NWB June 2011

N O R T H W E S T B U S I N E S SServing business across the greater Canadian Northwest

JUNE 2011$4.95 issue price

Needing a new alternative

Working the Water

equation

Audrey Mascarenhas, president and CEO Questor Technology Inc. has made her mark with original thinking and dedicated action.

Featuring The BC community of

DawsonCreek

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Ad Number: SHW_SFB_P054254Publication(s): NorthwestBusinessMagazine,YourBusiness

This ad prepared by: SGL Communications • 2 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario • phone 416.413.7495 • fax 416.944.7883 File Location: SGL_N-Z:Volumes:SGL_N-Z:Shaw_SSH COR:SHAW FOR BUSINESS:P04113-BusinessAwarenessCampaign:SHW_SFB_P054254.indd

JOB SPECIFICS

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Together is Amazing.Together is Amazing. BUSINESS

Shaw not only provides a reliable, high-performance network, we also customize our products and services to meet your specifi c needs. From extensive network coverage to business phone, Internet, TV and data services, we’ve established ourselves as a secure, reliable partner. After all, running a successful business is your number one priority. And helping you do it is ours.

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Ad Number: SHW_SFB_P054254Publication(s): NorthwestBusinessMagazine,YourBusiness

This ad prepared by: SGL Communications • 2 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario • phone 416.413.7495 • fax 416.944.7883 File Location: SGL_N-Z:Volumes:SGL_N-Z:Shaw_SSH COR:SHAW FOR BUSINESS:P04113-BusinessAwarenessCampaign:SHW_SFB_P054254.indd

JOB SPECIFICS

Client: ShawCreative Name: CanadianBusinessAgency Docket #: SHW SFB P04113Main Docket #: SSH COR P04113Art Director: Doug BramahCopy Writer: NonePrint Production: Tom BurtonRetoucher: NoneLive: 7” x 10.04”Trim: 8” x 10.875”Bleed: 8.5” x 11.375”Artwork Scale: 1:1Print Scale: 100%

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File Name: SHW_SFB_P054254.inddCreation Date: 2-16-2011 12:49 PMLast Modified: 4-28-2011 5:36 PMWorkstation: T06-0204InDesign Version: CS4 App. Version: 6.0Round #: 1 Page Count: 1GRAPHIC PRODUCTION:

Operator: jrCorrection: None

SIGNOFFS:

Creative:

Production:

Premedia:

Proofreading:

Account:

Client:

PREMEDIA OPERATOR:

Operator: JF

INKS:

Cyan

MAGENTA

YELLOW

BLACK

FONTS & PLACED IMAGES

Family Style

Trade Gothic LT Pro Bold Condensed Shaded No. 20, Bold Condensed No. 20Times RegularTrade Gothic Bold Condensed No. 20

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Background_1 Vertical.tif CMYK 360 ppiSHAW_BS_LOGO_45.0.0.55.epsShaw_01265.psd CMYK 859 ppi

This proof was produced by the following department:

PREPRESS

Together is Amazing.Together is Amazing. BUSINESS

Shaw not only provides a reliable, high-performance network, we also customize our products and services to meet your specifi c needs. From extensive network coverage to business phone, Internet, TV and data services, we’ve established ourselves as a secure, reliable partner. After all, running a successful business is your number one priority. And helping you do it is ours.

Give us a call at 1.877.SHAWBIZ (742.9249) or visit us at SHAWBUSINESS.CA



S:7”

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4 N O RT H W ES T B U S I N ES S J U N E 2011

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Volume 17 | Issue 5

editor

Joei Warm 250.785.8833 | [email protected]

marketing & sales manager

Ruth Dunbar403.850.236 | [email protected]

advertising inquiries

Marteena Duda 780.568.3294 | [email protected]

graphic designer

Kendra Design Inc.

accounting

Brenda Znack

subscriptions

Ruth Dunbar 403.850.4236 | [email protected]

contributersMars, Peace Photographic, Questor Technology Inc.

Business Development Bank of Canada

Subscriptions may be ordered through the address below. Canadian subscriptions are: one year-$22; two years - $35; three years - $45. American subscriptions are: one year - $36; two years - $49; three years - $57. Prices are in Canadian funds and include all taxes and mailing. To subscribe, send your particulars along with a cheque or money order payable to Northwest Businessand mail to the address below.

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NORTHWESTBUSINESS

JUNE 2011

NORTHWESTBUSINESS

5N O RT H W ES T B U S I N ES SJ U N E 2011

4ADVERTISING INDEX

AAction Safety ...............................36Alberta Blue Cross ...................... 4ASAP Heating .............................. 9

BBear Slashing ..............................10Birch Oil ...................................... 8Blair Lekstrom .............................12Bud Country ................................38

CCNIB ............................................19County Disposal ..........................26CRI ..............................................28

DD&D Well .....................................30Dawson Creek, City of….. ...........10DGS Astro Paving ........................19DMG/Oil & Gas Expo ...................18

EEast Coast Garden Party .............22

FForest Grove......... .......................9 H

HD Energy ...................................39

KKeg…. ..........................................2

LLa Prairie Crane….. ....................31

N

NAIT…. ........................................17

NP Economic Development .........37

PPrairie Mall….. ............................37Precision Drilling….. ...................32

RRhinokore…. ................................40

SShaw Cable ................................. 3Starburst Accounting ..................19

TTitan Specialized Hauling ............34Tonka Energy ..............................34Tremcar .......................................14

ContentS

17

FeatureS33 WORKING THE WATER EQUATION BY NWB STAFF

Concerns about water use in unconventional plays have given rise to innovative solutions, one of which deals would allow recycling frac water.

in the neWS06 IN BRIEF

Our look at what’s in the news.

in PerSon09 EDITOR’S NOTE

SUSTAINING THE BROADER VIEW

11 SPOTLIGHT… ON DAWSON CREEK

BY mArSBuilding From a Clear Community Vision.

15 LEADERSHIP IN ACTIONBY JOEI WArmFeaturing Questor Technology’s Audrey Mascarenhas.

20 OUT AND ABOUTThe Peace in pictures, featuring the Grande Prairie 2011 Petroleum Show.

20 COMING EVENTSCommunity and industry event listings.

EXTRA, EXTRA… 27 RIG ACTIVITy

28 TECH TALK BY THE CENTrE FOr rESEArCH AND INNOVATION

INNOVATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT Building a culture on innovation starts with the attitude at the top and spreads from there.

29 IN BUSINESSBY JOEI WArm

PROFAB WELDING CEO WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARDJason Parks was one of 11 recipients of the Business Development Bank of Canada’s 2011 Young Entrepreneurs Awards.

33 THE SAFETy SITE BY DAVID PHIBBS – ALPHA SAFETY

ATTITUDE IS THE KEY SAFETY CLIMATE CHANGER A safety culture is more about attitude.

35 THE TOyBOX BY mArS

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO HEAT IT UP A look at alternate heating and cooling systems that can help reduce the toll on the environment.than you think.

33

11


ENFORM PASSES SAFETY MILESTONECALGARy, ALBERTA – Enform, the safety association for

Canada’s upstream oil and gas industry, passed the 5.5 mil-lion mark of Safety Alert deliveries to industry this March.

Enform issues Safety Alerts and information bulletins to inform the industry of injuries and incidents in the Canadian oil and gas industry. A Safety Alert can be issued about:

• Injuries, fatalities, motor vehicle incidents, near hits/misses, or other losses

• Faulty equipment• Regulatory information“The distribution of Safety Alerts is a positive method of

alerting the industry to incidents that have occurred,” said Lloyd Harman, Enform’s vice president of operations. “The information from every Safety Alert should be used by indus-try so it does not happen again.”

