The following is an excerpt from the July issue of Our House Magazine.

Chatting with Sebastian Clovis about home renovations, it’s impossible to miss his enthusiasm. He’s splitting a downtown Toronto single-family home into a duplex. It may not sound like the most stimulating project, but for Clovis this is his element. He quickly rattles off all the neat parts of the project, from separating the HVAC system to soundproofing a building that’s now in two.

“It’s a really exciting project,” he told Our House Magazine in a recent interview.

It’s probably a good thing Clovis is passionate about his work, because his time in front of the camera as an HGTV star has made him a target of fans who want his advice, whether it’s at the gym or the grocery store.

“I’m known for getting into conversations that are way too long,” he said. “I would say I’m one of the contractors who’s given out the most amount of renovation advice in the steam room in the gym.”

With all jokes aside, Clovis maintains he’s blessed for the opportunities he had since he made a turn to do television. And he has no problems dispensing valuable advice on the subject of renovations.

Patience is everything in a home

It’s easy to spot the imperfections as soon as you move into a new place. While Clovis points out people have a natural inclination to change and customize their home as soon as they move in, he sees it differently. He recommends people start by tackling the items suggested in a home inspection, like the roof, windows, and siding.

“Do the things that are going to protect your home in the long-term first,” he said.

Clovis believes those improvements will give you the opportunity to spend a little time in the home. That’s time to see how the flow works with your family, how the sunlight comes through the windows and to figure out how to make efficient changes.

He said a lot of people want an ultra-modern kitchen after watching TV shows and seeing them in magazines, but they may not be a fit for the character of your home.

“You don’t want to spend $60,000 on a kitchen and two years later you’re frustrated with yourself because you put the wrong kitchen in there,” he said.

While people always like to get their hands a little dirty around the home, when asked whether people should DIY, Clovis is cautious in his response. The man who hosted his own DIY show said he’s all for people building benches, chairs, and tables, but bigger projects that touch on the envelope of the building should be left to the pros.

“If you’re not a professional builder, you don’t have too much business messing with the structure of the home,” Clovis said.

While some projects may look easy on TV, the handyman believes even laying flooring should be left to professionals. If anything, it might save money in the long run. He noted with the ever increasing costs of materials, wasting material on a failed installation attempt will burn through a budget. If you’re going to splurge on beautiful floors or tiles, spend the money to get them installed properly, he said.

And if you’re thinking about a budget, Clovis said he follows the golden rule of a 20 per cent contingency above and beyond the quote. That contingency is critical because you don’t know what’s going to happen once the walls are opened up.

He also suggested a contingency is important to accommodate for evolving design plans, adding often by the time a project is half way through, people start thinking about changes. And when it comes to his clients, he sets up a payment schedule with benchmarks in place to make sure payment is made when a certain amount of work is complete.

“It’s great to know when payments are going to be due and what they’ll be,” he said. “It makes everyone more comfortable when you have that in place.”

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer, Dominion Lending Centres

The following is an excerpt from the July issue of Our House Magazine.

Chatting with Sebastian Clovis about home renovations, it’s impossible to miss his enthusiasm. He’s splitting a downtown Toronto single-family home into a duplex. It may not sound like the most stimulating project, but for Clovis this is his element. He quickly rattles off all the neat parts of the project, from separating the HVAC system to soundproofing a building that’s now in two.

“It’s a really exciting project,” he told Our House Magazine in a recent interview.

It’s probably a good thing Clovis is passionate about his work, because his time in front of the camera as an HGTV star has made him a target of fans who want his advice, whether it’s at the gym or the grocery store.

“I’m known for getting into conversations that are way too long,” he said. “I would say I’m one of the contractors who’s given out the most amount of renovation advice in the steam room in the gym.”

With all jokes aside, Clovis maintains he’s blessed for the opportunities he had since he made a turn to do television. And he has no problems dispensing valuable advice on the subject of renovations.

Patience is everything in a home

It’s easy to spot the imperfections as soon as you move into a new place. While Clovis points out people have a natural inclination to change and customize their home as soon as they move in, he sees it differently. He recommends people start by tackling the items suggested in a home inspection, like the roof, windows, and siding.

“Do the things that are going to protect your home in the long-term first,” he said.

Clovis believes those improvements will give you the opportunity to spend a little time in the home. That’s time to see how the flow works with your family, how the sunlight comes through the windows and to figure out how to make efficient changes.

