Coril150 – Des gens qui se réunissent pour bâtir une nation

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Le plus beau pays du Monde

Histoire de: Jean-Marie S-G - Triovest

Nous sommes très privilégiés de vivre dans le plus beau pays du Monde. L’été dernier j’ai eu le plaisir de découvrir Terre-Neuve, la dernière province sur ma liste d’endroits à visiter. A Cape Spear, près de St-John’s, je regardai vers l’océan en respirant profondément car j’étais au point de le plus à l’est de l’Amérique du Nord. Quel site!

Mon histoire se passe en 2015 durant un voyage d’affaires à Vancouver. Nous étions réunis, a l’occasion de la remise annuelle des prix LEAP de HOOPP, a l’excellente propriété Marine Gateway gérée par Triovest. Ce complexe multifonctionnel ayant la certification LEED Or est bien servi par le transport public et offre des espaces résidentiels, commerciaux et de bureaux. J’ai reçu durant la cérémonie, au nom de l’équipe du Québec, deux trophées LEAP de HOOPP. Ces trophées reconnaissaient notre travail et l’implication environnementale des locataires.
Durant une pause et faisant face à l’océan, avec les magnifiques Rocheuses à l’arrière-plan, j’ai pris une grande respiration de notre air frais canadien. Quelle joie de vivre dans un pays aussi merveilleux!

Jean-Marie S-G – Triovest

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Magic Carpet Ride

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

Having retired from full time employment with Coril Holdings at the end of 2014, and launching my new ‘life business’, 6IX PASSIONS, in January of 2015, I simply could not have imagined how spectacularly things would unfold to allow me to celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday in 2017!!

Firstly, of my 6IX PASSIONS, one is to “Consult to businesses as a Senior Advisor.” and am delighted that Coril Holdings asked me to stay on in that capacity on a part time basis, thus allowing me to participate in contributing to this outstanding collection of Coril 150 Stories. Secondly, one of my other 6IX PASSIONS, “To explore my creative side.” led to the story that unfolds below.

As I was approaching retirement in 2014, and reflecting back on my time as a student in Electrical Engineering at The University of Alberta in the late 1960’s, I realized that one of the best times I had had in my life was singing, dancing and acting as a member of the cast of The U of A’s Faculty of Drama musical production of George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy. It was early fall of 1968, and through the sheer coincidence of beginning to date a girl who also happened to be auditioning for a part, I unknowingly crashed the auditions, got talked into trying my pipes on stage and ultimately won a significant role, having zero intention to do anything other than have coffee with my date. The subsequent experience of four months of rehearsals, and seven nights of performing with a full cast, chorus and orchestra was just incredible. Girl Crazy opened in the spring of 1969, my graduation year, in the fabulous Students Union Building’s brand new theatre at the U of A. The people I met were nearly all drama students and their passion and attitudes were fabulous. I loved it, and upon graduation that following June, left my exploration of the stage behind for a career in business.

Forty five years later, I began to wonder whether or not I had what it took to successfully audition to join a 50+ person, high performance group of rock music singers in Calgary, called Revv52. It took a Christmas gift from my daughter, Jessica and her partner, Wayne, in December of 2014 to open a huge door for me to embark on what has truly become a ‘magic carpet ride’. Jessica and Wayne gave me a gift certificate for a two hour vocal assessment session with a very accomplished vocal coach in Calgary, Brian Farrell www.brianfarrell.ca That led to an exciting and anxiety filled three months of work leading up to Revv52 auditions at the end of August 2015. I cannot thank my wife, Stephanie, and my sister, Clair Paulson, enough for their unwavering encouragement. Amazingly, I was ultimately successful (after nervously attending two Revv52 rehearsals in early September to see how my voice blended and balanced…or not…with the rest of the group) and from that moment on, I entered a whole big huge beautiful new world of many dimensions of learning, music, performing and building incredible relationships with people I would never have otherwise met.

Since that audition in August of 2015 (and mandatory auditions each August since, to ‘get back in’), I have had the phenomenal pleasure and experience of performing on stage in four uniquely different concerts in 2016 and 2017, each of them with four performances. Performing all rock and pop music, with specially written arrangements for Revv52 (for four part harmony), and accompanied by our Revv52 five member rock band. www.revv52.com Check out YouTube too, for great performances by Revv52.

We also performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City in March of 2016, something that just wasn’t even remotely on my radar screen. That was a fabulous experience.

Then, another door opened and in front of me was the biggest opportunity I have ever had. Some background first: in the fall of 2016, I was fortunate to meet a fellow by the name of Dave Pierce www.davepiercemusic.com at Ron Mannix’ and Diane Deacon’s wedding in San Diego. When Dave discovered that I was a member of Revv52, he told me that he wanted Revv52 to perform as one of the acts in the world famous Calgary Stampede Evening Grandstand Show in July of 2017, as part of The Calgary Stampede’s big Canada 150 Birthday Celebrations. Turns out that Dave, a Grammy award winning producer for his work producing the Opening Ceremonies for Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics, was also the Producer of record for The Stampede Evening Grandstand Show too, a Las Vegas style multi-act outdoor variety extravaganza with audiences of up to 25,000 people each night for eleven nights!! Little did I know he was recruiting for acts for that 2017 Stampede Evening Show!

As a Calgary native, who had attended probably forty Calgary Stampedes in my life, to have the opportunity to perform on that big outdoor Grandstand Stage that I had watched as a spectator for years, and in my hometown, was beyond my imagination.

I introduced the opportunity to my fellow members of Revv52, the excitement built over the early part of 2017 as we met with Dave Pierce, his choreographers, stage managers and music directors and after 9 days of rehearsal in late June and early July, we opened on July 8th with Jann Arden, The Alberta Ballet, high wire acts, aerial specialists, Irish Dancers and many other artists. We performed Joni Mitchell’s award winning song, Both Sides Now with Treaty Seven dancers flanking us. Contrary to the experience of many vocalists performing in outdoor venues, who are usually required to pre-record their vocals and then sing un-amplified on stage with the sound system playing their recorded voices, Revv52 sang into live microphones each night simply because Dave Pierce and his crew were so impressed during rehearsal with the high quality of our voices.

And again, through the magic of music and the intensity of nine rehearsals and eleven evening shows, we established new relationships with many, many great people, both performing artists and back stage professionals. Nothing prepared any of us for the gut thrill of singing O Canada with all 380 artists stretched across that stage, performing the finale each night with a ground shaking display of fireworks all around us and 25,000 people standing in their seats singing their hearts out with us.

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Family Tradition

Histoire de: Ken W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

An Alberta fall on the prairies…blue skies, golden fields of grains in harvest and the sound of thousands and thousands of migratory birds making their way from warm summers in their Northwest Territories nesting grounds to warm winter climates in the southern United States and Mexico.

Also the season for the time honored family tradition of hunting migratory birds during the regulated Alberta Hunting season. Parents who were brought up as bird-game hunters by their parents, passing the exhilaration of spending time with their children outdoors, learning about wildlife, firearms safety and managing good relations with farmers and land owners whose grain crops were ‘shared’ with those many thousands of migratory birds.

In the late 1950’s, Fred C. Mannix , or FC as he was known, became a joint owner of a small and very well located lodge, known as Richdale Lodge, just east of Hanna, Alberta. The location was right in the middle of a centuries old migratory bird ‘flyway’, and was surrounded by countless sections of cultivated land bursting with crops of oats, wheat, barley, peas and canola. Canada geese, Ross’s geese and Snow geese along with many different breeds of ducks covered the fields during their morning and late afternoon feedings and provided challenging opportunities for FC, his friends and his family to set up decoys and try their luck at harvesting dinner!

FC often invited his brother’s in-law, R.A. Bob Kramer from Regina and E.D. Don Wilson from Calgary to join him at Richdale Lodge for a few days of comradery and hunting. As their families grew, FC and Don would bring their children, Fred P. Mannix, Ron Mannix and Ken and Paul and David and Mike Wilson to the Lodge, thus setting up what has become a tradition to this day: the Mannix and Wilson families gathering at Richdale Lodge in the fall for great laughs, food and hopefully goose dinner!!

One of these occasions was in October of 1987 when Bob Kramer turned 80 years old. FC invited his sons, and Don Wilson with his sons to come to Richdale Lodge for the celebration. There was an awful lot more story telling than hunting that weekend, and many, many laughs.

Since then, Fred P. Mannix and Paul Wilson have become owners of Richdale Lodge along with another long-time Calgary business man, W.G. Bill Turnbull and the tradition continues to this day. And the fall of 2017 was no exception with both Mannix’ and Wilson visits to Richdale Lodge in September and October.

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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First Time Chair

Histoire de: Courtney B - INLIV

2017 was an exciting year for me because I took on my first Chair position of the Annual Bladder Cancer Awareness Walk. I have been involved with the event since my diagnosis of Bladder Cancer back in 2014. My first year I was a participant and walked with my family and friends and raised money for Bladder Cancer Canada. The following 2 years I volunteered as part of the walk planning committee and found the work to be incredibly rewarding. Then after last year’s walk (2016) our Chair Val asked me if I would consider co-chairing with her as she is looking to take a less involved roll down the road. I was thrilled to have been asked and said I would be honored and excited to be more involved. Throughout 2017 Val and Alisha (another co-chair) and I worked to build our best event yet. We called ourselves the co-co-chairs. With Val’s leadership and guidance, and with Alisha and I bringing new ideas to the table we managed to put together an incredible event this year. Our participants took the time to let us know just how much they enjoyed this year’s walk.

As one of the least known cancers our mission is simple to create and spread awareness. Did you know that bladder cancer is the 5th most common type of cancer in Canada? This fact is a surprise to most people. It also has the highest recurrence rate of any cancer, which also makes it the most expensive to treat. The people who participate in our walk know this well enough as many of them are patients, survivors or family members of people who’ve been diagnosed. It is such a joy to see this wonderful group of people rally together to make a difference and show support for each other.

Our walk is a national event, which in 2017 occurred in over 20 cities across the country. 2018 is shaping up to be another great year, we are still working on locking in a date, but if your interested in participating, donating or volunteering please contact me!

Courtney B – INLIV

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Salamat, Canada!

Histoire de: Ochelle Sy B - Triovest

As 2017 ends, I finally have decided to complete my story, six months in the making. December is a month of giving and it’s just fitting that my story’s title would be “Salamat, Canada!”. Salamat is the Tagalog (Filipino) term for “Thank You”.

Thirty years ago, I was just a little girl living with my grandmother high up in the mountains. Lalab, the Gold Mountain. No electricity. No running water. No supermarket. My daily routine consisted of waking up at five in the morning, cooking breakfast over a fire, fetching a gallon of water at a spring, washing dirty clothes by hand, then bathing at the river, and manning the convenience store (more like a convenience hut). My grandmother would leave early to head to the tunnels to pick through the leftover debris from the miners. Hoping to find some small scraps of gold that we could sell. This endeavour would take her away from six in the morning until six in the evening. At times, when we didn’t have enough profit (from the convenience hut’s sale), our daily bread, literally, was a piece of bread that was cut in half to be shared between my grandma and I for breakfast and lunch.

From the Gold Mountain, we moved to a small town on top of a hill. I enjoyed my days climbing up the guava and mango trees. I would often wonder what was on the other side of the island. As the years passed by, I was given the opportunity to explore the other island (my first boat and escalator experience) and even to the big city, Manila (first plane, elevator and train experience). And if that’s not enough blessing, this girl was given the chance to see the other side of the world, Canada (the Great White North, first snow and subway experience).

Now this little girl has grown up, no longer using fire to cook (maybe for camping), turning on a tap for water, and having a machine to wash clothes instead of her poor little hands. Life is much more different now. Having a degree as a teacher when coming to Canada and not being able to use it was tough! I started from the ground up working retail, but I worked hard. I made it into management and worked harder. Now, to be finally where I am now in Triovest, doing what I am doing, working with a team that cares about more than just their inner circle. A team that reaches out to the community and has a heart and desire to make a difference is truly a blessing. Where and who I am now has enabled me to boldly and generously give back to not only this country and the community I live in but also to my native land, the Philippines! Salamat, Canada!

Ochelle Sy B – Triovest

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The Greying of Canada

Histoire de: Cheryl W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

This greying effect of Canada’s population is not anything new; but as Canada’s baby boomers age it is becoming more and more prevalent in our society today. For the first time since 1871, seniors make up the bigger share of our population. In 2016 children under age 14 made up 16.6% while seniors made up 16.9%. That’s 5.9 million seniors compared with 5.8 million children 14 and under. This is happening now because there are so many healthier aging baby boomers as well as longer life expectancies.

Because of this phenomenon, the portion of the working population, those between 15 and 64, declined to 66.5% from 68.5% over the last five years. This rapid pace of aging comes with profound implications however—everything from pension plans to health care, the labor market and social services. It affects future housing needs, public transportation needs and consumer trends, let alone a shrinking tax base for our governments to contend with. And these problems will only increase. Among these 2016 stats one in eight of those 65 and older, is aged 85 and older.

If statistics interest you, here’s even more interesting facts. The fastest growing population since the last consensus in 2011 is centenarians. There are now over 8,200, an increase of 41.6%. There are five women for every one man, a result of women having the longer life expectancy –83.6 for women compared to 79.4 for men. And by 2051, the number of centenarians could reach as high as 40,000; that’s five times higher than now. The first of the baby boomers born between 1946 and 1951 will be aged 100 and older by then.

