By: Jennifer Layman [email protected]Most of the talk about Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, has been about its impact to businesses. But the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) feels that the legislation has the potential to re- sult in unintended consequences to municipalities, and some local municipalities agree. A review of AMO’s concerns is as follows: Four Day Scheduling Bill 148 wants employees to know their schedules four days in advance. This poses two problems for municipalities. First, more than 200 pieces of legislation already exist to rule municipalities, and they have different requirements than Bill 148. Second, there are key public safety services that cannot be scheduled four days in advance. These include: snowplowing, child care, long-term care, water operations, emergency landing at municipal airports, emergency services (police/fire/EMS), emer- gency management (e.g. floods, fire, safety threats, extreme weather events). On Call Provisions Municipal governments have staff prepared to step in should a boiler fail, the water pumps stop, a fire start or an elderly resident go missing from a facil- ity. Working with employees to fairly manage both their time and urgent situations has been a part of municipal business for decades. The cost implications of changing to a 3-hour at regular time on-call regime may prove cost prohibitive and may result in municipalities having to scale back services. Many of these services have collective agree- ments that have on-call provi- sions within them. It is a likely expectation that every bargaining unit will require that the Bill 148 minimum on-call of 3-hours’ pay at their regular rate provi- sion be included as soon as their collective agreement is opened for renegotiation. This would impact all public health, police, water operations, snowplowing and road maintenance services, long-term care and more. Equal Pay AMO is concerned that the Bill as drafted will have a significant impact on parks and recreation, and to some extent long-term care homes and public works who employ many part-time and seasonal employees. Seasonal employees can be difficult to assess in relation to full-time comparators. In some cases, there are no full time compara- tors. In other cases, the jobs are somewhat different and the level of responsibility is not exactly comparable. If this review does result in upward pay adjust- ments, it is very possible that there will be fewer parks and recreation programs to provide vital community services or user fees will need to increase to cover these costs and could limit access. Volunteer Fire Fighters Currently, legislation rec- ognizes that firefighters have unique schedules, hours of work and compensation systems. At present, full-time firefighters, volunteer firefighters, part-time firefighters, and managerial firefighters are exempted by Regulation from the application of the following sections of the ESA: hours of work and eating periods, overtime pay and public holiday pay. Due to the nature of their employment, volunteer firefighters have the flexibility to decide if they will respond to or decline a specific call. Continued on Page 3 Municipalities Face Tax Hikes With Bill 148 The Bill targeting business just hit local government The Region’s Business Media. More than 3,400 Subscribers. www.ovbusiness.com | [email protected]Issue No. 217 Published by: Ottawa Valley Business Group November 7, 2017
Transcript
By: Jennifer [email protected] Most of the talk about Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, has been about its impact to businesses. But the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) feels that the legislation has the potential to re-sult in unintended consequences to municipalities, and some local municipalities agree. A review of AMO’s concerns is as follows:
Four Day Scheduling Bill 148 wants employees to know their schedules four days in advance. This poses two problems for municipalities. First, more than 200 pieces of legislation already exist to rule municipalities, and they have different requirements than Bill 148. Second, there are key public safety services that cannot be scheduled four days in advance. These include: snowplowing, child care, long-term care, water operations, emergency landing at municipal airports, emergency services (police/fire/EMS), emer-gency management (e.g. floods, fire, safety threats, extreme weather events).
On Call Provisions Municipal governments have staff prepared to step in should a boiler fail, the water pumps stop, a fire start or an elderly resident go missing from a facil-ity. Working with employees to fairly manage both their time and urgent situations has been a part of municipal business for decades. The cost implications of changing to a 3-hour at regular time on-call regime may prove cost prohibitive and may result in municipalities having to scale back services. Many of these services have collective agree-ments that have on-call provi-sions within them. It is a likely expectation that every bargaining
unit will require that the Bill 148 minimum on-call of 3-hours’ pay at their regular rate provi-sion be included as soon as their collective agreement is opened for renegotiation. This would impact all public health, police, water operations, snowplowing and road maintenance services, long-term care and more.
Equal Pay AMO is concerned that the Bill as drafted will have a significant impact on parks and recreation, and to some extent long-term care homes and public works who employ many part-time and seasonal employees. Seasonal employees can be difficult to assess in relation to full-time
comparators. In some cases, there are no full time compara-tors. In other cases, the jobs are somewhat different and the level of responsibility is not exactly comparable. If this review does result in upward pay adjust-ments, it is very possible that there will be fewer parks and recreation programs to provide vital community services or user fees will need to increase to cover these costs and could limit access.
