Topping things off in Breslau

The prepared food industry is booming as consumers increasingly rely on quick and easy meals to accommodate their busy schedules.

Pizzas, one of the most popular prepared foods, can be tailored to fit numerous tastes and has become a staple for many across the region. For Nada Ristanovic, pizza has been a part of her family for the last 26 years. Ristanovic owned and operated a pizza parlour in her home town of Gorazde in Bosnia before she moved with her family to Canada in 1995.

For the last seven years she worked at a franchised pizza joint until she decided to take the risk and open her own pizza palour, Pizzeria Napoli. Ristanovic based the name of her restaurant on the city of Naples, Italy, “the birthplace of pizza” she said.

Opening a pizza shop is not difficult if you have a good business plan, said Ristanovic, who is using her experiences to help her establish Breslau’s only family-owned pizzeria.

“We have had a great response from the public so far, and a lot of them are telling me it is great that Breslau has a place like this for the residents,” said Ristanovic standing at the front counter of her restaurant. “Breslau is growing and I wanted to be a part of that, offering good food that I know how to make.”

The 800-square-foot store located at the plaza at 10 Dolman St. offers a dining area for customers, even though take-out pizza by the slice or the pie is the main choice for customers. Ristanovic uses an old family recipe for both the dough – available in both white or whole wheat – and the sauce, saying she only uses natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives.

“It is important to me that the food not only tastes great but is healthier for my customers as well,” she said. “For the business to grow and continue we are going to have to offer the best food we can with the best taste. That comes from using quality ingredients, and a good sauce that people enjoy. It also helps that we keep our prices reasonable.”

Every day, Ristanovic arrives early to start prep, making the hand tossed dough and adding the special secret ingredients to her sauce. Pizza is not the only staple at her shop: they make handmade panzerottis, subs and oven-roasted chicken wings. She says the key to her success will be the stone ovens she uses in the restaurant.

“I make everything in the oven, pizzas, panzerottis and chicken wings. Everything is cooked in there and everything is fresh. It may take a little longer than the bigger pizza joints, but I am making sure everything is cooked well. I will not have my pizzas come out undercooked and raw in the centre.”

Ristanovic has the timing down perfectly, knowing it only takes 10 minutes to cook a pizza in the oven and chicken wings take around 15 minutes. As for the wings, she prepares them herself, buying raw chicken wings and adding the spices and  batter and does not fry them in oil but bakes them serving them mild, hot, BBQ or honey garlic style. Pizzeria Napoli is a three-person operation with Ristanovic’s husband and their 16-year-old son, Jovan, helping on the weekends. Currently the pizzeria is take-out or dine-in, but Ristanovic has plans to add a delivery service once she feels the venture is more established.

“As with everything it is going to take time. I am building this one step at a time, making sure everyone likes the products I am making and then I will add more to the restaurant,” she said. “It is very exciting to be a part of the community and I am looking forward to being here for a long time serving pizza.”

The shop opens at 11 a.m. every day and closes at 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The busiest time for the pizza parlour is between 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. when Ristanovic says she is basically run off her feet filling orders.

“Pizza is a lot like a business: while toppings may get all the attention, it’s the crust on the bottom that holds it all together. The stuff on the top may add flavor and pizzazz, but without the bottom stuff the whole thing just falls apart and no one wants that.”

Putting on a show at the WMC

With the less-than-ideal winter weather conditions we’ve seen the past few months it’s hard to believe that spring is really just around the corner, but just ask Wiarton Willie, who back on Feb. 2 predicted only six more weeks of winter. It is with even warmer weather in mind that the Elmira Sugar Kings and the Township of Woolwich are busy planning the first annual Woolwich Home and Garden Show from Apr. 19-21 at the Jim McLeod Arena in the WMC. The event is the brainchild of the Sugar Kings, who hope to use it as a fundraiser, with half the proceeds going back into their booster club and to help cover other costs associated with running the team. The other half will go to the township. Organizers hope that the event will prove to be popular in Elmira and surrounding communities.

“People tend to stay home more and do up their backyards with pools and entertainment, so I think the show should be a good go,” said Bruce Sieling, a member of the Kings’ board of directors and one of the show’s organizers.
“It’s getting so expensive to travel and this type of show will give them ideas and get them talking to people that can help them.”

Admission to the show is $2, while the cost to rent a booth for the three days is $395.50 (HST included), which will provide vendors with a 10×10 booth, a skirted table, and a chair. An extra $50 will get vendors a premium booth that is larger and located in a higher traffic area.

Sieling said that the team came up with the idea back in the fall, and it’s been a lot of work to try and pull it off in time for spring.

