techlife: the sustainability issue v5.2

8/2/2019 techlife: The Sustainability Issue v5.2

1/68

v5.2 201$4.9

people technology innovation

eh eg.

Grmetf trcks

roll intoEdmonton

BoB mclEod takEs

on e f cs

tGhest jbs PrEmiEr of n.W.t.

cElEBratEIts 50th

By sarin yormEmoriEs

p. 3

yor Pat to tE

fc cuf cff

Wy WE cant

avoid a laBor

shrtGe


2/68

MEDICAL IMAGING CONSULTANTS

IS A PROUD PARTNER

IN NAITS COMMITMENT

TO STUDENT SUCCESS


3/68

If my memory serves me correctly, Ibelieve the tuition fee when I registeredin 1974 was $83. My father gaveme a cheque for $150, which coveredtuition and books. So $300 got meinto a lifelong career. What a deal!kim starko

Dental Technology 76

Owner, Inter-Pro Dental Laboratory

Send us your memories long or short,

serious or fun by June 15, 2012.

By email: [email protected]

At techlifemag.ca/nait-memories.htm (login

through Facebook to add your stories or

complete the form on the page)

On Twitter (use the hashtag #NAIT50)

By mail: Sherri Krastel, Editor, techlife magazine

11762 106 Street N.W. Edmonton, AB T5G 2R1

We are also looking for your photos. Mail or email

photos youve taken. Originals will be returned. Digital

images must be photographed or scanned at a high

resolution setting.

Help celebrate

To mark NAITs 50th anniversary, techlife

would like to share memories and stories

from staff and alumni in a commemorative

issue of the magazine this fall and online at

techlifemag.ca. Heres one:

The Ook the original

pictured here became NAITs

mascot in 1964. Ook is short for

Ookpik, the Inuktitut word for

snowy owl.

web extra

Learn more about the

history of the 0ok at

techlifemag.ca/ook.htm.


4/68

table of contents

cover photo

ByBlaise van Malsen

on the cover

3 celebrate NAIs 50th

bySharing Yor Memories

15 Why We cant Avoid a

Labor Shortage

28 Does his Man Have a

Soltion or the il Sands?

38 Bob MLeod akes on ne

o canadas oghest Jobs

remier o N.W..

48 Yor ath to the eret

cp o coee

52 Gormet food rks oll

into dmonton

techlife>contents

technoile

17 How Wold Yo AtomateYor Lie?

House or car? We asked our

readers. Heres how they

voted

18 Are Yo Being Served?How Mark Ryski is working

to make retail and your

shopping experience better

20 K-911Advice or treating canines

and elines at home, and or

when to head to the vet

22 A Sond InvestmentA builder o boutique

loudspeakers sees his eorts

amplied by the Hatch

business competition prize

24 History in 3DHow the Internet is

saeguarding endangered

aspects o Canadas Mtis

past

25 A Virtal ImpressionWhen it comes to interviews,

is Skype as good as the real

thing?

26 Hal a Leage under

the Sea

A Prairie companys radical

contribution to the world o

deep-sea drilling

innovate

28 Baking Big il

Wade Bozak, and smallbusinesses like his, could

prove to be a major partner

in the oil sands industrys

quest to be cleaner

35 Get Serios Abot GamingSta and students create

virtual worlds to teach real

industry skills

PeoPle

36 An Artisti DepartreJason Carters high-fying

career as an artist touches

down at Edmonton

International Airport

38 Northern composreCan Premier Bob McLeod lit

the ortunes o his beloved

but beleaguered Northwest

Territories?

46 he Long Way ArondWarren Steen went to

extraordinary lengths

thousands o kilometres,

by river, road and ice or a

NAIT education

cUlinait

52 Moveable feastsNevin Fenske helps reinvent

roadside cuisine with the

Drit ood truck

56 eipeDrits back bacon & brie

sandwich

4 .


5/68

50 ostardGetting runners high along

the original marathon route

in Greece

59 SpaesOnly NAITs tidiest room

will do or the worlds tiniest

technology

61 5 Waysto Get Involved

With NAI

63 JobDesriptionAutomotive legend Bernie

Fedderlys lie and career onthe racing circuit

65 AlaimAward-winning grads, sta

and riends

66 ewindAn instructor reminisces

about urban wildlie as an

old building makes way or a

new parkade

dePartments

6 contribtors7 ditors Note

8 feedbak

9 connetionswiththe

resident

10 NewsbytesRecent news rom the

institute

11 reviewAn inside look at emerging

innovations

13 eadingoomNAIT sta members

science-ction avourites

15 3 QestionsOur experts ponder the

looming labour shortage

48 Ask an xpertTake your love o coee to

new (caeine) heights with

roaster Dominic Ries

Whats neW at

techliemag.caMsi Man

DJ Holger Petersen captures the

voices o roots and blues in his new

book Talking Music

techlifemag.ca/holger-petersen-

talking-music.htm

Jst Like Mom

Watch celeb che Corbin

Tomaszeski make chicken dumpling

soup, with moms help

techlifemag.ca/chicken-dumpling-

soup.htm

Gardens in the Sky

NAIT research shows green

roos can work in the harshest o

environments: urban Edmonton

techlifemag.ca/green-roof.htm

Game n

Programmer Justin Jamess

homemade video game got him

where he is today

techlifemag.ca/goobers-video-

game.htm

calling all Shtterbgs

How Greg Schurman creates

award-winning artistic photographstechlifemag.ca/greg-schurman.htm

Solar Aspirations

Cliton Lothaug shines a light

on the potential o photovoltaic

technology

techlifemag.ca/solar-power.htm

Scan this QR code to

connect to tehliemag.a.

Accompanying some o this

issues stories are bar codes

that connect you to our online

content. All you need is a

QR code reader; download

one or ree rom your

smartphones app store. Then,

use it to scan the codes ound

throughout the magazine.

v5.2 2012 5


6/68

contributors

techlifev5.2 2012

people technology innovation

eheg.editor

Sherri Krastel

managing editor

Kristen Vernon

associate and online editor

Scott Messenger

art director

Derek Lue

associate art director

Andrea Yury

designers

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

copy editor

Kathy Frazer

circulation manager

Nicole Rose (Marketing 08)

advertising manager

Lynn Ryan

contributing writers

Eliza Barlow, Fiona Bensler, Tracy Hyatt, Ruth Juliebo, FrankLandry, Lindsey Norris, Don Trembath (Civil EngineeringTechnology 83)

contributing photographers

Brandon Baker, John Book (Photographic Technology 87),Leigh Frey (Photographic Technology 01), Jeanette Janzen(Photographic Technology 10), Pat Kane, Jason Ness(Photographic Technology 00), Blaise van Malsen

contributing illustrator

Rod Michalchuk

subscriptions

Send changes o address to [email protected].

Sign up or the techliemag.ca e-newsletter attechliemag.ca/subscribe.htm.

freelance submissions

Send queries to [email protected]. We do not acceptunsolicited manuscripts.

letters to the editor

[email protected]

advertising and circulation inquiries

[email protected]

Techlife magazine is published twice a year by NAITMarketing and Communications. Online eatures arepublished regularly at techliemag.ca. Opinions expressedare not necessarily those o NAIT or the editorial team.

Techlife is a proud member o the Alberta MagazinePublishers Association, abiding by the national magazineadvertising/editorial guidelines (albertamagazines.com).

PAGEfCve, 48 & 52

In addition to handling other stories in this issue,

Andrea Yry took particular pleasure in designing Brew

the Perect Cup o Joe. The smell o coee is what gets

techlifes associate art director out o bed that and her

love o working at NAIT. We have a talented team o

writers, designers and photographers, she says. Now i

only we had our own barista! When not helping to tell

inspiring NAIT stories, Yury can be ound walking her dog

in the river valley or smelling reshly roasted coee beans

at local armers markets. She has a bachelor o design

rom Emily Carr University o Art and Design.

PAGEf38

at Kane, whose work appears in ourprole o Northwest

Territories premier and alum Bob McLeod, specializes in

photographing people, culture and liestyle in Canadas

Arctic. Sta photographer and photo editor or Up Here

magazine, Kane has also shot or Macleans, The Globe

and Mail and Canadian Business. Hes based in Yellowknie,

N.W.T.

PAGEf10,11 & 22

frank Landry likes to write compelling stories. He

worked as a reporter at major newspapers in Alberta and

Manitoba or more than a decade, specializing in political

coverage, interviewing mayors, premiers and prime

ministers. He came to NAIT in 2011 as a media relations

specialist. In that role, and as a regular contributor to

techlife, Landry has plenty o opportunities to talk to

people who are making a dierence and excelling in their

elds. He loves sharing those stories.