Enform works collaboratively with the organization sub-mitting details of incident or injury to develop Safety Alerts in order to improve the industry’s awareness of hazards and understanding of controls. Canada’s leading oil and gas in-dustry trade associations support the use of shared informa-tion to help companies of all sizes improve performance.

“Collaboration is a key strategy to reduce injuries, improve efficiencies, and promote positive working relationships,” said Harman. “By working together and sharing information with industry, we will continue to achieve injury and loss re-duction.”

Enform is the upstream oil and gas industry’s advocate and leading resource for the continuous improvement of safety performance. Our mission is to help companies achieve their safety goals by providing practices, assessment, training, support, metrics and communication. Our vision is no work-related incidents or injuries in the Canadian upstream oil and gas industry.

For more information, visit www.enform.ca.

IN BRIEFo NEWS BRIEFS & HIGHLIGHTSIN BRIEFo NEWS BRIEFS & HIGHLIGHTS

HONOURS AWARDED FOR SUSTAINABLE MININGSMITHERS, BRITISH COLUMBIA – The best of

BC’s responsible and sustainable mining industry were hon-oured with the 2010 Mining and Sustainability Awards.

Presented by the Mining Association of BC and the Prov-ince, the winners for 2010 are Northgate Minerals’ Kemess South Mine and the Northwest Community College’s school of exploration and mining (SEM).

“BC’s mining industry is recognized as a world leader in environmental protection and the winners of this award are strong examples of our excellence. My congratulations and thanks to Northgate Minerals’ Kemess South Mine and the North West Community College school of exploration and mining for their diligence in ensuring the sustainable devel-opment of our natural resources,” said Rich Coleman, Minis-ter of Energy and Mines.

The annual sustainability award recognizes the best the BC mining industry has to offer in responsible mining prac-tices and is designed to encourage continuous improvement in key aspects of the industry that are important to all BC residents.

This award was first given in 2005 and recognizes the di-verse companies, communities, First Nations, non-govern-mental organizations, government agencies and individuals committed to advancing and promoting sustainable devel-opment in the BC mining sector.

BC TECHNOLOGy FUELS HyDROGEN VEHICLESVANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Premier

Christy Clark announced $870,000 in provincial funding for the development of the world’s first small-scale hydro-gen liquefaction plant to be built in North Vancouver.

“Innovation like this by BC companies shows why the province is and will remain a world-centre for hydrogen and fuel cell technology,” said Clark.

“We will continue to champion made-in-BC hydrogen, electricity, and natural gas as clean, green fuels of the fu-ture for BC families.”

BC-based Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corpora-tion (HTEC), and Sacré-Davey Engineering, along with international partner Air Liquide, are building this in-novative, high-tech plant. They will use local by-product hydrogen to produce low-carbon liquefied hydrogen to power hydrogen fuel cell buses and vehicles throughout the Pacific Northwest. The plant should start producing clean, green hydrogen in about 18 months.

This plant will help fuel the Green Highway that will power hydrogen, electric, biofuel and natural gas vehicles from BC to California.


COMMODITY NEWS 5/18/2011 Avg. Price

Natural Gas Close Change yTD

Aeco Spot ($C/Mcf) 3.87 -4 ¢ 3.77

Differential (H. Hub/Aeco) ($C/Mcf) 0.16 -8 ¢ 0.35

Aeco 12 Month Strip (NGX) ($C/Mcf) 4.03 1¢ 4.27

Aeco Calendar Strip 2012 (NGX) ($C/Mcf) 4.28 1 ¢ 3.93

Huntingdon ($C/Mcf) 3.82 -8 ¢ 3.97

Dawn ($C/Mcf) 4.44 -5 ¢ 4.52

Henry Hub Spot ($US/Mmbtu) 4.15 -10 ¢ 4.21

NyMEX May 11 ($US/Mmbtu) 4.20 2 ¢ 4.23

NyMEX 12 Month Strip ($US/Mmbtu) 4.55 2 ¢ 4.55

NyMEX 2012 Strip ($US/Mmbtu) 4.89 3 ¢ 4.94

5/18/2011 Avg. Price

Crude Oil Close Change yTD

Synthetic Crude ($C/Bbl) 110.45 1.33 104.76

Western Canada Select ($C/Bbl) 80.56 2.95 76.61

Differential (Synthetic/WCS) ($C/Bbl) 29.90 1.62 28.08

Differential (WTI/Synthetic) ($C/Bbl) -13.13 1.29 -8.450

WTI Cushing Spot ($US/Bbl) 100.10 3.19 98.78

NYMEX May11 ($US/Bbl) 100.10 3.19 98.96

NYMEX 12 Month Strip ($US/Bbl) 101.14 2.81 101.93

NYMEX 2012 Strip ($US/Bbl) 100.79 2.47 102.32

Brent (ICE) Jun11 ($US/Bbl) 112.30 2.31 110.66

PUBL IC OFFERING OF CROWN PETROLEUM AND NATUR AL G AS R IGHTS L E A SE S A N D L I C EN C E S SU M M A R y M Ay 2 011

A L B ER TA B R I T I SH C O L U M B I A

PA RC E L S S O L D 42 5 2 9

H EC TA R E S 247, 2 8 3 .0 0 4 0 9 ,0 5 0

Av eR Ag e P R I c e / H ec tA R e $ 57 3 . 57 $ 1, 2 8 0 .6 0

B o n u se s $ 141, 8 3 3 , 8 5 5 .0 2 $ 11, 5 8 9 ,4 6 5 .3 9

COMMODITY NEWSEQUAL ENERGy LTD. COMPLETES FINANCING

CALGARY, ALBERTA – Equal Energy Ltd. has complet-ed the previously announced bought deal financing of common shares for gross proceeds of $50,347,500 (net proceeds approxi-mately $47.8 million). The net proceeds of the financing are expected to be used to finance a portion of the company’s acqui-sition of Petroflow’s interests in assets developed pursuant to the now terminated farmout agreement in Oklahoma which was announced on April 26. The acquisition is expected to close on June 1, 2011. The issue was sold by a syndicate of underwriters, led by Scotia Capital Inc. and including CIBC World Markets Inc., Wellington West Capital Markets Inc., Desjardins Securi-ties Inc., Jennings Capital Inc. and PI Financial Corp.

BC HST TALKING TAXES EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONSVICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – More than a

quarter million British Columbians participated in 11 HST tele-phone-town hall meetings in communities across the province.

“Participation in the talking-taxes tele-town halls has far ex-ceeded our initial expectations.” said Minister of Finance Kevin Falcon.

Of the 417,464 British Columbians who answered the tele-town hall calls – 66 per cent – or 276,504 people, participated in the calls and stayed on the phone for almost 17 minutes on average. The tele-town halls were hosted by Minister of Finance Kevin Falcon, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom and Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell.

Several communities and regions had very high participation rates: 76 per cent in the Fraser Valley and suburban Vancouver, 74 per cent in Vancouver and 69 per cent in the Okanagan.

The feedback received from these calls will be evaluated to help inform HST policy improvements, as government looks closely at the options to improve the HST and the consequences of a return to the PST and GST system.

The BC government announced the Talking Taxes public engagement process to expand the dialogue with British Colum-bians on how to improve the HST in the lead-up to this sum-mer’s referendum.

British Columbians will be voting in a mail-in referendum on the HST. Ballots will be mailed in June and must be returned to Elections BC or a Service BC office by 4:30 p.m. on July 22, 2011.



There are still clearly divided camps when it comes to industry and sustainable, responsible stewardship of our natu-ral resources.