He said a lot of people want an ultra-modern kitchen after watching TV shows and seeing them in magazines, but they may not be a fit for the character of your home.

“You don’t want to spend $60,000 on a kitchen and two years later you’re frustrated with yourself because you put the wrong kitchen in there,” he said.

While people always like to get their hands a little dirty around the home, when asked whether people should DIY, Clovis is cautious in his response. The man who hosted his own DIY show said he’s all for people building benches, chairs, and tables, but bigger projects that touch on the envelope of the building should be left to the pros.

“If you’re not a professional builder, you don’t have too much business messing with the structure of the home,” Clovis said.

While some projects may look easy on TV, the handyman believes even laying flooring should be left to professionals. If anything, it might save money in the long run. He noted with the ever increasing costs of materials, wasting material on a failed installation attempt will burn through a budget. If you’re going to splurge on beautiful floors or tiles, spend the money to get them installed properly, he said.

And if you’re thinking about a budget, Clovis said he follows the golden rule of a 20 per cent contingency above and beyond the quote. That contingency is critical because you don’t know what’s going to happen once the walls are opened up.

He also suggested a contingency is important to accommodate for evolving design plans, adding often by the time a project is half way through, people start thinking about changes. And when it comes to his clients, he sets up a payment schedule with benchmarks in place to make sure payment is made when a certain amount of work is complete.

“It’s great to know when payments are going to be due and what they’ll be,” he said. “It makes everyone more comfortable when you have that in place.”

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer – Dominion Lending Centres

Iseela Ibrahimi wanted wow. The successful Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker had purchased numerous homes in the past, but she wanted her latest home in Caledon, Ont. to be something special.

Ibrahimi bought the brand new 4,500 square-foot home in 2014, but quickly had her heart set on a major renovation.
“I knew the end product from a typical builder would never make me happy,” she said. “I wanted to create something that, no matter what your style is, it would still have that statement and it would still have that wow factor.”

By 2016, she was ready to take her vision to the next level. While Ibrahimi had a keen eye for design, it wasn’t her expertise. So she partnered with Oakville designers Parkyn Design to turn her ideas into a reality. What followed was a stunning transformation. Instead of cookie-cutter, Ibrahimi got a completely custom high-end look. From the front foyer all the way to the bedrooms, Ibrahimi said she got the flow she wanted, calling it “transitional but classy at the same time.”

“They’ve nailed it for me,” she said of the work by the design team at Parkyn, adding they brought what was in her mind to life. She also added it was important the design was going to stand the test of time. The renovation took five months to finish, but Ibrahimi pointed out the complete transformation, including the furniture, wasn’t really done until the end of 2017.

Pictures of the redesigned home have found their way onto the popular design website Houzz and are getting a little bit of buzz. While Ibrahimi admits it may not have logically made sense to renovate a near brand-new home, she said it was a personal decision. And now having time to settle in, she couldn’t be more satisfied with her decision.
“The whole point of this was you can still create what you want to create as long as you’re OK with where you are.”

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, DLC Lead Writer

Looking for an escape from her daily job, one B.C.-based custom cake maker has found the perfect recipe for success.

Working inside a prison can be one of the most stressful jobs out there. And when you spend hours in a bleak environment where no one really wants to be, you need to find an outlet, a way to balance out the negative.
For Cheryl Arsenault, that escape came in the form of a food everyone loves: cake.
The Chilliwack B.C. resident and Corrections Canada employee wanted to find a hobby to fill her time away from work. A friend suggested they try a cake decorating class. It turned out to be a recipe for business success. She started bringing her tasty creations to work, and very quickly began getting requests.
“I went from just taking a couple of classes to a business in a very short period of time,” Arsenault told Our House Magazine.
Mostly through word of mouth, the baker and her business Mad Batters, has kept her busy. From a Super Mario design featuring a bubble gum machine to a Star Wars Stormtrooper mask, the majority of Arsenault’s cakes are for birthdays and anniversaries, but weddings also keep her on her toes.
Though her side business was taking off, it did bring an unexpected problem. Arsenault quickly realized her dining room table was no place for her edible works of art. And she was also going to need some heavy duty equipment if she was going to go to take her creations to the next level. She originally used a spare room in her townhouse, but last year she bought a home. And besides making room for her parents, she needed a home that could accommodate a commercial baking space.
So Arsenault turned her garage into that space, spending a few thousand dollars for things like commercial sinks, tables and an oven. She now spends up to 20 hours a week during the busy season working from home, pointing out the convenience of doing so means she can make her own hours.
“It’s a good business, I really enjoy having it at home!”

