President Bob Antymniuk was back with us tonight but choir lead Dave Morris was away. Mike Dudar took Dave’s place with gusto. Everyone’s opinion was that we all sounded pretty good singing O Canada and reciting Rotary Grace. Sarge Lyle Miller was called upon to introduce our guests: Nicole Fontaine (World Trade Centre Winnipeg), Al Pearen (guest of Darvin Jasper), Tracy Williams (former Rotarian), Janet Spence (wife of Brian Campbell), Shane Grouler (guest of Brian Campbell).

Rotary Moments

President Bob Antymniuk had a few items to mention:

1. Jim Forestell will have the Rotary presentation next week. Paul Brault will present at the next meeting after that.
2. Gord Zacharias and President Bob had a friendly bet going. It seems that President Bob lost. A box of paper was delivered to Westgrove last week to settle the bet.
3. Ed Gramiak has confirmed the Fort Garry Brewery tour for Sept 11, 2017 at 5:00pm (PLEASE NOTE: TIME CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK). 130 Lowson Cres St, Winnipeg, MB R3P 2H8, turn off of Kenaston Blvd (Route 90) - east of IKEA. Food /menu is being developed regarding options.
4. Jack Wilson – Former Rotarian Tom Stott’s wife, Diana, passed away Aug.21, 2017.
5. Next outing in planning stages by Nancy Morris. The aviation museum, possibly in combination with Nov.11th, is being looked at. Nancy will be in discussions with museum staff. She will report back to the club later.
6. Jack Wilson – board meeting, a discussion was held and support was passed for Camp Manitou Rotary Bunkhouse project. True North Foundation took over the camp, but one cabin still is identified as the Rotary Bunkhouse. The Assiniboine Rotary Club is wanting to raise $5,500 to refurbish the cabin. Charleswood Rotary Club will provide $1000.00 for ‘Service Work’. Another Rotary club has also offered $1000.00.
7. Plans are also being worked on to develop a second ‘Community Services’ project. This might be something like ShelterBox. More information to follow.
8. One proposal for additional fundraising is being prepared for presentation to the club. Any proposals should be in a business plan type of format. When, where, why / for who, how much $ to put on, etc.

Al Roberts, Assiniboine Forest – The Community Placement Grant system has been changed this year. The deadline for application is Sept.11, 2017. This does not give enough time to put together a proper proposal. No application for that grant money will be made this year. Possible that next year application may be made again.

The Green Team had expenses of ~$8,500.00. There is money from a provincial gov. subsidy. The Rotary Club of Charleswood puts in $700.00. There is a balance in the bank of ~$2,200.00. A full financial report will be completed in the next month or so.

John Inglis raised the membership issue. We should all be actively looking and inviting prospective new members out to meetings. There are structured plans available from R.I. to assist in this area. These plans could be adjusted to our needs.

WASRAG is an acronym – Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group. It is often referred to as “Washrag”. The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG) was formed in 2007 by a group of Rotarians, recognized by Rotary International, and focused on WASH projects. Since then it has facilitated many hundreds of projects – helping clubs find partners, ensuring sustainability, stressing the importance of a needs-driven approach, and developing best practices. A holistic, integrated approach is encouraged in which water is not the end in itself, but is rather the means to a better life and livelihood in the community. Most importantly, WASRAG links water and sanitation to improved hygiene, better health, and empowerment of the community – especially women, irrigation and agriculture, education and literacy and, ultimately, child mortality.

Vision Statement

Health, education and prosperity for all through safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Mission Statement

Providing human, technical and financial support to Rotary clubs and districts seeking to help communities to gain sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation, 1 in 4 people in the developing world has no access to proper sanitation. http://www.wasrag.org/Page/about Matching Funds are available for projects. Business plans must be developed and a needs assessment completed.

W.A.S.H. is a UNICEF group. WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Due to their interdependent nature, these three core issues are grouped together to represent a growing sector. While each a separate field of work, each is dependent on the presence of the other. For example, without toilets, water sources become contaminated; without clean water, basic hygiene practices are not possible. https://www.unicef.org/wash/3942_3952.html The most recent Nat. Geographic magazine had an article of interest in this field. It showed examples of what passes as toilets around the world. Very interesting to take a look at.