Volunteer Fire Fighters Currently, legislation rec-ognizes that firefighters have unique schedules, hours of work and compensation systems. At present, full-time firefighters, volunteer firefighters, part-time firefighters, and managerial firefighters are exempted by Regulation from the application of the following sections of the ESA: hours of work and eating periods, overtime pay and public holiday pay. Due to the nature of their employment, volunteer firefighters have the flexibility to decide if they will respond to or decline a specific call.
Continued on Page 3
Municipalities Face Tax Hikes With Bill 148The Bill targeting business just hit local government
The Region’s Business Media. More than 3,400 Subscribers.www.ovbusiness.com | [email protected]
Issue No. 217 Published by: Ottawa Valley Business Group November 7, 2017
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November 7, 2017Introduction to the Ontario Com-munity Hubs Resource Network. Online webinar. 1:30pm-2:30pm. CommunityHubsOntario.ca is a centralized online source for tools to support groups that are working in or planning a com-munity hub.
November 9, 2017SEO Basics Seminar. 9:00am-11:00am. $20. Learn the basics of using Search Engine Op-timization (SEO) to increase awareness of your business online. Small Business Advisory Centre, 91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls. Pre-register online at www.smallbizcentre.ca.
November 14, 2017Starter Company Plus informa-tion session. Are you exploring entrepreneurship but you don’t know where to start? Come to this session. Applicants receive business training, advice and mentoring. Call to register. Phone: 613-735-8224
November 15, 2017Renfrew County Plowmen’s meeting. Cobden. Contact Yves Rochon at 613-646.7737.
November 15-17, 2017Payroll Masterclass Course. Three days of training using
Quickbooks, 8:30am-4:40pm each day. $1,125 plus HST includes lunch and light refresh-ments. Call 613-656-0441.
November 16, 2017Manners Matter: Entrepreneurial skills for professional success. Ma-te-Way Centre, Renfrew. 10:00am-4:00pm. $25. First im-pressions, networking tips, dress for success and how to commu-nicate with technology. Register with: entrepreneurialskillsforpro-fessionalsuccess.eventbrite.ca
November 16, 2017Renfrew County Beef Meeting. Cobden. Contact Donna Camp-bell at 613-432-5568.
November 16, 2017Instagram Best Practices for Business. 10:00am-12:00pm or 1:00pm-3:00pm. $20. Instagram demographics, and best practices for developing and managing an audience. Small Business Advi-sory Centre, 91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls. Pre-register online at www.smallbizcentre.ca.
November 23, 2017LinkedIn Best Practices. 10:00am-12:00pm or 1:00pm-3:00pm. $20. Learn LinkedIn demographics and best practices for developing and managing your professional account. Small Business Advisory Centre, 91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls. Pre-register online at www.smallbizcentre.ca.
November 27, 2017Renfrew County Federation of Agriculture meeting. Cobden.
Contact Donna Campbell at 613-432-5568.
November 27, 2017Business Bistro. Casual, entre-preneurial gathering. Whitewater Brewing Lakeside Brew Pub, 78 Pembroke Street, Cobden. Free. 6:00pm-8:00pm. Cash bar and complimentary appetizers. RSVP to Jackie Stott at: [email protected].
November 28, 2017Starter Company Plus informa-tion session. Are you exploring entrepreneurship but you don’t know where to start? Come to this session. Applicants receive business training, advice and mentoring. Call to register. Phone: 613-735-8224
November 29, 2017How to Prepare a Bid. Webinar. Government of Ontario. Free.Register: www.doingbusiness.mgs.gov.on.ca/mbs/psb/psb.nsf/ConfRegistration?OpenForm&lang=EN
December 5, 2017Introduction to the Ontario Com-munity Hubs Resource Network. Online webinar. 3:00pm-4:00pm. CommunityHubsOntario.ca is a centralized online source for tools to support groups that are working in or planning a com-munity hub.
RURAL ONTARIO LEADERS AWARDS recognizes outstanding leaders that help make rural Ontario a great place to live, work and play!
Categories include: Individual, Youth, Community, Business, and Not for Pro� t
If you, or someone you know has demonstrated strong leadership that supports rural economic development with any of the following outcomes:• Training and skills development• Entrepreneurship and local employment• Strong social infrastructure• Civic engagement
Submit your nomination today! Deadline is November 15, 2017.
November 7, 2017 Ottawa Valley Business Group Page 3
Local Municipalities Weigh In On CostsProvince appears not to be listening as Bill 148 passes second reading
Continued from Page 1
Full time firefighters do not have this option. Paying a volunteer firefighter a three-hour minimum at the same wage rate as a full-time firefighter would be “wildly prohibitive for small, rural and northern municipal governments and could force the closure of firefighting services.
