JUNE/JULY 2021
S OB E R C I T Y ’ S BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC GROCERY STORES BEERS AMAZING BBQ FOUND IN PLACES KNOWN FOR JIGGS DINNER, LOBSTER AND CHOWDER!!! WHEN WOMEN RAISE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECIAL TREATMENT & A FAIR SHOT EPIC EATERIES & SWEETERIES
AESTHETICS WITH AUNDREA FEELING COMFORTABLE & CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN SKIN
IN THE SPOTLIGHT YVONNE LANGEN FOOD & COCKTAIL CONTENT CREATOR, MEDIA PERSONALITY & HUMORIST
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Editor’s Spotlight B usiness funding is a hot topic for many business owners at this time, especially when most small and medium sized businesses are getting hit hard with a third wave of government restrictions limiting revenues while larger big box locations seem to be able to slide by as essential and are able to stay open to customers. There has always been a small versus large business debate but what happens when business size is not the issue, but the owner’s gender is? Shannon Ferguson from FanSaves explains how there’s been a lot of talk con- cerning women raising capital recently to help grow their business or support their start-up and what that overall landscape looks like in today’s business world. While many venture capital funds and angel groups are waking up to the fact that while women-led companies are not rare, the capital invested in them sure is. Shannon shares the difference between special treatment and women in businesses wanting a fair shot at getting funding. Building a brand is tough enough when it is your full-time job let alone when it is your side hustle. This month for in the spotlight, we sat down with Cam- bridge, Ontario native now Capital City food and cocktail content creator, Yvonne Langen. Langen shares about following her passion from the early age of 12 and her journey to now being an entrepreneur, media personality and the businesswoman in front of the camera and behind the scenes of the Taste & Tipple brand. We are always quick to spotlight the trends and offerings from both the craft brewing and distilling industries, but the sober-curious wave has been gaining momentum over the last few years and more and more people are reaching for non-alcoholic options at dinners, nights out, and BBQs with friends and family. So, we have partnered with Sober City to see what non-alcoholic beer options were available at the local grocery stores and had Lee-Anne Richard- son and her panel put them through the taste test just in time for summer gatherings once we are able to get together with friends and family again. As we get ready to put together our readers recommendations for their favou- rite places serving up mouth watering barbeque, we had three that stood out for being unusual places for great amazing barbeque for this month’s edition of Epic Eateries & Sweeteries. Aundrea Ritchie is back this month with another installment of Aesthetics with Aundrea which focuses on feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin. Wewant to thank everyone that made this issue possible, andwe look forward to sharing more stories about successful businesses and brands, while spot- lighting the people behind making it all happen. Remember we are all in this together. Lee Ann Atwater Editor
MANAGING DIRECTOR Rod Gregg EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lee Ann Atwater COMMUNICATION, RESEARCH & ADMIN Ashley Tanner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Janice Buckler Megan Callahan Tiffany Chase Shannon Ferguson Calli Gregg Deborah Jaremko Mark Milke Ceiledh Monk Dan Monk Brittany Pickrem Lee-Anne Richardson Christi Rideout Elizabeth Spencer Ven Venkatachalam
SOCIAL MEDIA Troy Gregg GRAPHIC DESIGN Aaron Jeffrey
WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT Joe Uttaro PUBLISHER AIDACA Media
P.O. Box 35007, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3M 0G3 P: 902 405 2000 E: info@spotlightbizmag.com spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com
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What’s in the Spotlight on the cover
AESTHETICS WITH AUNDREA FEELING COMFORTABLE & CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN SKIN
There’s been a lot of talk concerning women raising capital recently and what that overall landscape looks like. Many venture capital funds and angel groups are waking up to the fact that while women-led companies are not rare, the capital invested in them sure is. WHEN WOMEN RAISE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECIAL TREATMENT & A FAIR SHOT
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04 WHAT’S IN THE SPOTLIGHT 08 UPCOMING EVENTS 18 SPOTLIGHT ON INDUSTRY 20 A MATTER OF FACT Don’t Bet on a Collapse in Oil Demand 24 CONTRACTOR’S CORNER Personality Traits of an Entrepreneur 30 DESIGN OF THE TIMES Revamp your living spaces 34 CANADIAN PROPANE Canada a growing player in ‘COVID-proof’ global propane markets 50 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS 64 GRAINS TO GLASSES Nova Scotia Spirit Co’s Blue Lobster Dragonfruit Guava Vodka Soda 66 THE HAPPY ENTREPRENEUR The keys to get you in your happy place in business. 70 HALIFAX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY (HIAA) Prepares for Multi-Year Recovery 76 SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION 78 BUILDING BRANDS WITH BRITTANY Ways to Boost your Brand this Summer. 82 CANADA’S OIL AND GAS SECTOR Why Canada is tops in flaring drops 84 PANDEMIC SLOWDOWN Take this time to build a better business and brand! 86 EATSNOTAPPS.COM Supporting Local Eats Not Third-party Apps! 90 SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH & WELLNESS 92 HOLISTIC HEALTH NUTRIENTS A-Z: Calcium 102 MOM TO THE RESCUE My Teenager Taught Me NewWays to Love
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Non-Surgical Medical Aesthetics is a growing sector of the health and wellness industry. We often hear people say in order to be happy, you need to feel comfortable in your own skin. While there is obviously a much deeper meaning to this that goes well beyond a purely aesthetic perspective, how you feel about the health and look of your skin does play a big part in how you feel about your overall appearance and self-confidence.