“There are always things that you don’t realize are going to happen; you might not think of certain things, so there have been a few stumbling blocks but overall it’s going well.
“The word is getting around and the interest seems good.”

Seiling and his colleagues sought the help of the organizers for the annual Wellesley Home and Garden Show, who are currently preparing for their 24th annual event, saying they’ve been very helpful in providing a list of do’s and don’ts as well as tips to try and attract vendors.

“They’re quite interested in helping out. It’s what communities work together on.”

There is room for 104 vendors at this years show, and while Sieling said it is hard to pin down an accurate number of confirmed participants thus far, he did say that space was filling up quickly. Vendors will range from farm equipment dealers and carpet cleaners, to garden centers and landscape contractors.

“We canvassed all of the Elmira area so far first because we want to get as many locals as we can, and now we’re spreading out to get more,” said Sieling.
One of those vendors is Premier Equipment Ltd. located on Church Street west of Elmira. The company said that these types of shows are a good opportunity to get out into the community and interact face-to-face with potential customers.

“It’s a chance for us to meet with folks who don’t have time to stop into the dealership in their everyday lives,” said Ryan Hicks, marketing manager at Premiere Equipment.
“It’s an opportunity for us to have some face time with folks and visit with them, and if they aren’t looking to get anything today or tomorrow at least they’ll know us and consider us if they do think ‘I need a new mower.’”
Hicks said that their display will include a range of lawn and garden equipment, trimmers, tractors, and other tools.
“Stuff that folks can use to maintain their property and help make looking after the property easier.”

The first annual Woolwich Home and Garden Show runs Apr. 19 (5:30-9:30 p.m.), 20 (5:30-9:30 p.m.) and 21 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information contact Jennifer Horndl at the township office, 519-669-6048. To print a vendor information package or application form, visit www.woolwich.ca and visit the festivals and events page.

Weston’s remarks about farmers’ markets

The perceived safety and security of farmers’ markets was been cast under the national spotlight last week after an off-the-cuff remark made waves through food and agricultural circles. “Farmers’ markets are great. … One day they’re going to kill some people though. “I’m just saying that to be dramatic though,” the speaker quickly added. That comment, made by Loblaw executive chairman Galen Weston on Feb. 7 in front of approximately 600 people at the Canadian Food Summit at the Metro Convention Centre, has ignited a firestorm of opposition. “We strenuously object” to Weston’s remark, said Robert Chorney, executive director of Farmers Markets Ontario. “That was awful.”

At the time of his comment, Weston – head of Canada’s largest food retailer, which has more than 1,000 stores nationwide – was discussing how to build a long-term vision for food in this country,  how to capitalize on the growing demand for local food and insisting that food inspections throughout the entire food system are critical.

Weston’s comments do raise an important topic of debate, one that is not discussed nearly enough when it comes to the local food movement: can customers be secure in their knowledge that the food they buy from their local farmer has been as carefully and regimentally inspected as the food they find at their neighbourhood Loblaw store?

Or are farmers’ markets safer than the big chains? Shoppers may recall the 2008 listeria outbreak that left 23 people dead and resulted in a major recall, which was traced back to processing giant Maple Leaf Foods and a Toronto meat plant – not a farmers’ market.

Markets are big business for Ontario. It is estimated that in this province alone sales at farmers markets total almost $700 million, and for every dollar spent at a farmers’ market, a little more than three dollars reverberates through the rest of the community as anywhere from 60 to 70 per cent of market-goers visit neighbouring businesses on their way to and from the market, according to an FMO study released last year.
The FMO also estimates that some 27,000 people in Ontario are directly involved in preparing and selling the products found at local markets.
It’s no surprise, then, that Weston’s comments have been so divisive.

“It probably wasn’t the best turn of phrase,” said Prof. John Smithers, chair of the geography department at the University of Guelph and whose research has been focused on the societal impacts of farmers’ markets and the local food movement.

“Maybe it wasn’t intended on focusing the spotlight so much on farmers’ markets, but the issue of inspection and food safety is a huge issue for consumers.”
Smithers is also the former vice-chair of the Cambridge Farmers Market, and said that there are strict control measures in place to ensure that food sold at these venues are safe for consumers to buy and serve to their families.
“Those facilities are inspected on a very regular basis, or at least they were when I was there. They don’t publicize when they’re coming, you’ll just see somebody walking around or a couple of people walking around with clipboards unannounced.