If these statistics make you think how old Canada is, think again. Among the G7 countries Canada, along with the United States have the lowest share of seniors. Japan comes in as the oldest population with more than one quarter of its population being seniors.

There is a false stereotype now that those between 15 and 64 are smarter and more economically productive than our seniors. But me and many other seniors will tell you this is certainly not true. You don’t all of a sudden become less intelligent on your 65th birthday. There are so many more people staying in the labor force beyond 65. That’s a good thing because this generation shares their wisdom, act as role models and mentors, and foster family relationships across generations. More and more young people will find jobs working for older people.

As for me, yes, I am now one of those seniors. However I am not one of those staying in the work force. At least that is not my plan. But, I still have many years and many dreams left, with many different directions to discover, many undertakings to tackle. Who knows, I may even become one of Canada’s centenarians. I’ll be 100 in 2052. I live by the words of C.S Lewis “you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”.

Cheryl W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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My Remembrance Day Story

Histoire de: Ruth K - Triovest

The most memorable Remembrance Day to me happened when I was posted in Kandahar Afghanistan. I was waiting for the bus to come to take myself and some fellow co-workers to the airplane hangar for ceremonies. We were waiting outside the Canadian Tim Hortons and rows of British tanks rolled up. British soldiers were busy loading their automatic rifles that were mounted on the top of the tanks and they were preparing to leave the wire. They were going to what we call a FOB (a base off of our base) and they were stopping to pick up Tim Hortons before they left KAF (Kandahar Air Field, our base was called). Tim Hortons was closed for Remembrance Day ceremonies and they had to leave prior to it reopening. My friend Roxy and I stood there talking to them as they discussed their upset of it being closed but understood why. Our ride never showed up to pick us up, so we started to run to the hangar and the British soldiers, once finished loading their weapons left the base to what we hoped was a successful journey. We arrived at the airplane hangar and lined up. We wore on this day our beige dress pants and red golf shirts. This was our dress clothes for ramp ceremonies (when a soldier was sent home after dying in combat) and for medal ceremonies (when I was blessed to have received my medal for time served) and for special occasions such as Remembrance Day Ceremonies. I stood there, listening to the Bagpipes play (by a talented service man), listening to the service with pride and thinking this day will never be the same for me again, and it never has been. On this day we didn’t have a single rocket attack come into the base (this was likely the only day this didn’t happen my whole tour), and so this year on Remembrance Day I woke to a beautiful message from my parents. They thanked me for my service, how proud they are of me, how they cried for me that morning and that they were glad when I came home (although with some bad memory battle scars, I came home). Messages of thanks from my family and friends and I spent the day remembering friends lost, memories of my time there, good and bad and I thank God for keeping me safe while others weren’t so lucky. Remembrance Day for me means freedom and safety. My son has now decided to follow in my foot steps and is currently joined the Canadian Armed Forces. I spoke to him on Remembrance Day and he thought his first parade was awesome (he’s in basic training) and I look forward to watching him graduate in December. His journey will start where mine ended.

Ruth K – Triovest

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What Remembrance Day Means To Me

Histoire de: Christine F - INLIV

When I was a young girl growing up in Northern Manitoba Remembrance Day meant chilly morning services that I was encouraged to attend through school events and through the small tight knit community where I lived. Even though I was born into a long time military family (members serving at Vimy Ridge, WW2, Peace time, Bosnia, Korean and Afghanistan to list a few) I was just going through the motions.

As I was remembering those young and old who had served our country I was remembering strangers through pictures, stories and other people’s memories. I grew up listening to the stories of those who left home to serve their country so that we can live in peace. They were defending our Canadian ideals of freedom, democracy and equality for all citizens of this fragile planet.

They always came home. They went through hell. They seen their friends’ parish in front of them. They seen what oppression and hate could do to a country. They themselves felt at times that they would never see their loved ones again but they always came home. Some returned battered and bruised both physically and mentally, but they always came home.

In 2006 my cousin was deployed to Afghanistan for his first tour of duty. At 25 years of age he knew that his calling was to serve. Having witnessed the good that he was doing first hand only strengthened his passion for helping people. He wore his uniform with extreme pride. In 2008 he deployed for his 2nd tour with plans for a 3rd in 2009 already being planned. We would listen with such attention to ever news report about the fighting and soldiers that were losing their lives with great nervousness yet a slight naive notion that “It won’t happen to him”.

On July 18, 2008 I woke up to the news reports that the 88th Canadian Soldier to lose his life in Afghanistan was in fact my cousin, Corporal James Hayward Arnal. From that moment on our world would forever be changed. It brought a truth to Remembrance Day and every day since. It has created an emptiness in our hearts and has brought us all closer together no matter how near or far we may be. It has taken us from a distant feeling of remembrance of people in pictures and stories and has made it all too real and personal for us all. It has made my children painfully aware of the sacrifice made by so many throughout the years as it is often taken for granted. It has also taught us all that remembering is important and it is our duty as Canadians to keep the memories of all alive.

We will stand with strangers, friends, family and veterans on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. We will be scattered throughout this beautiful country. We will remember those who still serve our country as men and women in uniform and in harm’s way.

Christine F – INLIV

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Ontario Summer Vacations

Histoire de: Chris P - Loram Maintenance of Way

Although I’ve worked for Loram since 2010 at the main office in Hamel, Minnesota — Minnesota isn’t my home. I grew up in rural Western New York, just a stone’s throw from scenic Niagara Falls.

Besides visiting “the Falls” and other regional attractions, my early experience with Canada came from my family’s yearly summer fishing trips into the Province of Ontario beginning in the early 1970’s. Each summer we met many natives and vacationers – all were friendly and welcoming. I never got used to the colloquial ‘eh?’ that seemed to end nearly every sentence… “Beautiful sunrise this morning, eh?” Of course, there were other subtle differences, but that stood out as unique and something that no one from the States would ever say — in the two minutes it took to cross the Rainbow Bridge we had entered into an entirely different culture!

My father was an avid walleye fisherman or as I learned to call them ‘pickerel’. Before the days of electronic fish finders, he was content to sit for hours in a rented aluminum boat drifting with the wind and hoping to run into a school.

God, how I hated walleye fishing! Memory is a tricky thing, but the sensation felt like something that vacillated between impatiently waiting seeing how long it took to drown a night crawler and occasionally reeling in a fish that had about as much fight as a waterlogged stick.

Luckily, as I we got older, my father felt my older siblings and I should be able to go off on our own; after all, 6 people fishing off the side of a small boat was more than any of us could stand for too long. One afternoon I found myself in a borrowed canoe. It may not sound like much, but it changed how I felt about fishing. Paddling leisurely around some small islands, I was able to lob a Hula Popper into the shallows under some overhanging tree limbs. There was a pause, a huge swirl, and a hugely disappointing miss! On the next cast a few seconds later my first 5-lb large-mouth bass surged to the surface, shook his head and then dove for cover. It was a heck of a fight for 12 year old with a fiberglass rod and a Zebco 202 reel; it seemed to make time stand still. I landed that fish – but looking back, I think that single fish is what keeps me on the water today entering in local bass tournaments with my Loram fishing partner.

When my mind goes back to growing up, summer days, and family trips; I think Canada.

Chris P – Loram Maintenance of Way

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Une histoire de famille

Histoire de: George G - Triovest

Je suis un Canadien d’origine grecque natif de Montréal, ville où j’ai grandi et passé toute ma vie d’adulte.

Mon grand-oncle, qui habitait à Kranidi, dans la péninsule grecque du Péloponnèse, a émigré à Montréal dans les années 1880. À l’époque, Montréal comptait 150 000 habitants, dont un peu moins de 300 Grecs. Il a fondé le restaurant Geracimo en 1887. En 1906, son frère, mon grand-père paternel, est mort, laissant dans le deuil sa femme et huit jeunes enfants. Mon grand-oncle a alors décidé de faire venir ses quatre neveux à Montréal, en commençant par le plus vieux, puis ses nièces, l’aînée d’abord, et enfin sa belle-sœur, ma grand-mère. L’une de ses nièces est restée en Grèce avec son mari. Plus tard, les deux ont péri dans une épidémie, mais leurs enfants, un garçon et une fille, ont survécu. Mon grand père les a aussi accueillis à bras ouverts. Les neveux se sont mis à travailler dans le restaurant de mon grand-oncle et ont fait grandir l’entreprise. Les plus vieux occupaient les meilleurs emplois et servaient les clients, tandis que les plus jeunes s’affairaient en cuisine et dans l’arrière-boutique. C’était à mon père, le cadet, que revenaient les tâches les moins gratifiantes. Cela lui a toutefois permis de devenir un grand chef et il a ensuite transmis ses secrets culinaires à mes tantes et à ma mère. Les nièces n’avaient pas à travailler et les orphelins étaient assez jeunes pour fréquenter l’école.

Voici une publicité datant de 1928 faisant la promotion d’une pièce de théâtre. Dans le bas du feuillet, on peut lire une annonce pour le restaurant de mon père et de mon oncle : 35 cents pour un repas trois services!

Mon grand-père maternel a quitté l’île ionienne de Zante, en Grèce, pour s’établir en Amérique dans l’espoir de vivre une vie meilleure. Arrivé à Ellis Island, aux États-Unis, il a dû rebrousser chemin pour des raisons de santé et s’est ainsi retrouvé à Londres, où il a été hébergé par un proche pendant environ un an. Il a ensuite mis le cap sur Halifax, puis a poursuivi son chemin jusqu’à Montréal. Un an après son arrivée, il a fait venir sa femme et son jeune fils. Ils se sont établis dans l’arrondissement d’Hochelaga Maisonneuve, jadis un quartier ouvrier principalement habité par des immigrants européens, et quatre autres enfants sont venus agrandir la famille. Ma mère, sa fille aînée, a été forcée d’abandonner l’école à l’âge de 12 ans pour aider sa mère dans les tâches ménagères. Mes grands parents accueillaient constamment des invités dans leur maison, notamment des immigrants grecs de l’île de Zante ou d’îles avoisinantes à la recherche d’un port d’attache. Ils les aidaient à trouver du travail et à s’établir dans le pays.

Mon grand-père a travaillé comme épicier, mais cette carrière n’a pas été très fructueuse. C’est dans le cinéma, une industrie en pleine effervescence, qu’il a trouvé sa vocation dans les années 1920 : lui et trois compatriotes ont fondé la société United Amusement, à laquelle on doit la construction et la gestion de plusieurs salles de cinéma classiques, dont le Granada, un magnifique cinéma de style Art déco situé sur la rue Sainte-Catherine Est à Montréal, qu’on peut voir sur photo ci-dessous. L’édifice, construit à la fin des années 20, a depuis été restauré, rénové et rebaptisé Théâtre Denise-Pelletier.

La vie urbaine au Canada à la fin du XIXe siècle et au début du XXe siècle n’était pas facile. Sans ressource, sans éducation et sans connaissance pratique du français ou de l’anglais, subvenir à ses besoins était en soi un exploit. Ces deux familles ont non seulement surmonté de redoutables obstacles, mais elles ont également prospéré et réussi à aider leurs proches et leurs compatriotes se retrouvant dans une situation semblable. Pour elles, le Canada était la terre de tous les possibles. Ici, il était possible de vivre à l’abri des conflits armés et des occupations étrangères, des déplacements de population, des guerres civiles et de la pauvreté.

Les choses dont nous profitons aujourd’hui en tant que Canadiens ne devraient pas être tenues pour acquises. Nous sommes tous très chanceux de faire partie de ce beau pays et je suis convaincu que mes prédécesseurs seraient du même avis.

George G – Triovest

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Surviving a Canadian Childhood in the 70s

Histoire de: Kim R - Triovest

Surviving a Canadian (Newfoundland) childhood in the 70s

Growing up in the 70s could be described as neglectful by today’s parental standards. However, I survived with many bumps and bruises along the way but lots of fun memories.

My dad believed kids should be outside while the sun was shining and no such thing as watching television or playing video games.

Tobogganing down a steep curvy hill on a car “bonnet” not quite making the turn and ending up smacking into a large tree. I went home with a goose egg bump on the front of my forehead but no emergency room visit for me – just told to be more careful.

Growing up in St. Johns, Nfld. our winters were ones to remember. Waking up to snow drifts that buried our house would be scary but not for us, we found a way to have fun while digging ourselves out. Then we’d climb on the roof of the house and jump off into the beautiful deep snow wow! What a blast! Can you say snow day!

Growing up in Nfld. our dad would take us cod fishing down by the wharf. We were tiny little girls and I wanted to fish so bad so my dad gave me a fishing rod. I was so excited I put the hook in the water and within seconds I caught a 40lb. cod – I was maybe 50 lbs myself and if my dad wasn’t quick on his feet that cod would have hooked me right into the ocean but in the end, I caught the biggest fish that day. My siblings were so jealous.

We were always playing board games. One day I was playing Mastermind with my sister and dad kicked us out of the kitchen to play in another room well I was so afraid of my sister cheating I backed up away from the table holding the game and hiding my moves so my sister couldn’t see. As I was backing up I didn’t see that my dad had the basement hatch door open and my sister was trying to tell me to stop. I thought “oh no you’re not seeing my moves”. Well I should have stopped – she looked on in horror as I fell down the hatch still holding the game with all the pieces flying in the air. I swear my back still hurts to this very day.