On the one hand, there are those that val-

ue the environment and are convinced that the multinationals and others are intentionally disregarding issues of safe and sane development in the quest for cash.

They cry foul every time they can, citing every situation where an outcome was less than perfect, and insisting that industry is the environmental hang-man, willing to compromise away our children’s futures and turn a blind eye to the death and destruction they leave in their wake.

It’s a myopic point of view.And it’s easy to judge when you only

acknowledge worst-case scenarios. Giv-ing them the benefit of the doubt, their intentions are probably honourable even if they only allow for one worldview.

It brings to mind the men that once thought of women as chattel, lacking the capacity to think or act sensibly for themselves.

Sustaining The Broader ViewThey too were likely well-intentioned,

thinking to protect and guide the weaker sex. Who can blame them? For the most part, it’s unlikely they ever saw a wife or daughter in a position of leadership, or gave her the chance to show her ideas had as much merit as a brother or son’s.

It’s a myopic point of view.On the other hand, there are those

that laud their own efforts to do bet-ter, to think more, to be accountable in industrial practices, to do it differently than it has been done. And they should acknowledge where they are active par-ticipants in responsible stewardship. But it really has become the cause de jour. If hundreds before have done the same responsible thing, is it really that big a deal? Is it really something that needs to be said again and again and again and again? It does get old and rather mean-ingless.

As things usually are, the truth is in the grey area between. There are people who don’t much care how much damage they cause to the environment (as long as no one catches them), but that’s not uni-versal and there are plenty of companies who are implementing new technologies or practices that help improve the envi-ronmental situation – things more than

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worthy of praise and attention.It’s not a static process this learning

about sustainability. New understand-ings of how and why things are put at risk are met with new solutions. And sometimes, it’s a choice of the lesser of two evils. Compromises are made – and should be made – while ever-better solu-tions are sought.

Joei Warm, Editor

10 N O RT H W ES T B U S I N ES S A P R I L 2011

11N O RT H W ES T B U S I N ES SA P R I L 2011

SpoTlIGhT

Building From a Clear Community VisionBY MARS

Dawson Creek (DC) has shown time and time again that they are sensitive to the needs of

the residents as well as receptive to the needs of local industry. In fact, Mayor Mike Bernier and Dawson Creek are going above and beyond to create a f i-nancially viable climate to draw in new business from surrounding regions.

“One way we’re doing this is through lowering industrial taxes, low-ered by 40-50 per cent,” said Bernier, “...and because of this we’ve had a lot of new living quarters, hotel projects and such - because of our economic stability.”

Providing economic incentives, like tax cuts to new businesses, are

helping to create a stronger economic base for Dawson Creek and in doing so are priming the pump for future growth, and future generations.

Many young residents of Dawson Creek are in tune to the ideas of con-servation and sustainability helping to create future generations of environ-mentally, community-minded citizens. Many of these broad-minded youths are attending Northern Lights College, also known as the Energy College, lo-cated on eight campuses including one in Dawson Creek.

NLC is an organization offering degree programs in a broad range of areas including traditional subjects like Business Management, English

as a Second Language and many oth-ers. But perhaps more important to the region are curricula geared towards planning for careers in Oil Field Oper-ations, Aboriginal Early Child Educa-tion and Wind Turbine Maintenance amongst others.

Preparation in these areas will help college bound seekers to get the educa-tion that they need to land prof itable jobs in f ields that are in dire need of well-trained and motivated workers.

Graduates f inding jobs in the re-gion will likely then continue to re-turn precious dollars back into the DC economy thereby contributing to the perpetuation of DC and the dream of a city collectively motivated to live in

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Arts and culture are only a few of the reasons people are drawn to Dawson Creek.


harmony with the environment.Dawson Creek is known for its

progressive views towards sustain-ability and conservation and has been recognized and honored on numerous occasions. But a strong sense of com-munity and f idelity to a common cause may very well be the key to their suc-cess at creating a town both appealing to the eye and respectful of the world around as well.

At the roots of DC’s progressive

way of thinking is the idea that com-munity is of the utmost importance and citizen involvement is at the top of the priority list. “Engaging people and encouraging involvement with impor-tant decisions is a big part of what’s go-ing on here...(it’s) a sort of barn-raising

mentality,” said Bernier. Bernier has become known for

his easy-going and inviting manner in open forums such as DC’s town hall meetings where he often jokes freely with members of the community.

But the mayor maintains a f irm stance and steely resolve when ap-proached on issues related to the envi-ronment and water conservation.

Numerous municipalities through-out British Columbia have adopted en-vironmentally friendly worldviews.

Dawson Creek is one such city, and is known for its land-and-water con-scious, and community-based manner of preparing current and future gen-erations for a higher quality of life.

Through long-term community involved planning of water conserva-tion and treatment, modif ication of outdated and ineff icient laws, commu-nity development, and lenient taxation on new businesses in the area, Dawson Creek has become one of the most for-ward thinking and environmentally conscious cities in Canada.

Drought in the region as well as concerns over squandering precious potable water supplies drawn from the Kiskatinaw River have compelled DC’s municipality to construct a mas-sive water reclamation facility slated for completion in the f irst quarter of 2012. Creating a mutually symbiotic relationship with Shell Canada, the water reclamation project known sim-ply as “Dawson Creek/Shell Canada Water Treatment Project” will help to reduce fresh water consumption by lo-cal oil and gas companies by recycling

MILE “0” ON THE ALASKA

HIGHWAYThe World Famous Alaska Highway, considered and proclaimed a construction marvel by the engineering community, is 1,523 miles of road built by the American Army in 1942 in a total time of 8 months.

Since that time the City of Dawson Creek has capitalized on its location to promote the many benefits of living in the centre of the Peace River Region.

12,000 people live and work in a diversified economy, with agriculture the main stay, supplemented by logging, oil & gas and coal mining in the southern portion of the region.

Sheltered from the recent recession by the oil and gas explora-tion and development, the city of Dawson Creek is a flourishing modern community with a variety of sports and cultural facilities.

"The Most Beautiful Place in the World to Live" Dawson Creek, BC

BLAIR LEKSTROM, MLAPEACE RIVER SOUTHMINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE


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eff luent water for reuse in industry as well as city use.

“As a community, we’ve been go-ing through drought for the last four to f ive years. We have to start looking at alternatives,” stated Bernier. With obvious concerns for the future of the region, the facility will help both DC as well as Shell to assure a consistent f low of water.

But water conservation is also be-ing addressed at a more diminutive, lo-calized level. Since Jan. 1, 2011 Daw-son Creek has made some alterations to city water metering and valuation.

Despite the fact that meters have been in place for years in the Dawson Creek area, they were simply employed as measurement devices for track-ing commercial and residential water consumption. But with a heightened awareness concerning water conser-vation, water meters are now utilized to measure and assist the city in both monitoring as well as billing for water used by residents.

Flat rates for water consumption are now a thing of the past since “no real view towards conservation was present... now we’re holding people accountable,” said Bernier. He added that Dawson Creek is “one of the f irst cities in British Columbia to do this”.

Billing for water used rather than a simple f lat rate system for all custom-ers will help the DC to collect much needed funds for water use, while si-multaneously compelling its citizens to use water more wisely.

There is no doubt that Bernier and the people of Dawson Creek are trail-blazers in the areas of conservation and sustainability in the environment.

This fact is certainly not lost on others in Canada who have recognized

DC’s achievements and praised them for their accomplishments. Remark-ably, Water Canada presented DC with the H2O Reclamation Recog-nition award for the construction of the DC/Shell Water Treatment Fa-cility even before its completion. And in 2010, DC was awarded the Hydro Power Smart Excellence Award for Workplace Conservation Leadership for numerous environmentally friend-ly programs including the Energetic Olympics, the Turn It Off Program as

well as myriad other initiatives set into motion by Bernier and company.