“They’re checking the temperature of coolers, they’re checking to see if the sinks are working properly, if hand-washing facilities are in place, and the food handling standards.”
There are more than 80 sections and sub-sections that pertain to food safety standards in the Region of Waterloo, and virtually all of the markets in this region fall under those guidelines, referred to as food premise regulations, which fall under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

“It’s a very prescriptive regulation,” said Chris Komorowski, food safety program manager at the Region of Waterloo. “You need sinks, you need to keep food at a certain temperature, you need to have certain supplies at the sinks, thermometers for food, sneeze guards, and all these structural things, as well as proper cleaning and sanitation.” In June 2006 the government of Ontario amended the Health Protection and Promotion Act to lessen those restrictions on farmers’ markets. Inspectors would still inspect these areas, but with more of a risk assessment and health hazard approach to determine what level of risk, if any, was present.

Yet none of the farmers’ markets in Waterloo Region, save the small one in Preston, have applied for those amendments, and in 2011 there was only one documented complaint against the markets in Waterloo Region, said Komorowski.

“I guess they see the value in having health inspectors go out to do the inspections, and I don’t think they feel at all that it’s a difficult working relationship and I think that they value what public health has to bring.
“They [farmers’ markets] are treated the same way that any other food premise would be treated.”

Every food premise in the region falls under one of three risk categories: high, medium and low. A high-risk establishment would be one that involves a large number of steps in the food preparation, such as a full-menu restaurant, or one that serves high-risk food such as poultry or meat, and these premises are inspected three times annually.

Medium-risk establishments are sites that sell “takeout” forms of food and have minimal food prep steps, and they are inspected twice annually. Low-risk sites are those that sell items with virtually no preparation, such as fruits or vegetables, and they are inspected about once a year for compliance. “Typically for most vendors we inspect them two to three times a year, and more if necessary. If there are problems we go back and do more inspections, which is typical of other food establishments,” said Komorowski. For the majority of market-goers, however, Smithers believes that the comments made by Weston will have little if any impact on their decisions on where to shop for their groceries and why. Through his research he has determined that regular shoppers at the market do so for reasons beyond merely picking up their weekly groceries.

He says that there is a form of social capital that develops between the local consumer and the local producer, and this connection of getting to know who produces your food creates a form of trust and a social bond between the two parties – a bond that has been broken over the past century thanks to the corporate food system.

“People develop a relationship with the person at the market and a lot of the trade between them is based on knowledge and trust. “It’s as much about knowing the person that you buy the food product from, to talking about the hockey game the night before, and that sort of personal element in the food system is hard for grocery stores to replicate.”

Cut out for her own business

Hairstylists are the new bartenders. People open up sitting in the chair, telling all kinds of stories about themselves and their neighbours while they are pampered and getting their hair cut.
For Krystal Strauss, owner of Generations Salon in Elmira, the gossip and small talk are just part of the job. Strauss opened her new salon, located at 63 Arthur St. S., Unit 3, on Feb.1 after working for over eight years in the industry at different salons.

With help from her family she renovated and redesigned the space to make it a more welcoming atmosphere.
Strauss attended the Voila Institute for hairstylists and after graduation started working at Voila until she realized she was better suited in a small-town rather than as a big city stylist. Four years ago she moved into Elmira and began working at a local salon.

“I just decided it was time for me to get out and do it on my own. It is really the only way a hairstylist can make money,” said Strauss.
In this current economic climate it would seem a difficult task to open a business in a town with so many salons already established, but Strauss knows the key to a successful venture: people seek beauty, and are constantly looking to improve what they have or give themselves a whole new look.

People enjoy being pampered by stylists as they cut their hair or shape their eyebrows, all for a few bucks.

An hour in a chair in a salon and one emerges confident and ready to take on the world.

“Everyone needs their hair done. Everyone feels good about themselves after their hair is done. A lot of people get their hair cuts before vacations so they look nice and of course there are a lot of wedding parties that need their hair done as well,” said Strauss, adding hairstylists have an advantage over estheticians because esthetics are a want whereas a haircut is something that you need.

Strauss admits she can’t just depend on the vanity of people and believes being a young entrepreneur is an advantage as she is willing to go that extra mile for her clients.
“I open early and stay late and work around their schedules. I have a big clientele base already from my previous work at a salon, and I am willing to grow. I also offer modern looks and use up-to-date technology in colouring hair.”

She frequently attends seminars to keep on different styles and techniques used in the industry.

“Long hair is coming back again, but instead of it being long and straight it is long with the Hollywood curl that is fashionable for women in the area. A year or two ago the bob was very popular and I see that coming back around again. It really never goes away, it just gets tweaked a little for every generation,” said Strauss. “For men I find that they are growing their hair a little bit longer and I am seeing a lot more side parts even with styles like the faux hawk, everything is off to the side.”

At her salon Strauss uses MoroccanOil products and she is pleased to be a vendor of the product. The company has decided to only select a few salons to sell their products, which will be known as Elite salons.
“It is quite the honour. I do have to follow their price structure, but it is a great seller for me,” she said. “They thought I would be beneficial as I am a new salon.”