We really didn’t know the dangers of hitchhiking back in the 70s. I was in kindergarten and decided I didn’t want to walk home so I put my thumb out and lucky me this friendly person picked me up – wow the thumb works just like how my older brothers showed me. This friendly lady drove me right to my front door and proudly told my dad how I managed the ride home. I couldn’t sit for a week – I never stuck my thumb out ever again!

Kim R – Triovest

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Our People. Our Company. Our Country

Histoire de: Alan M - Triovest

As I have had the pleasure of traveling across Canada on her 150th birthday, the values that hold our country together have become increasingly self-evident. They are, in fact, the very same values that built our company, Triovest. These values have been established through the most adverse conditions, whether it was the earliest arrival of settlers from France and the British Isles in the 16th century, or the bloodshed in Europe over two world wars.

I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity I have had over the last six months, to meet hundreds of people from across our country at 17 separate town halls. This experience has given me a more extensive understanding of our common ground as a company, and as nation. Our common ground is built on values, values which transcend all our most striking differences, such as race, religion, and individual background.

The most common value we share is hard work. Forged through early mornings working the fields, all-nighters at the office, and digging trenches in France. It is impossible to have any complacency when imminent death seeks you out, which was the case for so much of our history. As a result, hard work never goes out of style. As a company we have not only survived, but thrived, because of our ability to out-work our opponents.

There is a definable sense of earnestness in both our country and our company. This is evident everywhere from Victoria, to Montreal. We are honest people, sincere people, with a common goal of success and well-being. Triovest has offered thousands of people from all walks-of-life the opportunity to pursue these goals and thrive in a competitive business environment. Canada has done the exact same on a national scale for millions of people.

For centuries, our values have created prosperity and well-being for people from all over the world. So long as we keep to our values, our company and our country will continue to flourish.

Alan M – Triovest

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Great Music Lives Here

Histoire de: Joshua F – Loram Maintenance of Way

I simply wanted to check-in with our neighbors from the North and thank you for your contribution to music history, plus my own personal music history. In my youth, I would spend endless hours listening to music and dissecting every song and note of my recent discoveries. Music and Canadian music was influential in my youth and still provides me with hours of entertainment and joy today.

Unknown to me, many of those albums I would engulf myself into were Canadian artists! I would bet 9 out of 10 Americans would know Neil Young, but would the same number know that he was Canadian? The likely ratio; 1 in 10 might know his origin. Not to overstate it, but Neil Young was Canada’s greatest export, ever; thank you for that gift. Many other musical greats were exported in those earlier years of Rock’n’Roll such as, The Band, Rush, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, and The Guess Who. How can you not watch the Last Waltz with the Band from beginning to end without stopping? I would say it’s nearly impossible.

The 90’s drew another round of great musical exports during an angst renaissance of music in North America which provided the grunge and alternative eras of music. Bands such as Sloan, Cowboy Junkies, Our Lady Peace, and Rufus Wainwright were hitting college radio stations in America. Angst was the term of that decade and Alanis Morissette and the Tragically Hip sure had that edge! Why was Alanis so angry? Gord Downie was an ironman of music (rest in peace, Gord; he passed this last October); apparently Canadians love to brag that 9 of 10 homes own a Tragically Hip album.

Not all Canadian music flew under the radar here in America, most notably were those examined above, but there were many nondescript bands that I was privy to grow to love. Let’s start with Arcade Fire; a band I’ve seen live more times than I can remember, but most importantly seeing them live at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis in a space that held about 100 people was my absolute favorite experience. I have several all-time favorite bands that I’m sure to find time to see live and buy their new music as released; these are too many to list, but I’ll try: The New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, Neko Case, Tegan and Sara, Feist, Metric, Tokyo Police Club, Hot Hot Heat, Handsome Furs, Stars, Sunset Rubdown, Great Lake Swimmers, Sam Roberts, Islands, Death from Above 1979, the Weakerthans, Spencer Krug, and the Constantines, to name a few.

It seems that the explosion of file sharing ultimately led to a mass availability of music here in America that allowed for the discovery of great Canadian music. This dismantling of corporate radio has brought America an explosion of amazing music. However, you can still find your corporate gold records by turning on your favorite Top 40 radio station and listen to the likes of; Nelly Furtado, Avril Lavigne, Michael Buble, Drake, the Weeknd, and Justin Bieber. This American would prefer to stick to finding the aforementioned diamonds in the rough that Canada continues to humbly export.

Joshua F – Loram Maintenance of Way

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On My Watch

Histoire de: Sathia D - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Dear SD-2067,

According to my watch, which by the way has evolved to a pocket-sized communication device called a smartphone, it is November 1, 2017. And the reason you are, perhaps, reading this note rather than holographically interacting with my commentary, is because the notion of AI-enabled entities (artificial intelligent “avatar”) are not yet ubiquitous nor a consumer product. I imagine that these notions of technology are a bigger part of your present day world with far more exciting advancements in the horizons impacting work, family, and personal experiences. Nevertheless, I humbly submit it as simple perspective of our present day (your past) looks like.

Although I am from the baby-boom generation with over 30 yrs. working with digital technology, I am not a digital native. That honor goes to my dear colleagues of the millennial generation who, in 2017, are early in their careers and continue to inspire me and build the foundations of a digital era; technologies and platforms that you will take for granted and accept as “it’s always been that way”. To be clear, if ever on reflection you are wondering why your immediate predecessors appear “set in their ways”, or “old-fashioned”, remember to search Google… ah, sorry, ask your personal avatar, about millennials.

It has and continues to be an honor and privilege for me to be working, over 20+ years now, for an outfit that transcends generations. The opportunities and challenges that we, the Coril Group, faced may be different from yours, yet I believe the values that this organization holds high will be a common thread. Most importantly, collectively, we strive to create our future, honor our roots, and manage our present, each day. Be well.

Sathia Durai

Sathia D – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Coril Holdings Long Service Awards – Barb Gogol 10 year award

Histoire de: Barb G - Inliv

My story is surrounding the long service awards held at the Coril Holdings office on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.

I received my 10 year award on that day and was thrilled. Really, really, thrilled! Everyone including my family, friends, dog, hairdresser and masseus knew about it.

I have worked at INLIV for 10 years and looked forward to this day for quite some time. It is hard to believe that 10 years have gone by. I started to work part time at Foothills Health Consultants in which I worked in a large closet shared with the lab tech Agnes (and her specimens) and the controller Jennefer, downtown, then had a short stint in the basement at Sante Spa in Mission, then back downtown and finally over to our beautiful space at the Arriva tower which I was ecstatic to move into. Payables can be done anywhere!

There are so many fabulous colleagues I work beside and have had the pleasure of knowing many of them for my entire 10 years at INLIV. They will always have an important place in my heart as they are my work family.

INLIV has been a very important part of my day to day life and I appreciate the time I am having at INLIV. There have been so many things happen in 10 years that I can’t possibly go over and there are many outstanding events and get togethers hosted by INLIV and Coril Holdings that I will never forget and this day is for sure one of them. Thank you!

Standing on the stage with my coworker Juliet and Mr. Ron Mannix and Dr. Wendy Smeltzer talking about my job and the small things I do, one which is bringing in timbits on Friday, which I love, brought me great joy. Then photos and hugs with Juliet and Mr. Mannix and Mr. Vince Danielsen.

As we were having a cocktail Mr. Mannix joined a small group of us from INLIV, Sandra, Trish, Juliet and myself that were mingling around for a little discussion about all sorts of things going on in the world and INLIV. It was so awesome!

I can’t thank INLIV and Coril Holdings enough for having the awards and recognizing the value of everyone of us that were there.

I usually am fairly reserved with my comments but a big hip hip hooray on this one.

Thank you to everyone! So much appreciated!

I love the gift I chose as well, bracelet and earrings!

Barb G – INLIV

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A Family History

Histoire de: George G - Triovest

I am a Greek Canadian who was born, raised and has spent his entire adult life in Montreal.

My great uncle emigrated to Montreal in the 1880’s from the town of Kranidi in the Peleponese, Greece. At that time, the population of Montreal was 150,000 and the Greeks living in Montreal were fewer than 300. He founded the Geracimo Restaurant in 1887. In 1906, his brother, my paternal grandfather, died leaving my grandmother to raise 8 young children. My great uncle gradually brought his 4 nephews to Montreal starting with the eldest. Once all the nephews arrived he sent for his nieces starting with the eldest and, last but not least, his sister-in-law, my grandmother. There was a married niece and her husband who stayed in Greece. She and her husband died in an epidemic leaving two orphans. My great uncle brought his orphaned grandnephew and grandniece to Montreal as well. The nephews were put to work and expanded the family business. The eldest nephews had the best jobs and worked in the “front of the store” while the younger ones worked in the kitchen and the “back of the store”. My father being the youngest got to do the least appealing tasks. On the bright side, he became a great chef and taught all my aunts and my mom how to cook like him. The nieces didn’t have to work and the orphans were young enough to go to school.

Here’s a flyer for a theatrical production dating back to 1928. Scrolling down, there’s an ad for my father’s and uncles’ restaurant indicating 35 cents for 3 course meal!

My maternal grandfather left the Ionian island of Zante, Greece for a better life in America. He was turned back from Ellis Island for health reasons and ended up in London where he stayed with a relative for about one year. He then sailed to Halifax and made his way to Montreal. A year after he arrived, he sent for his wife and young son. They settled in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area of Montreal which was a then a working class melting pot of immigrants of mostly European origin. His young family grew to 5 kids. My mother, being the eldest daughter, had to give up school at the age of 12 to help her mother with the family chores. In the meantime, there was a revolving door of guests that would come and go from my grandparents’ home: fellow Greek immigrants from Zante or neighboring islands would be put up until they could find work and get their feet on the ground.

My grandfather became as a grocer but that didn’t work out too well. He ended up in the 1920’s in the emerging cinema business. Along with three other Greek immigrants, United Amusement was formed. This company built, owned and operated a number of classic-era movie houses including the 1,600-seat Granada Theatre located on Saint Catherine Street east and is pictured below. The good news is that this beautiful late 1920’s art deco cinema was restored and renovated and is now known as the Théâtre Denise Pelletier.

Life in Canadian cities at the end of the 19th century and during the early 20th century was no joy ride. With no resources, no education and with no working knowledge of either French or English, meeting one’s basic needs was in itself a major accomplishment. These two families not only survived against daunting odds but prospered and were able to help their own and strangers from their homeland who faced similar challenges. Canada to them was a land of opportunity. An opportunity to escape from seemingly endless cycles of war, occupation, displacement, civil war and poverty.

What we enjoy today as Canadians should not be taken for granted. We are all lucky to be part of this great country. I’m sure my predecessors would agree.

George G – Triovest

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Letter To My Future Self

Histoire de: Pam W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Dear Pam of 2067,

At the time of writing this letter, I have just celebrated my 26th year of working with the Coril Group of Companies and its 119th year in business. Much has changed during this time, I have witnessed major technology advancements, participated in several acquisitions, and, the evolution of the Group in general. This fast pace of change has offered me numerous experiences in various roles, as well as the opportunity to work with many exceptionally talented individuals who have taught me so much along the way.

We all make career plans, set goals and dreams, however, life doesn’t always go as planned, and sometimes, that’s a good thing. There have been many instances during my tenure where I was perhaps not the best suited individual to take on a certain task or project, but with determination, good intentions and a large cheering squad, I was presented an opportunity to try something different. These experiences were not provided to set me up for failure, but rather to help me grow and uncover new talents I might not have otherwise discovered.

The Coril Group culture is unique, not only because it is a family company, but because it truly lives by its core values of Trust, Integrity and Accountability. Through prudent management, leadership development and the ongoing pursuit of “Perpetuating the Businesses” for future generations, the Group is sure to exceed another 119 years!!

My advice to you is… embrace every opportunity with conviction and determination; never limit yourself or lower your expectations of what you aspire to accomplish; learn from your failures as they don’t define you, they only help build character; and always give someone a second chance. But most importantly, I hope you find joy in the simple things, know that the material aspects of life are not what matter, and treasure all of your past experiences as they were the building blocks of who you are today.

Life is about change, learning and growing as you go, so remember… life will always throw you curve balls, and that’s okay!

Sincerely,

Pam of 2017

Pam W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Summer of Fun

Histoire de: Fernando L - Triovest

Every summer, I volunteer at my son’s baseball association. Last summer I was his head coach and this past summer I was an assistant coach for his team (Mosquito 10-11 years old). I was also asked to be the association’s Marketing Coordinator and asked to come up with a rebranding of the association (new logo, new uniform and new website) as well as the Mosquito Tournament Coordinator (10-11 year olds) which my son played in.

As assistant coach, I played a role and developing kids in their skills and trying to bring them together to work as a team. In regards to my son, he did so well that he ended up playing 48 games over the summer instead of 28. He improved to a higher level than the PeeWee teams (12-13 years old) and the Bantam team (14-15 years old) used him as a call-up on a regular basis during the summer.

As a team, we played in 3 tournaments, but the first tournament, held at the beginning of the year, was a magical run where we saw the kids and the families come together and become a large family where everyone supported each other. The team persevered through difficult competition to reach the finals and came up short against a team that had a roster made up of second year players and AA players. Our team was made up of mostly first-year players who had to pitch for the first time ever.