Dawson Creek leads by example and many around the world are begin-ning to take notice.

Community development in Dawson Creek is not limited to water conservation though as the arts and cultural elements of the city are also being targeted for renovation and im-provement.

“We have made some huge capital investments building a refurbished arts

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and culture community center,” said Bernier referring to the Calvin Kruk Centre for the Arts which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2011. The renovated facility will fea-ture a three story, atrium-style structure with a ceramics and fabric studio, a multi-purpose hall, a coffee bar as well as multiple rooms de-signed and outf itted for practice and advance-ment of music and dance.

On top of being a hub for the creative minded residents of Dawson Creek, many also view the facility as a social center providing a meet-and-greet for those coming and going. This attitude is emblematic of the social and community centered attitude of the people in Dawson Creek, an attitude that not only greets familiar faces but welcomes new ones as well.

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Leadership in Action

can use this energy that’s being wasted right now (that I’m passionate about); it’s the fact that this could have a big impact on the lives of people living in developing countries that live below the poverty level,” said Mascarenhas about her current passion.

It’s no coincidence she was numbered among the Society of Petroleum En-gineers Distinguished Lecturers this year. She is passionate and articulate and perhaps most of all, knowledgeable about the oil and gas industry from a variety of perspectives.

Mascarenhas is currently the presi-dent and CEO of Questor Technology Inc. Before that, she held various tech-nical, commercial and management positions during a 17-year tenure with Gulf Canada Resources Ltd.

She is a graduate of the University of Toronto in Chemical Engineering and holds a Masters Degree in Petro-leum Engineering from the University of Calgary.

And as much as all of these things demonstrate the success traditionally equated with leadership, these accom-plishments alone are not the yardstick she measures herself by.

She talks about one of the last teams she led with Gulf. It wasn’t the goal achieving power of the team that stood out for her, although they did exceed some pretty tough goals she explained. It was the “reservoir engineer having a conversation with the facility guy, and the drilling guy talking to the geologist, and they were having this discussion listening to each other and coming up with better solutions”.

This goes beyond the notion of team-work normally associated with a good leader. At a time when Gulf was having a diff icult time, this team she said, was the one everyone wanted to be a part of. So much so if fact, that there were people who volunteered their time to be a part of it.

Mascarenhas has also had the oppor-tunity to share her passion for the envi-ronment and the search for solutions to air quality with other audiences. Nota-bly, she spoke at the World Petroleum Congress in Johannesburg, Rice Alli-

“I think a leader is someone who has a vision, wants to make a difference, can articulate it, and has a team that feels passionate about it and wants to follow them to make it happen.”

~ Audrey Mascarenhas

Audrey Mascarenhas, president and CEO Questor Technology Inc.

Every leader is different but they all f ind a legacy based on what matters to them. For Audrey Mascarenhas, it’s about showing others that one of the strongest reasons for industry to em-brace environmentalism is a good busi-ness case.

In particular, she currently champi-ons clean air as a realistic byproduct of oil and gas production by strongly ad-vocating alternatives to f laring.

“It’s not just the fact that we (Questor) can handle waste gas eff iciently and

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ance Clean Technology Conference in Houston and most recently in Amster-dam at the EPA/World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Forum.

She is able to carry a simple message through a solid repertoire of facts, un-derstanding clearly what she would like to see accomplished, and carrying the congruency of her own business to at-test to the practicality and success of her ideas.

Mascarenhas reminisces about the path that has lead her to international prominence and remembers reading an article when she was very new to the industry. The gist of it, she said, was that it’s better to focus on where you are

right now rather than on where you’re going, that way you can give your very best to the role you have right now.

“When I read that, it really changed the way I looked at things,” she said. “I felt that whatever role I was in, I would do it to the best of my ability.”

She has been able to do that in the pe-troleum industry since she got her f irst position at age 17 and through the vari-ous roles she has held since that time. In each, she has proven herself and added one more piece to the aggregate of who she has become.

“All these roles were a journey,” she said, each building onto what was al-ready in place, and each a preparation

for things that would come later. “Life is too short not to be engaged,” she added.

Growing up in Africa, she saw f irst hand that many people living without energy. In other places, gas is being wasted and used unwisely – sent up stacks – when it could be put to better use.

We here in North America like to think we are environmentally con-scious, but Mascarenhas isn’t as sure that there is an unconditional willing-ness to do what it takes.

“I think we’re conscious about it in that we want to do the right thing – talk about doing the right thing – but I think


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there is so much more that we can do,” she said.

Like her team that “found better so-lutions”, Mascarenhas would like to see other companies do the same, regard-less of the level of success they currently experience in dealing with good envi-ronmental practices.

The tougher emission regulations in the US and the lack of easily available energy in other countries has led to the largest part of Mascarenhas’ business coming from other countries. We do not have the same sense of urgency in Canada, she said, and that can create a level of complacency Mascarenhas works diligently to curb.

We globally f lare and waste the en-ergy equivalent of Canada’s gas pro-duction. And it doesn’t need to be that way. That is what Mascarenhas most wants people to hear and act on. Show-ing people that is the leadership role she has agreed to take on and is now recog-nized internationally for.

She encourages people to think – to think about the future, to think about solutions, to think about ways to incor-porate best practices into their activi-ties. Industry is here, and is here to stay. And when you pull out the numbers, it makes good business sense to incorpo-rate things like alternatives to f laring.

Mascarenhas is a trailblazer. She start-

ed that as one of the first females to take on the career path she did and has contin-ued that in the approach she has taken to oil and gas production. It’s not an either or proposition for her and she provides a stellar example of what can be done when

the will is there. Her success both in the eyes of her peers and in the company she has helped build attests to the soundness of her thinking and her ability to impassion others with her vision – her definition of a leader.


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IN BRIEFo NEWS BRIEFS & HIGHLIGHTSIN BRIEFo NEWS BRIEFS & HIGHLIGHTSOUT ABOUT&

Ray Brausen and Shane Gautier of Boss Safety pose here on a popular piece of their equipment….just climb up and get a birds eye view of the Grande Prairie Petroleum Show and plenty of people did just that.

It wasn’t all business. The sun was out, there were people to see, and things to learn but under the more somber aspects, it’s clear that people were simple having a great time as well.

No matter where you went there was something to eat, something to see, and someone to talk with.

Greg Keown, Jim Waddington and Mike Herbison found time to just hang out and enjoy the company.

Everyone found something interesting among the exhibits. Dahlia, Landon and Isabella found something too sweet to resist.

Joei Warm photo

Joei Warm photo Joei Warm photo

Joei Warm photo

Joei Warm picture


Sales rep for NWB, Marteena Duda mingles with old and new friends with Essential Energy, GT’s Oilfield Hauling and Thru tubing.

Tents, trucks and trailers – they were all shown to best advantage.

It was all about being seen and even Meika was doing her part for the company.

Everyone was showing off their finest at the show and these folk from Hurley were no exception. Pictured are Darrol Hurley, Rod Riddell, Trevor Rubak, Tracey Guindon and Al Elliot.

These Canyon guys were all over the place as they moved about the exhibit area. Pictured are Jason Skene, Blaine Mitchell, Todd Stauffer and Jim Yates.

Send your photosalong with a brief description of the photo to

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Grande Prairie 2011 Petroleum Show


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BY NWB STAFF

One of the most critical needs of today’s uncon-ventional gas productionis to come up with the proverbial ‘better mouse-trap’ to aid in water management. One local company has put their money behind what they think will soon become a water management standard.

component system that utilizes electrical stimulation to agglomerate particulate residue rendering it into a condition that can then be more easily removed.