EPIC EATERIES & SWEETERIES AMAZING BBQ FOUND IN PLACES KNOWN FOR JIGGS DINNER, LOBSTER & CHOWDER!!!
SOBER CITY’S BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC GROCERY STORES BEERS
in the spotlight
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YVONNE LANGEN FOOD & COCKTAIL CONTENT CREATOR, MEDIA PERSONALITY & HUMORIST
37 As we comb through the hundreds of tasty barb- be-que joint recommendations that are coming our way from readers across North America for our upcoming Epic BBQ Joints Project coming up in August. Three particular BBQ places stood out from the crowd as all are located on the East Coast typically famous for Jiggs Dinner, Lobster and Chowder not amazing BBQ, but that has not stopped them from becoming ultimate smoke and pit masters. 58
The sober-curious wave has been gaining momentum over the last few years and more and more people are reaching for non-alcohol- ic options at dinners, nights out, and BBQs with friends and family. So, Sober City did some research to see what was available for non-al- coholic beer options at the local grocery stores and put them through the taste test just in time for summer gatherings once we are able to get together with friends and family again.
We sat down with Cambridge, Ontario native now Capital City food and cocktail content creator, Yvonne Langen about following her passion from the early age of 12 and her journey to now being an entrepreneur, media person- ality and the businesswoman in front of the camera and behind the scenes of the Taste & Tipple brand.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
ATLANTA MARKET July 13th – 19th, 2021
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW July 15th – 19th, 2021
WELLNESS EXPO July 17th – 18th, 2021
Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart | Atlanta, GA, USA DISCOVER. CONNECT. INSPIRE. Welcome to Atlanta Market, the Premier Gift, Décor and Lifestyle Market. Housing the nation’s largest gift product mix com- plemented by a broad selection of home décor. Atlanta Market features more than 8,000 brands across all categories including seasonal, gourmet, tabletop, outdoor and more. For more information on this event go to https://www.atlantamarket. com/
McCormick Place | Chicago, IL, USA
Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas | Irving, TX, USA Enjoy earth’s best-loved wellness event. Over 80 exhibitors featuring products and services for mind, body and spirit. Shop for ener- gized jewelry & stones, experi- ence bodywork, Reiki, reflexology & intuitive readings. For more information on this event go to https://wellnessexpo. net/ com/
The Chicago Auto Show is the largest national auto show in Chicago and displays wide range of vehicles that includes sports cars, concept cars, dream cars that are either newly manufactured in the market or have emerged to be leading brands in the market. It is a great platform where the visitors are exposed to an array of choices, when it comes to cars and they have a good experience in this show. For more information on this event go to https://www.chicagoauto- show.com/
SWIMSHOW July 10th – 13th, 2021
GLOBAL TRAVEL MARKETPLACE (GTM) July 8h – 10th, 2021 Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa | Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA GTM is an elite appointment-on- ly event that connects the most influential travel advisors in North America with global travel suppli- ers in face-to-face meetings and Boardroom sessions. This boutique-style event provides a professional platform for the best sellers in the industry, encouraging them to expand their supplier portfolio and grow their global book of business. For more information on this event go to http://www.gtmflagship. com/home
THE AESTHETIC SHOW July 8th – 11th, 2021 Wynn Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV, USA The Aesthetic Show stands above the competition. Why? Because they celebrate diversity and foster a comfortable, inclusive environ- ment. Attendees might come from different places, have various skill sets and unique talents, but they share a common bond: a passion and dedication to the medical aesthetics profession. At this multi-disciplinary event you get the rare opportunity to work with practitioners of different backgrounds and find solutions you might not have discovered in your own discipline. The Aesthet- ic Show proudly welcomes the full spectrum of medical specialties practicing aesthetics. For more information on this event go to https://www.aestheticshow. com/
Miami Beach Convention Center | Miami Beach, FL, USA With more than three decades of expertise, SwimShow is recog- nized as the leader in swimwear exhibitions worldwide. As the industry’s most celebrated and established exhibition, SwimShow is the premier global tradeshow where the very best gather to network, exhibit and purchase next year’s trends. Held every July, SwimShow is the largest of its kind in the world and attracts more than 7,500 buyers, manufacturers, designers, corpo- rate personnel, press, bloggers, influencers, fashion consultants, stylists, VIP’s and other fashion industry leaders from over 60 countries across the globe to showcase brands and create business opportunities. For more information on this event go to https://www.swimshow. com/
WANT TO HAVE YOUR EVENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT? Send an email 4 weeks in advance to production@spotlightbizmag.com with all the details of your event.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT YVONNE LANGEN
Spotlight: Tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up, what you like to do in your spare time when you are not entertaining people online or working your full-time gig. Are your parents outgoing like yourself? Yvonne Langen: I’m a real card, just ask my mother. Growing up as an only child in Cambridge, Ontario, I always had a captive audience with my parents and their friends. I quickly learned to love being in the limelight and would seize on any opportunity to steal the show. My parents are entrepreneurs, and my mom has been helming their logistics company for the past 25 years. As business owners, they often worked long hours and needed to find creative ways to keep me occupied over summer holidays. They signed me up for every variety of day camp imaginable, from tennis to drama camp and everything in between – I even spent a week participating in a bowling camp (sadly, bowling isn’t a highly trans- ferable skill). My love of sport that was first nurtured in those early years and has since endured. When I’m not cooking, shaking up drinks or discovering a new restaurant, you’ll probably find me in the gym, on the yoga mat, or hitting winners on the tennis court.