Since I had such a great time with the kids, I decided to make baseball cards for each of them, and they ended up loving them since it ended up being their first ever baseball card.

As Marketing Coordinator, the rebranding of the association will be presented in December and voted upon whether we go through with the change or not.

As Tournament Coordinator, I had to organize two 8-team tournaments, to be played over 5 days in July (Wed. July 5 to Sun. July 9). I needed to figure out a schedule, order medals, gifts, banners, pretty much everything. Then the Saturday, July 8th happened where we were to play the 4 quarter-final games and semi-finals for both tournaments that same day over 4 fields. A big rain storm happened and I needed to postpone the semi-finals to the night time and move all of the quarter-final games to the main field. There was a lot of phone calls and negotiating with the city to try and get the games. In the end, the semi-finals and finals were played on Sunday, and all of the teams and parents who came from all over Quebec thanked me for the great organization of the tournament. Everyone was impressed that I was easily reached to answer questions and handle concerns.

In the end, the hard work was rewarded where, parents and players from all levels in the association voted me as Volunteer of the Year, which confirmed me coming back to see if I can do better than last year.

Fernando L – Triovest

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So Many Reasons to be Thankful

Histoire de: Tasha C - Gemini Corporation

During a walk through our treed property yesterday, October 7th I was suddenly stricken by the gratitude that IS living in Canada. It feels sometimes that with each passing week the world out there gets a little more off center, and is just plum crazy at times….and that’s only from the tragedy we hear about. I have the amazing opportunity to live in the countryside; where the birds sing, the coyotes howl and wildlife is the scariest thing outside my door. My 3 kids and I were on a nature adventure as we like to call them (a walk in the woods) and I suddenly reflected on the sadness around the world. It could have been the beauty of the fall through all the trees, or it could have been the Large Bull Moose encounter that startled me and my kids.

But WHAT an encounter?!?! How many other people get so see a creature like that so close up (even though I was shaking in my boots).

Thanksgiving 2018 will be like no other to so many others; and while nothing in particular has significantly changed in my life….I am taking EXTRA care to be Thankful this year.

I am Thankful live in a country that allows me the peace to not wake to war everyday. I am Thankful for a healthy family and 3 beautiful children. I am Thankful for friends and family, for gatherings, laughs and being able to relax and enjoy food, drink and stories. I am Thankful that my husband and I found the amazing property we call home (Moose, Skunk, Porcupine and Garter Snake encounters included), and look forward to it providing a life long place of adventures for us and for the family as it grows in the future.

We sometimes joke about our first world problems; but this Thanksgiving I am giving them a voice and realizing that it is no joke. We have a blessed life, living in an amazing country. We work hard, we play, and sometimes we forget to stop and realize just how sheltered we can feel sometimes. So although I never planned to have that moment yesterday, and although it’s not like me to share in this manner – this year, this Thanksgiving something is telling me its just right to stop and say THANK-YOU to the universe.

Tasha C – Gemini Corporation

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Pride in Heritage, Vocation and Country

Histoire de: Kevin B - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Like his namesake father before him, my grandfather, Francis (Frank) Xavier Beingessner Jr., born in 1886, was proudly Canadian, and was doubly proud to also be known as a farmer. In 1906, he and four brothers left the struggling family farm in Ontario, to join their father who had earlier travelled alone to Alberta to locate alternative potential homesteads that would allow for a fresh start for the entire family. Together they, both literally and figuratively, established new roots on multiple sections of raw land near Champion, Alberta. Shortly thereafter, my grandfather’s mother, Mary, and his sisters would travel west to be reunited as a family.

My grandfather wore his German heritage with great pride. He greatly respected and admired the sacrifices of his own grandfather Joseph, who, in 1848, reluctantly relinquished his own farmland near Strasbourg, in Alsace-Lorraine, Germany. Like many others, he did so in search of a better life for his family. He would ultimately settle and homestead in Formosa, Ontario, about 60 miles northwest of Waterloo. Some years later, in 1867, he and his wife Maria would celebrate, with their eleven children, the Confederation of Canada.

Through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, my grandfather, along with his father and brothers would – despite sometimes unforgiving droughts and locust infestations – work the land with dignity, and always without complaint. In the midst of that same period, my grandfather would wed my American-born grandmother, Mary, and they would raise their six children, including my own father, Harold. Unfortunately, by the early 1950s, with more bills to pay than meagre farm income would allow, my grandfather, like many others in his community, had no choice but to surrender his land to the bank that held his by-then-defaulted mortgage. A profound loss such as this could easily have produced a bitterness in a lesser man. Yet my grandfather, well-grounded in his own humility, his integrity, and his Catholic faith, bore no ill will. Instead, with his head held high, he, like his father and grandfather before him, simply moved on to the next chapter of his life. Fittingly, he did so with an unwavering passion for his family, for his proud German heritage, for his adopted province, and, above all, for his beloved Canada.

Kevin B – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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2017: A Year for Celebrations

Histoire de: Jocelyne L - Triovest

The summer of 2017 marked Canada’s 150th birthday, an event worthy of celebration to be sure. For my family, 2017 also marked the 60th anniversary of my parents’ nuptials: 60 years, 6 children, 19 grandchildren, 5 step-grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 1 step-great-grandchild – now THAT’s something to celebrate!

My family couldn’t be more Canadian if we tried. My parents were both born in rural Manitoba, dad (Michel Legal) in the miniscule town of Ste. Genevieve in 1936 and mom (Angele Jolicoeur) in Labroquerie, an equally small town not far away, in 1940. Both French Canadian and from large farming families (15 kids in the Legal family and 8 in the Jolicoeur tribe), they were raised on love and all that hard work could provide.

I’m not clear on the details of how they met – suffice to say they knew all the same people and although families were large, social circles were small. At a young age, Dad and a few fellows from their social circle moved out West and found themselves work. It wasn’t long before mom and some her friends followed suit. On the 8th of September in 1956, dad proposed and mom accepted and they married on June 15, 1957 (yes, you did the math right – mom was just 17), back in Manitoba where they stayed for the next 10 years. Ten years and five kids later, they packed up and headed West again, settling in B.C. for the ensuing 10 years – lucky for me, as I’m the 6th and last child who had the great fortune of being born in this beautiful Province.

Just before I turned 10, we moved back to Manitoba, this time to a small French town located about 100 kms southwest of Winnipeg. It was an incredible opportunity for me to be able to experience life on the Prairies. Long summer days and endless blue skies, thunderstorms and tornadoes, and in the winter I experienced that infamous 40 below zero weather and the spectacular auorora borealis. I confess I was disappointed to find that I did not have to walk uphill both ways to school as my father had to do in his youth, but in every other respect I thoroughly enjoyed being a Prairie kid. I spent 5 years there, but once my older siblings had left home and it was just me and my parents, we moved back to BC where we’ve been ever since. My two brothers have since moved to BC, and so today 3 siblings live in Metro Vancouver, 2 live in Winnipeg and 1 lives in Montreal.

Notwithstanding their lack of a formal education (they went to school until they knew everything the teacher knew, according to my dad), my parents are two of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known. There’s not a problem in the world they can’t figure out how to solve with determination, patience, respect, and good old elbow grease. Anyone who knows them will tell you this is true. And anyone who ever needed a meal, a bed, a dollar, or even a stern talking-to, will tell you Mike and Angie are the best there is.

My Canadian family grew up in a house filled with music, love, laughter, home-made bread and plenty of strays (dogs, cats, even a horse – but mostly stray people). We spoke both official languages (often at the same time) and switched between the two depending on who the houseguests were and what language they were most comfortable with. We never apologized for going to church every Sunday and we respected those who went to different churches or belonged to no church at all. Respect of self and respect of others was something my parents lived and something we kids never had to be told to do.

Their 60 years together has involved a lot of feeding the hungry (I always say my mom taught Jesus that trick with the fishes and the loaves), counselling the lost, caring for the sick and the lonely be they neighbours or strangers, and working tirelessly at home and in their jobs.

When you ask yourself “What makes Canada so great?”, think of my parents and the millions of other Canadian families who are cut from the same Canadian cloth. We are a nation made up of determined, respectful, intelligent, caring, hard-working people, and we are proud to live in one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Happy 60th Mom and Dad, and Happy 150th Canada!

Jocelyne L – Triovest

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Navigating the World by Landmarks

Histoire de: Pam W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

After 17 years, my husband and I decided that our family of four had outgrew our tiny bungalow, so while checking out new neighborhoods one day we found the perfect place about 12 kilometers south of our current home. This unfortunately meant that our youngest daughter, 12 years old at the time, would have to enroll in a new school. To add to her dismay, we didn’t take possession of our new home until the second week of September, which also meant that she would have to take two busses and a train for the first week until we moved.

So, the week prior to the first day of school she and I navigated the trip, first on one bus, then the train, then the second bus, followed by about a 15 minute walk. It seemed pretty straight forward, and she was happy and confident she could make the journey on her own.

The first day of class arrived and … I picked up my phone to a distraught young lady saying “I’m lost mommy”. We had carefully plotted her journey the week prior so I was surprised to hear her crying on the other end of the phone. In an effort to ease her worries and because I navigate the world by landmarks, I said “just walk back to our new house and then turn left and keep walking until you see your new school”. However, I didn’t consider that the way a person interprets “turn left” depends on which way they are facing. Long story short, she walked for more than 30 minutes in the wrong direction before a policeman stopped to ask her if she was alright and then kindly took her to school. I am guessing that arriving in a squad car one hour late was not her idea of a great start in a new school.

Needless to say, my friends and family know better than to consult me when they require directions, however, using landmarks to navigate the world helps you appreciate your surroundings perhaps just a little bit more than others do.

Pam W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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A Proposal in Bruges

Histoire de: Courtney B - INLIV

This summer was one to remember. My cousin was getting married to the girl of his dreams, a lovely Dutch girl whom he met while travelling in Cambodia. After a year of travelling followed by a horrible year of medical troubles (from which he is now recovered) he finally proposed. They announced that the wedding would take place in her home town of Amsterdam in July 2017. Being so close to my cousins there was no way I was going to miss out on this occasion, so Jon and I crunched some numbers and, on short notice, managed to secure flights to Amsterdam. We also managed to book our stay on a Canal boat which turned out to be my second favorite part of our trip. On the second day of our trip the family took a day trip out to Bruges, Belgium. We were all so excited as not one of us had ever been there before. As the day went on Jon started acting quite odd and I could not understand why (I get it now). Not knowing what he had planned I began to nag him for acting so strangely on a family trip and we squabbled most of the morning. At lunch we all sat down at a café on the main market square, right next to the big bell tower and enjoyed a fun meal together. Jon then asked me to come check out the square and bell tower with him while everyone else finished eating. As we were walking through the square he stopped and pulled out a little box and my eyes went wide. He opened it and there was a beautiful ring twinkling back at me and he said those four words ‘Will you marry me?’ Of course I said yes and was so excited to have been proposed to in such a wonderful setting! As the family finished up and walked towards us I could tell that my Mum already knew and the look on her face was priceless. It was definitely a great way to start our trip! And we ended it on another high, when my cousin’s wedding went off without a hitch as well. Definitely a summer we will never forget. We don’t have a date yet but it will be sometime in 2018 here in our home country, under the big Canadian skies!

Courtney B – INLIV

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Cross Canada Road Trip

Histoire de: Craig S - INLIV

It was the summer of 1999 and the Sandaus decided to take a road trip vacation across this great country of ours. We started in Calgary and meandered our way to Hull, Quebec to visit relatives. The participants were mom and dad and two daughters aged four and two. We had a large laminated road map with us to help the girls understand the huge undertaking we were about to embark on. Several gruelling days of driving across the country via the Trans-Canada Highway. The first stop was Regina to visit with family and see a Roughrider game. The travel day included stops at various playgrounds along the way to keep the young passengers happy and to help them expend a little energy throughout the day. Medicine Hat and Swift Current should be commended for their great parks. The last park we visited had the world’s largest moose statue in Moose Jaw.

Day 2 of travel started early and was uneventful, flat, and straight driving to Winnipeg. A quick lunch and back on the road with a quick stop in Ste Anne’s for another swing ride for the ladies. We arrived in Kenora at dinner time and decided to eat at an interesting local eatery. Low and behold it was being operated by an owner of a Calgary restaurant we frequented. Food, drinks, and laughter a plenty and we did not make our final destination of the day and decided to spend the night in Kenora with our newest best friends.

The third day was dissimilar to the last as the Canadian Shield landscape dominated the scenery outside of the minivan windows. The road turned from straight to hilly and full of cornering adventures. Lake Superior was seen off and on throughout the day. A few stops throughout the day for pictures to capture the beautiful vista views of the Great Lake.

Day 4 was the continuation of our travels around Lake Superior. Now we have a firsthand reference why they are called Great Lakes. Two travel days to travel around one lake. On the way home we have already decided to catch a ferry to try and cut the travel time on our homeward march. We end our day in Strurgeon Falls to visit my wife’s family. Reacquainting and initial introductions to this Ontario family were engaging. Historical family stories were shared. The vegetable gardens that can be grown in Southern Ontario make a prairie boy jealous. The variety of items that are planted in my home garden pale in comparison to the variety in Southern Ontario. Ripe tomatoes in July, peppers, and full grown sunflowers were some of the items that were ready to eat and savour in the middle of the growing season.