PAGEf 36,50 & 63

Don rembath (Civil Engineering Technology 83) is an

award-winning author o 12 young adult novels, including

The Tuesday Cafe, Rooster and The Bachelors. Currently he is

a Continuing Education instructor at the JR Shaw School

o Business. In this issue, Trembath covered art, athletics

and mechanics. The three people I talked to impressed

me with what theyve done, and continue to do, sincegraduating and they all credit NAIT or setting them

o on the right oot, he says. His work has appeared in

Canadian Living, Todays Parent and The Edmonton Journal.

6 .


7/68

eDitors no

Sherri Krastel

Editor

[email protected]

amidst all the attention and scrutiny given to the

uture o the Alberta oil sands, opportunity has emerged.

The challenge to develop and market a solution to

address the industrys waste and secure the long-term

environmental and economic sustainability o the

massive resource is at the heart o our cover story

(Backing Big Oil, p. 28), which looks at the role o smallbusiness in working with the big players.

Startup entrepreneur and inventor Wade Bozak

(Civil Engineering Technology 93) believes the

technology developed by his company RJ Oil Sands

Inc. which uses no chemicals, no heat and no power

other than electricity to separate hydrocarbons rom

wastewater could be a game-changer in the drive

or innovation.

Further north, the sustainability o one o the

countrys least-populated jurisdictions weighs heavily

on the mind o Bob McLeod (Management 74). As

the new premier o Northwest Territories, McLeod has

committed himsel to the task o gaining control over

the territorys natural resources including the lucrative

diamond mining industry to bring independence and

economic prosperity to the regions 44,000 residents

(p. 38).

Sustainability, however, is not only about

environmental and economic health; it is also about

supporting the health and diversity o communities.

Retired senator Thelma Chalioux is ocused on the

long-term uture o Mtis history and the almost-extinct

Michi language. Chalioux, an elder-in-residence at

the NAIT Encana Aboriginal Student Centre, is working

with NAIT business incubator client Avatar Media to

bring history to lie with a virtual museum, which, when

complete, will allow visitors to hear the Michi language

spoken and examine documents and artiacts in 3D

(p. 24).

At techlife, we celebrate 50 years o NAITs rolein helping sustain the Alberta economy. Since our

rst class began in 1962, we have graduated 172,000

students who have made many contributions in the

province and beyond. Although we have shared many

o these stories, we know there are many more we

never hear about.

Our next issue, in the all o 2012, will be dedicated

to the past ve decades, and we are looking or your

memories and photos to include in these pages and

online at techliemag.ca see page 3 or details on how

you can contribute. Well also announce the results o

the search or our Top 50 Alumni. Its an impressive list.

Until then, enjoy your summer.

Necessityis thEmothEr of

invEntion.

TECHLIFEAWADD

canadian counil o

dvann o eduaion

Grand Gold, Writing

(Caliornia Dreamin, V5.1)

Gold, Individual Illustrations

(Your House and the Rising

Sun, V5.1)

Silver, Photography and

Illustration (Prole o a

Master, V4.2)

Silver, Writing (Glenn

Felthams New Assignment,

V4.2)

Bronze, Individual

Illustrations (Plug Your Ears,

V4.2)

PLATO

v5.2 2012 7


8/68

feeDbacK

after each issue o techlife, we ask readers to tell us what they thought o the

magazine by taking our readership survey. Following our last issue, 175 shared their

thoughts. Heres what we heard.

Heres wHat you tHiNk about us we waNt to Hear rom yout u w yu k bu

yu

z ..

H h n h :

el: @. hlg. ( by

u bk)

t: @nait

: .n./

ml: s K

e, techlife z

11762 106 s. n.W.

e, aB t5g 2r1

Published comments may be edited or length,grammar and clarity.

For more information:

Department of Advancement

780.471.8800

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

www.nait.ca

A bequest is a thoughtful, practical way to make a real impact. Its

a lasting contribution that allows you to give beyond your lifetime.

Bequests to NAIT support students and have enabled hundreds

to receive the nancial support they need to complete their studies.

Your bequest could:

establish a student scholarship in your name

purchase equipment that enables hands-on learning

fund applied research

YourGIT Can

CANGthe Future

Charitable Registration Number: 10778 1205 RR0001

95% agreed techlife is a good source

o inormation about NAIT activitiesand priorities

94% agreed techlife makes them

proud to be associated with NAIT

92% agreed techlife makes them eel

more connected to NAIT

87% agreed techlife improves their

opinion o NAIT

O the articles we asked about, these

were the ve most-read in the 2011 all

issue, in descending order:

the l f chege (p. 54)

c de (p. 40)

suh e egh (p. 63)

the e Pepe P (p. 32)

nuue yu ne Egg (p. 50)

Missed these stories? Find these articles

and more online at techliemag.ca.

take our readersHip survey

Scan this QR code to

take our readership

survey or visit

techlifemag.ca/

survey.htm .

Need a QR code reader?

See p. 5.

Last issue, we asked readers to share their avourite

holiday decorating tips at liag.a/

oliday-do. or a chance to win the plansto build a pair o wooden reindeer. The winner

was caolin Wal, a stock keeper with the

NAIT Automotive Service Technician program.

We also asked readers to name the game

developed by Bitshit Games (eatured on p. 32)

or a chance to win the books eatured on p. 13.

klvin ba, rnia lon (Bachelor o Business

Administration student, Accounting 10), aalya

Winners

bl-sg and roland Goa correctly

named the mobile game app Super Punch.

In December, techliemag.ca asked readers to name

Holger Petersens (Radio and Television Arts 70) CKUA

radio show Natchl Blues or a chance to win his new

book, Talking Music. The winner was bill Wi.

8 .


9/68

has been extensive, with town halls, surveys and engagement events

that have involved roughly 2,500 participants.

So where is this direction pointing us? Over the next decade

and over our next 50 years expect NAIT to be transormed. Our

programs will evolve, our enrolment will grow, and our campus will

expand. Regardless, we will remain true to ourselves and our past as a

polytechnic. We will honour the NAIT Way. The uture will bring new

milestones. Our touchstone, however, will remain the same: we will be

relevant and responsive to the needs o industry and business, and will

be driven by our commitment to the province o Alberta.

Glenn Feltham, PhD

President and CEO

[email protected]

its hard to believe a year has passed since I became president and

CEO o NAIT. I have enjoyed every minute o every day. What an

amazing institution.

My introduction to NAIT was a truly hands-on experience. I visited

35 programs across our schools and took part in training in each one

I learned as our students learn. I extracted DNA rom a banana, tried

my hand at welding, anchored a newscast and much more. Overall,

it was a nine-week dash through the vast diversity and depth o our

programming. What better way could there be to get to know NAIT?

During that time, I discovered that NAIT is an outstanding

polytechnic, with a sharp ocus and a close relationship with industry

that dierentiates us rom universities and colleges. And I discovered

what we call the NAIT Way. You can see it in the passion o our students

and sta members, and in the pride we take in the unique way we serve

this province.

Now, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary and our rich history o

accomplishment were prepared to build on our proud heritage.

Over the past ew months, weve come together to set the direction

or the institute. This has involved our Board o Governors, our sta and

students, and the external community, including alumni. Consultation

connections WitH tHe PresiDe

tHe Nait way

web exa

Watch Dr. Felthams hands-

on introduction to NAIT.

Scan this QR code or visit

www.nait.ca/project-

president.


See p. 5.

v5.2 2012 9


10/68

with smartphones based on

Googles ast-rising Android

operating system dominating

global sales, NAIT is now

training developers to build

Android apps. Launched in

March, the Android Developer

BUild an aNdroid app

nait has been named one o Albertas Top 55

Employers or 2012.

The designation was based on a number

o actors, including NAITs commitment to

employee proessional development, amily lie

and retirement planning.

I am proud o this recognition because it

refects what NAIT is, and what matters, says

the marvellously moustached

Massimo Capra visited NAIT inMarch as the Hokanson Che in

Residence, sharing his talents

and ebullience with the institute

and local culinary community.

Besides being an award-winning

cookbook author, the Italian-

born che is a successul Toronto

restaurateur and a xture on the

Food Network making him a

great addition to this program,

says Perry Michetti, associate

dean o the School o Hospitalityand Culinary Arts. Established in

2009 with a $1-million donation

rom John and Susan Hokanson,

the annual program provides

students and local proessionals

a rare opportunity to learn rst-

hand rom the worlds best ches.

Scott Messenger

mangia With

massimo

web exa

Scan this QR code or

coverage o Massimo Capras

week as Hokanson Che in

Residence, including video

and a recipe, or visit

techlifemag.ca/

massimo-capra.htm.


See p. 5.

certicate is a rst in Alberta.

Students learn programming

undamentals, design strategies

or mobile devices, Java and

Android undamentals and more,

and by the end o the eight-

course program will be able to

create apps or all types o Android

devices. The introduction o the

program comes one year ater

NAIT launched its popular Apple

iPhone/iPad Developer certicate

program.