FOOD & COCKTAIL CONTENT CREATOR, MEDIA PERSONALITY & HUMORIST by Lee Ann Atwater
“I’m a real card, just ask my mother.”
W e sat down with Cambridge, Ontario native now Capital City food and cocktail content creator, Yvonne Langen, about following her passion from the early age of 12 and her journey to now being an entrepreneur, media personality and the businesswoman in front of the camera and behind the scenes of the Taste & Tipple brand.
Spotlight: You are extremely comfortable in front of the screen and have a unique ability to connect and engage with your viewers. So, tell us about your education, experience and professional background that build this confi - dence to entertain and educate people at the same time. Yvonne Langen: I have a Bachelor of Journal- ism with Combined Honours in Women’s Studies from Carleton University and a Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies from the Universi- ty of Toronto. Journalism school helped me get comfortable working both behind and in front of
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the camera. Since graduating, I have spent most of my career in relationship management and sales – I love getting to meet and talk to new people, it helps to satisfy my insatiable curiosity. Spotlight: You played field hockey for both the Carleton University Ravens and the U of T Varsity Blues. Can you tell us about your expe- rience playing varsity sports for both schools? How were you able to balance school and athletic activities? During your final year of CIS eligibility with the Varsity Blues, you and the team captured the CIS national champi- onship title. What was that experience like? What sports are you active in now? Yvonne Langen: I always prioritized aca- demics over athletics because there aren’t many paid jobs on the field hockey pitch. The School of Journalism at Carleton is highly regarded across the country and, at the time, I was convinced that I wanted to find myself behind the anchor desk at SportsNet after graduation. While I found success in the classroom in my double major, the outcomes on the pitch were a bit less dazzling. We had a lot of changes in coaching in my four years at Carleton and it was hard to build consis- tency with a rotating cast of coaches. To be honest, I don’t think we won a single match in my last two years as a Raven. When I pursued graduate school at U of T, I earned a spot on the starting line-up of the Varsity Blues, one of the winnin- gest programs in the country. After a few years of losing records at Carleton, it was a welcome relief to conclude my CIS career with a national championship ring. Spotlight: When did you start to become interested in Food & Cocktails? Where did the idea and concept for Taste & Tipple come from?
“I love getting to meet and talk to new people, it helps to satisfy my insatiable curiosity.”
Yvonne Langen: My parents were busy entre- preneurs and in the 90s we didn’t have the same kind of foodie culture that we have today. As a result, dinner at our house often default- ed to whatever was quick and easy. Each week featured the same rotation of dishes: salmon with rice, my dad’s famous spaghetti Bolognese (I can still devour an entire plate of this in less than 2 minutes), pork chops with apple sauce, and steak and potatoes. On days we didn’t eat at home, we would venture to my parents’ favou- rite fine dining establishment in Cambridge, where I first discovered a wider world of flavour possibilities, and I’d always get to order dessert (something I still do, even at business lunches). By the time I was 12, the menu at Chez Langen was getting a bit tired, in my entitled pre-teen opinion. I’m still shocked the Michelin Guide didn’t ask me to weigh in on the world’s best
restaurants with my sophisticated pubescent palate. Just before I went away to a sleep-over camp (an all-girls camp with UNIFORMS) for the first time, I unearthed an old paperback cookbook with 80s era sepia tone food photography and an inexplicable amount of cream cheese content. I was overjoyed. Being the total tyrant I was, I earmarked a few recipes and assigned my parents culinary homework to practice and perfect in my fortnight sojourn. When I returned home sunburnt and overstimulated, I learned they’d made only one of the dishes I’d assigned. I made no attempt to disguise my disappointment. So, when I finished sulking, I assumed the mantle and made the rest, with their supervision and swore, “When I grow up, I’ll never eat the same thing twice in a month.”
