In 1862, word came from Queen Victoria herself: there was no Gentleman’s Club in Halifax, and it was high time one was put in place.

When the queen speaks, people listen. A dozen high-profile Halifax businessmen promptly got together and purchased land on Hollis Street, in the heart of the city. In less than two years the Halifax Club opened.

“It was a refuge from all that was going on in a man’s business and in the business world,” says Jodi Bartlett, general manager of the club today. “It was very exclusive, very prestigious, and very limited.”

Napoleon Room, Halifax Club

The club prospered. Over the decades, it remained a place where men met for billiards, cigars, business meetings and high-powered lunches. Connections were made, plans laid and deals brokered.

It didn’t change in a major way until 1985, when the first woman was allowed to join. (It was a 10-year lobbying effort by a female lawyer, Noella Fisher, that resulted in this “momentous” change.) Today’s Halifax Club, like private business clubs across the country, is nothing like the 12 old boys from 1862 had in mind.

THE CLUB SCENE
It’s not just that women now make up about 40 per cent of the Halifax Club’s 1,000-plus membership. Daily business tasks can’t stop at the door; cell phones and laptops are allowed everywhere in the building except the dining room.

“The club has to change,” says Bartlett. “(Today’s members) want to build business relationships, they want to learn… they also want to have fun.” And they want to do it efficiently. The Halifax Club hosts more than a dozen events a month, including lunch speakers, happy hours and dances. The dining is modern and high-end.

While members are still greeted by name, the doors have opened a little wider and the services have gotten a little more extensive. Because of it, the Halifax Club is thriving in a way many of its brethren are not.

FINDING ITS FOOTING
Douglas Reevey, president of the Union Club in Saint John, has been leading a major effort to rejuvenate his club. For decades, the business model was little more than “we are the Union Club.” The right people just joined — no recruiting necessary. That doesn’t happen any more.

The Union Club has been open since 1884, and in its current location for over 120 years.

“Back in the day, this was a place men could go for some privacy; men who had some wealth and were in business in the area,” Reevey says. He imagines the heyday of the 1930s and 1940s, when Saint John was bustling as the main port in Atlantic Canada. The Union Club was the place to be.

(Aside: women were allowed to join the Union Club as of 1936. They even had their own room, the Ladies Lounge, and linen towels and Pears soap in the powder room.)

“The private business club industry has been in a downturn,” he admits. “People don’t drink at lunch time anymore. Society doesn’t approve of three-hour lunches.”

To locals, though, the club is still perceived as a closed, elite group. “I invite friends here for lunch and they say things like ‘we can really go there?” The Union Club still has some prestige — but that doesn’t pay the bills.

Reevey reports the Union Club is evolving with the times, a move which put it on stable financial footing for the first time in years. They’ve started a regular lunchtime series with high-profile guests. There’s a new “younger, hipper lounge” upstairs that’s fully wired, and where cell-phone use is welcomed — unlike in the rest of the club.

This time last year, I shared the story of a Christmas Pageant – Target Margeting’s tale of cross-dressing, beer-swilling, mad-dancing mummers taking on the town for their unconventional seasonal office bash. For this year’s Christmas story, I bring you the 6 DaEYs of Holiday Spirit (the EY stands for Ernst & Young) – one organization’s way to get out of the office and into the community, giving something extra. And getting a lot back in return.

Something bigger
“We were brainstorming last fall about how we could bring some of the things we do together on a bigger scale for the people that we’re committed to,” says Lynn Healey, a partner in the firm’s St. John’s office, of the genesis of their spirit week.

They came up with the idea of a multi-day event – enough time to try out a few different activities, and really get into the spirit of the season.

Ernst & Young held its usual cake auction in their office building, and a lively in-house online auction – employees donate gifts like a weekend at their cottage, a home-cooked dinner, photographs they’ve taken, or home-made wine. All proceeds went to the YM-YWCA.

Santa's brew: Paul McCarthy, Leslie Collins, Matthew Dwyer, Scott Howell, Matthew Lewis, Colin Ryan, Corey Button, and Mark Seaborn (left-right) of Ernst & Young serve up free early morning coffee and hot chocolate on the steps of the Fortis Building in downtown St. John's. Donations were accepted for the local YMCA.