Currently the business has a mixture of clients’ young and old, men and women, hence the name of the salon: Generations. With haircuts starting at $29 for women and $18 for men – with children’s prices ranging from $5 to $15 depending on their age – Strauss said she is staying very competitive in the market.

Although she works alone she is looking to hire another stylist very soon to keep up with the demand of her current customer base and new walk-in clients
The salon also sells accessories as well, including scarves and feather hair extensions.
“You have to be able to offer whatever new trends are in fashion to stay on top.”

Today (Saturday) the salon is holding an open house for anyone wishing to drop in. Wine and cheese and cake are being served and tours of the salon being offered. Each client will also receive a 10 per cent discount coupon and their names will be put into a draw to win MoroccanOil gift.

Cool technology is also a useful business tool

Maps are everywhere. People use them on a daily basis whether it is to see where traffic has stopped on major highways or using Google Earth to visit some far off country in the comfort of their own home. What most people don’t know is that they are using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, a mapping tool. GIS is taking textual information and displaying it in a visual format. Eva Dodsworth, the geospatial data services librarian at the University of Waterloo has written a new book entitled “Getting Started with GIS: a LITA Guide” that describes the technology behind mapping applications such as the Region of Waterloo Locator, and Google Maps, Google Earth, and many others.

“Twenty-five years ago you could have a mapping software program on your computer and it would have been a hardcore GIS program that only computer programmers were capable of using,” explained the St. Clements woman. “The problem is people assume that still to be the case today, believing GIS is about complex maps and analysis but it has changed and people are using Google Earth and Google Maps and are inputting their own local knowledge onto public map databases without realizing they are using GIS.”

Dodsworth’s book provides the basics of what GIS is and is comprised of hands-on guides providing readers with the tools of how to learn and map online to the point where you can get your own application and put it online and use GIS for analysis.

“We are using maps in every single thing we do; children, students and adults are using it, and the book is filled with examples of how society is using it in great numbers. There are 600 million users on Google Earth – there are fewer Facebook users.”

The book was written for library use, public, academic and special-interest. Many public libraries have fun events like geocaching that allow the public to get familiar with their community, but they’re also using geographic technologies like GPS units that tie into GIS, said Dodsworth.

She began teaching a few courses at library schools and wanted to get all librarians familiar with GIS. There was no textbook available so she wrote her own and began to train other librarians at the University of Waterloo.
“I tried to teach the concept that GIS is not difficult; we are already using it with out us even knowing we are using it.”

Dodsworth said people are becoming more interested in geography and learning about places. They’re now using geography for the basis of searching on Google.

“It is very interesting: we can use Google Earth and zoom into an area and add a little pushpin and link in a resource either from the library or your own images or videos of that place,” said Dodsworth. “With maps, you have the aspect of finding information that you can’t see in a text format – it allows you to see information visually.”

There are numerous business programs that run using GIS technology, including Simply Map, a database that shows census information, which is easier to analyze if there is a visual component. It shows where employment is and the distribution of income.

“It is great for anyone interested in creating a new retail location and they are interested in finding all the retail locations of a certain area, not by going through the Yellow Pages, which would take too long, but to visualize where they are by looking at a map and seeing where all the retail locations are, including any competition.”

Using a mapping system gives the user a sense of scale to an area or neighbourhoods, how many people live there and the demographic distribution of the neighbourhoods. It can give someone who may be thinking of starting a new retail venture information about their business and how successful it will or will not be.

“People feel that you need to be specialized to do GIS and it does help to have some skills or experience but my feeling is with all these online tools, these are resources for community users. GIS can be found everywhere, including social technology with maps and GIS interwoven into most social media.”

The official book launch is open to the public will be held at the University of Waterloo on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. in the Laurel Room, South Campus Hall. RSVP to ckieswet@uwaterloo.ca by Feb. 10 if you’re interested in attending

BIA, to revitalize its efforts in Elmira’s town

A new year brings new and creative ideas for the members of the Elmira Business Improvement Area (BIA) and its new executive board. At the helm, Jennifer Patterson of Inspiring Accents has succeeded Krista McBay, owner of the Elmira Home Hardware, as the organization’s chair.
The downtown business organization is seeking a new focus, looking to BIAs elsewhere for ideas and contemplating the addition of a part-time staff person to keep things organized. On Feb. 6, the local group will be getting an evaluation and input from Kay Matthews, executive director of the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association. The OBIAA, established in 2001, represents, supports and encourages member BIAs to increase their effectiveness and their contribution to the economic and social well-being of their communities. The main goal of the organization is to strengthen downtown cores.