The company promises “a single 5-ton truck carries a 25 gpm, Fusion specific, and proprietary flow back frac water treatment system capable of re-moving the majority of flow back con-taminants” and claims “Treatment tests to date indicate that the water quality is process ready for re cycle without extra parameter corrections”.

The process takes place within two compact units driven from a 20kW gen-erator; an Elektro-Kinetic Vortex Sepa-rator; followed by a process specific DAF (Dissolved Air Floatation), providing solids removal and disinfection of the water.

Fusion Oilfield Services, already in the thick of it when it comes to dealing with frac water, thinks

they have found an economical and safe way to turn flow back frac water into a clean, reclaimed resource. Both eco-nomical and environmental advantages have propelled them to invest heavily in the skills of Ladysmith engineer Law-rence Lambert.

Also experienced in both oceanog-raphy and physics, Lambert was sought out by Fusion when they heard he was proficient in electro-chemical methods of treating difficult industrial waters.

“We met in Edmonton, shook hands, and have been blood brothers ever since,” said Lambert. The outcome of that arrangement was Aquanetus Technology Inc. and a relatively simple

Water EquationWorking with the


Their process adds a new dimen-sion to the concept of remediation and minimizes the need to tap into rivers, lakes and wells as primary water sources as well as providing an alternative to injecting frac flow back volumes into abandoned wells and other similar stor-age options.

The dissolved organics, heavy met-als, dissolved minerals, suspended oil, production chemicals and solids that usually exist in frac water make it diffi-cult to reuse without some kind of treat-ment. The existing technology in the rel-atively limited current remediation has been limited until now said Lambert.

“We will have large scale systems sitting by reservoirs or wells because they get rid of the frac water right now by putting it down dry wells, but they know they will have to pump it out of there and treat it,” he said.

A Hewlett Packard Gas Chromato-graph Model 5890 provides a rapid ‘look’ at the remediated water to demon-strate a non-complex, viable core treat-ment process that can be installed at a client’s site, providing 250 gpm (one M3 per minute) of recycled water.

Fusion will take control of the re-moved particulates for further process-ing said Lambert. The sludge will be dried and recovering certain compo-nents from the residue, while assuring confidentiality to producers.

“The oil companies are very posses-sive of the formulas for making what we call their slick water so you never really

know what’s in it because he who wins is he who can frac and keep those fractures open…and a lot of it depends on how they can pressurize the water, and the water will move easier if they have these chemicals inside,” said Lambert.

Pumping “unknown chemicals” back into the ground, even with safety assurances, is not always well received by environmental advocates. Transpor-tation costs may be a drop in the bucket to large-scale producers however, the cost of the increased carbon footprint is more costly.

With a limited supply of fresh wa-ter to draw from due to either restricted availability or to licensing limits, the potential drain on water locals rely on for one reason or another is perhaps the

greatest ‘hidden’ cost to producers. Pro-ducers have already drawn fire over wa-ter use, particularly in the Horn River.

“Right now it’s fairly easy for them to get virgin water,” said Lambert. “First Nations people with which Fu-sion has a very close relationship are aware of this so they’re going to em-brace recycling water.”

Certainly in the Peace, land use agreements with First Nations lend some clout to their preferences, although it is by no means as sure a thing as Lambert is suggesting.

Whether Fusion’s system or some other, many are speculating that it won’t be long before legislation will mandate some kind of a change in how water is used there. Right now, said Lambert,

Typical Water Post Treatment Quality Performance Characteristics. Before After % Removal

Total Oil and Grease 500 mg/l 5 mg/l 99%

Hydrocarbon Oil and Grease 250 mg/l 2.5 mg/l 99%

Hardness CaCO3 3000 mg/l 350 mg/l 88%

Alkalinity total 4.5 300 mg/l 50 mg/l 83%

Total Suspended Solids, TSS 500 mg/l > 25 mg/l 95%

Total Dissolved Solids, TDS 2500 mg/l > 500mg/l 80%

pH 7.5 8.5 ∆ 10%

Metals analysis in Water Mass Spectroscopy 90%

**** To note is the fact that the Fusion process significantly reduces the brine content. Additionally as the process algorithm is based on “ion selectivity”, specific target metals or impurities may be prior identified by the end user/client for preferred removal. (Patent pending).


We at Northwest Business would like to send our heartfelt sympathy and best wishes to those affected by the recent fires in Alberta. We encourage every-one to draw on the tremendous strength and resil-iance that has been demonstrated in the past during the coming days trusting our readers will be there to lend their support where needed.

NORTHWESTBUSINESS

Fusion Oil has extended themselves “knowing full well that recycled water is going to become the norm”.

“They are not if fact making huge amounts of money on recycled water but the industry knows it’s going to hap-pen.”

Fusion planned to take a mobile sys-tem to five companies at the end of May to ensure that if they commit to going to the next step, the water can be treated and Fusion can bring back a clear glass of water to these companies.

The current process does leave a de-gree of salt in the treated water however, Lambert points out the system has the capacity to desalinate the water as well provided someone is willing to cover the additional cost of doing so.

“People who come up with these recipes for slick water they, right now, have got samples and they are looking to see how they can deal with a certain amount of salt in it. Some are saying it’s no problem and others are saying it has to be below a certain level but they will adapt,” said Lambert.

While Fusion Oil is still making early inroads in Canada, Strong inter-national interest is already reaping ben-efits for them.

“With all due respect to Canadians, the Texans came up here, they looked, they tasted, they signed a contract and are waiting for systems,” said Lambert.

For now, Fusion’s intent is to lease this capability eliminating the infra-structure requirements to the client. The costs will vary and will be arranged with clients dependent on geographic site location, degree/intensity of testing and agreed upon deliverables.

And Lambert said they are ready to go and can have something in place in as little as 60 days. They are also building a second mobile system to ease under-standing more quickly.

“We are bringing the technology to them so they can poke and prod it,” said Lambert. It’s a seeing is believing kind of approach designed to make the decision to recycle as easy as possible. “We are ready to pull the trigger.”


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Date Province Drilling Down Total May 17, 2011 Alberta 75 92 567 British Columbia 39 42 81 Manitoba 0 11 11 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 31 100 131 TOTALS 145 645 790

May 10, 2011 Alberta 66 506 572 British Columbia 39 42 81 Manitoba 0 11 11 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 21 106 127 TOTALS 126 665 791

Date Province Drilling Down TotalMay 3, 2011 Alberta 73 504 577 British Columbia 37 43 80 Manitoba 0 11 11 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 15 108 123 TOTALS 125 666 791 April 26, 2011 Alberta 85 492 577 British Columbia 39 42 81 Manitoba 0 11 11 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 13 109 122 TOTALS 137 654 791

April 19, 2011 Alberta 97 481 578 British Columbia 41 40 81 Manitoba 0 11 11 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 13 108 121 TOTALS 151 640 791

Date Province Drilling Down Total May 17, 2011 Alberta 266 383 649 Saskatchewan 97 96 193 British Columbia 6 20 26 Manitoba 2 12 14 Northern Canada 0 1 1 Totals 371 512 883

May 10, 2011 Alberta 250 407 657 Saskatchewan 84 107 191 British Columbia 3 20 23 Manitoba 1 13 14 Northern Canada 0 1 1 Totals 338 548 886

Date Province Drilling Down TotalMay 3, 2011 Alberta 232 424 656 Saskatchewan 81 110 191 British Columbia 1 23 24 Manitoba 3 11 14 Northern Canada 0 1 1 Totals 317 569 886

April 26, 2011 Alberta 227 426 653 Saskatchewan 71 121 192 British Columbia 4 22 26 Manitoba 2 12 14 Northern Canada 0 1 1 Totals 304 582 886

April 19, 2011 Alberta 220 437 657 Saskatchewan 64 425 189 British Columbia 6 19 25 Manitoba 1 13 14 Northern Canada 0 1 1 Totals 291 595 886

Drilling Rig Count by Week (At May 17, 2011)

Service Rig Count by Week (At May 17, 2011)


Innovating Comes From the Inside Out

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With ‘innovation’ becoming the buzzword of the millennium, many businesses are attempt-

ing to establish a ‘culture of innovation’ within their organizations. The chal-lenge with this idea is taking the steps to turn theory into action; to water the root of the tree, not just the branches.