Town of ArnpriorMichael Wildman is the CAO for the Town of Arnprior, and connected in several ways to municipal operations in the prov-ince. He has a financial concern in the areas of internal job equity and the Town’s ability to fund these impacts. Wildman is not opposed to a salary increase, but the pace that is being forced upon everyone is “alarming” for taxpayers and businesses. Wildman says that the first mini-mum wage raise in 2018 could equate to a 1 per cent municipal tax increase, but that what it
creates to the Town’s internal pay equity system could be much greater. Wildman notes it will be worse with the 2019 wage increase. The Town also addresses the firefighting issue, which in Arn-prior could “equate” to a 12 per cent municipal tax rate increase or more. “The bottom line is, the Prov-ince is not providing sufficient time to analyze the impacts,” he says. “In fact we don’t even know for sure when third read-ing will happen, meanwhile we are trying to prepare our 2018 budget. You can appreciate how troublesome the roll out of this is to many small municipalities.”
City of PembrokeThe City of Pembroke agrees with Arnprior, and the impact will be felt by all. The City specifically notes “stand-by pay” for volunteer firefighters. In the City’s case, these individuals currently receive $71.40 per
week for being on stand-by. If the legislation passes unchanged this amount would increase to $375.90 or an additional $195,468 annually. And this is just one impact. City of Pembroke Mayor Mike Lemay says his preference would be to see the Bill tabled “until the government does a detailed analysis by region of the impact of increasing the minimum wage by 32% in two years.” Lemay is not opposed to the minimum wage adjustment, but rather the pace of its implementation. “Overall,” he says, “many as-pects of this bill will negatively impact the finances of munici-palities and businesses.”
Head, Clara and MariaHead, Clara and Maria CAO, Melinda Reith, is on a different side of Bill 148. Being a small municipality, the Bill barely impacts them. “We have one lo-cation, one shift and one person per position,” says Reith. “We do not have to address 24 hour staffing, on-call or collective agreement issues. We hire few temporary or seasonal employees
(1-2 per year) so the equal pay for equal work changes will have little impact. The biggest change for HCM would be with the new record keeping requirements. In this case, it pays to be small.”
Admaston BromleyClerk-Treasurer, Annette Gil-christ, says that Minister Flynn acknowledged he was aware of the issues municipalities would be facing with Bill 148 in terms of municipal public works staff and emergency responders. For her municipality, the costs would increase $6,000 to $12,000 annu-ally plus an additional $5,000 for the minimum wage increase and holiday pay.
Bonnechere ValleyBonnechere Valley Mayor Jenni-fer Murphy says her municipality “is adamantly opposed to certain parts of Bill 148” and specifi-cally notes the idea of a 36 hour call-in which would not work for rural fire or public works depart-ments. All municipalities in Renfrew County were contacted for comment on Bill 148 and how it may impact them. Killaloe Hagarty Richards, Laurentian Valley, Whitewater Region and the County of Renfrew said they are still working on detailing the impacts to their organizations. It seems that businesses and municipalities are on the same side of Bill 148 in the sense that it will suddenly cost more to deliver the same services, so something will have to give to make that happen.
Claudee Galipeau is the new Territorial Marketing Agent for MRC Pontiac. Galipeau was first hired at the MRC as Culture, Sports and Leisure Coordinator. In her new role she will promote the Pontiac to businesses and families.
Dr. Jeremy SetterfieldDr. Jeremy Setterfield is a new urologist at the Pembroke Regional Hospital. Setterfield will lead the urology program, following the retirement of Dr. Scott Murray. Setterfield is from Ottawa and attended Queen’s for his medical degree.
Sharon ChippiorSharon Chippior, the Restorative Care Coordinator at Valley Man-or Nursing Home in Barry’s Bay, has been awarded the Excellence in the Care of Older Ontarians by the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. The award celebrates the dedication of an RPN who provides excep-tional care to older adults.
Chela BreckonChela Breckon is the new entrepreneur in residence at Algonquin College. Breckon was previously a professor with the College and is an Intercul-tural Competency Specials and Trainer with The Fraser View Group and Algonquin College.
Diane AndersonDiane Anderson will assume the role of Administrative Assistant/Receptionist for the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley.
Laurie Courchesne-DooleyLaurie Courchesne-Dooley has joined Maestro LifeStyles as an Associate. Courchesne-Dooley is also a designer and facilitator of unique Catholic pilgrimages and was previously a raining and organization development con-sultant with The Delfi Group.