There was also a coat drive, a toy drive, a food drive. Wrapping gifts and waiting tables. Peddling coffee and hot chocolate on the street for donations. And more.

None of these activities, in themselves, is screamingly original. But put them all together in a week-long spree of goodwill, and nice things happen. Including $12,000 raised for local charities, and enough enjoyment and enthusiastic word of mouth that 2011 will bring 12 DaEYs – not just in St. John’s, but in the company’s offices across Atlantic Canada.

A dose of reality
Christmas is a notoriously busy time of year – especially for companies who are dealing with year-end responsibilities (for those whose “year-end” actually comes at the year’s end). And, let’s face it, the corporate environment is jam-packed with busy people throughout the year. It even took some days of co-ordination to catch Healey for a chat.

So, about this plan to run activities for six days straight … did the partners have any second thoughts?

“We definitely did!” Healey says, not missing a beat. “And we do again this year.

“Last year we pulled it all together really quickly, and worried we were taking on too much. But we got the right team to chip in.”

Therein lies a huge benefit of a week of cultivating the holiday spirit. Whether the Ernst & Young team were out on the streets of downtown St. John’s selling Santa’s Brew, being blown away when they saw the overflowing bins of donated food, or serving tables and decorating at the Hungry Heart Café, Healey says everyone brought the buzz back to the office.

“From a partner perspective, it was incredible to see,” Healey says. “It made us very proud.”

Some advice
Facing the 12 DaEYs of Spirit just around the corner, Healey has some words of wisdom for both her own colleagues, and any other business looking to do something a little bigger this year.

First: engage staff at all levels. Don’t leave it to the upper management, and don’t download all the tasks on the newest or most junior employees. Get in it together. “Actually, I was worried that some of the new, not-so-experienced staff would be wary of getting involved. But some of the younger ones really came on board with their knowledge of social media, new ideas, things us older accountants might not think about.”

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Instead of hitting up the same restaurants, why not invite visiting colleagues or guest (even the boss!) over for dinner?

There are those who look at food as little more than fuel. For the rest of us, food can be a great source of joy, discussion, debate, even collaboration. What’s better than breaking bread with friends? Trying new flavours while ravelling? Nabbing a piece of the cake that showed up unexpectedly at the office? Exactly.

Whether you’re looking for gas (meaning fuel, not, uh, gas) or a gastronomic adventure, we all have to eat. Sometimes we have to eat with those we work with.

This month, I propose you try something new. Don’t take the visiting colleague to the same restaurant you always go to. Don’t hold a dinner meeting in a crowded steak house. Don’t try to network over menus and wine lists. Don’t think I’m out of my mind for suggesting this: I say, invite the boss (or your team, or your guest lecturer) to your place.

“People can relax in their own homes,” says Kurtis Ellis, founder and chef of P.E.I.’s Simple Pleasures Intimate Catering. “They don’t have to worry about taking their children to the sitters; the home offers privacy if people want to talk about business.”

And if you don’t feel like doing the cooking, hire the pros.

Ordering in — in style When Ellis started Simple Pleasures in 2002, the concept of having someone enter a home to cook dinner was not an easy sell. “But it’s catching on,” he says. “People are getting really comfortable with it.”

Ellis’ goal was to offer a restaurant-quality experience in a private home. Menus are discussed and decided on ahead of time. The preparation of the dinner can be as interactive as you’d like: watch the chef at work, or sit in the living room and enjoy not having to chop and sear. It works because Ellis keeps the quality high, and the prices reasonable (a high-end multi-course meal, food and service included, starts at $50 a person, for a group of six).

Bob Arniel offers a similar gourmet service through Chef to Go in St. John’s. Chef to Go started catering small events in private homes back in 1995. “There are a lot of great homes in and around St. John’s,” Arniel says, “and it’s been fun to work in so many of them.”

These chefs do the prep work back in their own kitchens, and finish up in yours. They will craft menus, cater to special requests, and make sure that dishes are done at the right time.

And what does a host or hostess have to do to get ready for the chef? “Just make sure the counter space is clear,” says Arniel.

More than a meal Here’s something else to think about. Arniel offers day-long corporate seminars from his kitchen. He develops sessions around the planning and preparation of a five-course meal, ending with a fine dining experience of the group’s creation.