“This is something we have never had and sort of lacked over the years. We have always just gone about our business without the proper guides, so instead of doing that this year we are going to look forward to this new year and try to do things in a more progressive way,” said McBay.

With the OBIAA, the plan is to have Matthews come into Elmira to tour the town then sit down with the municipal officials and the board to discuss what the successful BIAs do in Ontario to generate traffic and breathe new life into the downtown.

“We are really hoping for some positive feedback from her,” said Patterson. “She is going to provide the members with a BIA 101, show examples of successful initiatives and answer questions from our members about how the BIA should operate, what their responsibilities are and how people can get more involved.”

The BIA is holding an open information session for all its members when Matthews comes to town on Feb. 6 to discuss how to create a general awareness of the BIA, and what they do and can do.

“Our hope is to get more members of the BIA involved in the downtown and helping out at more BIA events like the sidewalk sale. We are planning to implement some new events this year and are currently working on them,” said Patterson.

The BIA is continuing to work on their marketing program and its Life is Sweeter Campaign now that they have a fresh new executive board.

“We have new businesses that have come to town who are stepping up and helping out we seem to have more energy going forward,” said McBay. “Hopefully this will help with the marketing programs that were started to become complete.”

The BIA will also be meeting with the township regarding signage. Woolwich is undertaking a review of its own sign bylaw, with the organization eager to provide input given that recent changes to the Region of Waterloo’s bylaw have eliminated opportunities for using signs on the approaches to Elmira, particularly Arthur Street South.

“We are looking for a way to get our signs back up because it really benefitted more than just the businesses: it benefitted the non-profit organizations … basically everyone. There was a huge cry when the region told us to take down our signs. We are just trying to get the word out to people and let them know what is going on and when you take one more thing away it just makes that job that much more difficult,” said McBay.

The Elmira organization is currently in talks about adding a part-time administrative assistant through the township to help out with new initiatives and administration, a move the BIA hopes will foster communication among members.

“We are still working on the details for a part-time position for the BIA at the township. We have a job description that we have for the township to look over,” said McBay. “The person is already in place at the township it is just a matter of deciding how much of their day will be spent dealing with BIA issues.”

The new board members are Mayor Todd Cowan (beautification committee), Derek Patterson (marketing and communication), Jennifer Patterson (chair), Krista McBay (past chair), Freda Walker (secretary) and Keith Shelter (finance).

For McBay, the changes are a chance to step back at least a little bit from the organization to concentrate on her own work.

“I am taking a backseat role. I am there to help (Patterson) when ever she needs it. I am just so busy with my own business and I have to really focus on that. I have been on the BIA for seven years, so it is time for me to take a rest,” said McBay.

The BIA has set up a new email address for members and volunteers to used to contact the the downtown business organization: elmirabia@gmail.com.

A tax time of year for couple’s new venture

The venture is new, but there’s no time for easing into things at Taylor Tax Services in Elmira: tax season is only weeks away at this point. Owners Shelly and Scott Taylor have both been dealing with income taxes and small business accounting for more than 25 years. The couple worked together at an accounting firm in Waterloo for many years when last year Shelly moved to work for Witmer Accounting in Elmira.
Denise Witmer, who owns and operates Witmer Accounting Consulting Ltd., has several different services she offers to her clients. A few months ago Witmer elected to sell the tax component of the business to the Taylors, giving them tax clients and a few bookkeeping clients.

“She started talking about selling her tax services business after realizing that her duties to her other companies were taking a back seat during the busy two-month tax season,” said Shelly.
The Taylors saw the business as an opportunity to be able to be connected to the community a little better.

“It is what we like to do, as crazy as it might be during the tax season of March and April. Helping people with their businesses is what I do. I have helped businesses all across Canada with help and advise on taxes and we want to help some local businesses,” said Scott.

The Taylors also purchased the Witmer’s business phone number as not to confuse former clients with a new phone number. They have relocated the business to 28 Pintail Dr. in Elmira where there is a locked mailbox outside for clients to drop off forms.

“Denise does not want to do taxes any more, and she did not want to get those calls: she made the phone number part of the purchase offer,” said Shelly. “It makes the transition easier for the clients with the phone number being the same.”

The business currently does income tax and tax return filing and also helps out some clients with their bookkeeping on a monthly and quarterly basis, filing of HST returns, payroll remittances and the like.
“We know that everyone has different concerns when it comes to their taxes. If you are an employee and you just got your T4 and your other various forms from the bank or charitable donations you may be interested in contributing to a RSPs and we can help them with their calculations,” said Scott.

If their clients have a small business, the Taylors make sure the income statement for the year is organized and complete – they know everything that should be included in terms of reasonable and allowable expenses on the form before it is sent off to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

The Taylors are expecting to be able to complete a tax return within 48 to 72 hours, depending on the amount of information provided by their clients.