Looking to create your own home based business?

Dominion Lending Centres can help! Cheryl Arsenault somewhat stumbled on a side career making custom cakes for special occasions. While Mad Batters keeps her busy, the home-based business owner does have some advice for the novice entrepreneur.
Whether it be cooking or crafting, she suggested you’ll need to have the space in your home, don’t try to start it in your living room. And be prepared to spend a little money, especially if you need equipment. And that’s where Dominion Lending Centres Leasing can help.
The leasing division can fund all types of home businesses and the supplies that are needed to get started.

As Jennifer Okkerse, director of operations for DLC’s leasing division, explained, a $5,000 lease over a four-year term would be about $150 a month. She noted DLC Leasing would help arrange payments with vendors, all while building credit for the business. And if you wanted to expand to a store front operation, you would now be established among lenders for a small business loan. For more information about DLC’s leasing options, visit dominionlending.ca or email credit@dominionlending.ca.

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer – Dominion Lending Centres

Restaurateur and TV personality Vikram Vij on the joy of cooking—slowly—at home

The culinary landscape in North America is amply populated with chefs and personalities putting their spin on a style of cooking designed to get your attention. With the explosion of the foodie culture in recent years, cutting through the clutter would seem a near impossible task. But that’s exactly what a chef with humble beginnings from India has managed to do. Vikram Vij is one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs, ascending the culinary ladder by reaching into his Indian heritage. He opened Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver in 1994 to great acclaim and hasn’t looked back. He’s since opened three Indian restaurants and a fleet of food trucks and become an author and television personality, most notably taking a turn as a Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. Despite all the success and attention, Vij continues to focus on what he loves to do: cook. During an autumn tour of India, he took time out to speak to Our House magazine about food, fame and his future.

Our House: Where do you call home these days?
Vij: I live in Surrey, B.C., but as an Indian who came to Canada and who loves to travel and get culinary inspiration from around the world, I like to think I’m a global citizen!

I understand you’re in India, can you tell me a little about the purpose of the trip?
Every year I take a trip with some food fans, some of whom have been coming with me for years now, for a Vij’s Culinary Tour. We’ve visited India most often, but we’ve also been to places like Vietnam, Peru and South Africa. I love to experience not only different culinary cultures, but also to re-explore my own roots and to visit different parts of India to see what is being cooked – and how it’s being cooked – and to incorporate those methods into the food in my restaurants. That’s how I stay authentic, and it’s the best way to keep learning and to grow.

Describe how important cooking at home is, not just for yourself but for families and people in general?
I cannot say enough about eating together as a family, and having a home-cooked meal – and I’m a restaurateur! There are stats that show families who make time to eat together each night, who break bread together and talk, have fewer instances of crime, of drug addiction, and of broken homes. Now, that’s easy for me to say – working in the restaurant industry, we were hardly a “sit down for dinner at six o’clock” family. But we made a conscious effort to set aside breakfast time, and an evening each week when we knew we would all be together – and that means no cellphones at the table.

What advice would you give to someone who is afraid of or overwhelmed by the idea of learning how to cook?
I would say just try it. There are so many books out there that will teach you the basics, and if you get it wrong, so what? I don’t use recipes; I put in a few key ingredients that I want to use… then I add more, and then even more until I’m happy with what I’ve cooked. Baking is a science – so it’s hard to go freestyle with that… but cooking is love… and you should experiment and not be put off from trying.

What advice would you give to a young chef thinking about opening his or her own restaurant?
I would say it will be the hardest thing you will ever do. But it will also be the most rewarding. You need three things: the passion to follow your dream of opening a restaurant, an amazing team who will always have your back, and money – ideally lots of it!

Do you cook much at home, or leave it to your restaurants?
I love to cook at home and I love to be in my restaurants seeing other people enjoying their dinner with us. I don’t have my daughters at home to cook for anymore, so I can make what I want. But I like to take my time while I’m cooking. Being in the kitchen is my greatest pleasure, and it’s also my entertainment for the evening, and I don’t want to rush it.