Kristen Vernon

the jr shawschool of business has a new dean

and an expanded capacity or applied research.

Dr. Neil Fassina, dean, wants the school to

be recognized or its premier student experience

and connections to the community. I believe

strongly that business school curriculum needsto be innovative and relevant or our students

and the community employing our graduates,

he says. Previously head o the Department o

Business Administration at the University o

Manitoba, Fassina holds a PhD in organizational

behaviour and human resources management.

Applied research, meanwhile, gets a boost

with the introduction o NAITs rst-ever JR

Shaw Applied Research Chair in Sustainable

Economic Development. Dr. Aarti Sharma brings

her multinational background on sustainable

development to this position. One o her research

projects investigates how environmental, social and

technological innovations undertaken by multinational

corporations can help in the sustainable developmento India. She is also engaging with the Alberta

government and business agencies and initiating

research on sustainable economic development.

As well, Dr. Krista Uggerslev has been appointed

as an applied research ellow another rst or NAITs

business school. Her research explores the actors

behind Canadas growing skilled labour shortage.

Kathy Frazer

topWorKPlace

neWsbytes

neW faces in BUsiness

l,

d. k

uggl,

d. a

sh

n d. Nl

n.

NAIT president and CEO Dr. Glenn Feltham. NAIT

is a truly outstanding workplace.

Albertas Top Employers is an annual competition

that recognizes employers that

oer exceptional places to work. Its

organized by the editors o Canadas

Top 100 Employers. NAIT last made

the top employers list in 2008.

Frank Landry

10 .10 .


11/68

an inside looKat emerging innovations at nait

say cheese! Artisanal cheese, that is.

While making cheese, including Gouda, brie and eta, has long been

a small part o the Culinary Arts program, the acquisition o a 200-litre

cheese vat means NAIT can expand its cheese-making curriculum. Its a

move that positions the institute to become a leader in teaching the art

o making artisanal cheeses, which are typically made in small batches

with limited automation.

Instructor Alan Roote, who says there is a shortage o skilled cheese

makers throughout the west, notes that the new equipment simplies

craft cheeses

edmontonians interested in

installing solar modules will

soon have real-time inormation

to help guide their decision.

A new study on NAITs Main

Campus is investigating the

technologys perormance in a

city with short winter days and

oten heavy snowalls.

Since late March, with

support rom the City

o Edmonton, which has

committed $25,000 to the

project (matched by NAIT), and

Howell Mayhew Engineering,

NAITs Alternative Energy

Technology program has been

solar Meter readermeasuring electricity generated

rom six pairs o modules set at

dierent angles, with just one o

each pair being cleared o snow.

City o Edmonton project

manager Barbara Daly sees

the value o the data in its

specicity to the region and

its accessibility. The data

will be available to anybody,

says Daly, rom the citys and

NAITs websites throughout

the study, which will continue

or ve years, collecting data

year-round.

Fiona Bensler

soon, alberta avenue (118 avenue), one o Edmontons most economically

and socially troubled neighbourhoods, could be one o the citys most

vibrant shopping and business districts, thanks to revitalization eorts

that are breathing new lie into the east-end community.

Now a NAIT student group has a plan to help carry that momentum

orward.

Students in Free Enterprise NAIT a business club that is part o

a global network is connecting the districts owners o small- and

medium-sized businesses with the resources they need to continue

to succeed. The project is called Live Up and includes workshops

this spring. The ocus o the sessions will be determined ollowing

community consultations, but could include help with hiring, store

design, business planning, accounting, and even dealing with grati

and prostitution.

Joachim Holtz, executive director o the Alberta Avenue Business

Association, sees a lot o potential in the project, but says the critical

rst step will be getting buy-in rom business owners. Ultimately, he

says, arming these individuals with more knowledge could help their

businesses grow.

F.L.

illUstratio

nbyroDmichalchUk

Previ

avenue Boosters

parts o the cheese-making process. The vat was purchased with

grants totaling $60,000 rom the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency,

Alberta Milk and novaNAIT NAITs centre or applied research and

technology transer.

Alberta Milks Melinda Falkenberg-Poetz says NAIT is the

only institute west o Manitoba to oer a cheese-making course.

The program, she says, will help build Albertas artisanal cheese market.

Frank Landry

v5.2 2012 11


12/68

12 .

Alumni Award of Distinction

Honouring NAIT Alumni who have

earned proessional prominence and

have contributed signifcant service to

NAIT or the community.

Spirit of NAIT Alumni Award

Recognizes remarkable achievements

earned by a NAIT Alum within 12 years

o graduation.

CALL FOR

NOMINATIONSDO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED?

For more inormation visit

www.nait.ca/alumniawards

or contact us at [email protected]

or call 780.471.8539.

nomination deadline is december 31st

2010 SPIRIT OF

NAIT ALUMNI AWARD

Rosalyn (Rose)

Naqvi-Parasynchuk

Bachelor o

Applied BusinessAdministration

Accounting 03

BusinessAdministration

Accounting 99

NAIT Alumni Recognition Awards celebrate the outstanding professional

accomplishments and community contributions of NAIT grads.

An InstItute of technology commItted to student success

NAIT Continuing Education focuses on industry-driven education that

provides a competitive advantage when it comes to earning power or

second career choices. Professional development starts with building

new skills that set you on the path to advancement.

NAITs exible learning options allow you to t classes around your

personal or professional commitments.

Business Degrees, Diploma and Certicates

Trades & Technology

Health & Safety

Digital Media & IT

Culinary & Hospitality

General Interest

educAtIon for the reAl World

Improve your

eArnIng potentIAl.

Call 780.471.6248 or

visit www.nait.ca/ConEd


13/68

reaDing ro

J. mhl c

e iu

. . .

The Chrysalids

by J Wy

Written in 1955, The Chrysalids

is an engaging, post-apocalyptic,

coming-o-age story. Set in some

distant uture, the Tribulations

has rendered Labrador one o the

ew remaining habitable portions

o North America. With only

two months o winter, horse and

steam power supports subsistence

agriculture. A orm o Christian

undamentalism provides the

sparsely distributed population with

a ramework or the acceptance or

rejection o plant, animal and human

lie that continues to be wrought by

the ater-eects o the Tribulations.

Against this backdrop, Wyndham

explores the question o what it is

that denes our humanity.[Carricks top suggestion is the

ve-novel series Canopus in Argos:

Archives by Nobel Prize-winning

author Doris Lessing. Its the richest

description of the human experience

Ive read, he says. But given that

youre not likely to nd it in a bookstore

or library, we asked for a second

recommendation.Ed.]

J dl

t hp dk ay

. . .

enders GameanD speaker

for The dead

by o s c

There are so many good reads (Snow

Crash, Neuromancer , Foundation, The

Andromeda Strain, Dune, Fahrenheit

451 and anything by Philip K. Dick),

but i I could only pick one, well,

it would actually be two Enders

Game and Speaker for the Dead, the

rst two books in the Ender series.

The series starts with humanity

ghting an alien race with

government-bred child geniuses

trained as soldiers, including

Ender Wiggin, raising issues

around child psychology, warare,

politics, morality and xenocide. It

continues in the more serious and

philosophical Speaker for the Dead

with Ender, now the Speaker orthe Dead, travelling the universe to

speak the truth about the lives o the

recently deceased.

Theres a reason why Card won a

Nebula Award, given by the Science

Fiction and Fantasy Writers o

America, and a Hugo Award, given

by the World Science Fiction Society,

or both these books.

d. J Gn

a c ny

sy

. . .

The hiTChhikers Guide To

The Galaxyseries

by du a

The books ollow a regular Brit

named Arthur Dent, who unwillingly

ends up on an interstellar adventure

with a bizarre cast o characters

ater he escapes a doomed Earth,

which was destroyed to make way

or a galactic reeway.

The series is rich in dry British

humour, and I laughed out loud on

more than one occasion. Its a nice

light read that captures the un and

imagination o science ction. A

quote I remember vividly: It is a

mistake to think you can solve any

major problems just with potatoes.

sci-i

masterPieces

s yu juy

w u.

web exa

Scan this QR code or visit

techlifemag.ca/sci-fi.htm

to add your suggested sci-i readings.

Need a QR code reader? See p. 5.

v5.2 2012 13


14/68

www.sherritt.com/careers

Sherritt International Corporation is a diversifed natural resourcecompany that oers a wide variety o rewarding career opportunitiesacross its operations and projects both in Canada and internationally.

Sherritt is a world leader in the mining andrefining of nickel from lateritic ores, withprojects and operations in Canada, Cuba,Indonesia and Madagascar. It is also the

largest thermal coal producer in Canadaand the largest independent energyproducer in Cuba.