Anyone wishing to bring their income tax forms to the Taylors can start to bring them now, said Scott, but Revenue Canada is not processing tax returns until Feb. 13 so anything that is sent in before that date just sits there.
“We have found that we do not want to start processing anything until the first week of March because a lot of people think they have everything but sometimes they are missing the odd piece of information and we have then find their return and add the new information to it,” said Shelly. “Don’t jump the gun, just wait.”

The Taylors will be electronically filing every tax return for their clients and they make sure every client is set up with direct deposit through CRA. If a client files a tax return with a refund they should be expecting a return within two to three weeks said Scott.

“My personal pet peeve when it comes to income taxes are places that will do refunds on the spot. They take so much money from people it is not funny,” said Scott. “You don’t need to be paying guys like these the 10 per cent to get your refund back. When you figure out that interest rate, it is huge. Nobody should be doing that anymore: it is a rip off.”

Currently the business is open after 5 p.m. on weekdays. The Taylors believe that most people are working during the day and it is hard to go see an accountant between 9 and 5; they plan to be open when most people will have the time to drop by their office.

In this digital age, the Taylors know they will be able to get back to clients in a timely manner using the phone, fax or email.

“Eventually our clientele will know we are not here in the daytime but we can return calls at lunch and after 5 p.m. and that is how our business will operate,” said Shelly. A home-based business, the operation has all the professional touches in place.

“We have the proper security systems in place and every client we have can be assured of privacy and everything is confidential,” said Scott. “All the forms will be safe and secure and backed up exactly as it should be.”

Carsharing, waiting for Woolwich to catch on

Grand River CarShare’s efforts to expand into Woolwich may have stalled a little bit, but members of Elmira Mennonite Church want to help jumpstart renewed interest in the program. The church has already agreed to provide one of their parking spots at 58 Church St. W. to be used by the group once it gets up and running in the township, but that’s where the inherent problem lies. In Woolwich, 17 people have joined, but that number has not increased in almost a year and is only about a third of the 50 that the GRCS is looking for in order to support three vehicles in Elmira.

For organizers and carshare hopefuls, the situation has become somewhat of a chicken or the egg scenario: people are hesitant to sign up until they can be sure that the program will proceed, yet the program cannot proceed until enough people have signed up.

“We hope to start with three cars; we certainly won’t start with one. It’ll be at least two cars,” said GRCS president Jason Hammond.
“We need a network,” he added, meaning the group wants at least two vehicles available from the beginning  to ensure enough people get a vehicle when they need one.
The last thing they want is to have people backing out of their commitment because there weren’t enough cars to meet demand.
The township has backed the carshare program by giving them a $30,000 line of credit last fall following the announcement that the Grand River Transit route 21 would become permanent.

That money, paid back with interest of two per cent, will provide the necessary working capital and help keep costs down. Parking locations have also been arranged at the UPI service centre on Church Street East and the Foodland store in the south end.

Typically, GRCS buys off-lease cars that are about two years old, and vehicles are chosen base on what’s most suitable for the location. GRCS currently has more than 500 members who have access to a fleet of 17 vehicles in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Hamilton.

Grand River CarShare and Hamilton CarShare is a single non-profit co-operative that provides its members access to vehicles on a self-serve, pay-per-use basis. The co-operative was founded in 1998 and operated first in Kitchener-Waterloo, adding service to Cambridge in 2007, and Hamilton in 2009.
The mission of the GRCS is to deliver a carsharing service and to promote carsharing as an important component of a sustainable transportation system within the Region of Waterloo and the City of Hamilton.

The co-op seeks to reduce overall transportation costs, traffic congestion and air pollution, thus improving our communities.
For as little as $10 drivers can place a deposit on their membership to join, which would help the GRCS gain a clearer understanding of just how many people are interested in the service.

Once the program is up and running the application fee ranges from $30 to $99, and are fully refundable. A complete breakdown of prices is available online.
Despite being a nearly 30 people short of their goal, Hammond said once they do reach 50 they can be operating in Elmira with very short notice.
“As soon as we have enough people, that’s when we launch. If 35 more people sign up tomorrow, we would launch next week.”

For the parishioners of Elmira Mennonite Church, assisting the GRCS become viable in Elmira and the township is an important part of their new “green” mandate.
The church formed a green team in the summer of 2009 to help create awareness about the impact that their parish and their congregation has on the environment.
Since then the group has grown to include six members, and they have undertaken some pretty big tasks.

