Featured Stories
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COUPLES’ MASSAGE OR A SHAVE? by Maggie Pagratis
Boy times have changed! Twenty years ago, says Ida Fabbro, men and women had their hair cut on either side of the room—even at a unisex salon. Now, as owner and beauty connoisseur, she has gone all out. She spared no expense five years ago when creating Centropolis’ Spa Orazio; two floors of lavish extravaganza, tasteful heaven for the pleasure of self and others—with a grand piano smack in the middle—a tribute to partner, Robert Ricci, son of original founder, Orazio Ricci.
Women bring their spouses, says Fabbro, for a pedicure or a massage. A room specially designed to accommodate couples, with a simple curtain to separate the event. “Open or closed curtain?” your favourite massage therapist may ask. “Male or female hands to soothe the sore muscles?”
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INVESTING DO-IT-YOURSELF — YES YOU CAN! by Chris Scoularinas
I recently asked 20 people I know, all in their early to mid-thirties, the following simple open-ended question: How has the current recession and stock market crash affected your RRSP and/or other investments?
One person gave me a specific percentage of how much he was down this year. Three said they were probably down on the year but were not worried about it. Five people said they just keep their money in a savings account because they don’t understand finance and are afraid of anything other than cash or GICs. Ten others said they haven’t really checked and were meaning to get around to calling their financial advisor about it. And one even said, to my absolute horror, “What stock market crash?”
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MOSTLY FOR MEN—THEN
The Board of Trade, founded 200 years ago as a voice to represent the business community, then almost entirely comprised of men and createdfor men, is now headed by president and CEO, Ms. Isabelle Hudon, who has a word or two of refreshing wisdom for members of the business community—and, of course, of the human race.
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THE QUEEN WHO RUNS MONROI
Interview with Ms. Brana Giancristofaro
Maggie: While reading about your business, I discovered that MonRoi executed the world's first International Women's Chess Grand Prix....
Brana: I really love that we provided the opportunity for women in chess to be heard. Before MonRoi, they didn't have their own Grand Prix, particularly not an international one. We provide an opportunity to put them in the spotlight.
Maggie: Who came up with the name MonRoi?
Brana: I basically came up with the name. I was inspired by Quebec City history and culture. In French MonRoi means 'my king.' The king represents the prize which a chess player wishes to win. Both for chess and checkmate, both came from 'Char,' the Persian word for 'king.' But why not MaReine? Because the only female chess piece is the Queen, and at the same time, the most powerful chess piece. She can move in all directions across the board. Only in the 8th century did the queen appear on the chessboard when chess was brought to Europe from Asia. It was likely due to influence of female rulers in Europe.
Maggie: When did you start the business?
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GODS OF BUSINESS SENSE
Former theologian and pastor, Ralph Loewen, takes on the business world, turning Itergy into a Gold Certified Microsoft Company, and winning the coveted top spot in the Profit Magazine awards.
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| LIFE THE LEADER LUC FAFARD RIDES |
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The accident in '87 didn't kill him. The accident in '95 didn't kill him. And no, these were no small accidents. In '87, he fell over 30 feet to the ground as the entire structure of a steel building he was working on collapsed.
Seven months later Luc Fafard was to walk out of the hospital scathed and shocked but with life still full speed ahead of him, unfettered. In 1995, the accident changed him forever—but did not stop him either. He does not remember exactly how it happened nor does he want to. All he knows is that there was a tractor-trailer on the side and a pick-up truck in the front, and that he ended up underneath, with one arm paralyzed and half his face torn off. He recovered. Indeed he did. But not only did he recover, he decided to take life by the collar and live it to its fullest degree. Currently, he travels across the world, one continent at a time. He has ridden his motorcycle with one arm paralyzed and two hands fully functioning—due to the miracle, one might say, of modern medicine. When asked what caused him to survive, to walk out of both accidents, horrific ones at that, to be not only a contributing member of society, but far surpassing that by living the adventure most would only dream of, Fafard says it was destiny, and beyond that, who knows. Since the accidents, Fafard has, on numerous occasions, supervised the engineering at the Rallye des Gazelles in Morocco, toured the United States ensuring the engineering and safety of production stages, and is riding his motorcycle down most of South America, taking the random Bombardier BRP client to specified hard-to-find locations. He has accomplished much after the day some would have given up, chosen to just accept loss, a loss of a face unscarred, loss of a functioning and strong arm, loss of ability to concentrate for hours. But what has he gained? The ability to slow down, he says. The ability to look around you and see. The ability to appreciate the moment. And the knowledge that he likes difficulty and challenge in order to be motivated. He likes to overcome and to succeed despite the odds. Though often he feels it's a curse that something always happens, with some unbearable almost insurmountable obstacle in the way of each plan, things always work out in the end. This has been the gist of Fafard's life; being the winner not only in spite of difficulties but because of them. Before the accidents, he'd dreamed of a career within the movie industry, one where he would be responsible for the complicated engineering and special effects involved in movies. His life, he says, was on the perfect path, moving along like clockwork, but perhaps moving too fast, moving too much. Now he moves differently; he doesn't make pretend movies. He lives them for real. What would have been... what could have been... a life of sidelines and special effects for others...turned into real life, with Fafard smack in the middle—and riding it, with his bike, down a trip of the world—starting with South America. Hat's off.
—Maggie Pagratis
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