Day 5 of travel has us passing through Toronto and taking a small side trip to Niagara Falls. This side trip did not disappoint. A ride on the Maid of the Mist along with standing at the foot of the falls puts this wonder of the world in perspective.

Last day of travel and we arrive in Hull. Five days of travel, 3 provinces, and 3500 kilometers later friendly faces greet us and ask if we would embark on this journey again. Of course our answer is YES.

Craig S – INLIV

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On the Eve of a Sesquicentennial

Histoire de: Mike M - Triovest

Does anyone else have trouble saying Sesquicentennial? Even when I sound it out like a 5 year old I have trouble…

Writing on this eve of a centennial I half find myself thinking not about the last 150 but the next stretch of the same. It makes me think of my kids and their kids. In short, how lucky they are!

Sure, Canada is a cultural mosaic, secure, beautiful and a land of opportunity but to me I see it as a healthy debate. Arbitrary? Sure, but that’s what it is; and that’s fantastic!

Canada’s a place where no matter who or what you are, you can be heard and disagreed with in a respectful way. You can be what you want to be. You can think and say what you feel necessary without fear of repercussion (within reason, of course, which is also up for debate…).

To me, this puts Canada at the top of the list of countries that will drive the world into the future. Why? Because debate is fundamentally required to put the best ideas of a collection of thinkers and doers to work. Thoughts that aren’t respectfully heard and challenged tend not to produce the best ideas. The best ideas are what innovate. This doesn’t just apply to industry either. It matters for health. It matters for education. It matters for social innovation too.

Because of what Canada is, I’m betting it’s going to be a leader in creating the tools, tech and thinkers that drive humanity’s advance. It will continue to attract those who are looking for the best place to live, which will continue to drive us as a country. That’s why our kids are so lucky. Like us, they will get to participate daily in the great Canadian debate; and reap the benefits at the same time.

Happy Canada Day!

Mike M – Triovest

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Poole – It’s a beautiful place…but Canada is home

Histoire de: Zoe S - INLIV

When I was little I had no idea how lucky I was to have been born where I was. I was born in a small town in the south coast of England called Poole where I was walking distance from a beach with golden sands, a short hike to castle ruins and only a twenty minute drive away from the Jurassic coast, an impressive stretch of coast line which boasts some fascinating history, breathtaking cliffs and ocean views. One of the most relevant claims to fame my hometown has is that it was the birth place of Lush Cosmetic (which explains why, for those of you lucky enough to work with me, there is always a faint scent of Jasmine by my desk!)

The first I really knew of Canada as a place was when I was 9, my family and I went on a two week RV adventure vacation around parts of North America. It was my first time in Toronto and Niagara falls and I was in love! The people, the places and everything about this country made me feel right at home. Thankfully my parents had felt the same and after much debate and house hunting, we set about planning the move from England to Canada.

Our move wasn’t like most other families as we decided, for the sake of my schooling, we would move out in stages. My father in 2008, my brother in 2009 and myself and my mother in 2011. At the time we were living in Prince Edward Island and, despite the amazing landscape of the Island, I was homesick.

I moved back to England in 2012 and began a career back home. I visited my parents, now living in Calgary, once a year and it was finally in 2015 when I decided to give Canada another try…and thank goodness I did! I’m almost at my two year Canniversary and I’ve well and truly fallen back in love with the country that caught my attention all those years ago on that family vacation. Of course some days I miss the beach but thankfully the mountains have a real way of balancing that out.

I’m excited to apply for my citizenship in the next year or so and finally make that promise to somewhere that really and truly is my home!

Zoe S – INLIV

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250 Million Year Old Rock From Northern Africa

Histoire de: Charlene F - Gemini

Growing up in small town Newfoundland felt a lot like we were decades behind the rest of the world. I can say this from experience in that I was actually born in Toronto, Ontario. In the first 10 years of my life, we traveled to and from Newfoundland almost every year it seemed to follow the seasonal work and fulfill the need to be “back home” as much as possible. The big city of Toronto had its lure of prosperity and success, but the yearning to return home for my parents was constant. As a child going back and forth, I truly felt we would go back in time… Many homes without running water, toilets, telephones or TV’s. Most people living off the water and land, from dawn until long after dusk. As a child I thought it was heaven – the air was so clean, the ocean went to the end of the earth, the freedom to run around in fields with sheep, goats and even a herd of wild horses. It was a natural apparatus playground everywhere you looked.

The 250 million year old rock that was originally part of Northern Africa was the last province to join Canada in 1949. The vote at the time was split 51%-49% in favor of confederation. Because of that vote, we were able to travel freely back and forth in my early years, and I was able to move out west to Alberta in my adult years where I am currently raising my family. As history repeats itself, I am now bringing my teenage children back and forth to Newfoundland annually. The yearning to the rock in the middle of the North Atlantic draws you in and your heart never really leaves. To this day, my favorite place to find peace is sitting on the 250 million year old slate and gazing across the pond to what lays beyond.

Charlene F – Gemini

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Building Communities Through Public Service

Histoire de: Kevin B - Coril Holdings Ltd.

The Coril Group and its predecessor companies have a long and storied history of contributing to the development and on-going vibrancy of the communities associated with their various offices and operations. Over the years, those contributions have taken many forms, ranging from both direct and in-kind donations to those same communities, to sponsorships of local institutions, or even to volunteer support for local kids sports teams. There is, however, at least one type of indirect contribution made by people associated with our Group to society, generally, that has arguably gone largely unnoticed. Those contributions take the form of former employees of our Group who have elected to leave our Group, either permanently or temporarily, to pursue public service. Most significantly, this would include employees who chose to bravely and unselfishly serve our great country through military service. It would also include, however, those who chose to leave our Group to pursue elected office or senior positions in government.

One among the many who, consciously or unconsciously, used his time with our Group as a stepping stone to public service was The Honourable E. Peter Lougheed, who served in our Group in a legal capacity from 1956 – 1961. He would later recall to others that his training in that role ultimately proved invaluable to his service as Alberta’s 10th Premier from 1971 to 1985.

In a similar vein was the service within our Group of Lieutenant General, The Honourable Stan Waters, who served in senior leadership roles in the Group from 1975 to 1989. Shortly after retiring from the Group, he became, in 1990, Canada’s first elected official to be appointed as a Senator (representing Alberta) in Canada’s parliament.

It is also worth noting that the transfer of skills acquired within our Group to public office was not just a one-way exchange. As evidence, one need look no further than the appointment of The Honorable Mr. Jim Prentice to the Board of Coril Holdings Ltd., first in 2012 and again in 2016. Those appointments followed, respectively, the completion of more than six years (2004 – 2010) of distinguished service as a Federal Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, and his subsequent service as Alberta’s 16th Premier.

These remarkable individuals represent just three of many accomplished Canadian public servants who attributed at least some of their personal and professional development to their service in our Group of Companies. No less important, although perhaps lower profile, are the countless other talented men and women of our Group who ultimately went on to serve in elected office at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal levels of Government across the great, and proudly democratic, nation we are all blessed to call home.

Kevin B – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Let It Snow

Histoire de: Michael B - Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

As the Superintendent on RG309 working on the CN in the Atlantic Region, an overnight snow fall of 36 inches brought the Railroad as well as Grinding Operations in the area to a standstill.

With Snow still falling my operating crew and I started pulling maintenance on the machine. A Grind Motor with a bad bearing was discovered during the machine inspections and the Grind Motor needed replaced. Our tool cart at the time happened to be a 6″ toboggan or Sled that had been purchased the year prior after the first snow fall from a local Zellars.

The toboggan worked excellent for moving tools and parts when a two wheeled dolly would have taken many man hours to shovel a usable path. While moving the used Grind Motor back to the crane to be loaded back onto the machine, I pointed towards the top of the hill that stood snow covered beside the Machine. During a break from push/pulling the 400 lb. plus load. My Crew Chief sat on the grind motor and I sat on an empty space of the toboggan, I laughed out loud and this caught his attention. “What is so funny?” he looked at me with fresh snow on his hard hat and snow covering his back and shoulders. I pointed towards the top of the hill and said “Once we get this motor loaded and the guys finish getting the new motor hooked up, I’m taking this toboggan up that hill and ride it down!. He laughed louder than I did and said “Bubba, I’m with you!” I grab the reins and started tugging the rope as my crew chief steadied the Grind Motor.

True to the Story we finished hooking up the New Grind Motor and checked rotation put away the tools. The toboggan was retrieved and pulled to the back of the machine. After sipping some hot coffee and getting a plan together to best ascend the hill.

I met with our CN Grinding Supervisor Pierre Garceau in the Kitchen Car office and updated him on my plan of riding our toboggan down the Hill. He leaned forward and turned his neck to see the top of the hill. He laughed a deep belly laugh and looked at my crew chief who had a big smile also. The two of you Pierre asked? …I nodded and shook Pierre’s hand “Wish us Luck” and in full gear; hardhats, reflective gear, safety glasses and carhartts, out the door we went!

Following a tree line made the accent easy as we were not dredging thru three plus feet of snow. Two thirds of the way up we encountered a fence and road that leveled off. The road was not plowed so we made our way to a good descent location.

Little did I know we had a camera man on the machine and he was able to take only a few pictures of trees, sky and white, but, he did managed to get a good one between tears of laughter.

My Crew Chief and I were in no danger of causing an avalanche or bouncing off a rock. When my crew chief saw we were moving off course he tilted the toboggan while holding onto my shoulders. I threw my hand in the air as we leaned into the turn and snow flew up in a cloud behind us. As we came to a stop near the machine I had tears in my eyes laughing so hard. My crew chief and I could hear the cheers of our other crew members.

After we got our bearing and returned the toboggan to its storage area, we all sat in the kitchen drinking coffee listening to each crew member tell a story of what they saw. They couldn’t see our faces but one crew member said he could hear my Crew Chief and I screaming like little school girls being chased by a little boy with a frog in his hand.
Pierre in his French accent said he thought we were going to fly over the top of the machine like Elliott and ET in the forest and then down the rest of the hill.

I still laugh about it today….

Michael B – Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

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Community Giving

Histoire de: Ron M - Coril Holdings Ltd.

The Coril Group, the Loram Group and all previous companies, the Mancal Group and the Mannix families have been building, giving to and celebrating our community now for over 118 years. To put this into perspective, my grandfather, Frederick Stephen Mannix, instilled into his whole family and six children the importance of giving back to those less fortunate, as well as being a good community citizen and builder. My Father, Frederick Charles Mannix was one of the original founders of the Calgary Foundation and he and my mother, Margie Mannix, created the Carthy Foundation 52 years ago. Today our Carthy Foundation is now being managed and controlled by the fourth generation of Mannix family members, and in its total history has now contributed over one hundred and eleven million dollars to thousands of charities across our country.

In 1998, in recognition of the hundredth anniversary of the founding of our family business activities, and after the sale of our energy assets, the Mannix family donated another $100 million to charity: $50 million to over 200 charities in Canada and the United States, and $50 million to endow the Carthy Foundation to continue for decades to come. I personally set up another foundation called the Norlien Foundation and put $110 million into it. Norlien was later split into two foundations in 2012, one called Palix Foundation, which continues to build the Alberta Family Wellness initiative under Nancy Mannix’s direction, and a second foundation called M-E² which supports music, the environment and energy, under my direction.

The principles of giving back have been inculcated into not only the Mannix family and all of our children, but in many cases at senior management levels of our entire family businesses as well. It is part of our duty and responsibility to keep giving back to all of the different communities that our companies, operations and all our employees are a part of. Throughout the Coril Group, we continue to support the principle of giving, especially to organizations like the United Way so that we can all play our part in building a better country called Canada, for the benefit of all our citizens and future generations.

Ron M – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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War Zones

Histoire de: Lee W - Triovest

I was born in Northern Ireland during the “war” between Irish republicans and United Kingdom. I was born into a military family who were there trying to provide peace and stability to a part of the UK who did not want to be a part of the UK. I was born in a town called Downpatrick. My dad was part of the Scottish infantry regiments as a dog handler whose job was to expose explosives and safeguard his fellow comrades. This was a difficult time for everyone. Soldiers would walk the streets but come under fire or were targets for explosives on a daily basis. The people of Northern Ireland didn’t have it any easier, they would have road blocks and questions coming from people who they didn’t consider friends and this made them hate the occupying force and there family. My dad was a very busy man which made family life very strained. We didn’t know each other for many years which is very difficult for children.

We would soon be posted to East Germany as regiments would rotate from one war zone to another protecting British interests abroad and in East Germany, we would be part of a quick response regiment to the current cold war between the Soviet Union and her enemies. My first real memory here was the Chernobyl disaster on the 26th April 1986. I was five years old and can still remember being a measly 1300km from ground zero. This was scary and everyone at that time was glued to the weather channel. People were watching the wind directions, ready to evacuate if the weather started blowing west. Gas masks were at every house, school and hospital.

My next interesting memory of this era was the end of the cold war and the eventual collapse of the Berlin Wall. We had been around Berlin not long before the wall fell. It was an epic time and I can still remember watching the last world cup that West Germany played before the reunification of Germany in that same year 1990.

Thanks for listening.

Lee W – Triovest

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Expo 67

Histoire de: Theresa N - Triovest

I have always been a proud Canadian and remember looking forward to the Dominion Day (that’s what it used to be called) holiday and fireworks as a child. I remember being in the choir at school and proudly singing the national anthem for various events.