“There is a wonderful sense of frugality at the church, through the thrift shop that is across the street from us, and through our recycling,” said pastor Steven Janzen.
To that end, the team has installed low-flow toilets and energy-saving CFL light bulbs at the church, they had an assessment done by REEP Green Solutions to locate any drafts in the building, new double-paned windows have been installed, they’re in the process of mounting solar panels on the roof, and they’re even working on establishing a community garden on one of their vacant lots this summer.

“It’s an investment,” Janzen noted of the improvements. “We’ve talked about the produce that we could gather from the garden and we could have a wonderful potluck that we can call the 50-foot meal, instead of the 100-mile diet.

“These aren’t saving us huge money, but they’re promoting ways of being green and meeting the challenge of helping our environment.”
He likened that mentality to the expansion of the carshare program in Woolwich. Instead of everyone relying on their own car sitting in the driveway, if residents instead took into consideration the environmental benefits of sharing a car, we’d likely end up further ahead.

Janzen also recognizes the inherent challenge in trying to get people to share their transportation.
“That takes coordination and communication, and there is also a sense of respect for taking care of a commonly shared vehicle that other people will drive,” he said.
For more information on the GRCS, visit their website www.grandrivercarshare.ca or call (519) 578-1895.

You Are… What You Eat

You are what you eat. It’s a common phrase that is more than 190 years old, yet one we still have trouble adhering to today. Not to be taken literally, of course, but “you are what you eat” is the basic idea that the food you consume influences both your health and state of mind – and it’s also the name of Conestogo resident Stephanie Forte’s newest business.

Forte, who has spent the past 14 years as a registered massage therapist, has decided to expand her business to include nutrition and health coaching and some personal training as well.

“I’ve been in fitness and health all my life. That’s where my passion lies,” said Forte while sitting in her home office at 2180 Hunsberger Rd.

“What I want to do is help the general public learn to eat again, and dispel some of the myths that are out there about what is good, what’s not, what you should eat, and what you shouldn’t.”

Forte said her passion for health started during her teenage years when she was 30 pounds overweight. Her struggle with trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle is what inspired her to want to do the same for others.

She studied physical education and biology, and after a brief stint as a teacher, decided to switch to massage therapy. She also has experience as a doula, providing support for women in labour, and said making the move to becoming a nutrition and health coach was a natural progression for her.

She said her aim is to make life simpler for people, and said she sometimes takes for granted the fact that not everyone has the same nutrition training as she does and have trouble making the right choice when it comes to eating healthier.

“I’ll teach people to read labels, and I’ll offer a service where I’ll go shopping with people. We’ll go through the aisles and learn to read the labels and learn to make better choices, because there is a lot of confusion,” she said, adding she will also go to a client’s home and help them look through their cupboards and fridge to spot the not-so-healthy choices.

“I’m not going to throw it out like they do on TV,” she laughed. “I just want to help people understand what it is they’re eating.”

Forte will also give instruction on portion sizes, and help convince her clients that making dinner at home and eating healthy doesn’t take a lot of time or money. She is not trained as a dietitian, she said, but instead all of her knowledge is self-taught by studying materials on the subject and through her educational background.

There are a few simple tricks that Forte uses to help clients achieve their weight goals or their healthy lifestyle changes.

One of the first things she says to do is go grocery shopping with a list of items that you need, rather than shopping without one, because that is when you’re more likely to forget a staple ingredient and succumb to impulse buys.

Her second tip is that you should never grocery shop hungry; otherwise you’re more likely to splurge on snack items that you don’t really need and that are not as healthy for you.

She also said that there is simple cooking and baking tricks that can help cut down on fat or sugar in your recipes. One is to replace at least a portion of the butter required for baking with either apple sauce or prunes. Another is to use make small changes that will go virtually unnoticed, such as using whole wheat pasta instead of white.

Forte also stressed making cooking a family affair where everyone can get involved, that way cooking will be viewed as less of a chore and more of an activity to do together.

“And start your child early on real food,” instead of food bought in jars, said Forte, who has a three-year-old son of her own.

“I take a sweet potato, put it in the microwave until it’s soft, mash it up and I’m done. It’s easy, and cheaper.”

Forte is a big proponent of what she also calls the six pillars of health, which are sleep, thoughts, breathing, drink, eating, and movement. She stresses to her clients that they need to get adequate sleep at night, drink enough water, eat the right food, and stay in motion. She purposely avoids the word “exercise” though, as it can have negative connotations for some people, which could then discourage them from doing any activity at all.

“The key is to find something that you enjoy; whether that’s swimming or running or playing sports, go back to thinking like you’re a kid again.”

With a new year upon us, Forte also recognizes the urge by most to make a New Years resolution to lose weight or start exercising more.

While those are good goals, she suggests to her clients not to get too far ahead of themselves and to just view every day as a new day and a new opportunity to make lifestyle changes.