You’ve cooked for celebrities and politicians. Is there someone or a group you haven’t cooked for that you would still like to?
There’s an expression: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I’d like to teach people how to cook Indian food, and have it added to their repertoire of meals they cook for their family. I’d love to be an ambassador of Indian food in Canada, and I’d like to show as many Canadians as possible to not be daunted by Indian spices and recipes.

Describe your thoughts on the Canadian culinary scene. How do Canadians stack up against the rest of the world?
Canadian cuisine is incredible – and it’s getting better and better. We have the most amazing resources which create the best ingredients. We have fantastic meats and produce from our local farms, we’ve got really great wines, craft beers, gin and vodka, and on the east and west coasts, the seafood is second to none. When you’ve got those world-class resources, then you’re already on the international stage from a culinary perspective.

How does your typical day unfold?
There’s honestly no such thing as a typical day. They are all so different, and it depends on where I am. As much as possible, I get up early and go to yoga, then it’s either meetings and more meetings followed by service at one of the restaurants or, if I’m travelling, I’ll try and eat at someone else’s restaurant to see what they’re up to.

What do you make of the popularity of food shows and channels like the Food Network, and chefs as celebrities?
I think bringing cooking into the mainstream cannot be a bad thing, but I hate the term “celebrity chef,” because our main focus should always be the food, rather than fame. I’ve been involved in many TV shows myself and I’m grateful for the ability to bring an Indian presence there, and to highlight Indian cuisine to a wider audience.

You’ve written books, been on TV shows. Do you see yourself cooking and opening and running more restaurants for the years to come? What does the future hold?
The day I stop cooking is the day I give up on everything! Sure, I’d like to open more restaurants, but I also want to make sure the ones I have are the best they can possibly be and have the attention they deserve. I have two daughters, but I have three other children: Vij’s, Rangoli and My Shanti!

What is the one thing people might not know about you?
I’m known for working the room at my restaurants – but the reason I love to do that is because I originally wanted to be a Bollywood actor. I love to perform and to talk to people and I wanted to be a movie star, but my father said no son of his was going to be an actor, so I became a chef.

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer, Dominion Lending Centres

Every winter, athletic power couple Ashleigh McIvor and Jay Demerit manage to scale back their busy lives into a 340-square-foot cabin in the woods.

You would think that an Olympic gold medal and a successful pro soccer career would come with an opulent lifestyle, even after retirement from competition. But Canadian freestyle skier Ashleigh MacIvor and former Vancouver Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit, however, today spend their winters in more austere surroundings.
The couple, along with their two-year-old son, Oakes, shack up in a 340-square-foot cabin nestled in the Coast Mountains near Pemberton, B.C., during the winter months. As MacIvor explains to Our House magazine, the idea of major downsizing was both natural and experimental.
“We are so programmed to want so much more than what we need,” she explains. “I’ve always been happiest in the woods or the mountains, with no sign of the built environment, no technology or electronics, just some great company and—typically—my mountain bike.”
She notes that her husband thrives in the high-energy, highly social environment of a big city, but can appreciate both lifestyles. The couple also have an apartment in Vancouver’s Chinatown and a condo in Whistler that is normally rented out. MacIvor says she was interested to see how Jay would adapt to cabin living.
“I think it’s so easy to get bogged down by all of the noise in modern-day society,” she says. “We don’t even take the time standing in line for coffee to reflect on anything going on in our lives, or to dream up ideas for the future. Instead, we get straight to work on our phones. When you get out of the city, you seem to have more time in each day.”
MacIvor, who grew up in nearby Whistler, describes the cabin as the “fort of all forts.” As a teenager and in her early twenties, she spent a lot of time mountain biking in the Pemberton area and always loved riding two trails in particular: Creampuff and Meatgrinder. In the fall of 2008, glancing over to those bike trails from a nearby barn, she fell in love with what would eventually be her neighbours’ house. Shortly thereafter, MacIvor heard that these residents were selling the adjacent 10-acre parcel. She worked out a deal with them and bought the land in 2008.
The 2010 Olympic medalist decided to build the cabin in 2009 because she was having so much trouble finding a place to live in Whistler—landlords were kicking tenants out to renovate and rent for top dollar during the Olympics. Her dad helped with the framing and some friends pitched in with the rest. They used a lot of recycled building materials from renovation projects in Whistler, and then built a huge deck with a fire pit and added a hot tub.