Mary RemmigMary Remmig is the new Administrative Assistant for Tay Valley Township. Remmig comes to Tay Valley from the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley.
Kim O’BrienKim O’Brien is the new transfer site attendant at the Shaw Woods Transfer Station. O’Brien was hired by the Township of North Algona Wilberforce in October.
Victoria ThomasVictoria Thomas has been hired as the Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator for the Town of Renfrew. This is a fixed-term contract position. Thomas will begin her position on November 20th. Thomas was previously employed by the Township of Greater Mada-waska.
Mitchell FergusonMitchell Ferguson is the new Deputy Clerk-Treasurer for the Township of Admaston Bromley. Ferguson replaces Bill Piasetzki who has moved to the Township of Greater Madawaska. Ferguson began his position on October 31.
Business NewsAround The Valley
Ontario Seeks Input on Em-ployment/Labour Law Rules
The government of Ontario is seeking public input to help make workplaces fairer for workers in industries that cur-rently have exemptions, special rules or exclusions. People across the province can have their say on important decisions related to employment standards such as wages, hours of work and public holidays. The first phase of consultations focuses on eight occupations currently exempt from minimum em-ployment standards: architects, domestic workers, homemakers, IT professionals, managerial and supervisory employees, pharmacists, residential build-ing superintendents, janitors and caretakers and residential care workers. Share your ideas before December 1 at: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/workplace/web_notice.php
Relays MergeThe Renfrew County Relay For Life fundraisers, held in Petawa-wa and Beachburg will merge into one and move to Pembroke starting in 2018. The event will be held at the Pembroke Memo-rial Centre.
Four-Storey Hotel Coming to Petawawa
The Town of Petawawa has received a site plan application from Waterfront Inn (Sault) Ltd. for a commercial hotel develop-ment across from Your Indepen-dent Grocer in Petawawa. The hotel is designed to be a four-
storey, 80 suite hotel. The owner made application for a minor variance to permit an increase in the height of the building from 10.5 metres to 17.02 metres, which was granted by the Com-mittee of Adjustment on Febru-ary 6, 2017.
Deep River Hospital Implements Paid Parking
The Deep River and District Hospital is implementing paid parking effective November 1, 2017. The system implemented at the Hospital is a ‘Pay-by-Plate’ system. This means indi-viduals will enter their license plate number to pay for parking at one of two parking kiosks located inside the building. Once their license plate is registered and the fee is paid (by cash or credit card), the individual does not need to return to their car. All registered license plates are maintained by a web application which provides live information for enforcement purposes. Fail-ing to pay for parking may result in being ticketed or being towed at the owner’s expense. The rates for parking are as follows: $5 for 24 hours, $30 for a 30 day pass and $300 for a 365 day pass. Parking fees for volunteers, who are registered with the Hospi-tal, will be waived while these individuals are volunteering on site. In addition, a system is in place to provide free parking to those accessing the Food Bank, as well as North Renfrew Family Services.
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TechContinued from Page 4
Restaurant Faces Loss of Licence
Shooters Bar and Grill in Cala-bogie is facing the loss of their liquor licence after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of On-tario has suspended their licence. According to CBC News, the restaurant is facing the follow-ing infractions: permit apparent minor to have or consume liquor on licensed premises, permit removal of liquor from licensed premises, permit drunkenness, promote immoderate consump-tion, licensee sell/supply liquor to apparent intoxicated person, fail to verify identification of ap-parent minor and fail to maintain control over premises. The sus-pension came after the Ontario Provincial Police were investi-gating an accident that claimed the life of two teenagers and seri-ously injured to others. Alcohol was a factor in that accident.
Starter Company Kicks OffStarter Company Plus informa-tion sessions will be held on November 14 and 28 for indi-viduals interested in exploring entrepreneurship but who don’t know where to start. The Starter Company Plus Program is a government of Ontario program delivered by Enterprise Renfrew County. Applicants receive free business training, advice and mentoring. Successful applicants may compete for a chance to receive a $4,000 award to help kick-start or grow their business. Attendance at an information session is mandatory. For more
The Town of Petawawa is ask-ing businesses to complete a 10-minute survey to help with their Economic Action Strategy. Economic Development Officer, Cyndy Phillips, says the survey is a “pulse check” about the overall health of the local busi-ness climate. You can choose to remain anonymous, or if you are interested in getting assistance with anything, you will also have an opportunity to share contact information (completely volun-tary). Individuals can find a link to the survey on the Town of Petawawa’s website.