“I don’t like the word ‘diet’,” she said. “Even setting a goal of fitting into a certain dress or losing a specific amount of weight sets you up for failure, because once that’s achieved you’re more likely to go back to your old habits.”

Instead, be mindful of what you’re putting into your body every day, she said, because food is fuel and the better fuel you use, the better you’ll perform.

Forte also makes the case for the rare indulgence from time to time, and lives by the 80-20 rule, where 80 per cent of what she eats is healthy and high-quality food, while the other 20 per cent she labels as indulgences.

“Give yourself a break every once and a while,” she said with a smile. “If you don’t see treats or goodies as forbidden during the rest of the year, you’ll be less likely to overindulge at Christmas or during any other holiday or get together.”

For more information on You Are What You Eat, call Stephanie Forte at 519-569-1616.

Wind power likely to grow

Wind energy is relatively new to Ontario and is becoming a fast growing source of electricity generation.

There are at least five wind turbines in the region, including two models just north of Waterloo, a turbine at the YMCA Outdoor Education centre near Paradise Lake and at a couple of farms located in Baden and Milverton. These structures with three rotating blades are churning out electrical   power for their owners. Even though the region is not known for particularly high winds attractive to wind developers, there are exceptions in treeless areas west of Woolwich.

All wind turbines operate on the same principle: when the wind blows it pushes a rotating blade which turns a shaft creating a rotating magnetic field, generating electricity. The power and energy created increases as wind speeds amplify and the most lucrative wind turbines are located in the windiest areas.
Wind speed is affected by the topography and increases with height above the ground, so wind turbines are usually mounted on tall towers.

“Wind is a very efficient way to capturing energy and transferring it into electricity and this can pay off financially,” said Shane Mulligan project manager for Local Initiative for Future Energy (L.I.F.E.) Co-op based in Kitchener.
The turbines have other advantages as well, he added, including environmental, economic and community benefits that go well beyond the financial returns.

“When we look at investments in wind power, we are looking at people who are interested in more than just financials and are committed to the environmental values of the long-term energy security opportunity. When it comes to community wind power [is] a community building project,” he said.

The co-op is currently working on a community project to allow local investors to co-own a wind turbine with an aim of building a two megawatt wind tower at a St. Agatha site for connection to the provincial electrical grid and take advantage of the Ontario Power Authority’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program rates and the economic potential of wind power.

The FIT program pays for electricity generated by renewable sources. Electricity generated from a wind turbine to the grid creates a credit towards the owner’s energy costs.

“There is a lot more in it than just the money,” said Mulligan. “It is a community building project which reflects the European experience where a community has gotten together around the project and it has enhanced their collective sense because they are participating together. This is what the L.I.F.E. co-op is working towards here in the area. We are trying to build a community in the pursuit of this endeavour.”

Local farmers looking to have extra heat or a backup electricity supply have a prime opportunity for healthy-sized wind projects. In some areas, farmers can sell their backup power to the local hydro distribution company.

In Woolwich Township, however, farmers are only allowed to erect farm-scale wind turbines that must be an accessory to the farming operation, meaning the power generated must be used as part of the farm and cannot be sold on a commercial basis.

“Right now residents that would like to erect wind turbines would run into problems with existing zoning bylaws. Although there are no laws that prohibit the turbines there are height restrictions,” said Dan Kennaley, the township’s director of engineering and planning services.

Currently the municipality is going through an Official Plan review exercise that includes dealing with changes to provincial policies that have occurred since the last update; one of the major changes to has been to renewable energy options.

“The province is certainly encouraging us to allow for renewable energy but at this point in the review we have not really grappled with issue of renewable energy,” said Kennaley. “We are aware of the controversy that surrounds wind turbines and we will be proceeding carefully on our new policy concerning them.”

Opponents of the turbines claim there are many health concerns that surround the technology, with complaints ranging from the low frequency noise, infrasound, stress, sleep disturbance and both physiological and mental health issues.

A recent report conducted by noise, vibration and acoustics experts commissioned by the province, however, says the sound wind turbines create pose no direct health risks. The study looked at more than 100 reports from Ontario, Alberta and countries around the world.

The report found that the province’s rules to control wind turbine sound are rigorous, the Ministry of the Environment said this week in releasing the report. The minimum setback is currently 550 metres from any residence, school or church with a sound limit of 40 decibels.

Those limits conform to World Health Organization standards.

“Our priority is to develop renewable energy in a way that protects Ontarians. This report finds that we are on the right track by taking a cautious approach when setting standards for wind turbine setbacks and sound limits,” Environment Minister Jim Bradley is quoted on the ministry website.

The Ontario government has pledged to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2014 with hopes to increase wind, solar and biomass production.