In addition to competitive total rewards andsupport for career growth, Sherritt offersemployees:

Diverse Opportunities A Culture of Collaboration and Innovation A Responsible Future

EMPOWER YOUR POTENTIALDiverse, Local and Global Careers at Sherritt

Corporate Oil & Gas

Power

Technologies

CoalMetals


15/68

thE lAbour sHortaGeW p g ab p

uy 114,000 k wk by 2021, w k bu

w w .

do yo BEliEvE a

laBor sortaE

is avoidaBlE?

oW Wold

yo dEscriBE

tE imPact of a

laBor sortaE

on yor Work?

Wy?

3 questio

It has set the trajectory o my work. I have always been a recruitment

and retention researcher. But the shortage is helping to ocus my eorts

towards what we can do to recruit people to our city, our province and to

this country and then retain them.

No.

We have the silver wave retiring, ewer youth, lower than replacement-level birth rates and

slowed growth in the size o our working-age population. Within Alberta specically, we have

massive economic expansion. A lot o it is driven by the oil and gas sector, but a cascading

eect broadens out rom that. As the price o oil and gas goes up, those companies have more

money. They expand. With that, they need more oce buildings and work sites. You need

construction workers to build those. They need places to live, so we need houses. They have

disposable income, so now we need additional services and we need people to oer those

services. As we do well in one area, it really ripples out into others.

Web Exa

What can we do

about the shortage?

Find out Dr. Krista

Uggerslevs thoughts in

an extended interview

at techlifemag.ca/

labour-shortage.htm.

With a labour shortage our ability to complete our existing projects and

take on new work becomes much harder. There are currently not enough

people available to ll our open positions as it is. A labour shortage also

places a greater demand on our recruiting team and our overall operations.

On the upside, this shortall is a huge opportunity or new graduates,

trainees and people looking to change their career path.

I dont believe a labour shortage is avoidable in the short term.

Currently, there are so many projects ramping up in Western Canada, with more to come in

the next ew years. Were already eeling the eects due to the large amount o retirees.

Its restricting our ability to grow. And growth is everything in business.

No. Not in Alberta, anyway.

The pool o workers just isnt large enough. Organizations are ring on all cylinders. A lot o

that is driven by the oil sands industry and oil and gas in general. At the same time, were

not leveraging the available workorce. Theres an ongoing conversation about not utilizing

aboriginal people as best we can and also about underemployed women that with the

right things in place, whether its childcare or extended school-hour care could be doing

more productive and satisying things than working in retail or minimum wage. And thenthere are immigrating people who are underemployed as well.

Pjee bu e ee

b 2021 (we): 607,000

We expee j we

b 2021: 492,000

aege u gwh e (dP): 3.1%

Source:Albertas Occupational Demand and Supply

Outlook 2011-2021, Government o Alberta

114K

a bai (elial engining tnology 88)

pidn, Willia engining canada In.

bill pan, Vi pidn o eloy rlaion, Ldo

. kia gglv, lid ra fllow

jr saw sool o buin

v5.2 2012 15


16/68

16 .

BALANCEsustainable economic development: its a complex balance

between business profitability, environmental health andthe needs of a growing, diverse society.

Its a topic of particular interest to Dr. Aarti Sharma, the

JR Shaw Applied Research Chair in Sustainable Economic

Development. In collaboration with NAIT faculty, local

organizations and businesses across the region, Dr. Sharma

will advance understanding of sustainability principles and

facilitate strategies that put these principles into action.

STRIKING A

Contact Dr. Sharma to discuss your ideas:

Phone: 780.491.3971 | Email: [email protected]

DR. AARTI SHARMA

JR Shaw Applied

Research Chair

in Sustainable

Economic

Development

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS | www.nait.ca11762 - 106 Street nw, Edmonton, Alberta, Canadat5g 2r1

alexandria mah works full-timeas a Revenue Canada auditor, plays

intercollegiate soccer for the NAIT Ooks, and is pursuing both a degree and

a CGA credential. She needed a degree program that delivered exibility

and results and found it in NAITs Bachelor of Business Administration.

The BBA builds on Alexandrias previous JR Shaw School of Business

diploma, allowing her to nish quickly and work toward her accounting

designation at the same time. And the choice of full-time, part-time

and online course options means she can tailor her studies to t

her busy schedule.

Find out what NAITs BBA can deliver for you.

Learn more: www.nait.ca/alex

Apply now | www.nait.ca/bba

EDUCATION FOR THE REAL WORLD

THE DEGREETHAT DELIVERSBBA: ALEXANDRIA MAHAuditor, Revenue CanadaBBA PART-TIME STUDENT

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

11762 - 106 Street nw, Edmonton, Alberta, Canadat5g 2r1


17/68

tecHnofi

v5.2 2012 17

hoW WoUld YoUautoMate your life?

e y, . k yu w

w yu u yu yu . t jy yu,

u u, wu b ppy Jetsons-k , bu yu

y b p - . h w yu . Kristen Vernon

most of you would choose some level o automation in your

dream home. A sign, perhaps, that advances in technology and

the many options oered by smart home, technology, cable, home

theatre and home security companies are moving home automation

out o the realm o the do-it-yourseler and the ber-rich and into

the mainstream.

You want to automate your lights, thermostat, blinds, security

and doors, appliances, audio and video. You want these devices to

communicate with one another. And you want control rom your

computer, smartphone or tablet.

In place o an alarm clock, you want your bedroom drapes to open

and music to ll your room. As you leave or work, youd like the lights

and radio to shut o and the temperature in the house to drop. You

want to open your door remotely or your children. The possibilities

go on and how you automate your home is up to you.By 2016, you might well be one o the 10 million homeowners

worldwide, up rom 513,000 in 2010, who ABI Research orecasts

will have a home automation service provided by a home security

company.

perhaps its the lack of options on the road today or maybe

you just like being in control or enjoy being behind the wheel, but

the sel-driving (or sel-parking) car doesnt top the automation

must-have list or many.

That said, 16 per cent o you want a car that does at least

some o the work or you. Youve seen ootage o Googles

driverless cars, which as o March 2011 had travelled more than

225,000 kilometres using cameras, radar sensors, a laser range

nder and maps to navigate. And then there are the sel-driving

concept cars, most recently Toyotas Fun Vii and Nissans Pivo

3, which were on display at the Tokyo Motor Show in December.

While youre eager or a driverless car to show up at a dealership

near you, theres no word on when that might happen. (Besides,

the only jurisdiction to expressly sanction driverless cars is the

state o Nevada.)But that doesnt mean there arent options or making your

ride more automated and youre ready to consider them.

Like the Volvo XC60, which will automatically brake to avoid

a collision in slow moving city trac. Or Fords Active Park

Assist, which will allow your vehicle to parallel park itsel (with

little input rom you). Ater all, the companies behind these

technologies want to help reduce trac accident atalities and

thats a mission you can get behind.Web ExaScan this QR code or visit

techlifemag.ca/automation-poll.htm

to continue the debate online.

Need a QR code reader? See p. 5.

84% 16%

[gaDgets]


18/68

culinaitPeoPlePeoPlennovatennovatetecHnofile

has this happened to you? You visit a store looking or something specic, cant nd it, search or sta to

help, cant nd anyone, so you leave unsatised. That scenario partly explains Mark Ryskis success with

HeadCount, a company that quanties customer service to allow retailers to capitalize on trac. Last

summer the CEO (Marketing 88) released his second book on the subject, Conversion: The Last Great Retail

Metric.

While his rst, 2005s When Retail Customers Count, rmly staked the Edmonton-based companys claim

on the eld o in-store data gathering and analysis, Ryskis latest tailors the message to C-suite execs o the

worlds biggest retailers. Since landing heavyweights including London Drugs, Jysk and HMV Canada, Ryskis

customer counting technology has positioned HeadCount as an international concern and as the authority

on the science that could improve the retail experience in your avourite stores.

Scott Messenger

a, m r,

n n ceo

Hcn, n

enn-

n h

n

f l

.served?are YoU Being

18 .


19/68

WHA IS cNVSIN AND WHY IS I IMAN AILS?

mark ryski: Conversion measures the number o people that buy

compared to those that visit. Without understanding conversion, a

retailer can understand that sales are going up or down, but they dont

know relative to what.

WHA cAN AILS D WIH HIS DAA?

mr: The very rst thing is align sta resources to trac [patterns].

Number 2 is setting targets. Its not a matter o tackling people in the

aisle . . . its just a matter o knowing that every person who comes in the

store counts.

I cAN HINK f MANY H cS WH WI A BK

AS A MAKING SAGY.

mr: You have to be pretty delusional or desperate. [laughs] It wasnt

just a marketing strategy. It was to acquire clients and engage at the

C-level, but [it was also meant] as a guide to go down the organization

. . . ultimately to give store managers a way to understand this. The

only downside is you have to actually write a book. [laughs] It is a

painul process.