OPP Billing ChangesTo Not Include Billboards
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has amended the billing mode of the Ontario Provincial Policy to include recommendations that had been brought forward by the Eastern Ontario Rural Mayors’ Forum. The following properties will be excluded from OPP bill-ing for municipalities: passive renewable energy structure (ie: solar panels), billboards and communication towers, tunnels and bridges and federally owned or provincial parks. The amend-ments will come into effect for January 1, 2018.
Maika Warns of Integrity Commission Costs
Madawaska Valley Councillor, Shelley Maika, has requested the total costs for the Integrity Com-
missioner for 2016 and 2017 for the municipality. In October 4, 2017 council minutes, “Maika noted that residents should be aware of the costs involved with the Integrity Commissioner’s investigations when dealing with frivolous and vexatious complaints.” There were three complaints filed against the mu-nicipality in 2017.
Toller Wins Warden’s Chair
The MRC Pontiac has over-whelmingly chosen a business leader to be their newly elected warden. In a landslide victory, Jane Toller earned 3,528 votes to win the warden’s seat, which was elected for the first time in MRC history. Other results included: Raymond Durocher (1,358), Linda Davis (1,022), Charlotte L’Ecuyer (842) and Pierre Fre-chette (802). Toller is the owner of Spruceholme Inn, Bryson’s Bistro du Bucheron, John Bryson House and the Pontiac Confer-ence Centre. She has also had roles with the Pontiac Tourism Association and the Arena Board of Fort Coulonge/Mansfield. As for council experience, she was an 8-year councilor for the City of Toronto. What may be even more interesting is that she’s not bilingual. Toller’s first language is English and she says she will use a translator to assist her as she becomes more proficient in French. The vote took place November 5. Results are being made official November 7.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The One Minute Manager, your com-petitive edge in today’s business environment is all about the power of loyalty. So if you want to succeed, it’s time to think outside the box of traditional customer service. The Simple Truths of Service is an inspir-ing true story about Johnny, a very special young man whose creative choices will spark the way your company approaches their clients. By putting his own personal mark on each customer interaction, Johnny makes it clear that the bottom line of ser-vice is to lead with the heart. His story, along with many others, provide a tool kit for the success of your company. After read-ing this book, your service team will be bursting with new ways to stand out from the crowd and really make a difference.
About the Author: Ken Blanchard is the chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a worldwide human resource development company. He is also cofounder of The Center for Faithwalk Leadership, a nonprof-it ministry dedicated to inspiring and equipping people to lead like Jesus at work, home and the community.
During the month of August, the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service was visited by several international Paramedic groups interested in the development, innovation, and implementa-tion around meeting community needs. Delegates were from the Bavarian Red Cross in Germany, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and National Ambulance Service of Ireland, the Turkish Paramedic Association, and the Gelderland Health and Safety Region in The Netherlands. Topics of discussion ranged from Community Paramedi-cine, Community Paramedic Response Unit model, Remote Access Treatment Team, UAV, portable ultrasound technology, and internal and external stake-holder relationship development. While experiencing the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service these international Paramedic leaders participated in presenta-tions, demonstrations, hands on training, and while on the road first hand interactions with Paramedics and the community clients that we service. Staff also ensured that there was adequate time and opportunity for our guests to experience the Ottawa Valley hospitality and sights.
We are pleased that our various programs have garnered inter-national awareness and that the County of Renfrew Paramedic Program is being considered as a positive model of care in meet-ing the needs of our community members.