The key is to remember that organi-zations do not innovate; people innovate – inspired people, fascinated people, creative people, committed people. Therefore, in-novation is always from the inside out.

The organization’s role is to get out of the way. And while this ‘getting out of the way’ will probably include formulat-ing supportive systems, processes, and protocols, it is important to remember that they are the context not the content. What’s needed in organizations that as-pire to a culture of innovation is an inner change.

People need to experience something within themselves that will spark and sus-tain their effort to innovate – and when they experience this ‘something’, they will be self-sustaining. People will in-novate not because they are told to, but because they want to. When people are inspired; share a common, compelling goal; and have the time and space to col-laborate, the results become self-organiz-ing. General George Patton said it best: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Creativity however is often a num-bers game. Einstein had plenty of bogus theories. Mozart wrote some crap. But they continued being prolific. And it was precisely this self-generating spirit of creation, which enabled them to access the good stuff. An innovative organiza-tion needs to be a place where everyone is encouraged and empowered to think creatively.

It also needs to be fun! Unfortu-nately, the sound of laughter in the workplace is often interpreted as proof of a slacker workforce, as if laughing and working were mutually exclusive. Noth-

other thing to make it happen. Still, the effort is worth it.

Your employees are more than hired hands; they are hired minds and hearts as well. Start by listening and honouring their ideas no matter how many or how bizarre they may seem a first blush – you never know when you will find the price-less one. Bottom line? The time it takes you to listen to the ideas of others is not only worth it – the success of your enter-prise may depend on it.

For more information on this article, or to contact The Centre for Research & Innovation call (780) 539-2807, toll free at 1-877-539-2808, email [email protected] or visit our web-site at www.TheCRI.ca .

4TECH TALK

BY CENTRE FOR RESEARCH & INNOVATION

ing could be further from the truth. “If you lose the power to laugh, you

lose the power to think,” explained Clar-ence Darrow. HAHA and AHA are two sides of the same coin. The same thing that triggers laughter triggers insight. It’s all about a momentary shock to the system: the unexpected, a surprise, and delightful discontinuity. When that hap-pens, when we are momentarily boggled by an input that does not fit with our logi-cal expectations, VOILA! Breakthrough! A good time!

So you want to establish a ‘culture of innovation’ in your organization do ya? Well, words are cheap. It’s easy to wax poetic about culture change, it’s quite an-


BY JOEI WARM

Profab Welding CEO Jason Parks Wins Prestigious Award

A lot of things go into making a Young Entrepreneur Award (YEA) winner and this year’s hon-

ourees all share some remarkable quali-ties says Business Development Bank of Canada’s (BDC) vice president of corpo-rate relations Michel Bergeron.

“It’s an accumulation of factors – they have to be successful and we make sure we have the financial data that sup-ports it in terms of that understanding, but we also look at the originality of the business plan and the speed at which it has grown,” he said. “These are very in-teresting stories to share.”

One such story is about Grande Prai-rie’s own Jason Parks. It’s not a story of easy success. It is a story of how passion, determination, attitude and ability came together to create a winner.

BDC announced in May that the 31-year-old Parks had won the award for the Alberta region because of his astute business sense in growing his business, Profab Welding. When other companies struggled to stay afloat through the re-cession, Parks was able to steer Profab through the eddies and out into a much larger ocean.

“During the recession, we concen-trated more on expansion than on sales, and invested in research and develop-ment and designing prototype equipment for the oil fields. We kept everyone work-ing,” said Parks.

Commenting on the reasons Parks was one of the 11 winners, Bergeron said: “We often say it’s not just important to work in the business, but to work on the business. He’s managed to do that quite effectively and the growth he’s experi-enced over the years is fascinating. You can spot that, despite his very young age, he’s found a formula that seems to work quite well. He’s expanded both in terms of locations, service lines and also num-ber of employees.”

It’s a step by step process and Parks started in 2003 with one welding truck, a great idea and a go get it attitude. He was able to recognize a need and design just the right thing for his customer. Parks

“I don’t believe anybody should be in it just for the money… You have to love what you do to be really good at it. You have to have fun going to work. And just be careful – don’t go too fast and make sure you manage your cash flow properly. Don’t give up your dreams. When you start acquiring staff, treat them as if they were your family or how you would like to be treated. When times get tough, just get tougher yourself and capitalize on it. Stay ahead of the game. Don’t be afraid to take a risk and follow your heart,” he said.

In the larger picture, it isn’t such a long list but it isn’t always an easy one ei-ther. It helps if you can have an entrepre-neurial spirit as well as being willing to embrace a leadership role. Parks believes he is both a leader and entrepreneur.

“(An entrepreneur) is somebody who sees opportunities instead of hurdles,

certainly credits his creativity for helping to drive his success, but he said it really comes down to “first and foremost”, hav-ing a genuine passion for what you do.

“Young entrepreneurs make an im-portant contribution to their respective communities and to Canada’s economic prosperity. This year’s YEA winners have turned innovative ideas into commercial success stories,” said BDC president and CEO Jean-René Halde in the press re-lease announcing the award winners.

“They are all passionate about what they do, are motivated by challenge and ready to expand their businesses into new markets. BDC’s Young Entrepreneur Award winners give us every reason to be optimistic about the future of entrepre-neurship in Canada.”

Parks had a few other pieces of ad-vice for other young entrepreneurs just starting out.

4IN BUSINESS

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Jason Parks, 2011 winner of the Young Entrepreneur Awards


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somebody that can deal with a lot of pres-sure, that’s aggressive, innovative in my case, and somebody that has to be really good with people and relationships,” said Parks.

“In my opinion, a leader is only as good as the people that surround him or her so that says a lot right there. I’ve been a leader for a long time just because I’ve been in business since 2003 and I have a fairly large company now. We’re over 100 staff. So, I’m definitely a leader and a little bit of a role model in being younger in the business world. I don’t always make the right moves but I get judged on pretty much everything I do.”

In this instance, he certainly held up to the scrutiny these award applications put him under. It is a very comprehen-sive process, explained Bergeron, and the winners were at the top of their game having been judged, then chosen from among 200 applicants.

Is it worth it? Bergeron thinks it is.Benefits from being named to the

elite group of young business people aged 19-35 started with the awards gala. The 11 CEOs got to network, make friends, and in some cases, form potential new business partnerships. The were also ex-posed to several days of training opportu-nities such as an afternoon with various legal, accounting, and financing experts so they could discuss concrete business challenges said Bergeron.

“Anecdotally, this is kind of a stamp of external approval on their success so they’ll be able to use this starting tomor-row…either in terms of trying to employ people or trying to attract bigger custom-ers and saying, ‘Look! I’ve got the BDC stamp of approval’. It’s got extremely good value for them in terms of added credibility.”