“It’s team-building through food,” says Arniel. “We get people a little out of their comfort zone, and inspire friendly competition.”

Craving more? Arniel periodically offers week-long foodie trips. There’s one planned for the south of France in fall 2011. I would never suggest you take the boss away for a week of foie gras and Coquilles St. Jacques, but it does sound like a great getaway. Just in case you need one after all that party planning.

Advice from the pros Whether you do the cooking or not, expert hints never go astray:

Go local “My clients love beef tenderloin from P.E.I., lobster, scallops… whatever’s in season,” says Kurtis Ellis of Simple Pleasures Intimate Catering. Not only is local food likely fresher and thus tastier, but you’re also supporting other businesses.

Think theme A theme can make it easier to plan a well-balanced menu, and spark discussion. Arniel says Italian multi-course meals — perhaps region-specific, from Tuscany or Venice — or Caribbean or French food are popular right now. Ellis suggests serving tapas (many small plates of appetizer-sized servings to share) for a more informal evening.

Wine and dine “People are really in tune to the wine and food matching,” says Arniel. If you are hiring a chef or ordering a catered service, ask for advice on what to purchase (some businesses will even do the buying for you). Breaking out a new bottle of well-chosen wine with each course can be fun (careful, though, that it’s not too fun).

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Does the idea of being trapped on a golf course for hours with someone you’re trying to impress terrify you?

Maybe it’s not so bad if you love the sport. But for me, someone who’s barely stepped beyond the driving range, lighting up the links and “relationship building” at the same time is mighty intimidating. Not that invitations come by very often for a freelance writer. But one did recently, and I had no idea what to do about it.

I asked for some advice from a friend. St. John’s-born Cory St. Croix now lives and works in Calgary as a senior originator for TransAlta Corp. He golfs with customers. He’s also taken them skiing, fly-fishing and, soon, bobsledding.

“I think that at least being able to negotiate your way around a golf course with a minimum of embarrassment is useful,” he says. “At least if you are in any sort of position where you are likely to get asked to golf.

“If you have time to get some lessons and are interested in learning to golf, I would suggest that.”

Fine Fairways There are over 190 golf courses in Atlantic Canada, many of which are ranked near the top in the country. Top courses often compliment the jaw-dropping scenery with fine seafood and facilities.

Though this sounds intimidating to a novice like me, research shows the majority of resorts do cater to beginners by way of private, semi-private or small-group golf lessons. For $100 to $200 you can usually snag three private lessons. “That’s a good place to start,” says Kirby Carruthers of Lake Loon Golf Academy in Dartmouth, N.S. Carruthers has been teaching golf in the area for 20-plus years.

“Most people come to me with corporate golfing in mind,” he says. And more than ever, women are coming out. “More than a few … are sick of being stuck in the office and working overtime while the boys are out playing.”

His advice for the beginner? Pick public golf courses that are friendly to beginners to start. Practice (this game requires time and patience). Hang out with someone who knows the game. Most importantly, get to know the etiquette and the pace of play.

“Ignore the score. It’s more important to know how to carry yourself: where to put your bag, how to set up, how the game works. That is what people who play with you will remember,” Carruthers says.

The drive to drive A random (read: Facebook) survey reveals that yes, business does get done on the links. “Relationships are built and maintained, which opens the door for business conversations later,” was one response. Another related the story of a fellow who did ALL his business on the golf course. As a result he hated golf but found it useful if not entirely necessary to operate his computer business.

The downside to golfing on the job: explaining that yes, you are working and no, you’re not out for an afternoon of beer and balls with your buddies. “You’re constantly forced to ‘be on’ and you are trying to not only make a mental note of what the customer is saying, but you are also thinking about making a good impression and figuring out the right way to bring up work talk without being a bore,” Cory St. Croix says. “So it’s not all fun and games.”

That said, he appreciates those sunny afternoons away from the office — who wouldn’t? “Yes,” St. Croix agrees. “Being in marketing does have its perks.”

Where to go? There are as many top-10 lists as there are golf resorts. But here are a just a few courses in Atlantic Canada that seem to be mentioned most often:

THE LINKS AT CROWBUSH COVE, P.E.I. Golf Digest’s best new Canadian course in 1994; arguably this stunning seaside course kick-started the now impressive golf industry in P.E.I. (at least 22 courses within a 90-minute drive on the island).

