personaltime is just as important as businesstime. He is an avid snowboarderand wakeboarder and says beingsuccessful is not just about workinglong, long hours.

“If you can’t figure out how to makeyour money in eight hours per day orless, you should probably go work forsomeone else,” says McDonald.

Another person who has helpedMcDonald in the past year is MelodieCreegan, owner and founder of MosaicStudios, a Calgary-based marketing,creative and production servicesfirm. She has also volunteered withthe LAUNCH program as both aco-presenter with McDonald for theseminar series and as a mentor. Shefounded Mosaic Studios in 1995 andhas not only been successful withher company, but has expanded itas well.

“Hopefully LAUNCH will give somedirection and clarity to these youngpeople who have drive,” says Creegan.

“And it will be a good opportunity forthem to meet great people, whetherit be mentors or peers. It’s importantto seek people around you that aresmarter than you are. Working onrelationships is very important.”

Creegan also hopes, as a woman,that she will be able to offer someguidance to some of the young femaleentrepreneurs. She recognizes therecan be different challenges gender-wise, such as raising a family anddealing with different expectations inregards to balancing work and family.

One of the future goals of the LAUNCHprogram is to look at offering a female-specific prize package, says Delamer.She says so far the response to theprogram has been amazing — bothwith participants and volunteers, butthere is no guarantee there will beprovincial funding next year.

McDonald, Buck and Creegan all saythey want to not only see the LAUNCHprogram be successful this year, butto see it grow next year.

“The more people I tell about it, themore interest there is,” says Buck.“Interest by other parties wanting tobe associated with LAUNCH isextremely high.”

McDonald says that as a judge, he willbe looking for business plans that cansucceed and get to the next stage. Hesays realism is critically important, andhe wants to know what the winnerswill do after six months when theprize money runs out.

“We rode the ditches asentrepreneurs. We want to keepthese kids out of the ditches andon the pavement.” ■

by Jen Blackwood

…balance is extremely important as an entrepreneur,spending time with family is just as important asspending time on a business venture…

32 SAIT ALUMNI LINK Spring 2010

“We’re developing a test apparatus,” Zahavichsaid. “(It) will gather data that the minister orministry and the various policing organizationscan use to determine the safety of thesedevices.” Neither NAIT nor SAIT will test Taserson site to determine their safety. Rather they’llhand over their research to the solicitor gener-al and Alberta’s law enforcement agencies, andthese bodies will use it to make such calls.

Michelle Davio, a spokesperson for thesolicitor general and public security office,said the Province began testing the weaponsin July 2009, but it had to be done out ofprovince. A batch would be rounded up andshipped to a private company in Ontario. Withthe new technology from SAIT and NAIT, stunguns will be tested in Alberta, and thereby“simplify the process,” Davio said.

“NAIT and SAIT do good work andthey’re innovative,” she said. “We’reconfident they can do this.”

Zahavich said ARIS team members areready to begin work on their ideas forthe project, they’re just waiting approval fromthe government. It’s the first time these twoinstitutions have collaborated on a researchproject. Both Zahavich and Stuart Callum,director of novaNAIT, said they hope it’s thefirst of many. “This is an example of howSAIT and NAIT can partner to advanceapplied research for our collaborativebenefit,” said Callum. He added that bothpost-secondaries’ executive leadershiphave been instrumental in supporting thepartnership. “That enthusiasm tricklesdown,” Callum said. ■

by Heather Setka


At any given time, there are 1,657 stun gunsor conducted energy weapons (CEW) in actionin Alberta. Law enforcement agencies, includingthe RCMP, the Calgary Police Service and theEdmonton Police Service, use these weapons— more commonly known by the brand nameTaser — to subdue people during takedownsand shake ups.

A stun gun works by using an electrical currentto momentarily interrupt the subject’s musclecontrol. The intent is to incapacitate someoneto stop that person from harming others orthemselves. However, occasionally they arelethal.