Lanark County 2018 Community Grants
Lanark County has issued grants for 2018. The 1-year term project recipients include: - Food for Thought in Lanark County: $9,000- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: $10,000- Lanark County 4-H Associa-tion: $2,000- Lanark County Tourism As-sociation: $5,000- Mills Community Support: $5,000- Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust: $1,380The 2-year term project recipi-ents include:- Archives Lanark: $11,000- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County: $8,000- Carleton Place & District Youth Centre: $40,000- Lanark Community Programs: $25,000- Lanark County Therapeutic Riding Program: $4,934- Lanark Highlands Youth Cen-tre: $40,000- Mississippi Mills Youth Centre: $40,000
- Smiths Falls & District Centre for Youth (closed): $40,000Youth Action Kommittee of Perth & District: $40,000United Way Renfrew County
2017-18 FundingThe United Way of Renfrew County has announced that nine charities will receive funding for 2017-18, one project will receive a $1,000 micro grant and 211 Ontario will receive $12,666. The charities receiving United Way funds for 2017/2018 are:- Arnprior Family Pre-School: $6,000- Boys & Girls Club of Pem-broke: $40,000- Killaloe Community Resource Centre: $20,000- Hospice Renfrew: $15,000- Family & Children’s Services of Renfrew County: $25,000- North Renfrew Family Ser-vices: $20,680Petawawa Military Family Re-source Centre: $5,000- Robbie Dean Family Counsel-ling Centre: $25,000- Robbie Dean Family Counsel-ling Centre: $1,000- Salvation Army Youth Centre: $16,000- The Grind Coffee House: $25,000
I must concede that many resi-dents have indicated that they’re not nearly as upset with their recent electricity bills. And I too have seen my bills go down. It is natural to be pleased when one is paying less. But everyone should also be informed as to the why and how. Let’s start with why. We in the opposition forced the government to do something about electricity bills that have skyrocketed under their watch. With an election looming they had to do something, because they were not going to go into a campaign defending a 400 per cent increase in hydro bills. The how is more complicated. What they have done is charge you less for electricity than its actual cost. They are doing this by borrowing the money to make-up the difference. Accord-ing to the Financial Account-ability Officer, that could cost anywhere between $45 to $93
billion. But it is also clear that in order to pay back the money borrowed, from 2028 onwards ratepayers will be charged a lot more than the cost of the power being produced. The Liberals did one more sleight of hand to confuse the ratepayers. In order to prevent the true cost of their scheme from being shown on the balance sheet, the government is borrow-ing the money through Ontario Power Generation and keeping it off their own books. This will prevent them from showing a deficit next year. The Auditor General (a non-partisan officer of the Legislature) has condemned this practice, essentially saying the government is creating its own accounting rules. What it means to you is this: you will end up paying an extra $4 billion in interest charges alone because Ontario Power Generation bor-rows money at a much higher rate than the province does. The result is simply this. In order to hide the facts from the people, the Liberals are quite willing to have those same people end up paying an extra $4 billion dollars. It is not a stretch to say that in order to get re-elected, they are willing to spend billions of dollars in an unneces-sary and questionable scheme
that amounts to nothing more than a shell game. As I write this column, we are about to enter a very special pe-riod of the year - Remembrance Week. As the son of a World War II veteran, it is a time of great significance to me, as I am sure it is to you as well. This year we celebrated Canada’s coming-of-age with the 100th anniversary of our triumph at Vimy Ridge, and it is impossible not to think back to the suffering and the hor-rors experienced by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending the freedom and liberty that we enjoy today. Every year there are fewer veterans remaining from the Second World War and the Korean War, and the time is approaching when there will be none. It goes without saying that we are grateful for all of those who have served; whether it be peacekeeping, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, or other missions. I would encourage everyone to take in a Remembrance Day service this year, and if you have the opportunity to meet a veteran of the Second World War or the Korean War, let them know how grateful you are for the sacrifices they made so many years ago. To those who never returned, our gratitude is eternal.
11Ontario municipalities with
a population of 0-25021
Ontario municipalities with a population of 251-500
48Ontario municipalities with a population of 501-1,000
36Ontario municipalities with a population of 1,001-2,000
74Ontario municipalities with a population of 2,001-5,000
81Ontario municipalities with a population of
5,001-10,00040
Ontario municipalities with a population of 10,001-15,000
40Ontario municipalities
with a population of 15,001-25,000
28Ontario municipalities
with a population of 25,001-50,000
31Ontario municipalities
with a population of 50,001-100,000
Number 24Ontario municipalities
with a population of 100,001-500,000
Number 10Ontario municipalities with a population of
500,000+
Source: Assn. of Municipalities of Ontario
Ontario’sMunicipalities
MPP Talks Hydro, RemembranceSeek out a service this year
Tender Results Around The RegionRFP 12-2017 - Request for Pro-posal Engineering Services for Works Garage. Renfrew.J.L. Richards - $70,310.00Jp2g Consultants - $40,990.00Stantec Consulting - 96,294.00Dreessen Cardinal - $118,175.00Awarded to J.L. Richards.
RFP - Engineering Services to Reconstruct Otty Lake Side Road. Tay Valley & Township of Drummond/North Elmsley.G.D Jewell Eng. - $129,921.00Ainley Graham - $196,865.00McIntosh Perry - $129,220.00Jp2g Consultants - $254,261.00Awarded to McIntosh Perry.
Supply and Install Office.Defence Construction Canada.Awarded to Frank’s Electric of Pembroke in the amount of $1,000,965.00.
Replace Flat Roof M-101.Defence Construction Canada.Awarded to Ricardo Roofing Limited of Perth, ON, in the amount of $168,000.00.
