In more recent times, as I have been recovering from my rotator cuff injury, Chris has referred me to Dr. Shaun Lemann. Shaun is a chiropractor who works alongside Chris at the Sport Medicine Clinic and he is highly skilled and reliable in his field. While moving into the final phase of my injury treatment, Shaun has recommended a number of necessary therapy approaches. Recently, I have been working on my range of motion with Shaun, and I have already been seeing improvements. Asides from chiropractic, Shaun has experience in a number of different experiences in therapy and physiotherapy.

Like Chris and other experts at the Sport Medicine Clinic, Shaun will patiently listen to your issues and problems. He will professionally assess you as he is very good at identifying specific problem areas. Although sometimes the treatment is painful and I cry of severe pain, Shaun has significantly helped to maintain my usual bright and positive self. Both of these doctors, Chris and Shaun, will gladly see to your injury even if it’s not a sports injury.

Sport Medicine Clinic
79 Wellington St. West,
36th Floor, Toronto, ON M5K 1J5
416 865 0903

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Many years ago, I developed a back problem that seemed to arise whenever I played hockey. When I visited my chiropractor, he could not figure out what the problem was and instead, referred me to a guest speaker at the chiropractor college named Chris Broadhurst. At the time, he was the team therapist for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As the pain worsened over time, I decided to be proactive and reach out to Chris myself. He kindly invited me to his office to have a look at the issue soon after. Within 5 minutes he diagnosed my back problem and recommended certain exercises that I should do continuously. I took his word and eventually my back started to improve. To this day the pain has not resurfaced. Getting other body injuries, however, was never an issue for me and whenever I had to get treatments, I always went back to Chris.

One particular incident stands out to me the most out of all my times with Chris. When I tore a ligament in the knee, he was able to quickly refer me to a doctor and a surgeon. Because of his fantastic skills, I was back at playing sports, including skating, within 6 weeks after the surgery. I remember a couple of other interesting injuries I pulled off, including my rotator cuff, and for all of them Chris was able to direct me to medical professionals after providing me with physiotherapy treatments. It’s no surprise that my recovery time was significantly shortened with Chris’ medical expertise.

Not only was he the team therapist for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he was a personal therapist for Wayne Gretzky as well as other NHL athletes. He is so talented at his field and remains to be one of the most respected physiotherapist. However, the most important truth I want to emphasize is that Chris does not care whether you are an NHL hockey player or a famous singer. He treats all of his patients the same way and he will give you whatever amount of time you need. He enjoys working and helping your our average Joe as much as a professional athlete. Currently he has two clinics: Sport Medicine Clinic and Lifetime Sport Medicine Clinic. I would highly recommend visiting these clinics if you ever need a skilled physiotherapist.

Sport Medicine Clinic
79 Wellington St. West,
36th Floor, Toronto, ON M5K 1J5
416 865 0903

Lifetime Sport Medicine Clinic
3055 Pepper Mill Court,
Mississauga, ON L5L 4X5
289 290 6457

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Earlier this summer, my wife and I found ourselves in the Emergency Room, at North York General Hospital, several times, due to some severe back problems she was experiencing.

While the problem was diagnosed during the first visit, despite the medications, the pain became worse, and we had to return the next day.  When we went back to the Emergency Room, as is typically the case, it was very busy and crowded.  While my wife was not looking for special treatment, she was in a lot of discomfort and wanted to lie down, however there was no room to do this.  I went up to a nurse and informed her that while my wife did not need to be seen by a doctor immediately, she was in a lot of discomfort and couldn’t remain in the same position.  After listening to my wife’s situation, the nurse was very accommodating and took my wife to a room where she could lie on a bed.

As I sat in the room with my wife, I witnessed first-hand the doctors and nurses in action.  For starters, every doctor and nurse was busy, hustling around, and very focussed on the tasks at hand.  One doctor in particular, was taking care of a young boy who had broken his arm.  She understood that the patient she was dealing with was a young boy who was hysterical, and made every effort to be calm, patient, and explain to the boy what she was doing, at all times.  Another doctor attended to my wife, listened to her concerns and adjusted her medication, allowing her to be a bit more comfortable despite the circumstances.