In October 2007, Robert Dziekanski wastasered more than once by RCMP at theVancouver International Airport. Dziekanski —a Polish immigrant coming to Canada to bewith his mother — died within minutes.According to an official inquiry into his death,“(p)ublic reaction to this incident wasimmediate and intense… in British Columbia.”The repercussions of Dziekanski’s deathspread beyond B.C.’s border as the storymade national headlines.

Since this inquiry, the RCMP has promised toreview CEW use in Canada. However, Alberta’stwo major technical institutes have begun theprocess of ensuring a way for stun guns inthe province to be at their safest.

SAIT’s director for Applied Research andInnovation Services (ARIS) Dr. Alex Zahavichsaid the scope of the project and itsframework was in the process of beingfinalized at press time.

Tasers – how safe are they?SAIT and NAIT collaborate to create a protocol and device to help the Province determinethe safety of its 1,657 conducted energy weapons (CEW), also known as Tasers.

Sources: www.braidwoodinquiry.ca/report/www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/news-nouvelles/speeches-stat-discours-decl/2009-02-12-commiss-secu-eng.htm


Ewan

Nic

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on

Security cameras monitor the campusday and night. To see the chilling video

surveillance of the masked man mentionedin this story go to saitalumnilink.ca.


This man walked all the way from the LRT station to HeritageHall. He then went into the Heart Atrium, one of the busiestlocations on campus, and left through a west exit. He walkedwith a crutch, and security cameras show him knocking overa Wet Floor sign. He would have passed hundreds ofpeople — students, instructors, staff and visitors.

Regardless of the recent violent incidences on campusesin North America, only one person notified security. One.

“The culture at SAIT is one that is very aware of security,and people take responsibility and will call campus security,”says Cochran. “But in this case, we should have received aflood of calls but didn’t. We would have appreciated moreinformation from other people who saw (the trespasser). There is no concern that is too small because one smallconcern can be life threatening.”

In fact, because only one person reported the incident,the man was long gone from campus and the Calgary PoliceService (CPS) wasn’t notified until one hour after the manhad been on campus.

“The information was significant and alarming,” says Cochran.“But it was still only one report. We had to talk to the studentand determine if it was real or fabricated.”

Turns out, the gun was a replica handgun. But that wasn’tdetermined until the trespasser was apprehended by the CPSlater that day when he turned up in the same black outfit, andwith the same handgun replica, at the main downtown library.

At the beginning of winter semester, a manwalked onto SAIT campus with a gun tuckedinto his pants. He was dressed completely inblack, with black sunglasses, a long black coat,and a scarf covering his face. Barry Cochran,SAIT’s chief of security and emergency services,describes him as looking like “Darth Vader”.



He was arrested under the mentalhealth act, taken to the hospital,assessed by a forensic psychiatristteam and then later released.

The man returned to campus acouple days later, minus the gun, andCochran says it was the communicateddescription of the trespasser thatallowed a member of the SAITemergency response team to recognizethe man and have him removed fromcampus. Cochran issued a lifetimetrespass notice, prohibiting the manfrom being on campus, and he hasnot been seen at SAIT since.

Security guards on campus do notcarry any weapons, and if the manwere to return to SAIT, the CPS wouldbe notified. Cochran says that althoughit is not an offence to carry or openlydisplay a replica handgun, chargescan be laid if the fake gun is usedin a threatening manner.

Concerns about guns on campus arean all too familiar theme lately. Mostrecently, three instructors were killedat the University of Alabama inFebruary 2010. The Virginia Massacrein April 2007, when 33 people werekilled, was the deadliest peacetimeshooting, on or off a campus, in thehistory of the U.S.

SAIT is not immune to violence, andthere is a detailed emergencyresponse plan in place if a crisiswere to happen on campus.

In addition to the communicationstrategies in place, the SAITALERTsystem — a text and phone messagesystem to communicate with SAITstaff, students and faculty in the caseof an emergency — was implementedat the beginning of February.