HIGHLANDS LINKS CAPE BRETON, N.S. Ranked one of the world’s top 100 Courses (No. 79, Golf Magazine, 2007) and Canada’s No.1 public course (Golf Magazine, 2007). Stunning “mountains and ocean” course designed by Stanley Thompson in 1939.

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What is the thing to do when you’re entertaining visitors from out of province, or better, from outside of Atlantic Canada? I’ve been asked this a few times lately and I say the answer is this: take them to see the sea. Weather permitting of course.

Sure, this end of the country can now hold its own when it comes to fine places to dine, wine, spa and sleep. And that’s all great, but if you want visitors to really understand why we live and work here, you’ve got to get outside. There’s whale watching, seal watching, tide watching, iceberg spotting, deep-sea fishing, sea kayaking, coastal Highland drives — or you can head out and haul in a lobster trap with Captain Mark Jenkins.

Jenkins is a lobster fisherman by trade and by birth. While many of his colleagues in the fishery went west to work for at least part of the year, Jenkins found a different way to make ends meet. The good captain has a special permit to keep three lobster traps in the water throughout the summer, and these traps are key to the success of Charlottetown, P.E.I.’s Top Notch Charters.

Jenkins can take 12 people on his boat at a time — this is definitely a small-group activity — for a tour, a chance to haul a lobster trap, a meal of fresh lobster (yes, the boat is licensed, if you’re wondering), and education by way of entertainment.

“I do explain how I make a living,” Jenkins says. “My grandfather, great-grandfather were fishermen. We talk history, technique, a little science, how lobsters live, how to tell a male from a female. We pull the traps… they can help if they want… I tell them how to cook, shell and eat the lobster.”

Jenkins leads the excursions with his brother, and the two make it fun for themselves and their guests (recently including Regis Philbin), telling stories and carrying on “just like you’d expect from two fishermen.”

Jenkins is pragmatic about his small business. The charters provide not only supplementary income, but also an opportunity to familiarize people with lobsters. Any promotion of the product, he figures, will only boost the value of his day job.

For more than a dozen people, though, the best options for a seaside event likely lay elsewhere. Just down the coast from Captain Mark’s charters lies the ideal location for Over the Coals & Under the Moon— one of many superb-sounding seaside meals on offer during Atlantic Canada’s finer months. This particular one caught my eye because it involves a fire on the beach.

Organized by Rodd Hotels and Resorts (they own a handful of properties in P.E.I., N.B. and N.S.), Over the Coals begins in the hotel lobby. Yawn, right? Then the piper arrives.

Guests follow the wailing bagpipes down to the beach. Then it’s all about sand underfoot, an oyster shucker and seafood steamed in seaweed on the beach. There’s music and refreshments and plenty of time to network. After the lobster bake, it’s time to recline by the bonfire.

“Picture it: the sun is setting over the beach, the waves lapping in,” begins Janet Higgins, national sales manager for the resorts. “People come here and they’ve never really spent time on the ocean and they can’t get over it.”

Some groups indulge in fireside Bailey’s and marshmallows; others go with brandy and cigars. There could be storytelling, guitar and songs – depends on the crowd. Unlike some of the resort’s other events (kitchen parties, barbecues and so on), Higgins says she always recommends this particular one be scheduled for the last night of a conference or retreat. “No one is going to shoo them off the beach at 10:30; these events can go deep into the night,” she says.

“Look, I’m from here and it still gives me the chills,” says Higgins of the view from the beach. But she’s pragmatic too, as she reminds all that the great outdoors can inspire more than awe.

“People tell me there have been more deals made here on the beach … million dollar deals have been made on that beach.”

It may not be politically correct to start a business meeting with the proffering of an open cigar box, but the cigar culture is still here. You just have to know where to find it.

How times have changed. At the turn of the century, Sieverts Tobacco had a factory by Halifax harbour where employees would hand-roll cigars to be sold in their store on Barrington Street. Over a hundred years later, that store is still on Barrington Street and still boasts cigars and pipes as the cornerstone of business. The factory, however, is long gone – and so are the days of cigar bars and smoking in public. Even the cigar renaissance of the mid-1990s has cooled, when the glossy and celebrity-studded Cigar Aficionado seemed to bring back some of the shine on the stogie.