The young entrepreneur awards started in 1988 so we’ve been holding an-nual events since that time, he said. The main purpose of the event is to celebrate success of young entrepreneurs aged 19-35, from all provinces and territories across the country and to remind others of the tremendous potential for young entrepreneurs. Other winners include Arnold Leung, 25, Appnovation Tech-nologies (Vancouver); Rachel Mielke, 30, Hillberg & Berk (Regina); Mark Ko-haykewych, 33, Todd Jenkyns, 34, and Peter Chudley, 34, Jenkyns Electric Ltd. (Winnipeg); Jeremy Gutsche, 32, Trend Hunter Inc. (Toronto); Steve Couture, 35, Frima Studio inc. (Quebec City); Pierre Martell, 29, Martell Home Builders Inc. (Moncton); Anaïs Guimond, 32, Atlantic Cirque Agency and School (Dartmouth); Rachelle Wood, 29, Rachelle Wood Nu-trition Inc. (Charlottetown); Greg Han-

ley, 31, Hanley Construction & Renova-tion Inc. (St. John’s); and Cole Hodinski, 33, Horizon Helicopters (Whitehorse)

“What’s interesting is that you’re looking at some of the emerging leaders in the business sector in Canada but they are still a relatively young age. Now in most cases these winners, this is the first kind of national recognition they would get through this particular awards pro-gram and it’s always a fun feeling to allow them to get some of that recognition and at the same time it energizes them for the next step,” said Bergeron.

“By celebrating the success we want to reinforce the importance of supporting Canadian entrepreneurs that represent 99.7 per cent of the econ-omy in terms of number of businesses. Alberta is well positioned on that front in terms of entrepreneurship but there are regions across the country that are not doing as well so we try to use those stories to inspire youth and show them that there’s other young people that have done this so this is feasible… ‘this can be a career option for you if you’re interested’.”



BY DAVID PHIBBS - ALPHA SAFETY

Attitude is the key safety climate changer 4THE SAFETY SITE

In considering the subject of safety, one must consider the audience. Re-cently while visiting an oil company

client, I noticed a copy of the NW Busi-ness News sitting on a coffee table in the reception area.

It reminded me of the fact that the average reader of this magazine is prob-ably not the front-line worker, but rather service providers, sales people, suppliers, managers and CEO’s. The most unlikely person to read this safety article would be the very one who constantly faces the most hazards in the workplace, which is why I have geared all of these safety arti-cles more towards managers, CEO’s and people of great influence.

If you are reading this, you are prob-ably someone with a certain amount of authority or influence, either in the area of safety, or as a manager, or perhaps as an entrepreneur. In that case you are also someone with influence.

The interesting thing about someone with influence is that they can affect the well being of people far outside of them-selves.

So what does climate change have to do with safety? Well, besides the litany of side effects said to be caused by global warming, I would like to draw some par-allels. The earth’s climate is caused by many factors that we have a vague or limited understanding of, but mostly, we just enjoy or endure the effects of these factors. Forces beyond our control regu-late our seasons and throw in unexpected twists and turns like drought, storms and fog. We observe the signs and regulate our lives around the predictability of the seasons and the unexpectedness of the weather.

We listen to the experts, look at the sky, consider our options and decide how to eliminate the risks.

Different geographic locations have different climates, and within these larg-er climates are smaller microclimates. The safety climate of a country or geo-graphic location can also seem like it is caused by vaguely understood forces be-yond our control – forces such as govern-ment agencies and safety associations.

the safety climate of a country, I certainly can bring change to my own company and possibly even my community.

We are fortunate to live in these days in a country where the safety climate is continually improving. Canada is known as one of the safest countries in the world, and even in the last decade has seen un-precedented growth in the value placed on human life. In part this is because of the large ‘weather systems’, or governing bodies bringing regulations and enforce-ment, but it is also due to CEO’s, manag-ers and those in the safety industry influ-encing their own microclimates through a positive safety attitude.

It is exciting coming to the realiza-tion that I can affect the safety, health and even the bottom line of my compa-ny simply by maintaining an attitude of awareness and respect for safety, and a genuine concern for people.

As powerful influencers in the arena of the workplace, let’s step up to the plate and create positive changes to our safety cultures by first guarding our attitudes.

In the natural world we are still just beginning to learn ways to positively af-fect climate change, but in the safety world man has many opportunities to bring positive change to the safety cli-mate of their company, community and nation.

David Phibbs is the president of Alpha Safety Ltd. and Alpha Training Solutions.

For more information on this article or their services, contact 1-888-413-3477, 250-787-9315 or www.alphasafety.net.

These organizations carry the promise of ‘good weather’ brought about by their regulations, training and compliance standards.

We listen to the experts, read articles, take training, organize safety commit-tees, submit to audits, and based on the accumulated advice we receive, eliminate the risks as much as possible.

The more stable and temperate the climate, the better the conditions for life. The more stable and practical the safety climate, the better conditions are for a safe work environment as well. As large bodies of water and tall mountains affect weather patterns, so people of influence affect safety through their attitude and actions.

It has long been known that safety culture spreads from the top down, and just like pollution is accused of poison-ing our atmosphere, a careless attitude in upper management towards safety can poison the safety (climate) or culture of a company.

As CEO of a mid-sized business, the biggest challenge I have is in recognizing the impact my attitude has on others. In fact, at times I don’t feel any more quali-fied than my front-line employees in cre-ating a safe culture at work.

This is a feeling I need to shake, because if I am not aware of how my at-titude, actions and words are impacting the people I am responsible for, I will be careless and have a negative influence on how they view their own personal safety. While I may not have the power to change



4THE TOYBOX

BY MARS

There’s More Than One Way To Heat It Up

Many businesses are opting to heat and cool their office space with environmentally friendly

heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Numerous different options are available to the consumer some of which combine older, trusted methods of heating and cooling with newer innovative ‘green’ technologies. One example of this marriage of old to new is the use of Energy Recovery Units or ERU’s.

Energy Recovery Units (or systems) are designed to utilize preexisting air from the indoors, air that is already warm in the winter or cool in the sum-mer, to heat or cool incoming air from the outdoors before it hits the furnace or air conditioning unit.

Here’s how they work: one set of ducts collects stale air from the inside of the building and channels it through the Heat Recovery Ventilator or HRV, which in turn passes the air to the out-side. Another separate system of ducts draws clean air in from the outdoors and then into the HRV where it passes, but never co-mingles with the outgoing air supply. Up to 85 per cent of the heat is transferred to the incoming air decreas-ing strain on appliances and reducing costs and the impact on the environment at the same time.

There are two types of ERU’s, Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV’s) and Ener-gy Recovery Ventilators (ERV’s or En-thalpy-recovery) both of which employ a heat exchanger and one or more fans that facilitate the flow of air through the system. Both varieties employ a heat ex-changer. The main differences between the two systems are the mechanisms em-ployed to exchange air and the quality of the air resulting from the exchange.

HRV’s utilize a heat recovery venti-lation unit which houses a heat exchange core and only transfers heat (sensible heat) from outgoing to incoming air. ERV’s on the other hand utilize an En-thalpy wheel, which is a rotary air-to-air heat exchanger and is often composed of a specially coated, moisture-friendly fi-

brous material like paper or aluminum. This type of ERU not only transfers

heat from one airstream to the other, but also some of the the moisture contained within as well (total heat). Consequently, Enthalpy-Recovery systems are more likely to help prospective business own-ers to maintain a consistent level of hu-midity in the office environment.

So-called ‘climate controlled’ build-ings can often have issues with humidity control as well as ventilation, recycling air over and over and creating potential respiratory havoc for workers.

Sick building syndrome, for exam-ple, is a term used to describe scenarios where building inhabitants experience either acute or longer-term symptoms ranging from headaches, to soar throats and even more severe symptoms such as dizziness and nausea.