Upgrade Battery Room Phase 1. Defence Construction Canada.Awarded to Frecon Construc-tion of Russell in the amount of $473,000.00.
Various Electrical Upgrades.Defence Construction Canada. Awarded to Frank’s Electric of Pembroke in the amount of $10,490.00.
Replace Flat Roof P-51.Defence Construction Canada. Awarded to Ricardo Roof-ing of Perth in the amount of $383,650.00.
Interior Renovations RHUs.Defence Construction Canada. Awarded to Saffco of Pembroke in the amount of $455,000.00.
Install Grounding Well for Comms Tower. Defence Con-struction Canada. Awarded to H&H Construction of Petawawa in the amount of $20,642.00.
Kitchen Renovations. Defence Construction Canada. Awarded to 9132-2396 Quebec Inc. of Brossard in the amount of $396,000.00.
Construct Concrete Pad for Earth Station. Defence Con-struction Canada. Awarded to Wade General Contracting of Petawawa in the amount of $99,900.00
Asphalt Sidewalk Repairs at North Town. Defence Con-struction Canada. Awarded to H&H Construction of Petawawa in the amount of $195,000.00.
Roof Upgrades to Building Z-101 and F-16. Defence Con-struction Canada. Awarded to H&H Construction of Petawawa in the amount of $80,500.00.
2017-03 Custodial Services & Facility Bookings at various Township Buildings. Township of Drummond/North Elmsley. Awarded to KGM Distributors commencing October 1, 2017.
Supply of Bulk Propane 2017-2021. Township of Greater Madawaska.W.O. Stinson - $1.08/litreSparlings - $1.103/litreSuperior - $1.14/litreAwarded to W.O. Stinson.
Winter Sand - Calabogie. Township of Greater Mada-waska.Thomas Cavanagh - $93,225.00Smiths Const. - $105,090.00Awarded to Thomas Cavanagh.
Winter Sand - Matawatchan. Township of Greater Mada-waska.R.J. Selle - $16,882.20Thomas Cavanagh - $40,680.00Awarded to R.J. Selle.
Construction and Demolition Grinding and Tender Screen-ing Winter Sand. Madawska Valley. Awarded to National Grinding Inc. in the amount of $14,125.
2017-12 Supply and Delivery and Stacking of Winter Sand. Madawska Valley. Awarded to R.G.T. Clouthier Construction Ltd.
Contract No. 206339 for the Water Purification Plant Administration Building Roof and Rain Screen. City of Pembroke. Council has recom-mended this contract be awarded to Irvcon Limited in the amount of $78,376.
Contract No. 206339 for the Pembroke Memorial Centre Upper Level Roof. City of Pembroke. Council has recom-mended that this contract be awarded to Irvcon Limited in the amount of $381,725.
Contract No. 17-5011A for the McGee Street Lift Station Upgrades. City of Pembroke. Council has recommended that this contract be awarded to Do-All Construction in the amount of $4,034,486.54 and that Con-tract Administration Services be awarded to Jp2g Consultants Inc. in the amount of $188,420.
Public Works Garage Lighting Upgrades. McNab Braeside.Brinkworth Electric $20,215.00Clarke Electric $21,852.00Draper Electric Ltd. $21,875.00Awarded to Brinkworth Electric of Arnprior.
Removal and Replacement of the Dock at Deacon Boat Launch. North Algona Wilber-force.Awarded to Quality Homes and Renovations in the amount of $19,804.00.
For full tender results, and tenders with results pending, please visit our website at:
Service Delivery Review Consulting Services Recreation
and Culture Department-----
Landscaping and Lawn Services-----
Supply & Delivery of One New Custom Chassis Pumper/Rescue
Fire Truck
-----Water Treatment
Plant Development
REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS
2017 Christmas Light and Decor Installation
Tenders and results are posted online at: www.ovbusiness.com
A Note About Tenders: Ottawa Valley Business con-tacts municipalities once a week for any active tenders they have available. We also visit their websites to provide these tenders and we contact municipalities for results as soon as the tender expires. If there is a tender or result you do not see posted with us, please let us know.