This system allows staff, studentsand faculty to register their cell phoneand/or home phone numbers withSAIT. In the case of an “immediate,meaningful and confirmed threat tosafety on campus,” text messagesand voice messages will be sent tothose registered in the system.

“A series of violent on-campus crimesacross North America in recent yearshave raised scrutiny and expectationsof campus security measures,” says

Dan Allen, corporate communications.“But statistics still show that if allcampuses in America constituted asingle community, it would be thesafest metropolitan city in theUnited States.”

“SAIT is a community within acommunity and subject to all thecomplications that go with havingstudent housing, a workplace, and aneducational institution together atthe same time,” says Cochran.

Cochran is a member of theInternational Association of CampusLaw Enforcement Administrators(IACLEA), and receives informationfrom evaluations performed onshootings that have happened oncampuses worldwide.

“The most identified complaint isaround communications,” saysCochran. “It is never soon enough,and it is never enough information.”

“When emergencies do happen oncampus, they are not a slow burn, buta quick flash. We have a plan to reactto any sort of situation. It is critical toget communication out to campus.”

Allen says the SAITALERT system,which included a $10,000 set up fee,and costs $14,000/year to maintain,is only one security measure to keeppeople informed during an emergency.

“It helps staff, students and visitorsmake informed decisions,” says Allen.

In contrast to the hour-plus reactiontime with the trespasser on campus,a test of the SAITALERT system toevacuate the second floor of theSenator Burns building resulted inan eight minute response from thetime of the “incident” to theactivation of the SAITALERT system.

The delay in response to thetrespasser incident resulted in aninquiry by the student who originallysaw the man, and as a result, somechanges to the response system.

“It’s great that the student took thetime and initiative to challenge thesystem,” says Cochran. “We havenow modified the process becauseof this event.”

In addition to the emergency responseplan, Allen says the preventativemeasures in place, such as CampusSafewalk, emergency blue call boxes,and campus security patrols are all inplace to keep people on campus safe.

“Our goal is to have a campus wherestaff, students and visitors feel safeand secure,” says Allen.

Although the preventative andresponse measures are in place andtested, Cochran says that in his twoyears as head of security, there haveonly been two emergency situationson campus — neither of theminvolving violence.

In October ’08, there was a totalpower failure at SAIT in the lateevening that threatened a shutdownof the campus due to lack of heatand water. The power was restoredin time for campus to open.

And at the beginning of February,there was an alleged radiation leakfrom equipment removed from campusand taken to an off-site location.After testing, it was determined theequipment from SAIT was not thesource of the contamination.

“We can plan for an emergency, andwe can train for it, but until somethingactually happens, it’s all planning,”says Cochran. ■

by Jen Blackwood


The man described as “Darth Vader”(above) is issued a lifetime trespassnotice and banned from ever returningto SAIT campus.

Chinook Lodge AboriginalStudent Symposium February 17, 2010Nearly 350 Aboriginal students descendedonto the SAIT campus for the seventh annualChinook Lodge Aboriginal Student Symposiumon February 17. This symposium showcasesthe opportunities available to Aboriginal youth ifthey complete high school and go on to a post-secondary education. It also exposes them to theresources available at Chinook Lodge AboriginalResource Centre once they are enrolled at SAIT.

“Even if we reached one student who will nowlook into post-secondary options then I’d say itwas a success,” says Jennifer Russell, programcoordinator for Chinook Lodge.

Attendees participated in several events throughout the day, including audienceinteractive skits, a presentation from two post-secondary grads over lunch, anda career fair in the afternoon. More than 40 prospective employers and post-secondary institutions set up booths in the Heart Atrium in the afternoon, andthe students were able to meet with them and ask questions. ■


INSIDETHE EVENTS

Distinguished Alumnusand Outstanding YoungAlumna honouredFebruary 11, 2010SAIT presented the 2009Distinguished Alumni Award and,for the first time, the 2009Outstanding Young Alumni Award ata reception on campus in February.