Nancy Morris introduced Nicole Fontaine, Liaison Officer at World Trade Centre -Winnipeg. She has over 25 years of experience in customer service and management fields. She owned and operated Family Child Care Centre for over 9 years. She then coached non-profit organizations to set up their own child care facilities in their own communities. Nicole studied at Universite de Saint-Boniface where she earned her B.A. in Arts with a major in Psychology & Sociology and minor in Political Science. Nicole also has a Public Administration Certificate from Red River College.

There are 300+ World Trade Centre’s around the world in 90 countries. The organization is headquartered in New York City. In Canada, there are W.T.C. in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and proposed for Saskatoon (2019). Each centre is a little different. In Winnipeg the offices are in the old city hall in St. Boniface, 219 Provencher Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R2H 0G4. The structure is a designated historic building. There are offices as well as seminar space in the building. In 2013 membership in the World Trade Centre Association was attained. The offices exist with a partnership with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. The WTC Winnipeg provides support to Manitoba companies looking to grow their business beyond Manitoba and provides services to international companies interested in doing business with Manitoba companies. The WTC Winnipeg’s trade development team provides a range of services to help companies identify and pursue targeted trade opportunities, explore new markets, and seek international partnership opportunities. http://www.wtcwinnipeg.com/en/

Business Info Centre (BIC)

The BIC Provides services for business and individuals in partnership with the Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD). WD’s mandate is to promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and advance the interests of the West in national economic policy. Some of the services of the BIC would be to provide guidance from a Business Information Officer, Business Seminars and Training Workshops as well as Personalized Research.

The Business Information Officer can provide information on the following subject areas:

1. Grants and Financial assistance programs
2. Business plan
3. Taxes and regulations
4. Permits and licenses
5. Registering a business name, corporate registration, business number assignment, etc.
6. Import/Export procedures

Business Seminars and Training are available in English and French, attend remotely on your smartphone or other device, over 100+ free seminars/year. You can register online for these seminars.

The Business Information Centre does not provide any financing services.

Trade Services

The W.T.C. Winnipeg assists Manitoba companies pursue trade internationally as well as hosts incoming trade missions for international and out-of-province businesses wishing to visit Manitoba, explore business opportunities and discover the advantages of doing business in our city and province. This will increase engagement in trade as well as increase awareness of the trade and investment opportunities in Manitoba. Recently there have been trade missions hosted for representatives from Brazil, Mexico and Thailand.

Business matchmaking is available through the W.T.C. Winnipeg, this is due to the contacts with all other World Trade Centers.

Connectors’ Club

The premise behind the club is that ‘good connections lead to good opportunities’. The W.T.C. Winnipeg seeks to grow trade for Manitoba businesses and constantly receives requests for assistance in finding information, contacts and resources locally and internationally. By sharing these requests with Connectors’ Club members, connections can be made and business ideas and projects can develop into successful business ventures.

Personalized research is available for your company by demographics, geographical area, markets, trends, etc. Each client is allowed 1 hour of free access to the research data / year. The fee for additional time is $85/hr.

BizGrid is a growing document at all times, it is a Manitoba business support services directory: an interactive tool to navigate resources by stage of business and types of services. The chart allows you to search by ‘service’, a great help for entrepreneurs.

Centrallia

Hosted in Winnipeg, Centrallia is an international business-to-business forum focused on generating trade opportunities for small and medium-sized business. There have been four Centrallia events so far that have resulted in 15,300 B to B meetings. This has had a $13.8 million-dollar impact on the Manitoba economy. The format is simple and effective: each company receives up to fourteen 30-minute meetings with potential partners of choice. The full program includes one-on-one meetings, a trade show, industry tours, seminars, meals, networking events and a conference component.

Trade Accelerator Program (T.A.P.) Canada

Through its Expert Partners, TAP Canada gives companies access to Canada’s top exporting advisors, resources and contacts. Companies will have the opportunity to work with industry leaders to build a comprehensive export plan, and then begin its implementation. W.T.C. Winnipeg encourages companies to take advantage of this unique opportunity to accelerate their firm’s growth and export capacity. The services and visibility offered through TAP Canada are valued at approximately $25,000. W.T.C. Winnipeg is pleased to announce that program participation is free of charge for all successful applicants since the sponsors will be covering the registration fees. T.A.P. Canada is a four-day training / workshop program that will result in the company having an export plan.