The former Olympian does have some advice for anyone thinking about doing something similar. She notes that the family takes advantage of storage space, including a shipping container in Pemberton and a storage room attached to their Whistler condo that they can access even when it’s rented.
“I don’t think we would have been able to permanently make the move to 340 square feet, and get rid of all the stuff we think we need to live the city life, or even the Whistler life,” MacIvor says.
While the cabin in the woods may be small, it isn’t without a few luxuries, MacIvor points out. It has a full-sized washer and dryer, in-floor heating in the bathroom, granite countertops and, of course, the hot tub. Still, the family has noticed a difference scaling back their lifestyle during their time there.
“We used to eat out all the time. Like, three meals a day, often. When you live in a cabin in the woods, or even just in a small town, you exhaust your dine-out options pretty quickly and inevitably learn to love cooking at home. And let’s face it, there is probably a lot of extra fat and sugar going into most restaurant dishes,” MacIvor says. “We both felt so much healthier after a few weeks of home-cooked meals and yummy juices/smoothies. And eating out is expensive—albeit less so when you’re a sober, pregnant or breastfeeding woman. It was a good lesson in just how little we could spend, given the chance to remove ourselves from the city life. It’s funny though, when it comes to essentialism, the way I see it, we should all spend less so we can work less.”

Life after Competition

The retired life is anything but for athletes Ashleigh MacIvor and Jay Demerit. Since leaving the pitch in 2014, Demerit has launched a handcrafted stereo manufacturer called the Portmanteau Stereo Co., while also creating a curriculum and running a soccer-focused yet all-encompassing youth development program called Captains Camps. Meanwhile, MacIvor will be in front of the camera joining CBC’s coverage of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and as an analyst for the World Cup Skicross season.
And she’s got some pretty big predictions for the ski team this year. “We have the best skicross team in the world,” she says. “I have no doubt that we will bring more medals home in 2018. Unfortunately one of our best hopes, reigning Olympic champion Marielle Thompson, just blew her knee. One of the amazing things about Canada Skicross is just how deep the talent pool is. Every one of our athletes has the ability to win an Olympic medal.”
MacIvor is also still fascinated by the Games and the attention they hold every four years. The four-year interval is part of what draws spectators in, she believes. Viewers instinctively understand that these athletes are competing under the highest-pressure conditions they will ever face, and that their chance to prove themselves is fleeting in their sporting careers, let alone their entire lifespans.
With all of the support that goes into sports programming for each nation focused on increasing the chances of winning more Olympic medals, every taxpaying spectator feels like they have played a role in getting these athletes to the big show, she adds.
“Beyond that, I think that we all recognize the positive impact success on that level will have on our nation’s youth as they watch it all unfold,” she says. There are so many valuable life lessons that can be learned through sport. It’s the greatest metaphor for real life survival and strategies for success and fulfillment.”

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer – Dominion Lending Centres