Causes of this phenomenon have been linked to poor ventilation, pres-ence of potential biological contami-nants such as molds and pollen, as well as buildup of air-born chemicals gen-erated from building materials such as adhesives and even carpeting. In ad-dition, air pollutants, humidity as well as carbon dioxide can build up causing enumerable health problems for the inhabitants, including allergy issues as well as fatigue.

ERU’s provide a continual stream of filtered fresh air, helping busy work-ers control the quality of the air they breathe and create a healthier environ-ment more suitable for productivity.

Energy Recovery Units can be in-stalled as stand-alone components or incorporated with older HVAC systems giving the consumer numerous different


directions to go. A building with numer-ous small offices may benefit from mul-tiple smaller ERU’s while larger, more spacious facilities would likely require a larger centralized system. But what are the costs and are they worth the expen-diture over time?

Of course, costs will vary greatly depending on the size of the building as well as the occupants’ heating and cool-ing needs. Generally speaking, ERU’s are more expensive to install and main-tain relative to simpler ventilation sys-tems, and cost effectiveness will depend on a number of factors.

Firstly, the ability to incorporate preexisting ductwork into your new sys-tem can be a huge factor when evaluat-ing cost, and the less new materials and labor necessary to complete the project, the more sensible installing an Energy Recovery System becomes.

If you are constructing a brand new facility, the size and layout of the ductwork can help to determine the ef-fectiveness and overall cost of the system as well.

Secondly, ERU’s tend to consume more electricity relative to conventional HVAC systems even though over time, they are designed to reduce the overall

expenditure of energy as well as the im-pact on the environment.

Initial installation costs will even-tually be recuperated but experts in the industry suggest that business own-ers should expect at least three years to recover their initial outlays. Financial recovery time will be contingent upon numerous factors including the almost infinite number of possible specifics of a given HVAC system and the corre-sponding cost to you, as well as the fre-quency of use and general wear and tear on the system.

Thirdly, maintenance of ERU’s is also more time consuming and expen-sive than conventional HVAC systems that often require little or no mainte-nance to sustain. This is an important factor to consider for particular types of construction projects where system up-keep may be difficult or inconvenient.

Schools, for example, may be more suited for conventional systems due to high traffic and lower budgets set aside for maintenance. On top of a potential increase in upkeep is the issue of avail-ability. ERU’s are not available ev-erywhere and only a small number of contractors are offering them and/or servicing them for their clients.

Finally, climatic conditions in your region as well as the specific charac-teristics of a given space should also be taken into consideration when designing an Hvac system for your facility. ERU’s operating in certain climates, such as those with colder ambient temperatures, for example, will likely need to be fitted with additional parts to prevent freezing and frost formation in the heat exchang-er. Frost buildup can reduce ventilation and render the system less effective dur-ing cold snaps. System upgrades such as this will increase your initial start-up costs and should be taken into consider-ation during the planning phase.

There are numerous factors to con-sider when designing an HVAC system for the heating and cooling require-ments of your particular business and regardless of the ERU’s reputation for decreasing heating and cooling costs, this type of system may not be for ev-eryone. A careful analysis of initial ex-penditures including construction costs, maintenance expenditures over time as well as the climatic conditions in your particular region will help you to make the right choice for your facility that is both cost effective as well as friendly to the environment.


4EVENTS

June 1-4Fort St. John Oilmen’s Golf Tourna-ment Lakepoint Golf and Country Club, Charlie Lake, BCContact Lakepoint Golf & Country Club at 250.785.9995 for additional information.

June 3-5River Raft Races/sloPitch tourney, Fox Creek

June 4Northern Classic Body Building & Fitness Show, Fort St. John, BCContact Today’s Techniques at 250.785.7939 for more information.

June 4-52011 Outdoor 3D Shoot Outdoor Range, Fort St. John, BC Contact: Archery Club at [email protected] for more information.

Mud BoggNorth Peace Light Horse Association Rodeo Grounds, Fort St. John, BCCome down and join in the fun of the An-

nual Mud Bogg. You may purchase your tickets in advance from the North Peace Cultural Centre (online/phone/in person) for your chance to win ‘A Run Through the Bogg’ in one of the trucks or a BBQ pack. Cost: $20.00 / Adult Day Pass - $50.00 / Family Day Pass (family pass includes 2 adults & 2 kids (12-18.) Under 12 gets in free (must be accompanied by an adult.) Tickets will also be sold on site (cash only.) Registration forms are available at OK Tire and The Driving Force; ATV and Snowmobile entries are available. On site parking is available for $5.00 per vehicle. Absolutely no alcohol or pets allowed. Event sponsered by Sunrise Rotary and The North Peace Light Horse Association. Contact: Dean Thom at 250.785.5151 for more information.

June 4-5Icebreaker Slo-Pitch TournamentSurerus Ball Diamonds, Fort St. JohnThe format will be 6 Men / 4 Women, Round Robin: Double Knock Out. There will be a $350 entry fee per team. There will be a concession available. The cutoff for entry is June 1st, 2011. Contact & Registration: [email protected]

June 16-18Beaverlodge Oilmen’s Golf TournamentContact Grande Prairie Petroleum As-sociation at www.gpoilmen.com for additional information or to access reg-istration form.

June 1712th Annual Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament, Lone Wolf Golf Course, Taylor, BCNortheast BC Crime Stoppers will be hosting their 12th Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament on June 17. Registra-tion starts at 11 am and there will be a 12 noon shotgun start. Hole Sponsor is $200, Sponsorship is $150, Golfer is $100. For registration and information contact: Sandy at 250-785-3993 or Terry at 250-262-7624

June 18-19Fathers Day Race, Northern Lights Raceway, Fort St. John, BCThe races are always fun and full of ex-citement! Races get underway at 11:00 am. Contact: northernlightsraceway.ca

June 21Chamber Luncheon, Fort St. John, BC. (location TBA)Guest speaker from UNBC Associate Pro-fessor Linda Selby. Call 250.785.6037 for more information.

June 22GrowthCLUB - 90 Day Business Plan-ning Worksho p, Al Robertson Room, Centre 2000, Grande Prairie, AB8:30 AM - 8:30 AMGrowthCLUB - Is a 90 Day Planning & Goal Setting Workshop designed to create massive results in a short amount time. Attend GrowthCLUB and develop your own ready to implement 90 day plan...uniquely developed and prepared exclu-sively by you for YOUR business with the assistance of a Certified Business Coach. Contact Information: Peter or Teresa @ 780-538-4799

***************************************

If you have an event or meeting that you wish published, send them to The Editor, Northwest Business via email to: [email protected].

Visit us at www.fortstjohn.ca

2010 SolarBC Community Award Winner!

Fort St. John

A Powerhouse of Opportunity


GRANDE PRAIRIE780-831-0040

SAFE WORK PLATFORMS

BOILERS

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LIGHT TOWERS

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CLEAN OUT EQUIPMENTHINTON780-223-0040

FT. ST. JOHN 250-262-9260

INNOVATIVE OILFIELD EQUIPMENT FOCUSING ON SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY


SAFE WORK PLATFORMS

BOILERS

HEAT EXCHANGERS

LIGHT TOWERS

GENERATORS

VALVES

OFFICE TRAILERS

MATTING



CHOKES

FUEL TANKS


WATER PUMPS


FT. ST. JOHN 250-262-9260



SAFE WORK PLATFORMS

BOILERS

HEAT EXCHANGERS

LIGHT TOWERS

GENERATORS

VALVES

OFFICE TRAILERS

MATTING



CHOKES

FUEL TANKS


WATER PUMPS


FT. ST. JOHN 250-262-9260


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