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blogging, I wanted to keep the focus squarely on the recipes. I was apprehensive about centering myself in the work because so many of the food bloggers I admire almost never showed or shared much of themselves. In February 2020, my motivation was flagging. I wasn’t seeing the growth I wanted and was ques- tioning whether to continue on with this passion project or call it quits and have more time to myself. When the pandemic hit a month later, I began hosting a virtual happy hour on my Insta- gram Story to help create a sense of together- ness, even while we had to be apart. I showed my followers how to craft a classic, modern classic, or original cocktail recipes. There was immediate uptake, and my audience was keen to shake and stir along with me. My growth exploded and I gradually became more comfortable in front of the camera – reori- enting my content to be largely personality-driv- en. While it’s been a tremendously challenging 15 months, the pandemic allowed me to define my mission, vision and values in a way I hadn’t before. Now, my focus is on taking the intim- idation factor out of cocktails by making it fun and accessible, especially for other women. At the time of this publication, I’ve now hosted 200 episodes of my Virtual Happy Hour series and have been able to transition an unpaid hobby into a thriving business. How do I do it all? Well, If I’m honest, balance is a pipe dream at this point. I work a lot – about 60-75 hours a week between my day job and Taste & Tipple. I don’t celebrate hustle culture or “the grind” as I think those philosophies create unhealthy relationships with work and a com- pulsion to be constantly productive. I work this much because I hope to one day be in a position to make my passion project my full-time gig and I have concrete milestones I’m trying to hit to make that a reality. Spotlight: Balancing a passion project and a full-time gig for 60-75 hours a week sounds exhausting. Can you run us through a typical workday in the life of Yvonne?
“How do I do it all? Well, If I’m honest, balance is a pipe dream at this point. I work a lot”
After moving out on my own, I honored that com- mitment and started experimenting with more gourmet meals and different cuisines. At the same time, I became legal drinking age and fell in love with the Food & Drink magazine from the LCBO and began dabbling with craft cocktails. The rest is history and I now hope to one day be featured in the pages of Food & Drink. Spotlight: Taste and Tipple has become somuch more than just exploring food and alcohol, it has become a lifestyle brand. Can you tell us how the brand has changed over the last four years? How do you balance your full-time job and your side hustle? Yvonne Langen: In the first couple of years of
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Yvonne Langen: I’m trying to improve my mobility and flexibility at the moment and am in the midst of a 108-day yoga challenge, so I start my day with yoga. I have personal training (via Zoom) right after yoga, three times a week. I clock in for my day job as the Director of Business Development and Marketing at national market research firm Abacus Data at 9 a.m. I work until 5, sometimes squeezing in some chores around the house while we’re working from home. I usually check in on social media once in the morning and again at mid-afternoon to post or respond to messages. I host Virtual Happy Hour on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 pm ET in my Ins- tagram Story. I spend the bulk of my evenings and weekends creating recipes, photographing/ filming them, editing, drafting blog and social posts, liaising with brand partners and connect- ing with my online community. Spotlight: What mentors did, or do you have now? You inspire many, but who inspires you and why? Yvonne Langen: My business has experienced a lot of growth over the past year, and I needed support and guidance in scaling up. I worked with Amanda Chen, founder of Salty Paloma, as my business coach for several months and she helped me enormously in goalsetting, reflect - ing, and growing. As a fellow cocktail content creator with her own line of drink rimmers and now cocktail kits, she was able to relate to and inform the work that I do. I’m also inspired by the photographic talents of other creators. Their creativity pushes me to look at and capture food and drink in new ways.
Spotlight: Where can readers follow you and get more information about you and the Taste and Tipple Brand? Are you on social media? Do you offer any other in person services as part of Taste and Tipple, such things as MCing or hosting live events? If so, how would someone go about contacting you about these opportu- nities? Yvonne Langen: You can follow me on Insta- gram @tasteandtipple, visit the blog for all my original recipes and content at tasteandtipple.ca or watch past episodes from Virtual Happy Hour on my YouTube channel – simply search for Taste and Tipple on the platform. For food, drink & lifestyle brands, I offer content creation services including recipe development, photography, and influencer marketing, including regional and national TV, print or radio spots. I also offer bespoke virtual or in-person cocktail classes for corporate clients – whether you’re hosting an AGM, board meeting, or team-build- ing event I can lead a hands-on cocktail/mocktail workshop for your group. If you’re looking to get the party started at a charity gala, awards show, or conference, I’m available as an emcee or host. For any business inquiries, please reach out to me via email at yvonne@tasteandtipple.ca. Spotlight: Where do you see yourself profes- sionally in the next 5 years? Yvonne Langen: I anticipate that in five years, I’ll be an award-winning television host of a popular cocktail show and have had my first book of cocktail recipes/humorous essays published. I’ll be living somewhere that doesn’t experience the bone-chilling winters we get here in Canada’s capital. If you want to view more of Yvonne’s content you can follow her on Instagram @tasteandtip- ple, visit the blog for all my original recipes and content at tasteandtipple.ca or you can you watch past episodes from Virtual Happy Hour on her YouTube channel – simply search for Taste and Tipple on the platform, then grab your ingredi- ents and start mixing.