In 1967 our school held special events and projects commemorating Canada’s 100th birthday. In June, just before the end of the school year, there was a special celebration and the choir, each of us dressed in red and white, sang “CA-NA-DA” and “A Place To Stand (Ontar-i-ar-i-o)”.

That summer my parents, sister, two brothers and I travelled to Montreal for Expo 67. We borrowed a converted truck/camper that was a prototype where there was an open area from the truck part to the camper part. We could sit comfortably in the camper and play cards while Dad drove. We stayed at various camp grounds that offered “hot” showers that were sometimes ice cold.

The world exposition was a perfectly timed salute to Canada’s 100th anniversary. There were 90 pavilions from around the world that presented endless dreams of what man and his world of tomorrow might look like. A lot of it is just a vague memory but I remember my parents keeping us close so we wouldn’t get lost in the large crowds from around the world. In one of the pavilions I was surprised to see two familiar faces – my aunt and uncle. What were the odds?

Now, 50 years later, I am married with two grown sons. My older son lives in Japan with his wife who loves Canada and would like to move here. We send them care packages twice a year with Canadian treats, clothes and souvenirs. My daughter in law’s birthday is July 2. I used to tease her that it was too bad her birthday wasn’t July 1. But then we figured out, with the time difference and depending on what time she was born, she may have been born on Canada Day, just not in Canada. Now, when we skype with them on her birthday, we celebrate her Canada Day birthday since it is July 2 there but July 1 here.

Theresa N – Triovest

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Help, Learn & Discover

Histoire de: Lorena H - INLIV

My story starts in Colombia. Having been born and raised for 7 years in Colombia gives me immense pride in my culture and background. Fast forward 16 years and happily Canadian, my heart is full with love for both countries and cultures.

Growing up in Canada, I realized the different experiences and opportunities that I was privileged enough to be receiving compared to others back home. In some way I knew I wanted to bring both cultures together and give back to those that didn’t have the same opportunities as I had.

Upon starting university, many international opportunities were made available to me but none of them struck a chord. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon an organization called Help, Learn & Discover. This organization takes university students down to Ecuador to A) shadow doctors and rotate around a hospital to gain insight into the medical field (Learn) B) volunteer in building 20 homes for in-need communities (Help) and C) travel throughout the country to explore its diverse landscapes and culture (discover). Granted this program took place in Ecuador and not Colombia, but to me this didn’t matter because I was doing what I wanted – to give back.

Upon arriving to Ecuador for the first time, I fell in love with the country and the people…even though they had funny accents and not as delicious food (hard to get rid of the bias completely). This coming August will be the third time I go down to Ecuador with this program. Each time I learn new skills and facts, discover new parts of the countries and help more and more people. After this summer, I will be unbelievably grateful to have had the opportunity to help 60 families within Ecuador.

My love for my Colombian culture helped me find this opportunity in Ecuador and with my resources within Canada I was able to give back in more ways than I could have ever imagined. A wonderful experience made possible by three cultures.

Lorena H – INLIV

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A Place You Can Always Call Home

Histoire de: Pam W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

My story began where the Fraser and Nechako Rivers converge in the Northern town of Prince George, British Columbia. My time was short here, when at two years old, my family moved to Kelowna, BC in the beautiful sunny Okanagan Valley. Here life was very different, winters were warm, never dipping below -10 degrees, with summer temperatures in the high 30s. My siblings and I spent most of our summer days swimming, playing in the orchards, and hiking barefoot in the hills behind our house. I think our feet were permanently stained with dirt and tar until Fall.

But all this fun did not go without responsibilities. My father is from the old country and was brought up on the values of hard work and the notion of providing for his family by growing and harvesting his own food. It made perfect sense then that they bought a large piece of property that allowed for every imaginable vegetable and fruit to be grown. This also meant that every morning, my siblings and I would get up early, follow my dad out to the garden and pull weeds for what seemed like eternity. Very little consumables came from the grocery store…we even stomped and made our own “wobbly pop” from the vineyards on the property. It was also not uncommon to welcome the neighbours in the garden, as our family has always believed in sharing our plenty with friends.

Some favorite memories of mine, amongst many, were the strategically placed salt and pepper shakers at the end of the cucumber and tomato rows in the event you were feeling a bit peckish while out in the yard; just pick it off the vine, rub the dirt off…or not, sprinkle a little seasoning on and you were good to go. Another cherished memory, and one we still do to this day, is the dessert tree tradition; when we finish eating dinner, we each take a turn choosing the fruit tree to have dessert under, whether it be peach, apple, pear, nectarine, apricot, plum or cherry, we all lie under the tree, laugh, joke and enjoy our dessert… fresh off the tree!!

These, and so many other great memories are what builds the foundation of family values, and it’s comforting to know after all this time these traditions are still embedded in our lives. Yes some things have changed…and some remain the same, but above all else, it is a place you can always call home.

Pam W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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A place we now call home

Histoire de: Laura H – Gemini Corporation

My family and I immigrated to Canada from the North East of England on June 8th 2008 and became Canadian Citizens in March of 2014.

My aunt and uncle moved to Canada 17 years ago and I spent my childhood vacationing in Calgary. My family and I would visit 2-3 times a year since I was 10 years old. Not surprisingly, my parents fell in love with the lifestyle here and saw the vast opportunities available to our family and began the long process of obtaining our permanent residency.

I remember the first time we came to Calgary, the Headmistress of my primary school had allowed for me and my sisters to miss a couple of days of school outside of the spring break with one condition – we take a diary and write down our experiences to present to our classmates upon our return.

As a 10 year old my diary consisted of many different experiences; from visiting a shopping mall and going ice skating to travelling to the mountains and having Dairy Queen Ice Cream!! We would love going on road trips so that we could torture my aunt and uncle with the latest album from our favourite boy band (on repeat).

Upon my return to school, I had completed my diary entries and collected bits and pieces to show my class. At the time, the whole class was doing our first ‘show and tell’, each child would speak for 10-15 minutes at the end of the day about their chosen subject. As instructed by the Headmistress, mine was all about my trip to Canada. My presentation ended up taking all of the show and tell slots for the entire week as my class was so interested to hear about our adventures and had lots and lots of questions about what it is like in Canada.

To look back, we were extremely fortunate to have the experiences we did as children in a place we now able to call home.

Laura H – Gemini Corporation

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The Adventure

Histoire de: Justin C - Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

I’ve concluded that more times than not, when I’ve visited Canada there is always an element of the trip that makes it an adventure. The recipe is simple, great people and interesting locations. One such trip that comes to mind happened around 2002 when I had the opportunity to visit The Pas.

How could one not be intrigued by just the name, “The Pas”? Then you add the location and it had me working on a plan to visit. My opportunity took shape when one of the Loram rail grinders had this town in Manitoba, known as “The Gateway to the North”, on the schedule to work through. The Canadian National Railway was the source of our path that we followed through a very isolated but scenic Manitoba journey. The trip became even more memorable when we discovered at the final entry into the rail yard in The Pas, that a couple of wheels on the Loram Rail grinder had developed flat spots. These were not just ordinary flat spots, but ones that stopped us in our tracks…literally. Typically flat spots are removed within a wheel shop, however these were so severe the railway would not allow any further travel, leaving the crew in an interesting predicament.

Fortunately, the capable Loram Superintendent Michael Brownfield, used his renowned creative juices and enlisted some local Canadian talent with a nice blend of “can do” spirt to find a remedy. This included using hand held grinders to smooth off the sharp edges on the running surface of the large rail wheel. After, days of grinding….well, maybe just hours, the wheel morphed back into the round shape that has given the wheel its good reputation. Unfortunately, this meant our trip in The Pas was over and it was time to turn the machine and head south, ending one Canadian adventure but beginning another.

Justin C – Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

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Ancient Travels to North America – Part 2

Histoire de: Eric E - Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

Here are two additional interesting factoids relative to early America:

First, the prevailing maritime tradition of Columbus’ era was to fly the flag of the Country that was responsible for funding exploratory journeys. King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella of Spain financed the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.

Instead, Columbus flew the cross of the Knights Templar, which was also incorporated into Ferdinand and Isabella’s family flag, which was green instead of red, regardless, the Templar cross is the most prevalent component of the design.

Templar theorists suggest this use was forthcoming because Columbus married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, a Portuguese noblewoman whose uncle was archbishop of Lisbon, who is known to have had ties with the Portuguese crown and with Templars.

Columbus may have been provided a description of the way to America by his in-laws. Also, the Templar cross was believed to be recognized as friendly by indigenous Native American’s. This recognition may have been part of an effort to enhance the crew’s safety and help assure them of success upon landing in foreign, potentially hostile territory.

Second, Scotland’s famous Rosslyn Chapel stone masonry includes clear concise renderings of corn, which were carved about 1446, nearly fifty years before Columbus sailed, even though corn is known to be indigenous only to the America’s. You’ll be hard pressed to find rock solid evidence of pre-Columbian travel more concrete than that. Stone’s don’t lie. People brought corn back from America prior to 1446 when that knowledge was memorialized in stone. Columbus was born in 1451, five years later.

Eric E – Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

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Ancient Travels to North America – Part 1

Histoire de: Eric E - Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

Canada’s anniversary certainly is an exciting time to reflect upon many important milestones and achievements over the last 150 years… but why stop there? After all, the whole story didn’t necessarily begin 150 years ago. Let us travel a little further back in time.

This story begins 700 years ago in France with a great leader named Jacques de Molay, whose demise ultimately may have been pivotal in the act of discovery of “New Found Land”, north of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Jacques de Molay (French: [də mɔlɛ]; c. 1243 – 18 March 1314) was the 23rd Grand Master of the Knights Templar, leader of the Order from 20 April 1292 until it was dissolved by order of Pope Clement V in 1307. King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars, had de Molay and many other French Templars arrested in 1307 and tortured into making false confessions. When de Molay later retracted his confession, Philip had him burned upon a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre Dame de Paris in March, 1314.

What happened is very similar to the story of the Jedi in “Star Wars III” when the Emperor invoked his evil Order #66.

Following the attempt to exterminate the Templars, rather than to try and reconcile their due, a number of ships laden with the spoils of years of commerce and labors fled, never to be seen again.

A plausible theory supported by evidence found on and around Oak Island, Nova Scotia, seems to indicate Templars escaped to what later became Canada.

There is real tangible evidence that the Templars used the area around Newfoundland and Nova Scotia as a hub for commerce around 1300-1400 A.D, and numerous remnants are found on and around Oak Island including a foundation stone with a Templar cross chiseled upon it.

The story surrounding Oak Island is further supported by the Kensington Rune Stone discovered near Alexandria, Minnesota in 1898, which is dually dated 1362 both in characters and in a special code embedded in the character set.

By this time the Templars may have gathered up their valuables and left the Oak Island area in search for the middle of, or the headwaters of, the North American continent. The Rune Stone is an anciently formatted land claim written by Cistercian Monks associated with the Templars, which contains passages that exactly match modern teachings within Royal Arch degrees of the York Rite branch of Free Masonry. {York Rite is the body of the modern reincarnation of the Knights Templar. “New York” is on the East Coast, while “Old York” is one of the ancient strongholds of the Knights Templar near the Provence of Canterbury in England.}

So, as we celebrate please be aware and thankful of those brave souls in ancient times who pioneered their way to these special places we so treasure and call home today.

Eric E – Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

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So Happy to be Home even in -35C

Histoire de: Deanna Z - Coril Holdings Ltd.

In January 2004, my husband and were thrilled to be travelling to Haiti, not for the warm weather but because we were on our way pick-up Monique and Joey (2-year old twins). We were, finally after more than 2 years, bringing them home to Canada to join our 8-year old son, Mac. He was so incredibly excited to finally meet them and to have a sister and brother of his own. The plan was to spend a week in Haiti, settling in with Monique and Joey then we would travel home through Montreal. It started off as an amazing adventure and we were full of anticipation – to see the twins and Haiti. However, shortly after arriving we came to appreciate how wonderful our home of Canada was…we heard gun shots in the middle of the night and chaos on the streets as a coup broke out in Haiti. We kept the twins close by at all times and counted the days until we were to leave. The day we left, we heard that flights into Haiti were now being restricted and we wondered if we would be able to get home. The drive to the airport was tense as we crossed our fingers that we would be able to get home – it turned out we had one of the last flights out of Haiti home to Canada along with a few other recently united families. When we landed in Montreal, we were so happy to be welcomed home to a brisk -35C winter evening with tears streaming our little ones faces as they experienced their first ever winter day. Since that time they have had many brisk winter days, many of them racing down the ski slopes with all their Canadian-born buddies. You rarely appreciate the freedom and safety we have in this great country – in fact we often take it for granted until faced with the possibility of losing it. Appreciate every day in Canada!

Deanna Z – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Past Connects with Present

Histoire de: Alan M - Triovest

After joining the British army at the age of 16 to fight in the Second World War my father found himself back in Glasgow, Scotland with a Grade 10 education and little opportunity for employment. He and his best army friend spent their limited savings getting on a boat headed for Canada. In 1951, they landed and disembarked at PIER 41 in Halifax, Nova Scotia with only a couple of dollars in their pockets. Like many immigrants he worked all day and attended school in the evening searching for a better way of life. Upon completing high school, and then university, he took a hospital administration job that had our family moving every 2 years including stops in: Regina, Timmins, Porcupine, Picton, Belleville, Montreal and Aurora. My childhood was a journey through eastern Canada and a collection of indispensable experiences in each city that we lived. My Father’s dream of a high-level education and a good job to support his family was realized in Canada.

