Smart Partners Of Manitoba
Sixth Annual Smart Awards
Simone Smith
Welcome to the sixth Annual Smart Awards.
It is good to see so many of our friends again.
This has been another busy year for Smart Partners.
The Computer Lending Library was started in Selkirk in 2005. And in 2006 when the concept was extended into the capable hands of Rhonda McCorriston at CAHRD the CLL concept grew so quickly that there was a waiting list of 400 people within the first two weeks!
Our Virtual Business Incubator has been serving clients successfully for five years with the support of Western Economic Development. Soon, we will take a new and exciting step by creating a Business Innovation Centre with Virtual Incubation and strong new partners.
The LearningCiti was launched in 2006 and Smart Partners was proud to be in the company of Red River College, University of Winnipeg and our friends at Neeginan Institute for this community project.
We look forward to the coming year. We expect exciting new projects to begin and we will continue to build on the partnerships we have cultivated over the past 10 years.
Kyle Molotkin
We are pleased to have with us tonight, Mr. Kyle Molotkin, from the Canadian Information Processing Society Manitoba Chapter. Mr. Molotkin brings greetings and will be announcing the CIPS partnership role in the Computer Lending Library.
Thank you Kyle.
Keynote Speaker
David Dobbin
David Dobbin is President of Toronto Hydro Telecom Inc. He is responsible for leading the market growth and development of Toronto Hydro Telecom, with operational responsibilities for business strategy, sales and marketing, network operations, services creation and customer care.
Dave has extensive knowledge of the telecommunications industry in Canada. In recent years, he has provided strategic counsel to carriers and large corporations both nationally and internationally on projects related to telecom network construction and optimization. He has been instrumental in assisting a large number of municipal electric utilities in Ontario enter the telecom business.
Thank you David.
In appreciation of our speakers, Kyle Molotkin and David Dobbin, Simone, Chair of Smart Partners and Karen Keppler, Executive Director, present them with a gift. Each is receiving “Winnipeg, Images from a Century Ago”, a book of historical pictures of the City of Winnipeg.
Warren Wilson, Master of Ceremonies
for the Award Presentations
The 2006 Smart Award Winners |
Smart Award for Education -
The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation
Accepting the Smart Award for Education is Marcy Richard, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation
Presenting the Smart Award for Education is Dale Oswald, Co-chair of Smart Partners of Manitoba
The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation was created in December 2000 by the Province of Manitoba – a volunteer board with no operating budget and no paid staff. The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation has provided over $150,000.00 in post secondary awards to 59 Aboriginal learners.
It is through innovative partnerships that the Foundation positions itself to continue the work it does. Thank you to all who continue to support the Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation.
Smart Award for Research - Dr. Lotfollah Shafai
Accepting the Smart Award for Research is Dr. Lotfollah Shafai
Distinguished Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba
Presenting the Smart Award for Research is Al Hykaway,
President of the Canadian Information Processing Society Manitoba Chapter
Dr. Shafai completed his B.Sc. degree at the University of Tehran in 1963 and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering, University of Toronto, in 1966 and 1969, all in Electrical Engineering.
In November 1969, he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba and has since 1975 made special efforts to link University research to industrial development, by assisting industries in the development of new products or establishing new technologies.
He has been the recipient of numerous awards and in 2002 was elected a Fellow of The Canadian Academy of Engineering and Distinguished Professor at The University of Manitoba. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Applied Electromagnetics and is International Chair of URSI Commission B.
Smart Award for Innovation - Shocknife Inc.
Accepting the Smart Award for Innovation are
Rory Bochinski and Jeff Quail of Shocknife Inc.
Presenting the Smart Award for Innovation is Alvin Keppler,
Chair of the Smart Partners Technical Committee
Shocknife Inc. is a privately owned Manitoba company who manufactures and distributes the Patent Pending Shocknife SK-1 and related products. The Shocknife was invented by Jeff Quail, a Canadian Police Officer and court-declared expert in Police Officer Survival Tactics. The Shocknife is currently being used to train Police Officers, Correctional Officers and Military in over 15 different countries around the world. The Shocknife is manufactured entirely in Manitoba. The artistic design of the Shocknife was created by Poetker Designs, the electronics were a result of ingenious work by Alex McIlraith from Red River College.