This isn’t a bad thing – smoking anything at all is unhealthy, no question. Still, there’s something about the cigar as a mark of success, of celebration, of something going right. Of boardroom conspiracy and collaboration. Of dark wood and leather. And though you may no longer be able to walk in and casually browse Sievert’s humidors (Nova Scotia law states tobacco products be shielded from consumers), there is still a cigar culture in Atlantic Canada.

“It’s not as busy as it once was,” fourth-generation Sievert owner Craig Sievert says, “but we’re still in business: the cigar will always have a place at a celebration, as a gift, as something to be enjoyed.”

On Moncton’s Main Street, Keating’s Tobacco Shop is equally a landmark institution. Open since 1926, Keating’s boasts one of the biggest cigar selections east of Montreal, displayed lovingly in six double-door humidors.

“Our business is still strong,” says Joe Vasseur, taking a quick break on another busy day in Keating’s. “We see many professionals, business people, tourists. We serve the people looking for a three-dollar throwaway cigar for around the campfire as well as the aficionado looking for a fine cigar to enjoy with a glass of Scotch.”

Vasseur prickles at talk of tobacco laws, drawing a distinction between mass-market cigarettes and small, cheap cigars and the higher end products that are available. “The laws are definitely not friendly to a business like ours,” he says. “But we’re a speciality shop, catering to a clientele looking for a premium product.”

Whether you enjoy a cigar or not, you can still – perhaps – appreciate the nostalgia it evokes. “People today are in a big hurry,” explains Sievert. “They rush their lunches so they can get off early and go home. They don’t hang around…When they killed public smoking, they took away some of the time people spend together.”

Vasseur shares this lament, which is not so much for a cigar smoke-filled room but for a time when busy working folks took time out to relax, reflect and breathe deeply. “It’s much the same as enjoying a nice bottle of wine or a nice cut of meat,” Vasseur says. “A good cigar is meant to be consumed slowly, at a leisurely pace – not ripped into. It’s not a stress-reliever or something you chain smoke. It’s a leisure activity.”

“Look, cigars are not for everyone. But those who like one are not criminals … everyone should find what works for them. It’s about good living.”

Cuba vs. everyone else: “You can’t really go wrong with a Cuban cigar,” says Sievert. Vasseur agrees, adding that Dominican and some Central American cigars are now about equal, though without the marketing dollars behind them. “Quality is increasing across the board,” he says.

Size does matter: If you’re buying for someone else, try to find out what size of cigar they like. A big fat stogie is not for everyone.

The last word: “Do not light a cigar with a Zippo or oil-based lighter,” says Vasseur, “unless you like the taste of petrol.” Use a tasteless butane lighter, a wooden match or – if you’re really looking to go all out – light a small piece of cedar (available at finer smoke shops) with your match, then use that to light the cigar. “Hold the flame at least half an inch from the cigar, and turn it slowly, four or five times.”

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Are you up for an apple blossom facial in the Annapolis Valley? How about a hot stone massage with stones smoothed by the tides of the Bay of Fundy? Or a waterfall massage under crystal clean east coast water? Canadian rosehip scrub? Seaweed wrap? How about a little something called the Stress-Less Express? I’m sure most of us could use one of those right about now – and perhaps we all should.

“We push very hard at work and push very hard in our personal lives,” says Rob Pejsa, president and chief operating office of Moncton’s Escape Spa (home of the chocolate truffle body wrap, among other things). “Eventually you reach a place where you’re not able to bring your best game to the table. Take time for yourself, and you’ll find yourself much more capable. We tell our clients and staff, ‘the world stays outside our doors.’ It’ll still be out there later. But for those one or two hours, however long we have you, you give yourself permission to disconnect.”

Is it that hard to do? “Sometimes we don’t realize what bad shape we’re in,” says Willa Mavis, owner of Saint John’s Inn on the Cove and Spa. “I can’t believe what a difference a massage or a pedicure makes to my happiness.”