Round three for the Emergency Room visits, occurred a few days later, when my wife had to return to the hospital to obtain a renewal for her prescription.  Despite the ER being busy and crowded, we happened to have bumped into the same doctor that originally took care of my wife.  The doctor remembered us, and as such provided us with the necessary prescription, getting us in and out of the hospital quickly, both for my wife’s comfort and to make life a bit easier on us..

People can be stuck in the Emergency Room for many hours, and it is often very daunting, stressful, and upsetting. However, throughout all of the interactions that my wife and I experienced, I truly believe that the doctors, nurses, and staff at North York General Hospital have the public’s health care in their best interest.  Despite the stress, crowding, and busy schedules, once a patient is seeing a doctor, the focus is completely on the patient…where it should be.  My only complaint is the high parking fee, however when it comes to patient care, the people at NYGH were amazing, and helped put my wife on the road to recovery.

North York General Hospital
4001 Leslie Street
Toronto, ON M2K 1E1
416-756-6000

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Over this past summer, I decided to tackle one of my home renovation projects, which involved me staining the fence in my backyard.  While it seems as if staining a fence would be a relatively simple and straightforward project, to do it right, it is actually a somewhat long and hard process.  As such, I decided to start the project by visiting my local Home Depot, on Billy Bishop Way, near Dufferin and Wilson.  When I arrived at the Paint Department, an eager employee asked how he could help me, so I told him about my fence staining project.  Based on the answers to my questions, he suggested that I would need approximately three gallons of stain to complete the work so I followed his advice, and bought three gallons.

As I embarked on the project, very quickly it was apparent that the employee really miscalculated the amount of stain I would require, as the cans were being used up and I had a looooooong way to go.  In fact, given the amount of stain I would still require, I decided to purchase a pail, which consists of five gallons.  Later on, I actually purchased a second, five gallon pail, and I still wasn’t finished!

Near the end of the project, I had to keep purchasing more and more gallons of stain, and not taking the “buy four get one free deal” (the pail is five gallons for the price of four) because of underestimation, until I bought a total of 13 gallons!  It was still not enough to cover the entire fence, so to complete the project, I headed back to the store, on more time, for what should be the last gallon of stain.

When I walked down to the Paint Department, once again, a long-time employee noticed that as a regular customer, I was not my usual jovial self, and that I seemed to be a bit miffed about something.  She asked me what was wrong, and how she could help me, and while I was reluctant to bellyache, I told her about the long and time-consuming fence staining project and the inaccurate initial estimation of the three gallons of stain, which ended up costing me close to $100.00 in extra purchases.

The employee apologized, without hesitation, and offered to give me the last gallon of stain for free.  I expressed my concern, that she would somehow get into trouble, be she assured me that this wouldn’t be the case.  She explained that she could justify the offer, as I would have had the last gallon free if I had purchased a third pail, and because she knows I am a regular customer, that I wasn’t trying to trick her.  We filled out some paperwork, I got the free gallon of stain to complete my project, and I was on my way a few minutes later.  I know that this was only one gallon of stain in a lengthy project, but this employee made me extremely happy, at a time when I was becoming increasingly frustrated.

The moral of this customer service experience is that the Home Depot at Yorkdale has amazing staff members, and they are empowered to make certain decisions that create the happiest of customers. While the Home Depot motto is, “You can do it, we can help,” another fitting motto would be, “We make it right when we make a mistake”.  The team in Yorkdale’s Paint Department is very experienced, knowledgeable, and is composed of some great and caring people.

Home Depot
90 Billy Bishop Way
Toronto, ON  M3K 2C8
416-373-6000

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Over the summer, I had the pleasure of conversing with an employee in the office who was from Afghanistan.  The conversations usually become about food, and in this case, specifically Afghan cuisine.  The employee told me about a restaurant which was near our office, and ensured me that it served the best Afghan cuisine in Toronto.