WH DID H cV cNc cM fM?

mr: The last great retail metric was the theme that we played on so

whats last? Whats great? We got to this notion o a great work o art

and [wondered] how that ties into shopping? A group o designers came

up with Michelangelos David holding a shopping bag.

I loved it. [But] the rst interpretation was ull monty. I said, Im going to

tell you or ree that the CEO o Lowes Home Improvement in Mooresville,

North Carolina is not going to get that.

WHA A cuN MIcS SAYING ABu H INDuSY?

mr: Generally, retailers are having a hard time getting shoppers into

their stores. Conversion rates arent really going through the roo either.

Retailers are doing OK, but . . . theres still a certain amount o ragility in

the economy.

AND WHA D HY SAY ABu H IMANc f

cuSM SVIc?

mr: Its never been more important. The challenge is that nobody

really knows what it means anymore . . . . I notice a big dierence in

the customer service experience in the United States versus Canada.

Oten, it tends to be better in the U.S. It could have something to do with

assertiveness to acilitate the sale.

WHA KS Yu NGAGD WIH HIS?

mr: Its a undamental belie in what these basic metrics can mean to

a company and [how they can] help it transorm. When I see so many

retailers that dont do this, I just get excited about the possibility.

HINK YuLL WI ANH BK N HIS?

mr: Ive outlined my third one. Its like some orm o addiction!

v5.2 2012 19

chris kirstiuk enjoys the challenge of a demanding work environment, where

he manages projects, plans and people. His Bachelor of Technology in

Technology Management degree, earned just two years after his

diploma in Civil Engineering Technology, gives him the combination

of technical expertise, managerial skills and condence he needs

to be effective on the job.

Chris earned his BTech degree via evening and online classes,

so his studies enhanced, rather than interrupted, his career.

BTech: its a great t for a career thats going places.

Where are you headed?

Learn more: www.nait.ca/chris

BTec:THE DEGREEWITH DIRECTION

Chris KirstiuKGeneral Supervisor,Open Cut Construction

City of Edmonton

Bacelo of

tecnology, 2011

EDuCaTION fOR ThE REal WORlD

appy now | www.nit.c/btec

AN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS | TOLL FREE 1.877.333.624811762 - 106 Street nw, Edmonton, Alberta, Canadat5g 2r1


20/68

20 .

tecHnofile

20 .

k-911

[HoW to]

i b. myb w k bu u w .

o pp uy b qub . a

p yu p w ppb ub. d. Jy ,

nait a h ty p, p w b

k , w u b p. (W ub,

u, w .)

Lindsey Norris


21/68

v5.2 2012 21v5.2 2012 21

DIGSIV uBLS

DIY: Its airly common or pets to get into things

they shouldnt eat, says Dr. Jocelyn Forseille. I an

animal is vomiting or has diarrhea but is alert and

not acting ill, take away ood and water or six hours

and monitor them. I the symptoms stop, you can

slowly reintroduce water and ood. (This approach

is not recommended or puppies or kittens.)

See the vet: I a pet is repeatedly retching or has

a distended stomach, that may indicate a

twisted stomach (known as torsion).

Also, i an animal is straining to urinate,

they need a vet.

Su H LMNS

DIY: In Alberta, rostbite can be a concern

or animals (they may lose the tips o their

ears to the problem). Here, the only home

remedy is a proactive one: when its cold, bring your

animals indoors. At the other end o the thermostat,

i you suspect an animal is in the early stages o

overheating i its just panting heavily try cooling

the animal with a hose or cold towel.

See the vet: I an animal is not only panting heavily,

but is distracted and doesnt respond to its name,

and is unable to stand, take it to a clinic immediately.

You usually know rom early signs: the animal is

panting, theyve been in a hot environment, and they

will go on to collapse pretty quickly, Forseille says.

be PrePareDi guze ubbg h, hee e ew hg, be

ug , e e, pe e, u u we-e :

se u or contact lenses to

fush wounds or eyes

sp pwe, a clotting agent thats

useul i you cut a toenail too short

kpee, a chalky liquid that coats

the stomach and can help reduce

vomiting and diarrhea

sge to give water orally or fush

a wound

Phe, which can be used as a

tourniquet or to muzzle an animalthat is in pain and doesnt want to be

picked up

, or motion sickness: 25 mg or

small dogs, 50 mg or large dogs, 15

mg or cats. May be repeated every

eight hours

Y IIAIN

DIY: Many people allow their animals to hang

their heads out o car windows to enjoy the breeze.

However, this can lead to an eye irritation. I your pet

begins to squint or rub at its eye, you can try fushing

it with saline solution rom the drug store.

See the vet: I the animal continues to squint ater

the eye is fushed, its time to see a vet. You dont

want to mess around because they could lose sight

in the eye, Forseille says.

MIN WuNDS

DIY: Many minor cuts and scrapes can be handled at

home with disinectant soap, such as chlorhexidine

or Betadine, and sterile gauze bandages.

See the vet: I you apply pressure to a wound and

it doesnt stop bleeding within ve minutes, seek

proessional help.

ALLGIS

DIY: Forseille says that or people, allergies tend to

maniest in the respiratory system. For dogs and cats,

allergies are more likely to appear as a skin issue. So

i your pet develops an itchy rash, try applying a cold

compress or calamine lotion.

See the vet: Most over-the-counter medications are

not very potent, so home measures may not relieve

your pets discomort.


22/68

james osualdini built his rst speaker in high school shop class ater

reading a book called The Audiophile Loudspeaker Anyone Can Build.Today, hes the 28-year-old president and CEO o Adsum Audio, which

manuactures and distributes high-quality loudspeakers.

We combine high-end parts with unique designs, he says. The

result is speakers that are not only amazing to listen to, but also great

to look at.

For his eorts, Osualdinis company won NAITs third annual Hatch

business plan competition in February. Open to students and recent

graduates, the competition is run jointly by NAIT, the business club

Students in Free Enterprise NAIT and the Youth Technopreneurship

Program at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, part o the

Government o Albertas research and innovation system.

The prize includes $20,000 to help Adsum Audio urther its

business plan, as well as one year o oce space in NAIT business

incubator the Duncan McNeill Centre or Innovation, with ull access

to the acilitys amenities and experts.

Thats the biggest thing: being able to work with these people,

says Osualdini, who graduated rom NAITs Electronics Engineering

Technology program in 2011. They can guide us in the right direction

and tell us what to do and what not to do. Thats invaluable.

The company currently has two models: The Detonator, a cube-

like bookshel unit, and The Ivan, a powered sub-wooer. A pair o

Detonators starts at about $750.

Dea Emberg, NAIT research ocer or student projects, says

next steps or the company include ramping up marketing eorts

and production. Adsum Audio plans to sell units through its website,

adsumaudio.com, and in select audio stores.

Frank Landry

a soUndinvestMent

a a n n ceo J oln h k rll,

al inn - thnlg , h n

q l. a h n Hh z nn.

tecHnofile

22 .22 .

Education for thE rEal World

Learn more atnait.ca/nsmcphone 780.471.7733

transformyourcorporatE training programThe NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre provides Alberta industries

with productivity solutions to improve business processes, using

both time-tested and innovative technology, manufacturing

expertise, and practical education.

NAIT Productivity Enhancement Services offers more than 13

certicate programs aimed at increasing employee productivity

through project leadership, project management, team-building,

lean manufacturing, risk management and more.

These certicate programs are available part-time through

traditional classroom and online delivery or can be customized

to meet the needs of your business.

an institutE of tEchnology committEd to studEnt succEss


23/68


24/68

tecHnofile

a new virtual museum will help preserve Mtis history and the nearly

extinct Michi language.

The St. Albert-based Michi Cultural and Resource Institute is working

with NAIT and NAIT business incubator client Avatar Media to build

this unique resource. With the conrmation o the rst round o unding

$51,000 rom NAITs product development program work has begun on

the online museum.

Were the best kept secret in the country. The people o St. Albert have

no idea o the antastic secrets that we keep [at the Michi institute], says

Thelma Chalioux, who ounded the institute in 1991. Chalioux, a retired

senator, was the rst Mtis woman in Canadas Senate, and is an elder-in-

residence at NAITs Encana Aboriginal Student Centre.

The virtual museum will contain artiacts and documents rom the

institute, which will be captured in 3D. The materials will be accessible

to students and researchers all over the world interested in studying the

Michi language and Mtis culture.

a gh,

l-n-n

n n

thl chlx

n h mh

cll n

r in;

l,

h mh cll

n r

in.

24 .


25/68

A virtuAlimpressioNthe old adage, You never get a

second chance to make a rst

impression, is rarely truer than

in an interview.