Smart Award for Business - Westward Industries
Accepting the Smart Award for Business is Glenn Eggertson,
Comptroller for Westward Industries
Presenting the Smart Award for Business is Len Andrusiak,
President of Seerx Technologies
Westward Industries Ltd. was founded in 1989 by Mr. Larry Mauws. Mr. Mauws designed and built the first model of the GO-4 to fill a need in the marketplace for a reliable, maneuverable, comfortable and efficient vehicle for use by police departments for parking patrol.
Over the years the vehicle design has been modified to meet the changing needs of customers and demands for environmentally friendly products. Due to our ability to meet customer needs and implement technology, Westward has experienced very gratifying growth over the past 17 years and in mid 2006 all of the shares of Westward Industries Ltd. were purchased by Frontier Capital Partners.
Westward is the only supplier of street legal, three wheeled, parking enforcement vehicles in either Canada or the United States.
Smart Award for Culture - B+B / KVA Dynamo
Accepting the Smart Award for Culture on behalf of all members of the B+B/KVA group are Mr. Val Corvino, General Manager of B+B Dynamo, and Mr. Dean Keating, General Manager of KVA Dynamo.
Presenting the Smart Award for Culture is Jocelyne Prefontaine,
Board of Directors of Smart Partners
Two Winnipeg-based companies have worked closely together in the same markets for more than 25 years, and share a distinct culture that helps both be successful. Both work out of the same building, each with its own General Manager.
B+B Dynamo & Armature repairs electromechanical products, especially electric motors and generators. KVA Dynamo sells new electrical power products, especially electric motors and controls. Conflicts are avoided by Putting The Customer First.
Putting The Customer First has shaped their whole approach to doing business as well as the culture.
Ingredients in their culture recipe include generous profit sharing with all members of the companies; continually investing in better equipment and facilities; lots of communicating (including listening) and lots of training that results in everyone pulling in the same direction while keeping overhead low; hiring talented, smart people who share the values needed to do things the B+B/KVA way
Smart Award for Connectivity - LearningCITI
Accepting the Smart Award for Connectivity on behalf of the LearningCITI Team is
Mr. Mike Langedock of the University of Winnipeg
Presenting the Smart Award for Connectivity is Don Reece, Director of Information Technology, Pembina Trails School Division
Mr. Langedock is the Executive Director of the Technology Solutions Centre at the University of Winnipeg. He has over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology field, the last 8 with the University. Mike is a BA graduate from the U of W, majoring in both the “Justice & Law Enforcement” and “Business Computing Science” disciplines.
Mike is no stranger to wireless technology. After some isolated hotspot experimenting at University of Winnipeg’s downtown campus in the early 2000s, the impetus to “go big or go home” presented itself in 2005. By mid-2006, the University of Winnipeg became the first Western Canadian campus to offer an all-building and greenspace service everywhere and anywhere to its students, faculty, researchers, staff and even the general public.
Then came the LearningCITI initiative, an unbelievable opportunity to work through the University of Winnipeg, jointly with Red River College and the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development. It allowed for the concepts of community service, collaboration and wireless to come together.
Smart Award for Green Technology - Responsible Electronics Recycling, Selkirk & District Community Learning Centre
Accepting the Smart Award for Green Technology is Mr. Joe Smolinski, Chairman of the Selkirk & District Community Learning Centre Board of Directors.
Presenting the Smart Award for Green Technology is Jim Bakken from Green Manitoba
The RER concept is simple…staff and volunteers refurbish any salvaged ewaste that could be loaned through the Computer Lending Library to needing community members. It has been firmly established that ewaste when placed in landfills release very toxic components that over a period of time can leech into the earth and cause contamination of the ground and drinking water supplies. The priority of the RER program is to reduce this type of waste contamination and further, to promote re-use and recycling, specifically with e-waste. Keeping these items out of the landfill and making refurbished computers available to those that can’t otherwise afford them sends a powerful message on the value of conservation, recycling and community goodwill.
The RER program was conceived by the Selkirk & District Community Learning Centre. Since the late spring of 2006, RER has redirected more than 80,000 lbs of e-waste from entering the local waste stream. The RER program is operated by the staff and volunteers of the Learning Centre under the direction of Chairman of the Board Mr. Joe Smolinski. Community partners include the R. M. of St. Andrews and SIW Storage.
