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

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!

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

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

From the age of five, my daughter had been taking skating lessons through the City of Toronto. However, after three years of trying to pass Level 1. she finally decided that she had lost interest in skating, and quite frankly, I didn’t blame her.

Since I believe that everyone in Canada should know how to skate (comes with the territory), before throwing in the towel, since I decided to research a few of the private skating schools, to see if it was worth the time and money.

One of my first calls was to the arena where I played hockey as a young boy, where I came across the North Toronto Skating Club. I explained to Marie, the director, what had happed with the city lessons, and she offered to let my daughter try out a few of lessons before we committed to joining. She tried out the hour long lessons for three weeks, and enjoyed them enough that she decided she wanted to continue. In addition to Marie’s initial offer, and taking my daughter under her wing, she also pro-rated the fees, since we were starting in the middle of the season.

While I am sure the longer lessons had something to do with it, I truly believe that the instructors, the drills, and the systems used, played most of the role in my daughter once again enjoying skating, and within four months, passing not only level 1, but also level 2, and going on to participate in the end of year skating show.

With the right people and program, in just a few months my daughter had made a huge improvement, and also gained back her confidence in skating. This year my daughter decided to join the club again, and is presently working on Level 5!

The staff at the North Toronto Skating Club are very experienced and knowledgeable in the work they do. The lessons are always on time, extremely organized and the kids really seem to have fun.

I thought I could save a few dollars with the city lessons, but as my wife occasionally reminds me that sometimes you have to throw a few dollars at the problem. Skating lessons seems to be one of those times 🙂

Overall, I am very impressed with the club, Marie and all of the instructors, and I thank them for making skating more fun for my daughter and myself.

Marie Jonsson
Club Administrator
North Toronto Skating Club
North Toronto Memorial Area
174 Orchard View Boulevard
Toronto, ON M4J 1C3
416-485-2721
northtorontoskatingclub@gmail.com

Recently, I took my first trip to Hawaii with my family. Aside from the great scenery and getting to scuba dive, the one thing I was excited about was to have the opportunity to try some extremely fresh sushi and seafood.

One restaurant in Maui that was recommended to me was Sansei Seafood & Sushi Bar at the Kihei Town Center. The restaurant is located in a strip mall, and nothing fancy, but my friend told me that the sushi was “the best in the planet” and I had thought, I have to eat there!

The chefs are known for their innovative creations, and their bold flavours. You can expect a variety of choices on the menu that you can’t get our hands on at your local sushi restaurant. The servers are patient, and take time to describe the menu items, and cater seamlessly to their customers needs.

During my visit, the restaurant was lively and appeared upscale. Every dish was visually appealing, and detail oriented; and every piece of fish was fresh.

My favourite dishes were the Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Roll and the Mango Crab Salad Roll, both of which are on their award winning menu. The crab roll consists of Sansei’s Asian crab salad, ripe mango, kula greens, and crunchy peanuts wrapped in a mamenori hand roll, and served with sweet Thai chili vinaigrette.

If you are a non-fish eater, or are dining with young kids, don’t worry…there are non-seafood options, such as chicken, as well as a children’s menu. There is also a menu for those who have gluten allergies.

If you still have room, don’t forget to order dessert. The deep fried vanilla ice cream is the best way to end your meal.

After 10 pm on Friday nights, much of the sushi and appetizers are 50% off, while on other nights they have free Karaoke for their guests.

If you are traveling to Maui, give this restaurant a visit, and experience the best sushi on the planet!. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time to secure a table!

Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar

Kihei Town Center

1881 South Kihei Road #KT-116

Kihei, Hawaii 96753

808-879-0004

www.sanseihawaii.com

Normally, when I’m using this blog, it is to highlight an outstanding company, so I want to be transparent, as this time I am highlight a company that is also a client of SQM’s.

A couple of weeks ago, I needed to get to Windsor for a meeting, and decided to take the train, instead of driving.

For starters, I was concerned about the weather conditions, as they can change very quickly. One minute the weather is fine, and the next you are driving with snow squalls which are no fun and can be quite dangerous.

As for dollars and cents, it turns out that coach fares were as low as $60.00 each way. Since the drive would have taken a full tank of gas, each way, which in my car is also about $60.00, it turns out that taking the train was going to be about the same price for this trip.

As a result, decided the best way to commute to Windsor was on VIA Rail as there are more benefits.

Taking the train meant I would have time to be productive. In fact, it almost felt like another day working at the office, because I was able to use my phone in the quiet surroundings, to chat and to answer emails, while I had my laptop to do work and and surf the web with the WIFI that was included. When I arrived, I felt refreshed and ready to go about my day. I had no complaints at all, and did not have to stress about driving or finding parking.

I know the trains aren’t perfect, but my experiences have always been quite positive. Commuting for longer than you should can throw off your entire schedule, and in my experiences, unlike air travel, there seem to be minimal weather-related or train traffic delays, and unlike driving, you don’t get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway.

Overall, the train was on time, the seats were clean and comfortable, and the staff were friendly. I recommend taking the train for anyone who is planning on traveling out of town, and wants to arrive stress free with excellent customer service experience.

For general information or booking, call 1 888 842 7245