So, i you cant participate

in a ace-to-ace interview,

would using Skypes online

video calling put you at a

disadvantage? Thats the

question NAIT researchers set

out to answer.

The School o Health

Sciences currently uses multiple

mini-interviews in which

prospective students participate

in 10 short in-person interviews

designed to nd out what kind operson they are. The interviews

measure attributes including

ethics and communication skills.

The company behind

the ProFitHR multiple mini-

interview ormat, Advanced

Psychometrics or Transitions

Inc. based at McMasters

Innovation Park in Hamilton,

Ont., asked NAIT researchers

to compare the results o

interviews done using Skypewith those done in person.

Our programs attract

candidates rom across the

country, says Heather Gray,

co-researcher and chair o the

Diagnostic Laboratory and

Medical Transcription programs.

For many, a trip to Edmonton

or the mandatory interview

poses nancial and logistical

problems.

With support rom the

Alberta Rural Development

Network, novaNAIT,

NAITs School o Inormation

Communication and

Engineering Technologies,

and Advanced Psychometrics

or Transitions Inc., a study

was designed using 23

students rom the School o

Health Sciences. Each was

interviewed using both the

standard ace-to-ace ormat

and Skype.

The results showed nosignicant dierence in the

average scores between

the Skype and in-person

interviews. Beore the school

starts using Skype in actual

interviews, however, more

research is needed to answer

questions around how

technical diculties, such as

slow transmission and lost

calls, would impact scores.

Theres great potential inour ndings, says Dr. Randy

Dreger, principle researcher

and instructor in the Personal

Fitness Trainer program. This

gives us a strong indication we

can move orward and start

to look at Skype in an applied

setting.

Ruth Juliebo

With Chalioux as their guide, visitors will be able to

enter the rooms o the museum, view historical and cultural

objects in 3D and rotate and examine them using a mouse

or touchpad.

An important eature o the museum will be the oral

histories shared by Michi speakers. Michi, the language

o the Mtis, has been classied as critically endangered

by the United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural

Organization, meaning the youngest speakers are

grandparents or older, who speak the language only partially

and inrequently.

NAIT and Avatar Media will be bringing Canadian

history to lie through this virtual museum, says Chalioux.

Its a history that is so rich and so interesting.

Fiona Bensler

PhotosbyJasonn

ess

v5.2 2012 25


26/68

26 .

tecHnofile

The MARL SubSea Drill is ve

metres long, 3.8 metres wide,

seven metres tall, and has a

certied loaded weight rating o

9,300 kilograms. It can be used

at depths as great as 3,000

metres and can drill 150 metres

into the seabed.

The remote-control handling

arm is highly manoeuvrable with

precise dexterity and pinpoint

control. The arm is key to the

SubSeas ecient operation.

HaL a LeaGue


27/68

v5.2 2012 27

twelve hundred kilometres rom the nearest ocean, at the

MARL Technologies Inc. machine and abrication shop in a

south Edmonton industrial park, Mark Gurnett (Machinist

01, Mechanical Engineering Technology 03) and a team o

machinists, engineers, drillers and abricators built a drill to

take core samples 3,000 metres below sea level.

Used mainly or underwater mineral and geotechnical

exploration, the drill can also be used or oceanographic

research. The MARL SubSea Drill is lowered to the ocean foor

over the side o a research vessel like a giant shing hook,

requiring a smaller crew and making it more portable and

easier to deploy than a conventional deepwater drill ship.

Made mostly o aluminum to resist rust, the drill can

withstand water pressure 300 times greater than that o sea

level. It took Gurnett (the production manager) and 14 other

employees o MARL Technologies three years to design

and build.Gurnett says that making things simple is the hardest part

o his job. The design is so integrated into itsel, i you change

one thing, everything changes.

A rst or MARL Technologies, the drill was built or

American client Gregg Marine Inc., which selected the

Edmonton shop or the job based on its success on several

dry-land drilling projects with sister-company Gregg Drilling

and Testing Inc.

We needed a piece o equipment that would rst and

oremost be a high-capacity geotechnical drill, albeit one that

could work in over 3,000 metres o water, says Chuck Drake,

director o oshore systems at Gregg Marine.

The drill was tested at Jarvis Inlet, B.C., beore it was

shipped last all to the Indian Ocean o the west coast o

Australia, where it is currently being used in the oshore oil

and gas sector. Engineers will use the core samples obtained

by the drill to ensure the subsea structures they design or use

on the seabed stay put.

Sherri Krastel

A launch and recovery system

is used to overboard the drill

and lower it to the seabed by an

umbilical cable.

Multiple camera views or the

operators.

The operator uses the arm to

select the tools required or the

situations. There are multiple

drill bits, other instruments and

tools to choose rom.

L, h marL ss dll ng ng J inl, b.c.; l, h ll gn n

marL thnlg h enn h; gh, n ng m Gn.


28/68

nnovate bacKin

g

28 .

story by

Sc MSSNG

Photos by

BLAIS VAN MALSN

cover story

w bz, n rJ ol sn

in.,h n-

lng,

hnlg h gn.


29/68

iGIL

v5.2 2012 29

W ab u

w y qu.

i w uby y y. a

p

bu p w?


30/68

nnovate cover storY

a, al l n h xl 840 lln

lng; n, w bz h n l

, nlng lng, n nn ,

nlng n () n n (n h ), -l n h

n l lq (); gh, t Ll, nn

n n l, g n ll n

h hnlg hl g l n n n

nnnl nl.

30 .

in a workshop the size o a small-town hockey rink, just west o

Edmonton, Wade Bozak grabs a small beaker rom a lab bench and

turns it upside down. Hal ull o what appears to be pure oil, it dees

gravity and stays put. Bitumen, Bozak explains. He rights the glass and

inserts a long metal spatula, teasing out a tentacle, dark and sticky

as molasses.

This is what all the uss is about, he says with a smile.

Thats a statement thick with meaning. In the oil sands alone, there

are nearly 170 billion barrels o recoverable oil, making this reserve third

only to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, a kingdom built upon more than

260 billion barrels. In 2010, Albertas reserves generated $3.7 billion

in royalties and made possible the export o 1.4 million barrels a day to

the United States. Overall, theyre a load-bearing pil lar or an oil, gas

and mining industry that accounts or almost a quarter o the provinces

gross domestic product and directly employs 140,000 people.

Hence the type o uss most Albertans make over them including

the provincial and ederal governments who recognize them as a major

long-term provider o jobs and revenue.

That plays out dierently elsewhere. The European Union, or

example, has been developing a system to rank energy sources by

environmental impact. Though it has yet to come to a nal decision, it is

threatening the oil sands with an economically damaging rating because

o the high amounts o energy it takes to extract a barrel o oil rom the

sands. Some businesses are reacting as well, shunning the sands to

position their brands as eco-riendly, including Lush cosmetics and

Liz Claiborne. Then theres been all the attention ocused on the

nearby Athabasca River, and on the impact the oil sands is having on

water quality.

Albertas oil producers are countering with action. Real progress

in the areas o land, air, water and biodiversity, ater all, is essential

i Albertas industry or government is to tell a story about the oil

sands compelling enough to satisy its critics. For Bozak, and a host o

entrepreneurs like him, that necessity means opportunity. The bitumen

in that beaker is a product o his ingenuity, separated by his own

technology rom tailings, the oil sands major waste stream. Theres

clean sand and water to go with it, not ar rom being reintroduced into

the environment, along with a claim that, given the chance, he could

eliminate the tailings ponds in less than two decades. In other words,

Bozak, a NAIT Civil Engineering Technology grad (class o 93) and vice

president o RJ Oil Sands Inc. an eight-person operation may have a

way or big companies to address the oil sands challenge.

Were oering solutions to help them do that, he says.

Hes not alone. Others are recognizing this as a niche industry:

identiying and addressing environmental issues some big oil companies


31/68

thErEs A huGE Pool of

oPPortunity out thErE

riGht now. TROY LUPUL

VENTURE CAPITALIST

v5.2 2012 31

cant get to quickly enough becasue o the distance between idea and

execution that comes with the complexities o corporate structures. As

Bozak demonstrates, its perect territory or small business, nimble by

nature, quick, ocused and tenacious. Any one o them could probably

argue they represent a novel solution capable o turning the tide o

global opinion.

All these little solutions, says Bozak, well, its going to be a big

solution someday.

But rst, entrepreneurs need to overcome a common obstacle:

getting to market. In the oil sands, rapid development has let a legacy

o challenges. Is Alberta positioned to support those who might help to

x it?

bozaks solution is elegant, relatively simple technology. It uses no

chemicals, no heat and no power other than electricity to pump oily

wastewater into and out o the unit, basically a collection o holding

tanks and pipes. The key component is his phase separator. On his

shop-foor test unit, this is a blue pipe, a couple metres long and about

7.5 centimetres wide. Waste enters, is aerated with a non-reactive gas

that, in the heightened pressure o the separator, breaks into bubbles

small enough to cling to individual oil droplets, causing them to foat up

and away rom virtually clean water.