Smart Award for Community
- Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development
Accepting the Smart Award for Community Mr. Wayne Helgason
Presenting the Smart Award for Community is Gino Braha,
President of G. Braha & Associates
For more than thirty years, CAHRD has provided employment preparation, employment referrals, training, adult education, literacy, and post secondary education.
“Our vision is to share the responsibility of self-determination for all Aboriginal people in Winnipeg by providing quality education, training and employment opportunities through partnerships with community, educational institutions, business/industry and government.”
Neeginan Institute, the technical training arm of CAHRD provides industry skill-specific training to meet the needs of industry partners who then hire directly from Neeginan’s training programs. Over the past three years, CAHRD’s Neeginan Institute has garnered partnerships with twenty of Manitoba’s largest employers and many smaller companies.
Training in Computer Fundamentals has been delivered to over 500 Computer Lending Library Participants, who have received a computer from the CAHRD operated Computer Lending Library distribution centre. This program provides training, hardware and software to those who may not otherwise “bridge the digital divide”.
Smart Award for Youth - Nishant Balakrishnan
Accepting the Smart Award for Youth is Mr. Nishant Balakrishnan
Presenting the Smart Award for Youth is Susan Zuk
Past President of CIPS
Mr. Balakrishnan is a student at Fort Richmond Collegiate completing Grade 11. He has always been highly motivated by science and technology. His interest has also extended to building guitar bodies, as well as high power guitar amplifiers, designing his own layout and circuit design.
Nishant has been on the honor roll throughout his studies and has the following achievements to his credit:
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Six time gold medal winner at Manitoba Schools Science Symposium
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Three time recipient of “APEGM Engineering” award
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Two time recipient of “Best Individual Engineering Project” in the Intermediate level category and one time award winner of “Best Individual Project” at the Intermediate and Junior level category at Manitoba Schools Science Symposium
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Was selected twice to participate in “Canada Wide Science Fair Award” in Calgary (2003) and in Vancouver (2005) and was awarded medal placements.
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Was also awarded the “George Fletcher Award” at the 2005 Canada Wide Science Fair.
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Has been the recipient of “SmartPark Innovators award”
Smart Award for Smart Champion - Norm Lee
Accepting the Smart Champion Award is Mr. Norm Lee
Presenting the Smart Champion Award is Murray Matiowsky,
Manager of Communications, Manitoba Hydro
When Norman Lee left his 27 year career as an educator to become a consultant to governments, he was described by one of his former students as having a “heart of fire and indominatible will.”
Norm was recruited from Bird’s Hill School to recreate many of his national award winning programs for Industry Canada’s SchoolNet. He created four national programs for SchoolNet, based on the 18 national and international awards his work received for excellence and innovation in technology education. When the opportunity to create a science and technology organization from the ground up was presented to Norm by the Government of Manitoba, he enthusiastically took on the role of the coordinator of what has become MindSet, the Manitoba Network for Science and Technology where he has worked for the past 7 years. MindSet has also been recognized with national and provincial awards, mostly for its work in creating public/private sector partnerships to support the development of a science and technology workforce.
Norm’s contribution to creating smart communities in Manitoba has been noted at many levels. His work was presented twice in the House of Commons as part of the solution to creating a more technologically literate workforce in Canada. Canadian political and science leaders have shared the work with world leaders such as former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and former President George Bush. (That is the other George Bush!) Every Canadian Secretary of State for Science and Industry over a 12 year period visited Norm’s classroom, leading then Minister of Industry Tom Hockin to describe the work as “a national treasure.”
The excellence and innovation of Norm’s work in science and technology career awareness, gender equity in science and technology careers and the development of public/private partnerships has attracted many international and national partners to MindSet such as Microsoft, Sanofi-Aventis, AutoDesk and the Canadian Biotechnology Educational Resource Centre.
Norm Lee has been a long-time friend of Smart Partners and has spent a large part of his life promoting the value of Smart Communities.
Honoured Guest - Dr. Jon Gerrard
The Sponsors of tonight's event are:
Co-Sponsors
Our Sincere “Thanks” to you for making this celebration possible! |
The awards were designed by Innovative Laser Works of Winnipeg.
The theme of eagles was chosen since the eagle captures the essence of tenacity, of soaring higher and further than the rest.Visit Innovative Laser Works at:
http://www.innovativelaserworks.com
Programs were designed and printed by Lincoln Park Gallery.
Visit Lincoln Park Gallery at: http://www.lpgallery.mb.ca