In the first 3 weeks of my new role, I travelled to all of our Triovest offices across the country: Vancouver, Burnaby, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Montreal and several offices in the Toronto area. I witnessed great diversity in our people and in our landscapes. Along this journey I was fortunate to meet hundreds of Triovest people and they welcomed me with open arms and eager ears to share my story to. As I told my personal story in my Town Halls and had numerous conversations with people, I experienced acceptance with great warmth, void of any judgement. The experience brought me closer to the events experienced in my childhood and by my parents. It has reinforced the gratitude I feel towards our people and this amazing country of ours. What touched me the most was no matter what city I was in, or group I was talking to, I felt a common sentiment of hope, appreciation and ambition. Much like our forefathers, our people work very hard to realize their dreams.

I came away from this whirlwind tour feeling fortunate to be part of the Triovest community of diverse Canadians. This experience has inspired me to write this story.

Now more than ever I am proud to be Canadian.

Alan M – Triovest

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1967 Road Trip

Histoire de: Henry N - Triovest

THE VAUXHALL ENVOY

1960 ENVOY
The 1960 “Envoy: The New British Car Designed and Built specially for “Canadians”

By July 1, 1967, I had recently turned 21 and Canada had turned 100. I had also just finished a two-year civil technology program at Red River Community College in Winnipeg and wanted to go on a road trip to the west coast before starting my new job with Manitoba Hydro. The project site was a remote hydro-electric power station located at Kelsey, some 650 kilometers north of Winnipeg. I had recently purchased a 1960 Vauxhall Envoy fully equipped with four doors, four cylinders, and 55 horsepower. So, off I went with my younger brother and the princely sum of $150 in my wallet that would get us to the west coast and back again to Manitoba. With the budget in mind the intent was to sleep in the car, but the car was so small it was impossible and the first night we ended up sleeping on the ground beside the car in a farmer’s field. The next morning, we stopped at a glassblowing shop near Medicine Hat and were very impressed by the ornate sculptures that the artisans were producing before our eyes. Later that day we found our way to downtown Calgary to marvel at the Husky Tower, which was under construction as a centennial project and was completed in 1968. That night we arrived in Banff and splurged $5 on a very nice room in a guest house on Tunnel Mountain. Getting over the Rockies with the Vauxhall was a little challenging, and sometimes I had to shift down to second gear to keep from stalling out in third gear. We did get to see the Pacific Ocean and spend a few days in the Vancouver area before turning around and going home to Manitoba on the American side of the border. Fifty years later I still have fond memories of the little black Vauxhall with the red Naugahyde interior that took me half way across Canada and back again without a hiccup or a flat tire. My brother and I still like to reminisce about the good time we had driving across western Canada with $150, no credit card, and not a worry in the world.

Henry N – Triovest

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Ice Storm 2013

Histoire de: Louise P - Triovest

We’re a nation obsessed with weather – and we experience some incredibly diverse weather systems, from sultry summer heat alerts to biting extreme cold winter alerts. In December 2013 Toronto experienced a particularly bad ice storm. At the time I was home on mat leave with my 6-month old and I woke in the night to find we had no power. An ice storm had hit and thousands of households were without power – and it was 3 days before Christmas! You could hear the snapping and creaking of trees which sounded particularly eerie in the dead of night and as I looked out over our backyard, sure enough, a big maple had toppled onto our garage, decimating the roof. My mum was staying with us at the time and when we woke in the morning we made the decision to book a hotel room, just as a precaution as the news updates on getting power restored weren’t looking too good. Smart move on our behalf! We rolled up to the hotel that afternoon, 3 adults and 2 kids in tow. We spent 2 fun days at the hotel and then moved onto a friends place to spend Christmas Eve and day with them. Every day of the power outage we went back to our place to check on things, willing Toronto Hydro to get the power restored. Toronto Hydro did an amazing job – they worked nonstop to restore power. As savage as the ice storm was it resulted in an entire community coming together to help one another. Neighbours cleared debris, chopped wood from felled trees and just checked in on each other. As a family I felt we were lucky – sure the garage roof was destroyed but we had insurance to cover that and we spent 5-days without power but we were all OK. In fact, at times it was kind of fun and a unique experience!

Louise P – Triovest

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Started in Siberia and now I’m here

Histoire de: Elena B - Triovest

My family and I (parents and 1 older brother) immigrated to Canada in October 1991 from Siberia, Russia. We didn’t know the language and came with nothing other than the essentials – clothes, blankets and a few pots and pans. My father’s aunt and uncle who we never met sponsored us. My dad’s brother’s family and his sister’s family also moved here a couple months before us. We moved to a small town in Ontario called Virgil in the Niagara region.

On our first day in Canada, my brother and I went to school and my parents went to work on a local farm making $6/hr. When I arrived to school, I didn’t know what my name was in English so the school secretary said that “for now we will call you Helen, until we know what your legal name is”. The students and teachers at our school were very kind to me and my 5 cousins. We attended ESL classes together and learned the English language quickly. The students in my class would always ask me “Helen, are you happy?” until a few months later when I actually understood what they were asking, I said “yes!” and from then on, they called me “Happy Helen”.

Initially we, along with the other 2 families lived in a small bungalow (that’s 12 people – 6 adults and 6 kids). Although we had a humble beginning, we all have very fond memories of our first year in Canada. We went to a German Mennonite Church which embraced us warmly and made sure that our first Christmas was unforgettable – they donated more toys to our house then we have ever seen.

Fast forward 26 years later and my family along with the other 2 families still live in Virgil and attend the Mennonite church. We feel so blessed to have been welcomed with open arms from not only our family living here, but what felt like the whole country!

Today, we all are proudly Canadian.

Elena B – Triovest

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Generosity of Spirit

Histoire de: Tanya GS - Coril Holdings Ltd.

I think we can all remember where we were on September 11th, 2001. It is a day that all Canadians came together to not only support each other but also travellers from all nations who were stranded in Canada. Gander, Newfoundland alone took in 7,000 stranded passengers. My parents, in Halifax, took in a family from France; they exchange Christmas letters each year as they have become friends. I know that numerous people and families did the same throughout our country. I was actually more than mid-flight to Calgary from Halifax that morning.

I always say hi to whomever is sitting beside me on my flights, this flight though; I chatted with the couple beside me and found out that they were visiting their daughter at U of C for the first time. We were forced to land in Winnipeg without knowing what had happened. There was confusion on the part of all passengers and TV crews throughout the airport. We had stayed together as there was so much confusion. When it became clear we were not flying anywhere that day, still not knowing what had actually happened, the couple made a decision to try to drive to Calgary. They lucked into the last vehicle that could be rented at the airport, a minivan, and offered to take me to Calgary and so we began our 12 hour journey to Calgary. We listened to the news and couldn’t comprehend what had occurred that morning but we also chatted and really got to know each other. As luck would have it, they had to drive past my apartment to see their daughter and in the early hours the following morning we arrived in Calgary. They will always be a special and happy memory on such a heart wrenching day.

These stories of how we all came together are heartwarming and show the spirit of giving we have in this country.

Tanya GS – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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The Children’s Wish Foundation

Histoire de: Don W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

In 1978, several individuals from The Island got lost on their way to Toronto and ended up in Calgary. Not knowing how to two-step, their evenings were mostly uneventful, until several of them got together and formed a hockey team. Ice time was secured on Thursday evenings at the Seven Chiefs Sarcee Arena, which was home ice for the team until five years ago when we moved to the Edge School Arena in Springbank. Home ice is now on Sunday afternoons at the new Edge School Arena. In 2003, after 25 years, seven of the 15 original players were still with the team. At the completion of the team’s 39th year, two original members stubbornly remain.

Each Spring, after completing our season, the RumRunners would have a team golf day. In early 2006, Wayne Stewart, a fine lad and long time RumRunner from West Point, P.E.I. suggested that we should invite some friends and raise a few dollars for a worthy cause; this idea was the genesis of the PEI RumRunners Hockey Club – Charity Golf Classic.

In our inaugural year, after choosing the Children’s Wish Foundation as our worthy cause, a few of the guys visited their office. After this visit, the initial goal of $5,000 was raised to $25,000 once we saw other cardboard cheques posted on their wall. It was further decided that all funds raised would be evenly split between CWF Alberta and CWF P.E.I. With a lot of hard work, generosity and good fortune, $40,000 was raised the very first year!

After our 8th year & sitting @ $670,000, we set a new target of raising $1,000,000 for The Children’s Wish Foundation in 10 years.

In an effort to help us reach our $1M goal, we added the “Home From Away” Charity Golf Classic in P.E.I. in the summer of 2014 & raised in excess of $25,000. There was a Spring Kick-off Fund Raising Social added in Calgary in 2015 & these additional funds raised helped us Reach our Milestone Mark!!

After Eleven very successful “Fund Raising Years”, we have presented a grand total of over $1,100,000 to The Children’s Wish Foundation. At approximately $10,000 per wish, that is 110 wishes that you have helped us to grant! Thank You for your continued Support!!!

Don W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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A Canadian Abroad

Histoire de: Kirby M - Coril Holdings Ltd.

I’m writing this while sitting in a cafe somewhere in the middle of Casablanca, Morocco at the end of my month long trip to Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

I had always been told by non-Canadians how great it is to hold a Canadian passport, but I rarely get into any certain details beyond that.

In this trip, I met a Chinese national also traveling in the small blue town of Chefchaouen in Morocco. We decided to hike outside the city to their famous waterfalls together. I learned she had studied international business at a university in Chengdu, is currently working in Ghana and took to travel any chance she could get. But because of her Chinese passport, she is very limited on where she can go without a visa. And for many places such as Canada or Europe, she is required to submit detailed financial information and fit a certain criteria before she can get a simple travel visa. I remembered the times I traveled to Turkey and Cambodia where a visa was needed, but as a Canadian, I was able to simply purchase one at the airport when I landed.

So we decided during dinner to look up online the list of countries we are each able to travel to visa free and compare. Her list was depressing and made worse by her frustrated statement of “I just want to go to a developed country”. That list also had much more gravitas to me being a first generation Chinese Canadian, it could have very likely been me if the chips had fell slightly differently for my parents.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that traveling is part of who I am. I have been lucky enough to travel to over 30 countries. I proudly tell all of those who ask that I am Canadian and you can see and feel the respect that those three words give you anywhere in the world. Happy birthday Canada!

Kirby M – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Gemini Employee Receives Top Apprentice Award

Histoire de: Bridget B - Gemini Corporation

It gives us pride and delight to announce that Gemini’s own Danny Derksen is going to be recognized this Friday at an awards ceremony in Edmonton. Danny will be receiving the award for “2016 Top Apprentice in the Steamfitter-Pipefitter” Trade.

Every year Alberta Advanced Education – the government body which oversees the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry training program – recognizes the top apprentices in their final year of training. The Top Apprentice Awards recognize the apprentices in each trade who have received the highest marks in their final year of apprenticeship and who have also received strong employer recognition for their on-the-job merits.

In receiving this award, Danny is one of a select group of individuals. Approximately sixty apprentices are selected each year for recognition, and only one apprentice per trade receives this award. This means that Danny is the only Steamfitter-Pipefitter to receive this award for the 2016 year!

Danny has worked for Gemini all throughout his apprenticeship. He started working for Gemini Field Solutions in 2013 and has worked with us every year since. Danny has completed his apprenticeship program and is now a Journeyman Pipefitter working for Gemec Services Ltd. These days he is a regular member of Ken Aasgard’s maintenance crew at the Keyera site in Fort Saskatchewan.

When asked about how it felt to win the award, Danny was pretty humble. He tells us he is not a naturally competitive person, but that he had made the decision to go back to school as a mature student and with a young and growing family, he needed to do his very best. More than anything, he says, his motivation was simple: “I just didn’t want to fail!” To that we say: Danny, you have made us proud. It has been quite some time since a Gemini employee received a Top Apprentice Award and we are so pleased for you.

Congratulations on a job well done, Danny! We hope that you and your family have a wonderful time at the award ceremony on Friday!

Bridget B – Gemini Corporation

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How Canadian Can You Be

Histoire de: Cheryl W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

There is no doubt that I am a proud Canadian. In fact, on my Dad’s side of the family my great nephew and niece are eighth generation Canadians, possibly ninth. From what I have found out the first Whyte that we have knowledge of came to Hemingford, Quebec in 1823, from Cavan County, Ireland. They came on the advice of a relative; however we are not sure if it was a sibling or a parent. The information on Robert and Elizabeth’s children, is missing so the next one in line that we know of is my Great Grandad Whyte, Frederick John Cockerline Whyte, born in 1870 in Hemingford. I actually remember meeting him when I was very young. He was quite an intimidating big man for a small girl, with the biggest head of wavy pure white hair, parted in the middle. His companion was a cockatoo who sat on his shoulder and could talk. At six he was pretty daunting! He lived to be 94 years old. The story that I just recently heard was that Grandad Whyte had come out West to work on a farm for the summer and thought it would be a wonderful life for him and is family. He purchased a quarter section of land and in 1904 crossed the country to Craik, Saskatchewan with his wife and four small boys. According to one of the sons, my Uncle Roy, seven at the time, they travelled across the country by CP Rail in a box car or what was referred to at the time as a settler’s car, with all their belongings, two teams of horses and some chickens on a journey that took seven days. My Grandpa and the three brothers settled nicely into farming life until the family moved to Florida for a few years. Grandad Whyte’s wife contracted TB and was told that would be the best place for her. But the boys missed Canada and moved back to Hussar, Alberta in 1919. According to my Grandmother they were cowboys, traveling to Montana to catch wild horses, break them and then selling them. It was on one of these trips that my Grandpa came down with Typhoid Fever. He died at the early age of 28 leaving behind a wife and two young children. My Dad was one of those children. He grew up in the Brooks area, moving to Calgary in 1950. Here, he met my mother, married and had five children. He now lives a good life at the age of 90; and says he wants to live to be 94. I’m sure he will. My brothers have the children, a total of nine altogether; seven boys, two girls. My oldest nephew, Trevor, has the children that are eighth generation Canadian. I think there may still be time in my life time for my great nephew to have children making them ninth or tenth generation Canadians. Not a small feat in this young country of Canada.