Spa well

Even infrequent spa-goers know the health and aesthetic benefits of spa services. Massages reduce stress, release tension, treat aches, pains and stiffness. Facials, wraps and scrubs detoxify, clarify, tone, brighten and relax. Pedicures are beloved as a treat and a confidence booster – even in the winter, when pretty feet are stuffed into big boots or thick tights.

Ten years ago, when Mavis opened her spa, she had her work cut out for her. “A lot of people had only heard the word ‘spa’ on game shows like The Price is Right, where contestants could win a new spa,” she says. “So we opened and men would call up wanting to buy a spa for their wives.”

How times change. Day spas and destination spas have popped up throughout the region, and they’re as high-quality and luxurious as any in the country. Now Mavis (and all the other spa owners spoken to for this article) says men are the newest loyal spa goers. They may opt for services with names like ‘sports pedicure’ and ‘massage for the active manly man,’ but also manicures and facials.

“We keep our spa decor gender-neutral,” says Linda Brigley, owner of Spirit Urban Spa in downtown Halifax. With its big, comfy armchairs and warm wood furnishings, Spirit’s ‘just for men’ services include a “First-time facial.”

Spirit has popular corporate programs as well. “Treat clients or staff to a spa day of relaxation,” she says. “It could be some time together with or without an agenda, or sometimes spa services are paired with a motivational speaker or a spa retreat.” Meetings, events, socials – the spa is becoming a popular and healthy alternative space for a conference or celebration.

But where to begin?

Here’s the rub: Massages are the most popular spa service, especially for business travellers. “It helps immunity, gets the kinks out of your neck, restores balance,” says Brigley. “And many executives have health plans that will cover it.” Next on the list are pedicures and facials, especially those favouring organic ingredients.

You don’t need the whole day: All spas offer express services which can be scheduled for lunch or dinner breaks. The Spa at the Monastery in St. John’s, Newfoundland touts its “Stress-Less Express” as the perfect antidote to a long day or a lengthy trip: body scrub, hydrotherapy and a massage – in and out and feeling fabulous in two hours. “From energy boosting to nourishing skin to pain management, there are so many benefits to just stopping and taking time out for the spa,” says manager Michelle Melee.

But don’t rush too much: Whether you have an hour or a full day for your spa visit, allow for some chill time. At Spirit Spa, enjoy a steam shower or sit in the Tranquility Room (“a whisper zone where the only sound is the sipping of herbal tea,” according to Brigley). If you stop by the Inn on the Cove and Spa, accept Mavis’ offer of tea and homemade cookies.

Suddenly, crazily-clad characters start to appear. Women dressed as men, men dressed as women, all adorned with ill-fitting odds and sods from the wrinkled corners of forgotten closets. Faces are covered with old sheets, underwear has become outerwear. There’s rubber boots, all-in-one long johns (with an ample trapdoor), an ugly stick and plenty of laughter.

The bosses: Target's President Noel O'Dea with creative director Tom Murphy. Photo: Nicholas Langor.

The garish gang files into the Crow’s Nest, a cozy pub in the heart of the city. As individuals start to make the first guesses about who’s behind the oversized bra or tucked behind the lace curtains, local personality Chris Pickard (he’s the city’s Town Crier, among other things) starts a story telling session, beginning with an explanation of the history and traditions of mummering. Good thing, too – there are come-from-aways in the group and a few are uncertain about what exactly is going on.

So began Target Marketing and Communications’ 2009 staff Christmas party. Throwing himself into the spirit of the occasion was the advertising and brand architecture firm’s founder and president, Noel O’Dea. Proudly sporting a 44DD bra stuffed with balloon breasts over a butterfly-print dress,O’ Dea lived up to the philosophy he espouses in his business life: “It’s the opposite of beige,” he said recently, reflecting on the event. “We try to avoid the Salon As in the bottom of a hotel,” O’Dea continues. “It’s nice to so something that’s creative and unexpected … and when you throw in a bit of cross-dressing, you know it’s going to be a good time.”

Mummering, for those who are unfamiliar with it, is a longtime Christmas tradition, particularly vibrant in the smaller communities around Newfoundland and Labrador through the 1800s and early 1900s. People would dress up, always disguising their faces, and venture from house to house. Once the mummers were identified, there would be rum, hot drinks, stories, singing and dancing.

