editor’s
letter
Happy New Year and welcome to Business Elite Canada’s first issue of 2016!
Last year was a tumultuous one for our country with a number of ups and
downs that made many feel as if they were riding a financial rollercoaster. Fi-
nally, we ended 2015 with the Canadian dollar and oil prices down, overseas
investments at their highest in eight years, a new Liberal government with
changes on the horizon, and hope for a brighter economic future in the years
to come.
Speaking of bright futures, late last year Business Elite Canada attended the
fifth annual Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario (AABO) conference
held in scenic Niagara Falls, Ont. The event brought together people from
various organizations for a single purpose — to increase the number of ab-
original people employed in skilled trades in Ontario. As the need for skilled
labour continues to rise in Ontario, it makes sense to work with aboriginal groups as a means of filling that
need and, in return, help First Nations communities become increasingly successful and self-sustaining.
Take a moment to read through the short list of success stories on page 18 — they’re just the tip of the ice-
berg! We also spoke with the Technical Trades Academy, which provides apprenticeship training for the welding,
plumbing and steamfitting industries. Located in Brantford, Ont., the organization has developed partner-
ships within the aboriginal community to help prepare aboriginal students who are interested in learning a
trade. With employment rates of 85 percent for students who have completed their training, it’s clear that
this training facility is on the right track.
Also inside this issue:
• Is cyber crime a risk for your business? Find out why identifying your company’s vulnerabilities is one of
the best investments you can make.
• Check out Calgary’s WestView Builders, a company combining innovation and creativity in its communi-
ties of award-winning homes.
• Who doesn’t enjoy snack foods? One Canadian business has found a way to elevate potato chips and pop-
corn, developing a handcrafted snack that delivers huge flavour.
• Bodybuilding and steroids are two words that seem to go hand in hand. Discover how the president of a
Canadian drug-free bodybuilding and fitness association is working hard to change that perception.
heryl Long
Editor
JANUARY 2016
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