This was ully invented here, says Bozak. There are patents and

blueprints, but designs or early prototypes go rom his head to quick

sketches or his resident welders, a ew NAIT grads busily hammering,

cutting and welding at one end o his shop. Ive got a talented group o

guys here. I I can dream it up, they can make it.

As a startup entrepreneur, Bozak is an anomaly, and he knows

it. The work that Ive done here, a nancial institution wouldnt

have touched it with a 10-oot pole. Although hes now bringing his

technology to market, and quoting multimillion-dollar orders that

will mean prot by next year, it has taken more years o research and

development than most unders will abide. But, then, Jack Seguin isnt

like most unders. The ormer NAIT welding instructor went on to ound,

among other ventures, English Bay Batter Inc., a continent-wide ood

manuacturer. Now president o RJ Oil Sands, he and his bank account

put the company in unusually advantageous nancial standing.

The more common challenge o nding unding may be slowing the

fow o solutions to the oil sands even i, as Troy Lupul says, theres a

huge pool o opportunity out there right now.

Co-ounder and ormer president o FilterBoxx Water and

Environmental Corp. and president o Allied Water, Lupul (Water

and Wastewater Technician 90) has moved into venture capital with

Walsingham Growth Partners, an investment group ocused on energy,


32/68

nnovate cover storY

a, w bz l nl hn n n h,

llng rJ ol sn ql n ln n.

32 .

environmental and IT inrastructure. Still actively starting companies,

he knows how dicult commercialization can be in Alberta, and how

much it depends on conveniently and eciently meeting the needs o

big players ocused on extraction.

You could have the Holy Grail and it wouldnt matter, says Lupul.

Startups need to approach major oil sands producers with comprehensive

technologies, he adds: packages that neatly address an issue rom

start to nish. Bozaks custom separator units t in trailers that can be

moved by fat-bed to production sites and connected upstream to the

waste source. Oil is removed to the production stream, while the water,

depending on the application, is either reused or reinjected into the

ormation. The entire process is ully automated.

New technology also has to satisy the corporate bean counters

says Lupul. That is, price and scal responsibility remains a actor.

O Albertas brightest ideas, the big question, as he sees it, is going to

be about which is most cost eective. Its denitely not going to be

some big mechanical system, Ill tell you that. Its going to be something

thats crude and rudimentary, but it works.

rst, that rudimentary technology has to actually get to market,

which Bozak has. In Alberta, thats no small eat.

Like most places around the world, the province suers rom a

commercialization gap. Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures was

created by the provincial government in 2010 to bridge that by helping

small to medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, take great ideas to

market. SMEs have been determined to be the key economic engines

in a country or region that [provide] the big corporations with all the

supplies and services they need, including technologies, says Rick

Toani, the organizations acting vice president o new ventures.

The oil sands giants may be setting goals in terms o sustainability,

but when it comes down to the technology to achieve them, quite oten

they expect their suppliers to come up with those wins or them, he

adds. Its like the big electronics producers: Nobody knows the names

o the little guys, but everybody knows that the big guys dont make

the parts.

To help the little guys which, according to Toani, make up more

than 90 per cent o Albertas business community Tech Futures acts

as acilitator and under to startups and post-secondary educators like

NAIT, which work with SMEs on everything rom applied research to

connecting them with major producers.

My argument has always been collaboration is the key to innovation,

says Dr. Hanee Mian, NAITs Ledcor Group Applied Research Chair


33/68

v5.2 2012 33

He knows its a tall order, but Wade Bozak wants to appeal to the

entirety o Albertas oil industry. Whats more, the vice president oRJ Oil Sands is convinced he can.

In Bozaks view, his RJOS phase separator, which leans on

little more than the laws o physics to scrub oil production waste

streams o hydrocarbons, is suited to all manner o conventional

oil and oil sands operations any situation where they need high-

eciency de-oiling, so they can recycle the water, he says.

For producers, environmental sustainability is certainly one

incentive to buy in. But results produced by the rst commercial

unit, now in operation at an oil site in southern Alberta, also

indicate a real nancial benet. Running at 50-per cent capacity,

Bozaks technology has skimmed more than 8,000 barrels o oilrom water used or reinjection. That translates into recovered

revenues o $800,000, market dependent.

For him, those numbers transorm the tailings ponds o

Albertas oil sands rom challenge into opportunity. I see it as an

oil source, says Bozak. Every cubic metre o material they hold, he

says, contains about a quarter-barrel o bitumen. Currently, the

ponds are estimated at 840 million cubic metres. That bitumen is

extractable. I you do the math on that . . . its signicant.

separatioN issues

im An innovAtor

And An invEntor,

but At thE End

of thE dAy im AnEntrEPrEnEur.

WADE BOAKVICE PRESIDENT, RJ OIL SANDS INC.


34/68

nnovate cover storY

nobody knows thE

nAmEs of thE littlE

Guys, but EvErybody

knows thAt thE biG

Guys dont mAkE thE

PArts.

a, nn l h rJ ol sn h

, hh l hn l .

RICK TOFANI, ACTING VICE PRESIDENT, NEW VENTURESALBERTA INNOVATES - TECHNOLOGY FUTURES

34 .

in Oil Sands Environmental Sustainability. As head o a group that is

ostering relationships between SMEs with innovative technologies and

the oil sands biggest players, he knows that neither can do it alone.

SMEs dont have access to the bitumen and the majors arent in the

business o designing or developing technologies. They are business

organizations that are in the process o providing something to their

shareholders, he says. Thats their primary objective.In addition to its capacity to validate and test new technologies

through applied research, he sees the value o his program in its role as

one o Albertas main hubs o inormation, ideas and resources that lead

to solutions. And as Toani sees it, programs like this are a undamental

part o Albertas approach to improved commercialization overall.

It cant be let to SMEs knocking their heads together and

competing with one another, he says. Theyve got to be part o a well-

oiled ecosystem.

im an innovator and an inventor, but at the end o the day Im an

entrepreneur, says Bozak. And because o his success so ar, hes also a

poster-boy or what might come o Toanis ecosystem, a ne balance

o regulators, unders, acilitators, and companies big and small. To top

it o, Bozak has the attitude that could help change perceptions o

those critical o todays oil sands industry.

Id love to see the big problems go away, and Id like to have a part in

that, he says. A made-in-Alberta solution, by an Albertan.

Over the last 10 to 15 years, the market has changed considerably

especially in the way it has allen under the scrutiny o the western

world. In days gone by, technologies that increased the bottom line

were o utmost importance, says Toani. Thats still true, but nowadays,

theres a much greater emphasis on sustainability. Its become a major

actor in a large multinationals operations.

Recently, Corporate Knights Inc. provided proo o that. As part o its

annual Global 100 program, the Toronto-based company devoted to

clean capitalism ranks companies or sustainability. Suncor Energy Inc.,

the oil sands biggest player, was this years highest-placing Canadian

company at 47. And being the companys third appearance on the list, it

may indicate a trend upon which SMEs might capitalize.

Environmental sustainability is critically important to our entireindustry, says Shelley Powell, Suncors vice president o oil sands

transormation, so were certainly looking to collaborate with others

who have similar priorities and values.

To Troy Lupul, thats a call to action. Theres so much opportunity

in that space. I think somebody with the right ideas can have huge

rewards, he says, careul to add the winning ideas are those that meet

needs quickly and eciently, and with virtually no disruption in operations.

Bozak knows this, and, as he attempts to convince more o the

industry o the value o his separation device, he understands the

challenge ahead. Ultimately, the market will drive innovation, and will

be the sole decider o Bozaks success, no matter how much unding

he gets. Though hes beginning to make a name or RJ Oil Sands, hesyet to become an essential cog in the oil sands industry or a leading

character in a new story Alberta can tell about its ossil-uel economy.

Bozak might better serve in a supporting role anyway. The stage

may nally be set, with regulators and industry champions calling

direction, or a chorus to emerge. The plot has certainly thickened. In

the best ending, Bozak is just one o many voices that lead Alberta to a

resolution that satises itsel as much as critics.

I truly believe we could eliminate the tailings ponds, he says. And

do it at a prot.


35/68

GEt sErIous

aBoUt gaming

th hn gnl g

h Xx kn h

l, n

n l h

n h n

n h .

dont let the name fool you. Aside rom being a teaching tool,

serious games can be a lot o un.

While the term serious games has been used since the 1970s to

describe games or the purpose o teaching, training or testing, over

the past decade it has become widely used to describe part o the

electronic gaming industry.