A few weeks ago a bunch of us were up for something a bit different and decided to visit the restaurant for lunch.  When we arrived at the location, we immediately noticed that the location was very busy, but the line up was moving along at a good pace.  We were welcomed by two smiling employees and given fast, friendly service.  Since it was our first time in the restaurant, and my very first time eating Afghan cuisine, the staff members were more than happy to give some suggestions and recommendations.

The menu consisted of platters, kabobs, wraps, and salads, along with a number of drink options.  So as to not hold up the line, too much, I decided to try one of the platters, which included meat, along with a generous portion of rice, salad, and nann.  While the meals took a while to arrive due to the fact that they were cooked to order, the food was hot, fresh, and delicious, which more than made up for the wait time.

The order of Sultani Kabob was delicious and filling.  It was a combination of two kabob menu options, which were the Barg Kabob and Kofta Kabob.  The order included skewers of lean beef that was marinated in seasoning and spices, and chunks of filet mignon that were marinated in the restaurant’s own special seasoning.  One of my colleagues ordered a wrap, which was I am told was equally as delicious and filling.  The wraps were served with a soft tortilla and filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and the restaurant’s famous sauces.  The side order of Kabilee Rice did not disappoint, either.  It consisted of basmati rice topped with raisins, carrots, and almonds. Not to be forgotten was the large piece of nann that seemed to accompany most meals.  It was served piping hot and was perfectly baked.  Overall, the other SQM staff and I found our meals to be very satisfying.

Since our first visit, we have gone back to the restaurant a few more times, and have found both the quality of food, along with the service to be just as good as the first time.  Despite having visited many restaurants in Toronto, Afghan cuisine had never come across my mind in the past, however my experiences at Bamiyan Kabob have made me add yet another country’s food to my list.

Bamiyan Kabob
62 Overlea Boulevard
Toronto, ON L3S 4S1
416.429.7514
www.bamiyankabob.com

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Given some recent conversations I have had, I felt it was important to write this blog, realizing that it is somewhat different from most of my other posts, but I hope it makes sense, and possibly inspires you in one way or another…..

Like many people who enter the world of commerce, I left university bright eyed and bushy tailed with only a handful of contacts and the knowledge of what I had learned over the last four years. I knew there would be a long road ahead of me, and I wouldn’t get to where I am today without a little help from my friends, so to speak.

In business, it seems, that many people like to talk the talk, without necessarily walking the walk.  Many industry professionals like to talk a big game when it comes to being philanthropic, whether they donate to charities, volunteer their time every so often, or offer a helping hand to those young people up and coming in their respective fields.  Unfortunately. I have found over the years, that when contacting some of these people, what they say they are willing to do doesn’t always line up with reality.  Often times people are too busy for you, sometimes they are condescending, while others won’t even return your call.  While this is an unfortunate truth within the business world, it is not what I intend this blog to discuss.

Instead I just want to take this space to give a shout out to all of those contacts I have made over the years who have made some time for me.  From lawyers to accountants, presidents of major corporations (banks, insurance, newspapers) to owners of sports teams and hotel chains, no matter how wealthy, or important, or busy they may be, throughout my time I have found that there does exist a group of people who know the importance a wise word and helping hand can be to a self made man like myself.  It can be difficult to know where to start in the business world, and just as tough knowing where to go once you are on your feet.  It is with help from people like I have just mentioned, that got me where I am today, and hopefully where I aspire to be in the years to come.

I believe there is an old saying that reads something like…give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.  To all of you who have helped me to learn how to fish…and you know who you are…thank you for your time, advice, and direction.  To others who are in a position to help out, I encourage you to teach others how to fish.