Spotlight: As a Media Personality you have become a role model for women, empower- ing women to be themselves and not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and share your voice with others. What advice do you have for females or any readers for that matter when it comes to going after your dreams and staying true to yourself in the journey? Yvonne Langen: I’ve always found it dishearten- ing that there are so few examples of multifac- eted, irreverent, independent women in media – especially in scripted programming. Like it or not, I always show up online, on TV, in print, and on the radio as my authentic self. I look like a lady, but I swear like a drunken sailor, I can be vulnerable or totally outrageous, I’m pas- sionate and energetic but sometimes I’m down- right exhausted. It’s taken time to become more comfortable sharing all the sides of myself online but each time I’ve been brave enough to share something new, I’m met with compassion and it creates space for conversation and camaraderie with my audience. It might not appeal to everyone but if I am true to myself and my purpose, I know my message will find the right people and inspire others. For other women interested in exploring entrepreneurship or content creation, take time to first understand what your orienting ethos and purpose are and let those guide everything you do. Also, know your worth and charge accordingly! “Like it or not, I always show up online, on TV, in print, and on the radio as my authentic self.”
“know your worth and charge accordingly!”
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Spotlight on Industry Headlines
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING LIKELY TO TOP PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS T he back-to-school season is usually a time of new begin- nings, but consumers are more eager than usual for a fresh start after the pandemic. That emotion will fuel spending, according to a new forecast. Back-to-school sales in the U.S. are expected to grow 6.7% from 2019 and 5.5% from last year’s Covid days, according to a forecast by Mastercard SpendingPulse. The company uses nonautomotive spending patterns online and in stores to make retail projections for the period that spans from mid-July to early September. The sales season is typically a major driver for retailers as fam- ilies buy school supplies, clothes and college dorm decor. This year however, it will also serve as a barometer for consumer confi - dence as Covid cases wane in the U.S. and many people return to routines like full days in a classroom, meetings at the office and a busier roster of activities. A s the amount of driving consumers did fall, auto insur- ers refunded $14 billion in premiums last year, accord- ing to the Insurance Information Institute. Rates continued to stagnate, or even decline, through the first quarter for this year. However, the most recent consumer price index data showed the auto insurance index up 16.9% in May, following a 6.4% rise in April — the first increases since March 2020. Auto insurers are facing a number of challenges as the econ- omy reopens. Workers are returning to offices and vaccina - tions are prompting many people to take summer vacations. Government data from March, the most current statistics available, show driving up 19%. The result of people returning to pre-Covid driving levels means the rate of car accidents will rise and thus rates will soon follow. AUTO INSURANCE RATES ON THE RISE
OUT-OF-CONTROL SHIPPING COSTS T he skyrocketing cost of shipping goods across the globe may hit your pocketbook sooner than you think -- from that cup of coffee you get each morning to the toys you may want to buy for your kids. With upwards of 80% of all goods trade transported by sea, freight-cost surges are threatening to boost the price of every- thing from toys, furniture and car parts to coffee, sugar and an- chovies, compounding concerns in global markets already brac- ing for accelerating inflation. A confluence of factors -- soaring demand, a shortage of contain - ers, saturated ports and too few ships and dock workers -- have contributed to the squeeze on transportation capacity on every freight path.
I ndustry rumors are that oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is review- ing its holdings in the largest oil field in the United States for a possible sale as the company looks to focus on its most profitable oil-and-gas assets and grow its low-carbon invest - ments, according to sources familiar with the matter. The sale could be for part or all of Shell’s about 260,000 acres (105,200 hectares) in the Permian Basin, located mostly in Tex- as. The holdings could be worth as much as $10 billion. Shell is one of the world’s largest oil companies, all of which have been under pressure from investors to reduce fossil-fuel investments to stem changes to the global climate brought on by carbon emissions. Shell, BP Plc and TotalEnergies have pledged to lower emissions through increased investment in renewables while divesting some oil and gas holdings. COULD SHELL BE CONSIDERING SALE OF HOLDINGS IN LARGEST U.S. OIL FIELD
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A MATTER OF FACT by Deborah Jaremko DON’T BET ON A COLLAPSE IN OIL DEMAND
make countless plastic and synthetic products – everything from clothing, computers, cell phones, car components and furniture, to medical equip- ment, plexiglass, hand sanitizer, carpets, toys, and beauty products. “In 2020 we saw oil demand fall by 10 million barrels per day, but as you will see, 2021 forecasts show a rebound in demand of about 5 to 6 million barrels per day,” said Joseph McMonigle, secre- tary general of the International Energy Forum, during a February joint virtual session with OPEC and the International Energy Agency. “Certainly the impact to demand was profound and unprecedented, the biggest demand shock in history, but it is important to note that 90 per cent of demand remained intact, demonstrating oil’s resiliency and necessity to fuel the world economy.” Wood Mackenzie’s scenario goes beyond Inter- national Energy Agency projections Wood Mackenzie’s scenario goes even further than the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s most aggressive decarbonization scenario, which the IEA says the world is not on track to meet. Under the IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario, which aligns with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, global oil demand declines to 66 million barrels per day in 2040. But as the IEA notes, the SDS scenario is not the one that is playing out. What is playing out is what the IEA calls its Stated Policies Scenario, which is expected to see global oil demand increase to 104 million barrels per day in 2040, driven by population growth and emerging economies in India and Asia. Emerging economies want cheap, reliable energy. According to United Nations forecasts, the world’s population is expected to grow by 2 billion people by 2050, reaching 9.7 billion, driven primarily by growth in India. Indian energy minister Raj Kumar Singh told a
C ollapsing global oil demand? Don’t bet on it. Media outlets proclaimed the impending collapse last week, based on a report by U.K.-based natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie that uses flawed assumptions about the pace of decarbonizing energy markets. WhileWoodMackenzie emphasizes that its report “is a scenario, and not our base-case forecast,” and “one interpretation” of how the world could achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, it nevertheless paints a misleading picture about the road ahead. COVID has shown the scale of our reliance on oil The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the scale of how integral oil is to power the world, and how unlikely it is that major declines in oil demand are on the way anytime soon.