Two thousand years ago, Tom Mauro(Carpentry, ’77) would have been knownas an artisan, but today, he’s called acarpenter. Mauro was honoured with the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus awardnot only as a successful SAIT graduate, but as a community leader and strongsupporter of SAIT. Mauro dedicates as much time and expertise as he doesfinances. He is a member of the Founding Builders™ Circle and the PromisingFutures™ Campaign Cabinet in support of SAIT’s new Trades and TechnologyComplex. His commitment to post-secondary education is further exemplified inthe fact that sixty per cent of Albi Home employees are SAIT grads.

A strong commitment to SAIT is also demonstrated by the first-ever recipient ofSAIT’s Young Alumni Award. Although only in her early thirties, Smita Acharyya(Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio, ’00) has already made a name forherself in the film community as a successful filmmaker. She is active in manyfilm industry organizations as an energetic volunteer and mentors many aspiringfilmmakers, at SAIT and in the larger community. Acharyya’s work has beennominated several times for awards from the Alberta Motion Picture IndustriesAssociation and has been included at the Toronto, Calgary, and VancouverInternational film festivals. ■

MacPhail School ofEnergy Awards NightMarch 25, 2010Four years ago Padmini Popuriand her family immigrated toCanada with the hope of abetter life. Getting accepted tothe chemical technologiesprogram at the MacPhail Schoolof Energy was the first hurdle ofmany. But Popuri worked hardand won four scholarships foracademic achievement, whichnot only relieved some of thefinancial burden, but gave herthe morale boost she needed.“Thanks to the generoussupport of these donors whohave confirmed my belief that itdoesn’t matter where you comefrom, what gender you are, andwhat your ethnic background is— if you are sincere and workhard you will be recognized,”she says.

More than $190,000 in awardswas given to students from theMacPhail School of Energy at aceremony held on March 25,2010 to honour students fortheir academic achievements.

Gregor Schoenberg, PetroleumEngineering Technologistinstructor sees the impact ofthese awards every day inthe classroom. “To somestudents, these awards canbe the difference betweengetting an education, or not.”

Far left: Debra Mauro, Tom Mauro, IreneLewis, Smita Acharyya, Remi Boudreau

and Kumkum Roychowdhury.

Timberwolvesbare teeth againstTrojans in winningfirst CCAAhardcourt crownFear of failure? Well, that’sdebatable. But one thing iscertain… to start this 2010Canadian Colleges AthleticAssociation men’s basketballnational championshiptournament, the University ofNorthern British Columbia(UNBC) Northern Timberwolveswere scared straight.

On the afternoon of March 17,during their first test of theCCAA nationals at SAIT, thePrince George, B.C.-basedTimberwolves fell behind by asmuch as 17 points, and barelymanaged to escape with a76-71 victory over the No. 8seeded Fanshawe CollegeFalcons of London, Ont.

But from that moment on, thecountry’s No. 1-ranked T-Wolvesnever put themselves in dangeragain — winning their next twogames to play the SAIT Trojansin the CCAA gold-medal final,winning again 96-63.

The gold was the first CCAA medal for the Timberwolves, who only began play inthe British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association during the 1999-2000 season.The Trojans, meanwhile, were making their third appearance in the CCAA finalsince their last national championship back in 1986.

“Everybody said that we were going to play one game and get outta here. Wemade it to the final instead,” said SAIT’s Stephen Olivier-Job who notched 12points against the T-Wolves, two back of the team-high 14 posted by co-captainKeenan Milburn. And even though they were widely outplayed by UNBC, a silvermedal — which goes with SAIT’s national runner-up finishes in 1990 and 1996 —still looked pretty darn good to the tournament hosts, who entered the weekendwith a No. 7 ranking.