Things to consider before you buy a heritage home

We’ve all walked by them at some point and marveled. It’s the character house that has to be at least 100 years old and is still standing. Your mind takes you to a different place. You start thinking about what life must have been like when it was built, the families that have lived there through the years. If the walls could talk, right? Most of us will just have to settle for our modern abodes. There are, however, a lucky few who, with a bit of patience and a love of the classics, call these heritage houses their homes.
Nestled in the older enclave of Queen’s Park in New Westminster, B.C., you’ll find Tony Sverdrup and his heritage beauty. The house, which spans 5,500 square feet, predates the First World War and has an interesting history. Built in 1911 by architects Gardner and Mercer, the craftsman-style home originally belonged to William B. Johnston. He owned Johnston’s Big Shoe House in New Westminster, a pioneer business in a city that at the time was still the bustling centre of the Lower Mainland region.
While the house at 212 Queens Avenue has a storied history, it was the architecture that really drew Sverdrup to the home. The building, which he bought in 2001, still boasts most of its original features, including the 10 foot-ceilings, oak floors, single-pane glass windows, wainscoting panels, wraparound staircase and a wood-burning fireplace. The kitchen is basically the only part of the house that’s not original.
“The thing about the heritage homes is each one is unique upon itself, in terms of quality of the build. You can’t replicate that in today’s buildings,” he tells Our House magazine. Whereas quick-built houses of the past 50 years can look dated quickly, hand-built homes tend to retain their grace and good bones. They’ve also seen it all and are therefore less likely to surprise you than a new build. Their foundations have settled. They’ve been through windstorms, floods and even earthquakes.
While it may have all the cool features you’d expect in a century-old gem, however, Sverdrup’s house has a few less desirable aspects that you don’t find in a modern home. There’s no insulation in the walls, so in a cold winter the heating bills can soar. Also, fixing or replacing even the simplest of hardware, like light switches, requires careful sourcing. As Sverdrup points out, you can’t just go to Home Depot to find these pieces.
“Basically it’s almost like a lifestyle; you’re constantly working on the house,” he says. “It will never be completed. Nothing is to code. Everything is the way they did back then.”
The home is not unique in either age or character. The street is lined with homes dating back to the late 1800s. While every city has its own way of dealing with its architectural legacy, in New Westminster, the city recently designated the entire neighbourhood a heritage conservation area. The policy means a heritage alteration permit is now required for changes to the front, sides or roofline of a house built before 1941, or any new residential construction in the neighbourhood. According to the city’s website, the purpose of the policy is to minimize the loss of historic houses and street character, while ensuring any new builds are appropriate to the existing character of the neighbourhood. If you are keen on owning a heritage home, in other words, you’d best to consult with your local municipality on the rules around such structures first.
Sverdrup sees both the pros and the cons of owning a heritage home under these restrictions. Homes that have been well cared for should provide more value, he says, but if the building’s dilapidated, tearing it down or even making major renovations can be problematic.
“Some people love it and some people wouldn’t love it. You have to be one who appreciates quality workmanship,” he says.
If you’re convinced that a century-old charmer is the right place to hang your hat, there are financial considerations too. Sharon Davis is a mortgage planner with Blue Tree Mortgages West in Coquitlam, B.C. She has some experience with heritage homes and used to think anything with a whiff of “heritage” was problematic, but not so much anymore.
There are generally three types of heritage designations to consider for financing, Davis notes.
• When a property is recognized as having some heritage/character/period significance but there are no restrictions on what the owner can do with it, there are typically no issues with financing and most lenders will entertain the mortgage.
• When the property must retain the outside exterior look, but the inside can be as modern as the owner chooses it to be, not all lenders will like this situation, but it shouldn’t be too troublesome to get financing.
• When the property and dwelling is on the city’s designated list, affecting both the inside and outside of the property, it can be tough to finance.

As for Sverdrup and his home, he has no intention to sell and buy something new. He would never be able to find anything else like it in the region for a price he could afford, he says. Instead, he sees the house like a classic car. It’s beautiful, but needs a lot of upkeep.

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer – Dominion Lending Centres

Well hello again my friends. It feels as though its been quite awhile since I last wrote to share some of the amazing updates on Bullying Ends Here. Having enjoyed much of the summer to myself, I was very excited to get this season underway. As it turns out, it was one amazing fall!
As our speaking season officially kicked off on September 23rd in West Vancouver where I did a TEDx talk, it was the start of something very special. I then headed down to Palm Springs to enjoy some quality times with my friends of Dominion Lending Centres. It was so good to catch up again, and to also share some updates on the program. One incredible event yet again!

From October to December, while also fulfilling my duties as a full time Police Officer, I managed to spend two weeks in Nova Scotia, a few days in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island. I have been to Vancouver a few times doing a dozen sessions and then Ontario for a full slate of presentations as well. All in all, the most successful falls tour ever. For much of December, I kept it close to home with a dozen presentations throughout Alberta.

I was also recognized by Molson Canadian as one of Canada’s Top 150 Canadians and was provided one of their iconic red beer fridges personalized with my name on it. Very humbling experience to say the least.

Our final numbers for 2017 include over 125 presentations, numerous media interviews, multiple awards and recognition, 130,000 youth reached, 20,000 emails received and four more young lives saved.

We even had a massive shout-out from the Prime Minister in support of our work. Political stripes aside, to be recognized by the office of the Prime Minister is unreal. We also announced that our Ambassador is Johnny GAUDREAU from the Calgary Flames who is very passionate about doing all he can to help us. We also had support from Brian BURKE, Rick MERCER, Sheldon KENNEDY, Steven PAGE, Travis PRICE and Calgary Mayor NENSHI to mention just a few. All of this lends credibility to our program.