Wood Mackenzie’s scenario projects that oil demand, which is now almost 100 million barrels per day, will start declining in 2023 and drop to about 35 million barrels per day in 2050. At the height of pandemic lockdowns in April 2020, approximately one-third of the world’s vehicles were off the road and up to 95 per cent of airplanes out of the sky, estimates Jackie Forrest, executive director of the ARC Energy Research Institute. At that height of the immo- bilization, global oil demand dropped by just 20 per cent. “It is shocking, because I think a lot of people didn’t realize that light-duty vehicles are not the only thing that consumes oil. We still continued to want to eat and move goods around, and a lot of shipping still happened,” Forrest said in a February ARC Energy Ideas podcast. “That level of lockdown didn’t reduce oil demand maybe as much as people thought.” In addition to transportation fuel, oil is used to
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
“Wood Mackenzie scenario paints a misleading picture about the road ahead” recent meeting hosted by the IEA that it is unfair to expect developing countries to stop using fossil fuels, BBC reported. “You have 800 million people who don’t have access to electricity… You can’t say that they have to go to net zero. No, sorry, they have the right to develop…they want to build skyscrap- ers and have a higher standard of living, and you can’t stop it,” he said. ATB Capital Markets says that while net zero is an important goal collectively, some emerging economies may have different priorities. “For North America and much of Europe, focus in the last decade has been to curb the consumption of oil. For India and China however, the focus has been on raising the quality of life for its people,” analysts said in a research note last week. Natural gas critical in all scenarios In the Wood Mackenzie scenario, demand for natural gas “remains resilient” over the coming decades as Asia’s developing markets replace coal with natural gas for power generation. This is similar to the IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario, where natural gas demand decreases to 344 billion cubic feet per day in 2040, from about 390 billion cubic feet per day in 2019. But in the more likely Stated Policies Scenario, global natural gas demand is expected to continue increasing, to 505 billion cubic feet per day in 2040. Replacing coal with natural gas-fired power is a key long-term opportunity for Canada. Just one project, LNG Canada, is expected to reduce GHG emissions in China by the equivalent amount of shutting down 20 to 40 coal-fired plants.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
assume that things will go right, as they usually do, because we manifest it!
Positivity – I don’t want anyone to believe that entrepreneurs are always positive, however, we tend to look at the bright side. Of course, it is possible to have a cloud over our heads when things aren’t going as planned but it’s import- ant to shake it off because persistent negative thoughts can be extremely tiresome. As an entre- preneur, we thrive with a busy schedule, so we need all our energy for our business. At the end of the day, it is easier and more rewarding to be positive and a much lighter burden to carry. It is also true that you attract like-minded individuals which helps to keep the positive flow of energy. Entrepreneurs will defend against negativity at all costs and push away those with a negative personality as quickly as possible.
CONTRACTOR’S
PERSONALITY TRAITS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
by Dan Monk
I have been thinking a lot lately about the per- sonality traits that most entrepreneurs have in common. In doing this, I did some self-reflec - tion and looked to several entrepreneur friends and those who I’ve read about or had the oppor- tunity to meet over the years. These traits are not unique to only entrepreneurs, they are most often present in high performing individuals and many professionals:
Problem Solver – it is in the blood of entrepre- neurs; we love to solve problems and we have been doing it our entire lives. You can sense this personality trait from the time we are children as we would see a problem arising and, the next thing you know, we are knee deep trying to provide a solution. It doesn’t always work out as a kid, but it makes for good stories. As we are faced by more challenges throughout our lifetime, our problem-solving skills and our
Optimism – This is a key to success! Optimism is just par for the course otherwise you would never become an entrepreneur. I believe there is significant power in believing things will go well, rather than poorly. Henry Ford was quoted “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Entrepreneurs typically believe they can and this mindset allows them to put plans and safeguards in place to guide their lives towards opportunities and positivity. We innately
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
intuition mature and we become better at the process. Entrepreneurs are essentially profes- sional problem solvers because they create a product or provide a service that fills a gap in your life. I was once asked if I ever got tired of solving problems and as I thought about it, I dis- covered that I see problems as opportunities, not situations to be avoided, but rather situations to be embraced.