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Well, it would appear that, contrary to popular belief, I can sometimes be kind of right. In one of my last posts, I discussed what I believed to be a bright future on the horizon for our nation’s beloved Canadian Tire. It would appear to me that, if my most recent visits to the store are to be any indicator, that the future is bright.

A few years ago I purchased a Mastercraft screwdriver from my local Canadian Tire. Eventually, one of the pieces managed to go missing. I cannot take all the blame, however, as the bit I was using did not properly fasten into the screwdriver. As anyone who does their fair share of handi-work knows, you’re going to need a Phillips-head screwdriver every once and a while. To solve my dilemma I went to my nearest Canadian Tire with the screwdriver and all of the bits in hand.

I arrived expecting to be put in touch with their supplier and having to wade through the many levels of bureaucratic nonsense that often accompany a task as simple as getting a replacement part. However, much to my surprise, and delight, I was informed by the first employee I approached that all Mastercraft products come with a lifetime warranty and was told to go pick out any other screw driver I wanted. I went and found another screw driver that I felt was an adequate replacement for the faulty one I was returning. The store took back the old one and gave me the new one, no questions asked, absolutely free.

Here I was, having gone in expecting to have to deal with countless customer service representatives and employees, leaving in a fraction of the time I had expected. Once again, within weeks of my last visit, I had gone into a Canadian Tire expecting a headache and instead left having one of the most pleasant customer service experiences I’ve had in a while. So thank you Canadian Tire for not driving me ‘screwy’ and doing your ‘bit’!

Canadian Tire

1019 Sheppard Avenue East

Willowdale, ON M2K 1C2

(416) 226-4411

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Like the majority of Canadians I am no stranger to the wondrous sights and sounds that accompany the semi-weekly trip to my favourite, neighbourhood Canadian Tire. And like anyone who has ever been to a Canadian Tire, or even just spoken to a Canadian, I am more than familiar with the rhetoric that surrounds ‘Crappy Tires’, as they’re so often referred to. However, I have fortunately been given reason to believe that change is, indeed, in the air!

Three years ago, I purchased a barbecue and matching cover, for my office, from my nearest Canadian Tire store. After a year of protecting our new barbecue, the cover was cracked and broken. I returned to the store with the cover and was able to exchange it for another one. After another year had passed, the new barbecue cover also needed to be replaced.At this point I was becoming slightly annoyed, after all, what good is a barbecue cover that can’t protect itself?

I phoned Canadian Tire’s customer service line, slightly dismayed, expecting to receive an offer for another cover that I knew would again last twelve months tops. Instead, I was informed that the covers I had been receiving were faulty and was told that in a few months they would be getting a new supplier. The employee assured me that when this new product came in I would get, free of charge, a brand new cover. As if that were not enough, the company was sending me a $75 gift certificate to spend on a temporary cover in the meantime. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

The people have spoken and Canadian Tire has listened; I am optimistic that change has come to Canadian Tire for the best. So, from barbecues to boats Canadian Tire has got you covered!

Canadian Tire
2180 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M4S 1B9
1(866)746-7287

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Normally, this space is reserved to highlight outstanding companies, however, from time to time I feel compelled to write about issues that regularly occur in the business world.

Now I realize that water is a precious commodity, but whether at fast food restaurants, movie theatres, or sporting events, I find it extremely frustrating when I ask for a cup of water, and in return, I receive either a child sized cup and / or a cup without a lid.

What I find even more frustrating is that many of these same businesses want to maintain a clean establishment, and in some cases even communicate the message to the public, saying something along the lines of “help us keep the place clean,” however, their actions say something different. For example, I remember the time when I was rushing to get to my movie and half of the had water spilled on the floor. Aside from not having enough to drink, this now became a safety hazard for others, as the tile floor became slippery.

I understand that many businesses count cups as part their inventory practices, but I truly don’t believe I am making an outlandish request.

Customer service plays a big role in business, and the level of service delivered by employees often determines how truly valued the customers are to an organization. I have to think there is a better way to provide outstanding customer service while keeping the establishments clean, without inconveniencing customers.