Now, serious games are being developed or every application,

rom fight simulators that train pilots to applications that train and

test surgeons.

Digital Media and IT instructor Armand Cadieux is making sure

his students are ready to score big in this growing market. Its the

same tools, whether were designing an entertainment video game

or whether were designing a simulator or crane operators, he says.

[Students are] a little bit intrigued by the concept that there are

other places to take their training and knowledge into industry, other

than just blockbuster video games.

He believes the biggest advantage to training with serious

games is giving users a sae environment to test their skills and ail.

Learning rom your mistakes in a virtual environment helps prevent

damage to equipment; it helps prevent loss o lie; it helps prevent

injury to others.

This spring, digital media students are putting the nishing

touches on these three serious games they developed or NAIT

programs.

Ruth Juliebo

hand signalsCalling all boilermakers, ironworkers and steel abricators. Have you

ever been rustrated with crane and hoist operators not moving your

equipment properly? Well, step right up to the hand signals how-

to game and master the 20 or so hand commands youll need to

communicate your instructions to crane and hoist operators. Youll have

a blast playing on the Xbox Kinect and be better prepared the next time

you need to have a piece o equipment moved in the eld.

operation

I the thought o operating on mans best riend has you as nervous as a

cat in a room ull o rocking chairs, pull up a chair and play operation.

This game, or Animal Health Technology students, can be played on

any computer and allows you to administer and monitor the anesthetic

on dear Fido while hes under the knie. No real animals will be hurt in

the playing o this serious game.

sketch it

Creating great dental sketches no longer requires getting in touch with

your inner Michelangelo. Denturists o tomorrow, replace your pencil

with a mouse and use this interactive new game to make proessional-

quality partial denture sketches. Its already what industry is moving

towards. So stay ahead o the game, and get clicking!

innova

v5.2 2012 35


36/68

5 WaysculinaitculinaitPeoPlePeoPlePeoPle

t, Jn c n Od Mn Mountin with Grt Mothr

Br; , c fnh n hng n h enn

innnl a.

given the opportunity to create a work o art or the Edmonton

International Airport, Edmonton artist Jason Carter drew inspiration

rom a reliable source himsel. When Im thinking o new artwork,

I think about what I would like, says the Graphic Communicationsgrad (class o 01).

The airport liked it, too. Selected rom more than 200 submissions

as one o ve permanent pieces included in the airports 2012 expansion,

Carters Old Man Mountain with Great Mother Bear is installed on the wall

leading to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Area. An estimated

one million people per year will see it. At nearly seven metres wide and

about hal a metre tall, it will be hard to miss. I wanted something big,

expansive, says Carter.

an artistic

36 .36 .


37/68

He also wanted something refective o northern Alberta. Old Man

Mountain is in Jasper, Edmontons mountain playground. And, he adds,

I love creating and painting bears. They are so powerul.

Citing the Group o Seven, Andy Warhol and Norval Mourrisseau ashis infuences, Carter describes his paintings as having a pop element,

with solid, bright colours and black outlines.

Liz Dwernychuk, the airports creative services manager, says

Carters one-o-a-kind painting helps to oset some o the anxiety

experienced by air travellers. The colours provide a calming tone or

passengers, she says.

Carters origin as a painter began with the same sel-assurance that

guided his evolution as a carver. Given a piece o soapstone by his sister,

Carter converted the stone into a raven, which he promptly sold or about

$350. Three years later, as he prepared or his rst carving show, he

realized his work was only hal done.

The walls in the gallery were completely bare. So I thought, Ive gotto paint something. He simply painted his carvings. I used bright, solid,

vibrant colours, and my design background rom NAIT to create paintings

that were balanced. People were drawn to them.

The thrill o seeing his work in high prole places is not completely

new to Carter. He was the only Alberta artist to have his own showing at

Alberta House on Alberta Day at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

I do what appeals to me, he says. Im just very lucky that other

people like it as much as I do.

Don Trembath

v5.2 2012 37v5.2 2012 37


38/68

PeoPlePeoPle

nw t c

y y bu

ju. i ufppb Bb ml,

nait -u-p,

u u?

story by

Sc MSSNG

Photos by

A KA N

38 .38 .


39/68

the story of a premieris, at heart, the story o the

place behind the person in this case, a place

about which most Canadians know relatively

little. So, though this is the story o Bob McLeod and

the challenges this NAIT business grad (Management

74) aces as the new premier o Northwest Territories,

well leave him or now to his work in the legislature, a

modern building o glass and zinc situated in Capital

Park, a wilderness o rock and stunted trees a short walk

rom downtown Yellowknie.

Northwest Territories is among the last o Canadas

rontier lands. During his election campaign McLeodhimsel reerred to it as a pioneering region.

N o r t h E r n

Fewer than 44,000 people (more than hal o them

aboriginal) live in an area large enough to bring the

population density to almost nobody per square

kilometre, a number that has virtually fat-lined in

recent years. That leaves a lot o land open or bear,

and the marten, lynx, wolverine and wolves that

continue to support a strong ur trade. And, to risk

romanticizing the territory urther, this is a place where

night skies, unpolluted by urban ambient light, undulate

with aurora borealis at least when not lit by the

midnight summer sun.

But its also a place that asks much o its inhabitants.Approaching solstice, theres little daylight to relieve

winter blues: in Yellowknie, the sun rises ater 9 a.m.

and sets by 4 p.m. ater spending the day just above

the horizon. Daily average temperatures sit below zero

seven months a year. In a cold snap, serious parkas

are de rigueur: so many Yellowkniers are enveloped in

pricey Canada Goose jackets youd think they were only

here on a sponsored expedition.

v5.2 2012 39v5.2 2012 39


40/68

PeoPle

mY Whole reason or getting into Politics

is that, Born and raised UP here, i elt that

i coUld maKe a dierence.

Theres more to contend with, o course, than a ew

months lacking in creature comorts. While Yellowknie

is oten identied as having the nations highest

household income, the stat tends to be divorced rom

the territorys high cost o living. The unemployment

rate can be equally deceiving, more or less on par with

the country as a whole, but oten climbing well into the

double digits outside Yellowknie. On top o this, the

territorys borrowing capacity is nearly maxed out.

But the most important issue to address the one

all others may hinge upon is control over its own

destiny. Currently, Northwest Territories is one o just

two Canadian jurisdictions (the other being Nunavut)

to have no authority over its natural resources and

so no access to a revenue stream that might begin to

address much o what ails the region. For now, that

remains with the ederal government, likely leaving the

territory economically and socially hamstrung until

decision-making power is passed down devolved

to McLeods government. Elected this October, the

born-and-raised northerner is positioned, thanks to an

agreement recently signed with Ottawa, as the premier

to deliver Northwest Territories into true prosperity and

independence by nally laying claim to its own backyard.

Even i hes successul, hell still ace one o the

most challenging premierships in Canada, a prospect

he shrugs o. I you want to make things happen, says

McLeod, you go or the top job.

BOB MCLEODPREMIER, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

40 .


41/68

which takes us back to the premiers oce, an

environment so new to him it still lacks a personal touch,

his pictures and such still packed in boxes. People were

asking me, Werent you planning to stay awhile? says

McLeod with a laugh.

What is there a shel ull o aboriginal carvings,

moccasins and other gits to government rom

communities in the territory aligns nicely with

McLeods own background as a northerner. His mother

was Mtis rom Manitoba, his ather a clerk with the

Hudsons Bay Company, ollowing a tradition that

started with his great-great-grandather, a Scot whoarrived in the area in 1869. He calls Fort Providence, a

mostly aboriginal community about 300 kilometres

southwest o the capital, an ideal place to grow up

even i conditions were tough. There was no power,

no running water, no roads. Most people just had dog

teams. You had to work hard to be independent.

McLeod learned how to do that at an unusually

early age. Stricken with tuberculosis at our years old,

he spent the next 18 months in a Fort Simpson hospital,

more than 300 kilometres rom home, watched over by

riends in the area. But even in healthier times, McLeod,

like his seven siblings, enjoyed escaping the house and

discovering the world or himsel. We were adventurers.

Six or seven o us would jump in my dads boat and take

our shing rods and guns and disappear all day. Wed do

that all summer, says McLeod, now exiting his 50s.

Politics wasnt exactly a calling he pursued. Ater

high school, McLeod, once a talented hockey player,

tried or a spot with the St. Catharines Black Hawks o

the Ontario Hockey Association. He didnt make it, and

came home without much idea o what to do next.

I was hanging around town, having a good time.

Ater two weeks my dad asked me what my plans were.

l, b mL,

Nh

t, n h h

h lgl n

ylln; n,

ylln h h

lgl n h

gn; , n

n h mL n

h

techlife: the sustainability issue v5.2

Documents