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Risk Taker – The entrepreneur takes calculated risks which is based on a certain level of knowledge and a refined “gut instinct” that comes from experience. The two combined, knowledge and expe - rience are like the dynamic duo, very hard to beat. Each entrepreneur has a different level of knowl- edge and area of experience required to make a decision concerning their business and naturally extends into their personal lives. In comparison to the reckless whom take unnecessary risks which can jeopardize everything they are working for. Requiring too much information causes indecision, too little make you reckless. It is truly a balancing act, but the individual knows the balance they require.
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We offer over 13 online courses to keep you safe and your training up-to-date during these challenging times. Most recently we have grown our online training and take home training to include: ▶ Emergency First Aid ▶ Standard First Aid ▶ Fall Protection Renewal (Self Study) ▶ Transportation of Dangerous Goods ▶ H2S Awareness ▶ Confined Space Renewal (Self Study)
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
Stubborn – My wife suggested that I add this section. Just for the record, I prefer to call it driven, however, my wife knows me best and can give an uncensored opinion. Yes, entrepreneurs are stubborn! We are like a dog with a bone, we do not give up easily. This is a positive, as we are deter- mined to put as much effort into our projects as needed to ensure they do not fail. We will work day and night to turn it around and we will secretly enjoy it! When we believe in something, we out
work, out hustle, outperform virtually anyone or anything that stands in the way of our business success. I know this may sound arrogant, and it kind of is, unless you understand the level of stubbornness (or drive) of an entrepreneur. We are the people who take the risk, place our name on the company, and will go through hell and high water before admitting defeat. Failure is physically painful for us and we are fiercely deter - mined to prevent the pain of defeat. This is one reason why our economy is built on capitalism and small business, because entrepreneurs want nothing less than success and to strengthen the economy. That is my two cents from an optimistic, positive, problem solving, risk taking, stubborn entre- preneur. I hope you enjoy this article and got a glimpse into the personality of an entrepreneur.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
REVAMP YOUR LIVING SPACES DESIGN OF THE TIMES
STAIR REFRESH – Stairwells can date a home. With one glance at a stairwell, you can get an idea of the age and style of a house. For certain homes, an older stairwell can look amazing, like in a historic downtown home. It adds to the character of the house. In other homes, a dated stairwell can be a negative focal point and take away from the beauty of the rest of the house. Many homeowners find that the stairwell is a place for renovation inspiration. It’s a good place to start! With so many options for stairs, I’ll choose one look that screams sophisti- cation and seems to be a very popular choice. Walnut-stained treads, a wal- nut-stained rail, white kick plates, and white wooden spindles. You can also choose to just paint the kick plates and spindles white, leaving the stair treads and rail the colour that they are. This is an easier and cheaper route and may be your preferred option, espe- cially if the existing stairs match the flooring. This modern twist on an oth - erwise dated focal point in a house can awaken the interior decorator in you.
by Megan Callahan
I n the age of Covid, our future travel plans hang in the unknown. Many people are looking inward to put a bright light in their day to day lives. Travel within our own communities, spend more time outdoors in nature, and revamp our own living spaces, since we spend a lot of time in there these days! Interior renos are extremely hot right now! So many of us are ready to start fresh and breathe some new life into our home. Follow along below for some of the best ways to update your living spaces! It is key to note that we are going for the biggest visual impact with the least amount of tear up. WALL PAINT - nothing updates an interior quite like a fresh coat of paint! When you’re updating the home to live in, you do you! You need to love the changes you’re making! For paint, neutral shades always brighten a space, but accent walls come in handy when you want to inject colour and character into a room. Paint is temporary, but temporary is a relative term. If painting is something you were born to do, experiment! I sound like a broken record, but painting your walls has the greatest impact at the lowest cost. Choose colours for the main living areas first, then pull from those as inspiration for the rest of the house. Showcase your personal style, but
remember to keep it timeless, especially in the main living spaces. Carry a shared colour palette throughout each floor – the main floor stays more neutral and use your bold ideas upstairs. KITCHEN CABINET PAINT – This is also a huge visual update. When you go from dark wood, light wood, or oak cabinets to white, any kitchen is completely transformed. The way that newly white cabinets update a kitchen goes unmatched. White cabinetry is on trend these days. Although that plays a big role, no matter the latest trends, white kitchen cabinetry is open, bright, and injected with happiness. When repainting cabinets, we cannot forget hardware. Door handles and drawer pulls are an inexpensive way to give your kitchen that classy finish you’ll be sure to love. Sleek brushed nickel, muted gold, or black cabinet hardware is everywhere, and with good reason! They are all
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
Light fixtures throughout the house do not need to, and should not, match, but they should flow together, especially multiple fixtures in an open floor plan. Shop for fixtures that share a common trait. Design style, metallic finish, material, or colour. This can help narrow down your final choices on the fixture hunt! Sometimes with home renos, it’s hard to know when to draw the line. In advance, make a plan and figure out what you want your end result to be. When short term and long term renos
• Task Lighting – Direct lighting for specific areas/duties (ex. above kitchen sink) • Accent Lighting – Additional light, but gen- erally for decorative purposes (ex. above fire - place wall) Here are some suggestions for lighting placement in your home: • Chandelier: high ceiling area, dining table, stairwell • Pendants: kitchen island, over sink • Pot Lights: living room, kitchen, family room, hallways • Flush Mount/Semi-Flush Mount: bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, office, etc • Wall Sconce: bathrooms
LIGHTING – Light fixtures…the good, the bad, the ugly, people notice them. As homeowners, we get used to the things we see in our house every day. It is not until we upgrade these items, that we realize what a change it makes to the whole room. Light fixtures are an easy way to update a room. As I mentioned about the stairwell, light fixtures can date a house, or at least date your last remodel. Light fixtures have many jobs; they must fill a space with adequate light, fill a visual void when scanning a room, and accentuate the style in a room. There- fore, picking out light fixtures can become over - whelming. Here is a breakdown of the lighting in your home and its uses. This should help you organize what you need and where. • Ambient Lighting – The main source of light in a space; usually overhead. Overhead light fixtures are their own statement! They need to look amazing and catch the eye, but not take over the room.