“I love the story telling tradition,” O’Dea says. “It gives you licence to do an awful lot of things. It’s very involving; you can’t be dressed up without engaging, it gives you a change to be someone new. Just like advertising.”

Ryan Cleary, Ingo Eckoldt, Terri Roberts, and Geri O'Dea. Photo: Nicholas Langor.

There is no doubt that seeing the boss relax and be downright silly is one of the best icebreakers possible. Having a bit of an adventure together – whether it be exploring a new venue, trying new foods, acting out a murder mystery or putting together a holiday fundraiser – can be a real boost to office morale.

“It’s absolutely critically important,” O’Dea says about planning creative parties. “If work is not fun, then it’s just work. To be stimulated … to put people into different situations, let them enjoy themselves, it builds a team.”

O’Dea’s favourite moment from Christmas ruckus 2009? “Oh, it was all great,” he says. “Though there was something about hiding an open beer from the police on George Street while wearing a woman’s dress …”

Like I said – not for everyone, but try to find something that is. ‘Tis the season for fun and frivolity.

Do you have a great party or event story to share? I’d love to hear it! Let me know at stephaniejporter@gmail.com.

Whether it’s a kayaking trip or the chance to be a soldier for a day, employee incentive programs are growing in popularity in a competitive marketplace

I recently met up with an employee of an advertising firm for lunch. She was distracted, all a-flutter about a workplace competition. Staff were embroiled in an intense Wii Fit sports challenge, with various awards up for grabs. The top prize? A day off. She was desperate to win it, having already used up her vacation for the year and craving a break.

It got me thinking, extra vacation time is a pretty good motivator. That might get me to push harder through the work day. It would certainly work for the employee above. Others may be drawn by other benefits, such as a trip, concert tickets, or a gift certificate for a nice restaurant. This is the world of employee incentives (an industry in itself) and it makes sense that these programs would be absolutely key to keeping staff productive, happy (and in their jobs) in a competitive and mobile marketplace.

The Stats

Mercer, a consulting firm specializing in human resources, recently completed a survey on workplace policies and practices in Canada. The 2010 data shows 37 per cent of respondent companies reported holding sales contests, up to four a year. The most popular prizes? Trips and paid vacations. Gift cards, merchandise, plaques and trophies were also high on the list. Trophies?

“It’s true, I’d rather a trip than have my name on a plaque,” laughs Marie-Christine Piron, a principal from the company’s Montreal office. “But those internal rewards and recognition programs do help motivate employees.” Piron says almost every company she’s dealt with across the country has been talking about “increasing non-cash rewards to increase employee retention and engagement.

Piron says today’s creative incentive plans focus on anything from the ever-popular flex time to hiring a housekeeper for a day. The real challenge, she says, is developing a program that’s going to meet the needs of all employees.

The Rewards

Most of the major arenas and stadiums in Atlantic Canada have corporate boxes; tickets are often awarded to employees. Golf packages and fishing getaways are always popular high-end rewards. A hotel in Nova Scotia awards employees points for certain achievements (e.g. a positive comment, increasing business) and those points can be redeemed for product or lifestyle awards.

Travel companies like Vision The Atlantic Co., based in Pasadena, NL, offer expert help in planning travel incentive packages on the east coast, whether their clients are looking for adventure or luxury. Destination Halifax offers to “motivate, energize and inspire” with valley wine tours, sea-kayaking adventures, or the chance to be a chef or soldier (seriously, you’d get to wear a kilt and fall into drill a la 1870).

Angela Collins of Harbour Grace, NL, sells Arbonne, a Swedish-made line of nutrition and beauty products. She’s increased her sales to the point where she was awarded a Mercedes-Benz for her efforts. She’s also got a complimentary cruise coming up this fall with her husband, and has already been on an all-expenses paid trip to Arizona this year. “For sure!” she answers when asked if the material incentives are motivation. “If you don’t have a goal, you don’t have a plan … they’re great to keep you pushing yourself a little bit harder.”

Her thoughts on running an effective incentive program are two-fold: first, you have to find something your people want (in her case, Tiffany jewellery and luxe trips fit the bill); and the goals required to receive those rewards have to be challenging – but attainable.