Lately, you may have seen that Bullying Ends Here was awarded a $125,000 grant from Industrial Alliance. This is truly a game changer for us as this money is going directly to creating information packages for teachers and parents on what do, look for and say when bullying is suspected. I have observed multiple times over the years that even if the youth are ready to speak up (what my program strongly encourages), many adults don’t know what to do. These packages are going to be created in partnership with some of Canada’s more recognized experts in the field of bullying. My goal is to have these ready for April. A tight timeline but one I am committed to work towards. I also need to add a massive thank you to everyone at DLC for voting for Bullying Ends Here throughout November. Our win is truly teamwork at its best. We won this TOGETHER!

To be clear, the funds being provided can not be used towards the program the way it is currently. The grant money is very specific as that is what we submitted our proposal for. I am just so excited to get this new extension of the program started and continue to make the lives of our young people better. Currently, because education is a provincial responsibility, each province is responsible for their own teachings and documentation. Because my reach is Canada-Wide, we are in a position to do something that has simply not been done before.

I am now currently working on plans for 2018 and I don’t mind sharing that it is going to be the best yet….BY FAR! I expect our charity to be recognized as one of the top anti-bullying programs in the Country by the end of the year. We are booked to present in every province, again, between January and June alone. We are also targeting a short tour to the United Kingdom as well. Although I projected 2018 to have our target audience numbers in the area of 150,000, I am now thinking it will be closer to 200,000.

As great as these projections are, the truth is that they can only be achieved with your continued sponsorship moving forward. Your individual regions can purchase books or make donations, charitable events….anything really. It all helps. I have updated my availability through June of 2018 if you wanted to book a few presentations in your area. All of the details are on my website www.bullyingendshere.ca

It has been an incredible journey having DLC as our Founding Sponsor over the last few years and I hope that we can continue to not only change lives, but SAVE them for many more years ahead.

I hope to see everyone again very soon.

Your friend,
Tad

Tad Milmine, Founder, Bullying Ends Here

Every entrepreneur and business owner will make a few financial mistakes during their journey. Those who aren’t savvy in accounting often overlook the need to brush up on their financial IQ. Truth is, these little financial errors can lead to some serious cash flow problems if you aren’t careful. Here are four financial mistakes you can easily avoid so you can protect your bottom line.

Late payments
Nobody is fond of paying bills. We tend to put them off until the last minute for short-lived peace of mind. This applies to all business owners when it comes to both your account payables and receivables.
When billing your clients, it’s common to give them an extended window of time to make payments so you can foster more sales. While your clients may appreciate the flexibility this can seriously cripple your cash flow. I generally suggest giving your clients no longer than 14 days to pay an invoice. If you’re providing quality goods and services they should have no problem paying you within this time window.
When it comes to paying your own bills, it’s important to follow the same principles above. This is especially the case if you’re operating off borrowed money. Paying an invoice late may result in a few unhappy emails, but when it comes to paying off your debts you need to always be on time. Even one missed payment can severely harm your credit score.
The best way to stay on top of these is to use an online payments solution that offers online invoicing and accounting features. This way all of your bills are organized and can be accessed anywhere at anytime.

Forgetting to have an emergency fund
Every successful entrepreneur will probably tell you that hindsight is 20/20 and foresight is … well you just never know what’s going to happen. Every business will have to pivot and there will always be unexpected hurdles. That being said, it’s absolutely imperative that you have your contingency plan, especially when it comes to finances. I recommend that every business owner has a three-month emergency fund at least.
You should start putting money away into your emergency fund as soon as the cash comes in. No matter the size of your business you should learn the art of bootstrapping and staying lean. The more money you put away, the more you’ll force yourself to get by with what you have. The majority of startups fail due to the lack of or misuse of capital. Having an emergency fund gives you a bit more runway when disaster strikes.

Failing to separate business funds from personal funds
This is one of the most common and dangerous pitfalls in small businesses. Small business owners often put their lives on the line for their business, literally. This is a big no-no. When starting a business it’s important to immediately separate your personal finances from your business finances. If you’re like any other entrepreneur it’s going to take more than one go to be successful. That being said, you definitely don’t want a failed business to tarnish your financial reputation.
Start by opening up a business bank account and apply for a business credit card to keep track of expenses. Make sure you’re only using your business credit card for business expenses and vice a versa. Failing to separate the two can also lead to complications around balancing accounts, filing taxes, measuring profits and even setting clear financial goals. Do yourself a favor and avoid mixing these expenses.