“Being on the losing end of this game is tough,” said third-year Trojans headcoach Mike Stevens. “But like I said to the guys, they won the silver medal thatnight. It was a chance to earn gold. It didn’t go our way, but we’ve still got to beproud of what we accomplished this year.” ■

by Todd Kimberley


SAIT’s Keenan Milburn fights off the UNBCTimberwolves at the Gold Medal Game of the CCAA

Men’s Basketball National Championships hostedby SAIT Polytechnic. SAIT was defeated but won

the CCAA National silver medal.

L’arche Cake Walkand Lindt ChocolateCompetition –March 14The Tree of Life, oceans deep andtowering city skylines normally conjureup images of a National Geographicspecial, but at SAIT on March 14,these images were all represented incakes and chocolate.

Building the world out of edible puzzlepieces to show cultures uniting is howKalya Richardson interpreted the themeof “celebrating unity”, in this year’sL’arche Cake Walk and Lindt ChocolateCompetition. Not only did Richardsonplace first for her cake in the novicecategory, but competing gave her thechance to plan and prepare an entry fora panel of judges. Giving culinary andpastry students the chance to practicetheir skills and develop their talentsgives them the experience and theconfidence for new challenges oncethey graduate.

Kevin Conniff, Art of Chocolate instructorat SAIT, who took first place in theprofessional competition for hischocolate creation made entirely ofdemo pieces, was proud to guide hisstudents through the process andglad to sharpen hisown skills. Now ifonly the audiencecould participateas tasters.

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CLASSNOTES

Jorel Ray Zielke (Professional Cooking’06) has been the executive chef atAKA Bistro and Wine Bar sinceJuly 4, 2009 when Muse RestaurantCorporation took over.

Terry Groves (Hurst) (Marketing ’03)is now married and has two kidsaged two and three. She is currentlyemployed at Trueman Distributionin Calgary.

Alixes Leeb (Photography Certificate’08) continues to pursue photographyas a hobby. Last year two of herphotos were displayed at the CalgaryStampede and she is hoping to beoffered that opportunity again thisyear. SAIT instructor, George Webberwas a huge inspiration to her. Alixes’main interests lie in developing thephotos and working with black andwhite film. ▼

Elizabeth Maureen White (Nutritionfor Healthy Lifestyles ’07) hasbeen working as a cooking schoolcoordinator at Real CanadianSuperstore for the past 1.5 years.Classes cover all sorts of topicsrelating to cooking for healthylifestyles and are available tothose aged three and up. Visitwww.pccookingschool.ca for moreinformation.

Send your Class Notes to [email protected] or lookfor SAIT Alumni: Virtual Reunion on Facebook

In MemoriamSAIT notes with sorrow thepassing of the following alumniand former students, instructorsand employees, and our thoughtsgo out to their family and friends.

Angela DyckPetroleum LandAdministration ’03

Elgin Ewing Friend of SAIT

Craig GarvinBusiness Administration ’08

Alan GoodwinEmergency MedicalTechnician ’85

Leane GuthrieLegal Assistant ’07

Lloyd JohnsonAir Conditioning andRefrigeration ’65

John LallySAIT Faculty ’05

Bernard MasonDiesel Mechanics ’40

Dale McCaigMechanical Engineering ’70

William NorthcottFriend of SAIT

Ken RabyFormer instructor,Petroleum Engineering

Christopher ‘Roy’ SmithFormer SAIT Structural Designand AutoCad instructor

Tom StadnickiFriend of SAIT

Alfred TaylorFriend of SAIT

Edward ZawalykutContinuing Education ’96

Congratulations toLilian Monsalve (OfficeAssistance ’09) whoresponded to the onlineAlumni LINK magazinereadership survey andwon the prize drawfor a $500 giftcertificate to anyFairmont Hoteland Suites.

Jason Cottier (Paramedic ’89) was indisbelief when he won $15,000 fromTD Insurance Meloche Monnex justfor requesting an insurance quote.Cottier, who currently lives in Linden,Alta, is the second SAIT alumnus towin a prize from Meloche Monnexafter Andrew Stevens, (PetroleumGeophysical Applications Certificate’98) took home $50,000 cashin 2003. ▼

Lone St. Croix, VP Affinity Market Group,TD Insurance Meloche Monnex (right) withan excited Jason Cottier.