Joel Ives of PEI’s Century 21 Colonial Realty says training and personal development opportunities are huge motivators. There is also a focus on hosting charitable events, which “gives agents a sense of pride in what they are doing and makes them feel good about being part of the business.”

That’s important but let’s be honest, it’s not going to be enough for everyone. “Sales is sales,” a local rep for a national pharmaceutical company tells me (he can’t divulge specific benefits thanks to a confidentiality agreement, though he admits the incentives are “substantial”). “What motivates people or sales people? All I can say is, money.”

Does your company or business have a creative incentive program? Let me know at stephaniejporter@gmail.com

Though it is still often defined by the traditional (romanticised) cultural mosaic of the rural fishing village, Newfoundland and Labrador is an increasingly urban and urbane society. As the rural population dwindles, the province’s major municipalities are, generally, the beneficiaries of the change, posting healthy retail sales and expanding business communities. In this feature report, Atlantic Business Magazine takes a closer look at the province’s five most-heavily populated municipalities, a handful of cities and towns who together account for over half of the province’s GDP.

Included under each municipality is a list of the major public and private capital projects and spending programs for each region, as published in the provincial government’s document, The Economy 2010, released with the annual budget. While the combined capital projects of the five municipalities total just under than $2-billion, less than 10 per cent of the $21-billion planned or underway in the province, it must be noted that the provincial total includes many provincial programs, as well as such big-ticket items as the $7-to-$11-billion Hebron development and the $3-billion Vale Inco nickel processing plant at Long Harbour. For more information: economics.gov.nl.ca/MP-about.asp (Note: population figures are from the 2006 census.)

City of St. John’s (pop. 100,645)

Embracing urbanization

As Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city, it’s not surprising that St. John’s has the largest economic footprint of any municipality in the province. “St. John’s is unique in this province and it’s iconic,” says Derek Sullivan, chair of the St. John’s Board of Trade, referencing the city’s striking geography and landmarks. “St. John’s has a lot of prominence, as a centre of artistic excellence and … as a driver and centre of business and prosperity.”

In fact, the St. John’s Census Metropolitan Area (which includes neighbours Mount Pearl and Conception Bay South, also on this list) actually accounts for 50 per cent of the total provincial GDP and 37 per cent of the province’s population. It is the province’s indisputable post-secondary, retail, arts and cultural centre as well as home to the largest airport, university, hospitals and government offices. Indeed, one in five businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador are located in St. John’s, Sullivan points out, noting that many of the companies working in the province’s oil and gas industry have corporate offices in the city.

It’s a fact worth noting: St. John’s (and the province overall) weathered the recent recession handily, largely thanks to the continued interest in oil exploration and production. “We’ve had 15 years of growth in the offshore energy sector,” Sullivan says, calling it an “absolute” transformation in the city. “Just look at the number of restaurants, at the kind of restaurants that are here … and we’ve got another strong 10 years for sure.”

While some may bemoan the global trend of populations moving out of rural areas and towards urban centres (St. John’s has increased in population every year since 2000), Sullivan prefers to look at the positives. Innovation, research and development need a critical mass to thrive, he points out, and St. John’s is building an international reputation as a centre of ocean excellence for this reason.

“Urbanization presents opportunities to the province,” he says. “You can try to fight urbanization, or you try to embrace the opportunities and prosper by it.”

Major Capital Projects 2010: $1,200.3-million

All figures in millions

Property developments and subdivisions: $428
Health care facilities: $365.4
University buildings, projects and residences: $100.8
Multi-purpose facility (Pleasantville): $101
Commercial buildings: $56.5
RNC Headquarters redevelopment: $50
Metrobus terminal: $34.2
Condo, apartment, residential developments: $24
YMCA: $15
Sheraton Hotel renovations: $10
Vera Perlin Society renovations: $4
Colonial Building restoration: $2.5
Indoor soccer facility: $7.2
Industrial land: $1.7

City of Corner Brook (pop. 26,625)

The ‘mini-capital’

Don’t let anyone – or population statistics – tell you differently: “We’re still the Second City,” says Mel Woodman, president of the Corner Brook Board of Trade. “We’re still the centre hub and the only city on the west coast of the island.” R.J. Locke of Corner Brook’s Business Resource Centre prefers the term “mini-capital” for describing the city’s importance to western Newfoundland.