Small Business Week Kickoff

The World Trade Centre Winnipeg kicks off Small Business Week on Monday, October 16, 2017 with a luncheon hosted by WTC Winnipeg Co-Chair David Angus. Small Business Week Kickoff will take place in the Wellington Room at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre. Hear the latest trends in technology, media and telecommunications alongside Manitoba entrepreneurs and business leaders. The keynote speaker will be Duncan Stewart, the Director of Technology, Media and Telecommunications Research for Deloitte Canada. He is a globally recognized speaker and expert on the forecasting of consumer and enterprise technology, and media and telecommunications trends. Tickets are single for $45 or 10 for $400.

French Toast

Nicole is the Past-President of the only French-language Toastmasters Club in Manitoba / North-West Ontario. The club is an opportunity to increase your knowledge of the French language and Franco-Manitoban cultures at the heart of St. Boniface. When: 7:30 am to 8:45 am every second Friday Where: World Trade Centre Winnipeg 219 Provencher Blvd., 2nd floor (located in the old St. Boniface City Hall)

Q/A 1.- Ed Gramiak asked how the W.T.C. Winnipeg is funded?
A.- Joint funding by Western Economic Diversification Canada, Province of Manitoba, fundraising events.

2.-Jack Wilson asked at what point would a business be wise to get involved with the W.T.C. Winnipeg?
A.- You could look at the programs offered as Import/Export 101 courses, so the answer is very early on in the development of the business plan.

3.-Ed Thompson questioned what, if any, influence has President Trump had on the information and guidance that is being provided by the W.T.C. Winnipeg?
A.- The Centre is still holding the status quo for now. They are keeping a close eye on the NAFTA negotiations. With the U.S.A. being such a large market for Canadian business, one would be wise to look at other foreign markets as a back-up.

4.- Bob Eilers asked if the Centre offers any advice regarding Free Trade?
A.- There has been a seminar on the topic in the past. The T.A.P. program should be used as a starting point to set up an export plan.

Jim Forestell offered a warm thank-you from the club. Nicole was advised that a donation in her name would be made to ShelterBox. Nicole advised that it was a pleasure to be here with the club.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Bill Johnson and his wife Janet are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary.

Al Pearen and his wife are celebrating their 40th anniversary. They are from the Boissevain area and were celebrating the anniversary in the Grand Beach area.

Happy Bucks

President Bob Antymniuk was pleased to recognize the effort to support the Roughriders win last week by Ed Gramiak placing a H.B. on his behalf. Pres. Bob was also just happy to be back after a very good two-week holiday. He happened to attend the same blues concert as Nancy Hansen and Peter Tonge.

Nancy Morris was pleased to have her daughter and son-in-law visit with the 2 little grandsons. Nancy had a great time! They left on Tuesday, the laundry got completed on Friday, but it was worth it.

Nancy Hansen had an un-Happy Buck for Calgary Airport that has recently removed 5 disabled parking spots and sold the spaces to Lexus. Nancy believes that the Lexus owners can find spots elsewhere.

Kris Wilson was pleased to complete the Calgary Airport story by advising that the airport authority has said that they will be creating replacement disabled parking spots in the near future.

Glenda Werbowski was happy to be in full support of the Blue Bomber win streak tonight. She was wearing blue and also had her toenails painted blue. She is truly, true blue!

Jack Wilson has some uninvited guests appear at his house. His wife, Muriel, will be spending the night upstairs hiding from the guests. Oh yes, the guests have four legs- mice. Traps have been set.

Paul Brault was outside looking for the eclipse at 1:00pm. Just at the same moment there was a small clearing of the clouds and he was able to catch a fast glimpse of the event. Photos were taken as well.

Jim Forestell was happy to see Myrna Driedger lauding the virtues of the Charleswood Rotary Club in the ‘Headliner’. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/metro/forum/Local-work-has-global-impact-440339943.html .

Al Roberts was very happy to have had family visit, that includes the granddaughter’s described by Al as “holy terrors”, with a smile on his face!

50/50

#021 was pulled. Darvin Jasper held the matching ticket stub. The odds when stacked against him this week, no blue marble for Darvin. The pot grows for next week.

Fines

John Inglis – “loser’ comment made

Ed Gramiak – volunteered Mike Dudar to lead us into the opening singing (GOOD CHOICE!)

Kris Wilson – paying for all those that used Boyd Halls’ name to get ice cream for their desert.

Golf Next Week; tee times booked at 3:00 and 3:10 pm.

Ribfest is this weekend - Free admission at The Forks.

Meeting Adjourned