Meloche Monnex has been providingSAIT alumni with low group rates onhome and auto insurance sinceMarch 1997.

Meloche Monnex regularly offerscontests for its clients, and in thiscase there was no purchasenecessary.


Interested in volunteering your time with fellow alumni,students and SAIT staff? Email [email protected] to learnmore about these exciting volunteer positions.

SA

IT V

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> Campus tours for theFall Orientation – comeback and take newstudents on a tour ofcampus, share yourwisdom and storieswith first yearstudents.

> Registration supportfor Calaway ParkFamily Fun Day,June 12.

> Campus tours for FallOpen House — come back and help out with various Open House activities such as tours, answering questions, sharingstories, etc.

> If the SAIT float comesto a neighbourhoodnear you, walking theparade route.

Volunteers NeededNominations for2010 DistinguishedAlumnus and OutstandingYoung Alumnus AwardsClose June 30, 2010

Grab your cowboy bootsand hat and join us for thepublic unveiling of the newSAIT parade float. Share inthe excitement by walkingthe parade route with fellowalumni and students.

Date: July 9, 2010Time: 6:00 am – NoonFREE T-Shirt and lunch

If you can comfortably walkfor long distances, [email protected] beforeJune 25.

> Walking Stampede parade with the SAIT float, July 9.

SAIT is proud of the impactalumni make locally, nationally andinternationally. The DistinguishedAlumnus Award was created in 1988to honour SAIT alumni/ae who haveproven leadership skills and whomake an exceptional contributionto business or industry.

The award is presented to analumnus/a who demonstrates:

• Proven leadership skills

• Exceptional achievements inbusiness or industry

• Outstanding contribution to thecommunity

• A history of support for SAIT

The Outstanding Young AlumnusAward is presented annually to aSAIT alumnus/a who has:

• Graduated from SAIT in the last10 years and is 35 years oryounger

• Proven leadership skills

• Exceptional achievements intheir field

• Outstanding contributions tothe community.

To nominate an Outstanding YoungAlumnus or Distinguished Alumnusfor 2010 go to sait.ca/alumni.


GETINVOLVED

REUNIONSThe SAIT Petroleum Engineering Technology program is turning 50!

To celebrate, we’re holding a 50TH Anniversary Reunion and Celebration for all PT alumni, faculty and staff fromthe past 50 years, in April 2011. Mark your calendars! We are trying to find all of our PT alumni so spread theword and have them call 403.284.7040 or email [email protected] to make sure they are on the invitation list.

JUNE12 Family Fun Day at Calaway Park

Location: Calaway Park, Calgary

A fun day for alumni and their immediatefamilies to enjoy. Receive season passes,picnic lunch, face painting, entertainmentand giveaways.

Adults $25Children 13 and under are free.

Event registration openedFriday, April 30 and sellsout very quickly, so buyyour tickets and registeronline at sait.ca/events.

17 Alumni e-LINK NewsletterNewsletter sent to subscriberswith insider updates, behind-the-scenes stories and news oncampus and alumni developments.

To subscribe, send an email [email protected].

JULY1 Canada Day

SAIT Closed

9 Calgary Stampede ParadeBring your family and cheer on SAIT’snew parade float.

MAY20 Graduation Day #1

Location: Jubilee AuditoriumTime: 1:00 pm

• School of Information and Communications Technologies

• MacPhail School of Energy

• School of Manufacturing and Automation

21 Graduation Day #2Location: Jubilee Auditorium

Time: 9:00 am

• School of Construction

• School of Hospitality and Tourism

Time: 1:00 pm

• School of Business

• School of Transportation

24 Victoria Day – SAIT Closed

26 Heritage Hall High TeaThis event by invitation only.

To recognize and thank thegenerous donors to theHeritage Hall Society for theirlegacy gifts to scholarshipsand bursaries, the HeritageHall High Tea is a chance forpast recipients of scholarships and awardsto thank donors and share their stories.Last year guests heard from Buddie Dixon,a student in the Petroleum EngineeringTechnology program who shared his personalstory of how winning an award made thedifference between continuing his educationand having to quit for financial reasons.