Spending too much time on non-cash-generating activities
It’s a given that you most likely won’t see an ROI on every activity you do when running a business. That being said, it’s important to distinguish which ones have the highest chance of eventually generating some cash flow. When it comes to time tracking and time management, it’s important to pay close attention to your productivity levels.
Everyone has 24 hours in a day, some decide to work smarter than others and that’s why they become successful. Know that time is your most valuable asset and treat it as such. Remember, it’s okay to say no or to turn down meetings that you know provide little to no value for your business. There’s no need to take or be present on every phone call either. Being able to identify what brings true and tangible value to your business is a key to success.
Try your best to follow the 80/20 rule. There are likely three to four activities in your business that generate the most cash. Once you identify these activities, create a habit of spending 80 percent of your time doing these tasks and save the rest of your time for other miscellaneous jobs. If you’re able to get really disciplined around this strategy, it will surely pay off.
It takes years of practice to improve your financial literacy. Although most lessons in finance are learned the hard way, it’s important to learn them nonetheless. Take note of these four common financial mistakes and do your best to avoid them.

Courtesy of Jennifer Okkerse, Director of Operations, Leasing Division – Dominion  Lending Centres

This story appeared in the Fall issue of Our House Magazine

The restored Green Gables property in Prince Edward Island is a blend of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s real childhood home and the one of her fertile imagination. 

Stepping into the house at 8521 Cavendish Road in Cavendish, P.E.I., is like walking back a couple of centuries and into the imagination of Lucy Maud Montgomery. While the famed Canadian author wrote Anne of Green Gables more than 100 years ago at the turn of the 20^th Century, her beloved masterpiece lives on in real life at a heritage site in the rural Maritime town.

The folks who look after the Green Gables, officially known as the L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site, want visitors to feel like they’re a part of the novel.

“When they arrive and they step into the barnyard or the house, or when they look at Anne’s room on the second floor, they really feel like they’ve stepped into that story,” says Ocel Dauphinais-Matheson, the visitor experience manager for Parks Canada National Historic Sites for Prince Edward Island. The idea was to recreate the location described by Montgomery in her novel, he explains, even though the actual site was originally a little different back in 1908.

While the Green Gables house and property were the inspiration for Anne of Green Gables, the author added elements that weren’t literally in front of her. For example, the original farmhouse, built back in 1831, actually never had a green roof. It does now. And Montgomery in fact grew up on a property next to the home with her grandmother. The Green Gables property belonged to David Jr. and Margaret Macneill, who were cousins of Montgomery’s grandfather. She came to know her cousins’ farm through her explorations of the surrounding woodlands and places she discovered and named, such as Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Wood.

“That’s why when she [Montgomery] wrote Anne of Green Gables, she used it really as the inspiration for the main setting in her book,” Dauphinais-Matheson told Our House magazine. “That’s the uniqueness of the site: it’s a real place and it really served as an inspiration. The way we present it is really true to the description she makes of the site in her novel.”

And people from all over the world have been coming to the province and site ever since the book was published. Last year, Green Gables welcomed 180,000 visitors between May and the end of October. At its peak in the summer, the property can expect up to 3,000 daily.

Dauphinais-Matheson suggested there are generally two types of people who visit the site: ones who don’t know much about the book but know its historical importance, and those for whom the site is a real pilgrimage. And to understand just how far reaching Montgomery’s novel has traveled, hundreds of thousands of people from abroad have come to the site, including from Japan, France, Australia and the U.S.

However, to keep a home approaching 200 years old in tip-top shape takes a lot of work and hands. There are two people responsible for cleaning the home and the 3,000 or so artifacts therein from top to bottom every day. There is an entire maintenance team responsible for the physical upkeep of the property, which includes any repairs that are authentic to the time period.

“It’s a big job. There are thousands of artifacts in the house. Lots of people come through, so we have a team of people who look after the upkeep and longer-term maintenance of the artifacts and the house itself,” Dauphinais-Matheson says.

But the effort is necessary to maintain such an important Canadian historical site, according to people with Parks Canada. Dauphinais-Matheson suggests Green Gables is important to protect because the site represents the inspiration and imagination the author had in creating one of the most well-read novels of all time.

Courtesy of Jeremy Deutsch, Lead Writer, Dominion Lending Centres