I would like to raise my cup to those companies that do it right!

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Now I realize that everyone has had it with our long, cold winter, but as they say…when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Keeping that attitude in mind, a few weeks ago, I drove up to Snow Valley, a ski resort located in Barrie, Ontario, after I learned about their snow tubing facilities.

Whether you are a first timer or an expert Snow Valley has suitable activities available for every person. Aside from skiing and snowboarding, the resort offers a number of other activities including snow tubing and snow shoeing, or you can simply hang out in the cafeteria or the outside fire pit.

As mentioned above, the purpose of our visit was to check out the growing craze, known as snow tubing.

Snow tubing is one of the few snow activities where it is not necessary to purchase expensive equipment and gear, however, helmets are available to rent for both children and adults.

Depending on the hill you choose (there are about six different slopes), you can go down with two to five people all connected. I believe you have the option to chose one big tube or on this day, use individual tubes that become attached together.

The system is simple and after you obtain your tube, the staff hook you to a tow system that pulls you to the top of the hill. Once you get to the top, there are staff who set you up, and give you a push to send you on your way.

These aren’t your tiny bunny hills, so once you head down, it is a fast and exhilarating ride. In addition, the resort plays music in the background which just helps to add to the excitement and spirit. Once you get to the bottom, you stop on a rubber hill, pick up your tube, and head back to the tow system.

Prices vary depending on how many rides you choose to purchase, but are approximately: one ride for $6; five rides for $20, and 10 rides for $40. There are also deals for night season passes, night tubing and weekdays. Parking is also free, and the cafeteria prices were reasonable.

The facilities are very well operated, and I found that the staff were knowledgeable and friendly towards all of their guests.

The resort is now closed for the season, but I can’t wait to go back next year!
Snow Valley
2632 Vespra Valley Road
Minesing, ON L0L1Y3
705-721-7669
http://www.skisnowvalley.com

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My first experience at the Sky Zone Trampoline Park was over March Break, when I went with my daughter.

My daughter and her friends love the place, so I decided to check out the place for myself.

In addition to individual trampolines for each person, Sky Zone includes a number of activities and programs including: long trampolines for jumps and tumbling, a basketball dunking area knowns as Sky Slam, a jumping pit known as Foam Zone, Ultimate Dodgeball, and Jumpapalooza, where guests can enjoy all-access to everything at the Sky Zone on Friday nights.

My daughters favourite room is the Foam Zone where she was able to jump off the trampoline runway into 10,000 cubes made of foam, but since it took me almost three minutes to get out of the pit, I stuck with the individual trampolines.

In addition to short term visits, this is a great place for birthday parties as they offer a package that includes pizza, drinks, ice cream, a private party room, birthday cake, and of course…trampolining. Group packages are also available for private events such as social, church, and youth gatherings, or even team building outings.

In addition to being fun, Sky Zone is a great alternative for exercising at a gym, with every activity resulting in you burning calories and improving your cardiovascular health. Some say trampoline is risky, but as long as you follow the rules, you will be safe

Reserving a time is fairly easy to do, by booking through their online system. Simply pick the date and time you would like to visit, the amount of time you would like to jump, and away you go!

Tickets are quite reasonable – it is $8 for a 30 minute jump, $12.50 for a 60 minute jump, $16 for a 90 minute jump, and $19.50 for a 120 minute jump. You must also purchase their socks with grips before heading off to the activities, however, they can be reused for your next visit.

It should be noted that all guests must fill out a waiver, online, prior to jumping, and it is suggested that you arrive half an hour early to change and store your shoes and other belongings in the lockers provided. Unfortunately, no outside food is aloud, however, the Sky Cafe offers snacks and drinks for guests.

Sky Zone is a fun place to spend a few hours and great place if you don’t mind bouncing off the walls… literally!

Sky Zone Toronto
45 Esandar Drive
Toronto, ON M4G 4C5
416-421-4567
http://www.skyzone.com

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