September 11, 1986

“SHINERAMA” — SAIT Students Spitand Polish for Cystic Fibrosis ResearchThe WealIn September 1986 — as thousands of college students across Canada were out shining shoes to raisemoney for the Cystic Fibrosis research fund — then Mayor Ralph Klein was polishing up on his cooking.Mayor Klein was on campus to cook pancakes for the event and, together with over 100 volunteersand 500 shiners raised $17,223.23. We’re not sure when the tradition ended, but in the 12 years ofShinerama before this photo was taken, SAIT students had raised over $100,000 towards this worthycause. To see more photos on Shinerama ’86, and tell us your story, visit saitalumnilink.ca.

Photos supplied courtesy of SAIT’s Library Archives. Scott Thompson Photographer.

Each issue, the Alumni LINKwill feature a photograph fromour archives. Browse throughthe Heritage Photo section atsaitalumnilink.ca for a viewinto our past.

FLASHBACK


FIRSTPERSON

in her words…

Susan O’Connor(Respiratory Therapist

’99) is a member ofthe Canadian Olympic

Women’s Curling TeamBernard that won a silver

medal at the Vancouver2010 Winter Games.

Susan works as arespiratory therapist withpatients recovering from

heart surgery at FoothillsHospital in Calgary.

Susan O’ConnorEver since my father introduced me to curling when I was ten years old, it has been alarge part of my life. I played on teams all through elementary and high school. After twoyears studying math and sciences at the University of Calgary, my mom, a lab technician at Rockyview Hospital, told me about respiratory therapy. I applied to the program at SAITand got in. During my first year at SAIT, I continued to curl, but with a practicum and sucha huge class load, I just couldn’t fit it in during my second year. I stepped off the ice toconcentrate on my studies. This break made me realize how much I really loved curling —I missed it and wanted to keep doing it.

My job as a respiratory therapist and curling have complimented each other well — bothare all about teamwork and communication. At the hospital, we’re a team of doctors,nurses, surgeons and therapists. We all have a role to play and we all have tocommunicate to do our jobs well. It’s no different than being on a sports team.

The first time I really believed I could compete at the Olympics was right before the 2002Games. I was on a different team at the time and we were just on the cusp of making thetrials. We were invited to a “last chance” event but that’s as close as we got. We triedto qualify again in 2006, but again, not to be.

Leading up to Vancouver 2010, with Team Bernard, we had a great Olympic trial and thistime we came out on top. I’m not going to say it was fate; I think you make your fate.It was a lot of hard work and we sacrificed a lot to get to the Games.

Our goal in Vancouver was to go out, enjoy it and support each other. Our team mantra was“perspective.” We had trained so hard to make it to the Games, but at the end of the day,no matter what happened we were going to come home to jobs, family and great friends.Winning wasn’t going to make us better people and losing wasn’t going to make us worse.This perspective gave us the freedom to enjoy the experience of competing at the Olympics.

Losing to Sweden in the gold medal game was bitterly disappointing. It was heartbreakingto come so close only to lose in the end. We really wanted to do it for each other, ourfamilies and our friends who supported us for all those years of training. Most of all, wewanted to do it for our country. Standing on the podium after the final, we tried to put on abrave face despite our obvious disappointment. To come off such a tough loss and have6,000 people in the stands giving us a standing ovation and cheering for us was incrediblyuplifting. Although it was hard to be joyous at the time, when we got back we realized justwhat we had accomplished and that our friends, family and all Canadians are proud ofus and our performance at the Games. ■

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