I can’t remember when I first started writing for publishers Pat and Tim Ottman, but I have a copy of a column dated August 2006 that began by saying ‘I’m back in business, back writing for Business in Calgary about the comings and goings in our marketing and communications community.
As an alumni of that industry I do enjoy chatting with agencies and public relations practitioners, and I will still call them, but it is time for a change so that I can ramble on about others who continue to invest their time and talent in running businesses in this city.
Despite the problems of a terrible virus, never mind tax increases, we have a pretty resilient group of business and association leaders who have the confidence and experience to see us through.
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A couple of those are Geoff Hardwicke and Todd Blevins who, after running the day-to-day operations for the past three years, have bought the marketing division of Trigger Communications from Larry Bannerman who will be focusing his efforts on running Trigger Financial Division.
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It has been nice to relax with a quiet lunch at home; a cheese and onion sandwich with a nice cup of green tea and a good book. I can usually get through four or five pages before I nod off. But I have missed lunches with business people which are so much nicer than any Zoom conversations. A couple of my favourites are with Lou MacEachern at his favourite Il Chianti Restaurant on 20th Avenue N.W. for a hearty bowl of minestrone, and at the Austrian Canadian Club for a plate of Wiener Schnitzel and a glass of red wine while swopping stories with Hardy Neilsen of Norcal Group.
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But golf season will come eventually for those of us who haven’t had the good fortune to play in Palm Springs all winter. Playing elsewhere can be fun, especially when teamed with complete strangers. On Maui I’ve had couples from Comox who bragged about playing year-round, and one lady who scared me a little by announcing, “I’m from Sant Cruz and play twice a week – how often do you play?” Best story is from Tony Militano of Carbon Copy Digital who arrived with his wife on Maui’s Wailea Emerald Course and checked in to find they were to enjoy 18 holes with Alice Cooper and Stedman Graham.
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A big booster of local business, I found it frustrating during the extended quarantine period when libraries were closed one could buy a book from Costco but stores like Pages in Kensington had to be closed to the public. Hope ordering online worked for them.
End Quote: If the mountain was smooth you couldn’t climb it