do you want to have com- pleted, what feeling do you want when you walk into your house? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, talk to an interior designer to help you bring your vision to life. Key points to always think about: FLOW – Always remember to stand back and look at the whole house or at the
whole room you are designing. It is easy to get fixated on each piece of the puzzle, but in order for it to all come together, you need to keep going back to the big picture. TIMELESSNESS – This is one of the key components to make sure you are happy with your design upgrades. Choose items that will continue to look great as time passes, and make sure you are con- fident in those choices. For example: you want to do a bold accent wall in your main living space. Instead, keep the wall colour neutral and the same as the rest of the space and add a large canvas or other wall art that displays that bold colour you love. This looks sharp and stylish, still gives you the look you want, and makes it much easier to update when you get that reno feeling again. Most importantly, have fun! ‘There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond it’s hollowed limits’ - Robert Southey
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
CANADIAN PROPANE by Deborah Jaremko CANADA A GROWING PLAYER IN ‘COVID-PROOF’ GLOBAL PROPANE MARKETS
Propane is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. It’s transport - ed by rail to the Prince Rupert-area terminals from production sites in Alberta and B.C. ‘COVID-proof’ cleaner energy The global market for propane remained strong in 2020 despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to analysts with Argus Media, who recently described propane as “COVID- proof” compared to other fuels. Argus estimates that global propane demand fell by just 2 per cent
Sixty per cent of Asia’s propane demand is for use in residential cooking and heating, with the rest split between commercial use and petro- chemicals like operations that make propylene for the plastics industry. “Propane is considered a greener, cleaner source of energy as it emits 60 per cent less carbon monoxide than gasoline, 98 per cent less partic- ulate matter than diesel, and contains virtually no sulphur – a contributor to acid rain,” wrote BDP partner Alicia Quesnel and associate Robyn Finley. Canadian exports rise while Saudi Arabia’s fall Canada’s marine propane exports rose by 77 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019, averaging 39,000 barrels per day, according to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). All shipments went to Asia, with most delivered to Japan. “Growth in 2020 Canadian marine propane exports was driven by greater demand due to cold weather and growing petrochemical feed- stock consumption in China,” the CER said. “Marine propane exports also increased to Asian countries as a result of reduced supply from Saudi Arabia, which is a major supplier of propane to Asian markets.”
P ropane from Canada is helping customers in Asia reduce emissions and their reliance on the Middle East for a critical fuel to heat homes, cook food, power vehicles, and produce products like medical plastics. The first shipments left Canada’s newest propane export facility on April 9, 2021, with the start of operations at Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation’s Prince Rupert Terminal. “We think that the best markets in the world will be non-North American markets in the future, and I don’t mean the next five years,” Pembina CEO Mick Dilger told a recent investor call. “If you’re looking out 20 years, we think the Asian-Indian market is going to be the place to be. We’re the closest to that, and we produce some of the cleanest hydrocarbons, most ethical hydrocarbons in the world as a basin, so we now think it’s an advantage to Canada.” While Pembina is in the early stages of startup,
“Competitive edge with abundant natural gas resourc- es and new export terminals providing low-emissions fuel for households and industry in Asia” According toanApril 2020briefingby lawyerswith Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, Asia accounts for 45 per cent of the world’s propane consump- tion, with China being the largest importer. in 2020, compared to drops of 14 per cent for gasoline, 7 per cent for diesel and 10 per cent for crude oil. Propane imports increased to China, India, Indonesia and South Korea by 3 per cent last year, according to Argus data. Analysts said propane hasn’t been impacted in the same way because of its more diverse end uses.
nearby the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET) – Canada’s first – is running at full tilt. Owned by Calgary-based AltaGas Ltd., RIPET started exporting cargo in May 2019. “Prior to the development of the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal, the only market for surplus western Canadian propane was to the United States. We recognized the opportunity to develop infrastructure near Prince Rupert, British Columbia to deliver propane to growing markets in Asia that are seeking lower emissions fuels,” AltaGas said in a statement to the CEC. “Developing RIPET has given Canadian produc- ers a tangible benefit of access to new, overseas markets for propane.”
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