Cheryl W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Alberta Flood 2013

Histoire de: Kevin B - Coril Holdings Ltd.

It is clear that Coril and its predecessor companies have been instrumental in the building of Canada’s infrastructure and communities over their 119 year history. What often goes unnoticed, however, is the remarkable on-going contribution that our organization’s remarkable workforce makes to the communities where they live, each and every day. I would argue that this is particularly so in times of crisis, with no finer example being the arguably heroic response of many of our Alberta-based employees during the 2013 floods that ravaged much of the southern portion of their beloved province.

By many accounts, the enormous economic toll of those floods exceeded more than five billion dollars. Yet, the most significant impacts of the floods could not be measured simply in monetary terms. Instead, the greatest of those impacts were unfortunately found in the unmeasurable pain, suffering and inconvenience experienced by thousands of individuals and families whose lives were directly impacted by the unrelenting floodwaters, in many cases over the course of days, weeks, and even months.

Not surprisingly, it was during those grueling first days of the flood that many of our colleagues in the Coril Group rose to the challenge to help some of their beleaguered fellow Albertans. In many cases that assistance was offered to individuals they had never met, and took the form of bailing water, removing waterlogged furniture and drywall from submerged basements, and, in many cases, through the simple offering of a much needed coffee or, sometimes, just a hug. I, for one, consider myself to be blessed to be associated with those amongst our Coril Group team who unselfishly and voluntarily rose to the occasion, to help others in a time of great need, demonstrating once again that remarkable spirit which helps define what it truly means to be a Canadian.

Kevin B – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Vimy Ridge History Lesson

Histoire de: Cheryl W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

April 9, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of an important event in Canada’s 150 year history, the Battle of Vimy Ridge. I watched the ceremonies live from the site on TV and was moved by the many performances and speeches made by Canadians, Prime Minister Trudeau and Governor General David Johnston. President Francois Hollande of France also spoke giving thanks and praise to Canada. One thing that was almost haunting as one watched was the over 3,000 pairs of boots situated around the memorial, one pair for every Canadian killed that day.

For me it was a history lesson. The imposing Memorial is situated on land that was granted to the Canadian people by the French government. Designed by Walter Allward, one of Canada’s famous sculptors, work on the structure began in 1925 and completed 11 years later in 1936 at a cost of $1.5 million. It is adorned by twenty symbolic figures representing faith, justice, peace, honor, charity, truth, knowledge and hope and is inscribed with the names of 11,285 Canadians killed on French soil who have no known graves. Front and centre is a statue depicting a mother in mourning. Amazingly, it survived the Second World War despite fears that it would be destroyed after France’s surrender. In 2007, after several years of extensive restoration work, the Vimy Ridge Memorial was unveiled to dignitaries and several thousand Canadians and is the principal site of Canadian remembrance and commemoration overseas.

This year, along with these ceremonies, was also the unveiling of the state- of-the-art Vimy Ridge Educational Centre, made possible by the Canadian government’s $5 million contribution in 2013 from Veteran Affairs in partnership with the Vimy Foundation. The foundations’ mission is to preserve and promote Canada’s First World War legacy as symbolized by the victory at Vimy Ridge in 1917. While the Vimy monument itself is stunningly beautiful, there was little information as to why Canadians fought and died at this site but now with the new Visitor Educational Centre visitors will learn and know why Vimy remains so special to the Canadians. Seeing the ceremony, and learning the history certainly makes one proud to call themselves Canadian.

Cheryl W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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El canadiense

Histoire de: Brian O - Coril Holdings Ltd.

What is it like to be a Canadian soccer player who truly intends to excel at the beautiful game? It’s a long journey with significant obstacles. Not the least of which is having to find the confidence to challenge the international notion that Canadians haven’t yet met the measure of our international peers.

Our son, Everett, has passionately pursued his love of soccer since his first touch on the ball. Year by year, this led us down paths we could have never imagined when he was a tot playing with his friends. It eventually led to an invitation to train at a top level international club at the tender age of fourteen. Full of dreams and bravado, our young son was going to reach for the stars. Atletico Peñerol in Montevideo, Uruguay was interested in this young Canadian talent. In their sport. On their field. Unprecedented. We knew it would change our son. But we also knew to withhold this opportunity would change him as well. So we tucked our own worries away and exhaled.

He was alone in Montevideo, living with several Uruguayan soccer players. Everett at 14, the next youngest a 19 year old. He had little Spanish, no internet, no iPhone. Just a flip phone and belief. The tenacity, courage, love of his sport and a willingness to work harder than every other boy on the pitch was recognized. The initial meanness of his teammates faded as they got to know him. He impressed players and coaches alike. And he was nicknamed “El canadiense”, with sincere respect.

He did earn a youth contract. He chose to develop here in Calgary instead. His continued pursuit is leading him to thrilling international opportunities. “El canadiense” is showing his proud Canadian spirit in places Canadians seldom tread.

Brian O – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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Two Left Feet

Histoire de: Pam W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

I was fortunate to spend my childhood growing up in the sunny Okanagan of British Columbia. Swimming, boating, and lazing on the beach were daily activities during the summer months as temperatures were typically in the 40^orange. One summer, when I was about 6 years old, my parents decided to take us on a last minute summer vacation to Jasper to experience the Columbia Icefields. Trying to get a family of six ready for anything is not an easy feat, never mind on short notice. While my dad busily got the car ready, my mom packed the food and essential items needed for our journey. My siblings and I were asked to pack our own clothes and anything else we wanted to bring, ensuring that we packed appropriate footwear to take part in the glacier adventure. Remembering I was 6, and like most children at this age, I had a favorite pair of shoes…black patent dress shoes with a buckle on top… so I threw them in!! I’m guessing probably not what my mom meant when she said “appropriate footwear”…

The road trip went without incident, arriving midday at the Icefields. When my dad opened the trunk to the car so we could all put our shoes on, I excitedly grabbed my beautiful patent dress shoes, only to realize…I had accidentally packed two left feet!! You see, my mom would always buy things in threes, one for each of us girls (I have two older sisters), which often meant that I would wear the same thing, whether it be shoes or clothes, for a few consecutive years as they made their way down the line. On that particular day, the shoes were neatly lined up on the boot shelf except in…two lefts and two rights. Now, back to the Icefields…I of course started to cry, but, my best friend, AKA my big brother, came to my rescue and told me it didn’t matter if I walked a bit funny, or fell a bit behind, he would be right there beside me to help me along the way. I think he just wanted an excuse to lag behind, but nonetheless he made me feel better.

The moral of my story is, always embrace the things you love, it doesn’t matter which direction your feet are pointed, or the challenges and journey it might take to get where you want to go, if you have the support of your family and friends, there is nothing that can stop you from enjoying the spectacular beauty of this country we call home!!

Happy 150^th Birthday Canada!!

Pam W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

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A Taste for Running

Histoire de: Wayne F - Triovest

Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I was a huge fan of short distance running and did so at every opportunity. I also took part in many local Ontario run events, from the Brookes Spring Runoff in High Park, Toronto a couple of times, to the ROM- 24 Hr. Relay Race at Queens Park Circle, to the Nike Night Crawler, and the CNIB run for the Blind, where you ran with a visually impaired person along the Toronto Water Front’s Martin Goodman Trail.

In 1976 a high school acquaintance at the time was one of two runners selected to light the Olympic Cauldron at the Montreal Summer Olympics. This really peaked my interest, so when Calgary was selected to host the 1988 Winter Olympics, and Petro Canada decided to sponsor the Cross Canada Olympic Torch Relay Race and open it up to all Canadians, I jumped at the opportunity to summit an entry. My wife and I submitted 8 entries each, never really believing we would ever be selected. Many other Canadians had the same idea, with approximately 6.6 million submissions. I was fortunate enough to be selected from 6,280 entries including many handpicked selections like Barbara Ann Scott the 1948 Canadian Olympic Figure Skating Champion; Ken Read former Crazy Canuck Down Hill Ski Racer; The Man in Motion himself, Rick Hanson, the daughter of former 1964 Canadian Olympic Runner Silver medalist Bill Crothers, Andrea. Andrea and the son of CTV’s anchor, Ken Shaw, were part of my group.

It was determined that day 36 of the Olympic Torch run, December 22, 1987, and our part would take place along a stretch of Highway 7 through Unionville, Ontario, where I received on stage the Olympic Torch as part of an outdoor ceremony at the Markham Theatre. I proceeded west along Highway 7, and due to some miscalculations, actually ran for 1.9 km until I passed off the Torch to the next runner.

From receiving the selection notice to the built up excitement as the time approached, to actually attending and receiving our “official 1988 Olympic Gore-Tex track suits and toques”, the whole experience was amazing and a bit overwhelming. As most could imagine, while the day was long in preparations and organization leading up to our big day, it went by in a flash. From being on stage and receiving the Torch from a young lady named Deanna, to running down the stairs and through the large crowds, including my family, to being escorted out by the O.P.P. onto Highway 7, where the road was lined with well-wishers and spectators, all wanting to be part of the celebration and experience…it was truly an amazing experience for me.

In the days to follow, and proud to have been part of the history making Torch run, I attended many other events in Southern Ontario and connected with other participants. I even had the opportunity to meet Ken Reed and Jungle Jim Hunter the original Crazy Canuck downhill racer at a ceremony in Niagara Falls where thousands of people attended a nighttime celebration and ceremony. From a cold December night in 1987 to this day, just shy of 30 years ago, I still have that “Red 1988 Olympic track suit and toque” as a memory of one of the most special opportunities as a Canadian I ever had the chance and privilege to be part of…and it’s an experience I will never forget!

Wayne F – Triovest

LES GENS SE RASSEMBLENT

POUR BÂTIR UNE NATION

NOMBRE ACTUEL D’HISTOIRES: 324

Le plus beau pays du Monde

Le plus beau pays du Monde

Histoire de: Jean-Marie S-G - Triovest

Le plus beau pays du Monde

Histoire de: Jean-Marie S-G - Triovest

Most Beautiful Country on Earth

Most Beautiful Country on Earth

Histoire de: Jean-Marie S-G - Triovest

Most Beautiful Country on Earth

Histoire de: Jean-Marie S-G - Triovest

Magic Carpet Ride

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

Magic Carpet Ride

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

Magic Carpet Ride

Ken W – Coril Holdings Ltd.

Family Tradition

Family Tradition

Histoire de: Ken W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Family Tradition

Histoire de: Ken W - Coril Holdings Ltd.

First Time Chair

First Time Chair

Histoire de: Courtney B - INLIV

First Time Chair

Histoire de: Courtney B - INLIV

Scarborough and Rouge Hospital Emergency Department Rebuild Project gets Holiday Donation from Woodside Square

Scarborough and Rouge Hospital Emergency Department Rebuild Project gets Holiday Donation from Woodside Square

Histoire de: Fatima M - Triovest

Scarborough and Rouge Hospital Emergency Department Rebuild Project gets Holiday Donation from Woodside Square

Histoire de: Fatima M - Triovest

Winter in Canada

Winter in Canada

Histoire de: Jim W - Triovest

Winter in Canada

Histoire de: Jim W - Triovest

Salamat, Canada!

Salamat, Canada!

Histoire de: Ochelle Sy B - Triovest

Salamat, Canada!

Histoire de: Ochelle Sy B - Triovest

Civility

Civility

Histoire de: Jill L - Loram Maintenance of Way

Civility

Histoire de: Jill L - Loram Maintenance of Way

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Histoire de: Terrence K - Triovest

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Histoire de: Terrence K - Triovest

My Most Memorable Christmas

My Most Memorable Christmas

Histoire de: Clara H - Triovest

My Most Memorable Christmas

Histoire de: Clara H - Triovest

Children’s Christmas Party!

Children’s Christmas Party!

Histoire de: Jane S - Loram Maintenance of Way

Children’s Christmas Party!

Histoire de: Jane S - Loram Maintenance of Way

Louise Dean School

Louise Dean School

Histoire de: Coril Team - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Louise Dean School

Histoire de: Coril Team - Coril Holdings Ltd.

Christmas Story

Christmas Story

Histoire de: Nadia Z - INLIV

Christmas Story

Histoire de: Nadia Z - INLIV

New Christmas Traditions

New Christmas Traditions

Histoire de: Eden S - INLIV

New Christmas Traditions

Histoire de: Eden S - INLIV

Christmas Traditions