Illegal Meeting, Legal Committee in Deep River
The Ontario Ombudsman, Paul Dube, has released a report on complaints filed against the Town of Deep River, and there is some fault with the municipality. The complaint alleged that council for the Town of Deep River inappropriately met in camera on May 17 and 18, 2017. The complainant felt that council should not have discussed a po-lice service consultation plan in closed session because the topic did not appear to fit within any of the closed meeting exceptions in the Municipal Act. The com-plainant also alleged that a police service consultation “working group” formed during the May 18 closed meeting should have been classified as a committee of council subject to open meeting requirements under the Act and the town’s procedure by-law. In his report, Dube says that council for the Town of Deep River contravened the Municipal Act and the town’s procedure by-law on May 18, 2017, when it discussed the police service consultation plan in camera. This topic did not fit within the “advice subject to solicitor-client privilege,” “security of the municipal property,” or “personal matters about an identifiable individual” closed meeting exceptions, or any other exception to the Municipal Act’s
open meeting requirements. In addition, council contravened the Act and the town’s procedure by-law by voting on several resolutions in camera that were neither procedural nor involved direction to staff. However, Dube noted that the formation of the police service consultation plan “working group” and its subsequent activi-ties did not contravene the Act or the town’s procedure by-law. The working group did not fit the definition of a “committee” and was therefore not required to hold open meetings.
Integrity CommissionerDeclares Conflict
The Town of Deep River’s Integrity Commissioner, Guy Giorno, has had to recuse him-self from three more complaints filed against the municipality. The complaints allege that a council member contravened the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the Council Code of Conduct. Each complaint relates in part to the relationship be-tween this council member and a company. However, after Giorno opened the three complaint files, he learned that other lawyers in his firm had provided legal services to the company. While he personally was not involved, his company was, and thus he felt it was appropriate to recuse himself from these investiga-tions. Giorno will appoint a del-egate under the Municipal Act to follow up on the three additional complaints.
By: Jennifer [email protected] A while ago, I reached out to a company to see if they could help me do a part of my business better than I was doing it cur-rently. I told them what I wanted to do and the salesperson said he thought he could make that happen. When the salesperson got back to me with a solution, he explained his product and listed off several ways it would make life easier for me. It wasn’t what I asked him to do, but I listened all the same, waiting for it to be a better solution than what I had proposed. When he was finished, he asked me what I thought. I told him that it was definitely going to make my life easier, but that would come at the expense of my customers. The solution was going to make things harder for my customers. The salesperson paused and then said, “I think you’re missing the point – it’s easier for you.” I thanked the salesperson for his work, but I didn’t move
forward with his proposal. It really doesn’t matter how good a solution is if it’s going to result in a negative experience for my customer. That’s a solution that becomes a problem. I’m sure that we all look at things through the lens of our expertise, but we also have to look at things through the eyes of our customers. One of the easiest examples of this is something I have mentioned in this column before – contact forms for email. Some website developers sug-gest businesses have a contact form instead of an email address as a way to cut down on spam. However, a contact form makes it more time consuming for a customer to contact you, and it gives the perception that a busi-ness doesn’t want to hear from you. The customer has to fill out several fields instead of typ-ing an email, and many contact forms do not allow attachments. So, the customer ends up filling out a contact form to request an email in order to send another email with an attachment. In addition, most contact form emails go unanswered. So even if you are diligent in answering your contact form email, many organizations are not and cus-tomers have had that bad experi-ence already. The likelihood is when they see your contact form,
they simply won’t fill it out. So while a contact form made it easier for the business, it resulted in a customer not con-necting with you. And what does it really take to eliminate a spam email? Click and delete. Was there really a need for a solu-tion for something that takes a few seconds on the end of the business? A real solution might be a strategy where emails are re-sponded to by the next business day. That would be a customer experience that would garner you some traction – something that would move you ahead of your competition who are using contact forms. People love being responded to quickly. So as you evaluate new and better ways of doing things, make sure to consider the customer experience in your decision-making. It can help you evaluate how good of a solution is being proposed, and it can be a competitive advantage in the most important way – attracting customers!
Jennifer is the owner of Forward Think-ing Marketing Agency. Her column appears every issue.
Solution PollutionMake sure you see opportunities from all angles
WisdomIf you take care of your employ-ees, they will take care of your customers, and your business will take care of itself.- J. W. Marriott
Always treat your employees exactly how you want them to treat your best customers.- Stephen R. Covey
100% of customers are people. 100% of employees are people. If you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business.- Simon Sinek
OTTAWA VALLEY BUSINESS
November 21, 2017Deadline: October 21, 2017
-----December 5, 2017
Deadline: November 28, 2017-----
December 19, 2017Deadline: December 12, 2017
101 THINGS TO DO IN THE VALLEY
November-December Issuehas published, see it online:
www.travelourbackyard.com-----
January-February EditionDeadline: December 12, 2017Publishes: December 14, 2017
HEALTH MATTERS
Fall 2017 Edition has publishedSee it online: www.ovhealth.ca
----Winter Edition
Deadline: December 8, 2017 Publishes: January 5, 2018
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