On a Construction Site Expect the Unexpected: Potty Story

Collage: You Would Never Guess - Smell, Inconvenience and Expense
2011 @ wobuilt.com
Credit: MS Office ClipArt MC900030301

On a construction site
you have to expect the unexpected
and sometimes the bizarre.

Normally we don’t tell "potty stories".

OK, it is the slow season and I guess we are getting the winter blaahs. And I am suffering from writer’s block. I cannot think of anything interesting to write about the subject I love best, design and build of home additions and extensions.

So, here is a "you can only shake you head" story. On one occasion on one of our sites we disconnected an existing toilet and stored it away from the drain but still in the washroom for later re-installation. It was very obvious that there was no water or drain connection. Or so we thought. Some time later we noticed this awful smell emanating from the direction of said toilet. Further investigation found that someone left an offering to the "dunny" deities in the non-working toilet, "forgot" to tell us about it and left us to deal with the "sh*t". Why this person couldn’t use the working toilet on another floor is a mystery.

Now the issue with this situation is that you are dealing with biological hazardous waste and you have to get experts involved, the ones who come in with the suits, the masks and you hope..... an unmarked vehicle. Quite often these experts also deal with crime scene clean up and may advertise this on their vehicles. Nothing will excite the neighbourhood more than seeing a vehicle with "crime scene clean-up" written on the side.

Anyway, we did not envy them their work. It took several hours of gagging by the experts to dispose, clean, disinfect, sanitize and air freshen the site. I guess this was the best $500+++ spend for a long time. But if I ever find out who the culprit was I will…!!!!

On a construction site you have to expect the unexpected and sometimes the bizarre. No amount of supervision, foresight, rules, processes, signs, sign-offs and people acceptance of those can prevent all the human foolishness. It can only help to minimize them. Hence any incident which becomes humorous in hindsight is still bad, but bearable.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Wo-Built Inc: Design + Build Construction Company: Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
by Janice Bell

eHow.com: Biological Hazards on Construction Sites
By Geoffrey St. Marie, eHow Contributor
updated: November 18, 2010

labour.gov.on.ca: Ontario Ministry of Labour: Construction
Here you will find a wealth of construction safety information — and links to more resources.
Revised: September 2010

labour.gov.on.ca: Ontario Ministry of Labour: Health and Safety
Safe At Work Ontario is the Ministry of Labour strategy to protect workers’ health and safety on the job.

Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at "Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood" Gathering
Hacienda Mexicano Grill (1353 St. Clair Ave W.), October 21, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

In the Corso Italia area, there is a community of merchants, residents, schools, visitors who come to see the goings on in this little village and even the construction workers who have been in, around and all over the area breaking and making roads. Merchants in the community have come together by the efforts of Venus Creations to market for one another to help develop more business within the neighbourhood.

However, this group of business operators has become more than just a network marketing organization - they have become friends who show kindness to each other, help one another with their problems and issues and get to know the personalities of the people. To name a few, Sunnyville Grill, RE/MAX Realtor, Amar Flowers, FunClips Coupons, Optometrist, Tiger Dragon Kung Fu, Agio Ristorante, IC Savings, AMS Advertising, Guardian St. Clair Village Pharmacy, Via Espresso, Portuguese Book Store and Venus Creations.

Just west of Davenport on St Clair Avenue, there are two restaurants next door to each other but at virtually opposite ends of the globe and styles of food. Chef Marino at Agio Ristorante creates four-star high style Italian cuisine in our very diverse neighbourhood of casual eateries. And, immediately next door to Agio you find the Mexicano Grill Restaurant where owner-manager Alejandro Rangel serves up a taste of his homeland.

This past Friday, Venus Creations held another of its evening social events where our local merchants meet and get to know about what's on offer in our area and to enjoy the friendship of neighbours in business. In Alejandro's Mexicano Grill, the food is a pleasant surprise for the uninitiated into Mexican food as you will see below.

Once people started to arrive, course after course stated to arrive each surpassing the previous one in flavours, texture and colour. Of course there were homemade nachos and dips that spanned from creamy guacamole to a hot cilantro-pepper dip that left our mouths tingling.

But, the most interesting and interesting looking dish was the carne mole - spiced chocolate beef in a soft tortilla. This was wonderful and not at all what it looked like. This dish looked like wedge shaped slices of tortilla drizzled with chocolate sauce. But, the flavour is rich, beefy, and spicy with a familiar trace of chocolate flavour and aroma. This was brilliant. Don't think of the chocolate so much as a chocolate bar - all sweet and chewy. Instead, image the delicate and complex flavours in an aged glass of port. Now map this complexity into the form of a beef dish and you start to experience this dish.

If for no other reason than to try this mole dish, do make a point of visiting the Mexican Grill for lunch or dinner. You will not be disappointed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

By the way, the next gathering with Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood will be at Vivid’s Pizzeria on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 anytime from 6:30 pm. Come to try authentic Italian pizza, to meet and mingle with other local business owners and operators, to help develop more business within the neighbourhood. For reservations call Joe at 416-890-2692.

See you there!

links:
thetravelzine-torontosc: Agio Ristorante
thetravelzine-torontosc: Mexicano Grill
Urbanspoon Toronto: Old Toronto: Corso Italia Restaurants: Caribbean / Greek / Italian / Japanese / Mediterranean / Mexican / Portuguese / Vietnamese
MyStClair.com: Our Neighbourhood, Online
Toronto Corso Italia BIA
Facebook: AMS Advertising
AMS Advertising Inc.: Graphic Design, Web Development, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Creative Printing, Copy Writing, Social Media Development
http://shoponstclairwest.com/
Shop on St Clair West: Your Guide to a Mosaic of Different Cultures
Portuguese Book Store
Facebook: Joe Furtado
Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood

HST Is Everywhere, Even in Movies

Fat Man in Hat 2
The Encounter (statue of two businessmen in hats), McElcheran, Commerce Court, Toronto
Originally uploaded by fortinbras.

It's in the theatres and it's full of action. The Prince of Persia is a tale of all the usual things - kinship, love, lust, war, greed, envy, virgin princesses and more all set in the period of the Great Persian Empire. The big story is good, full of excitement, Shakespearean styled twists and is further punctuated by evil spirit warriors run by the bad guy (I'm giving no hints so I won't spoil the plot for you). So... that part is all pretty much straight up and easy to follow and worth the $12 bucks to get in.

But, what is more interesting to me is the sub-story. In it, if you hear what the characters are saying, it sounds like a story about the HST!!

In an effort to scrape out a little existence in his own corner of civilization, a simple scoundrel runs a small business, marketed as a real bad guy just to keep government from over-reaching too deeply into the pocket of his purse or that of his customers. He is really a personable scallywag who grows on you even though he does try to cash in and capture the hero for bounty. But for the most part, he just runs a little off-track-betting business with his racing ostriches. But alas, with all the corruption in governance - the bad guys (part of the government) trying to exterminate the good guys he is caught in the middle and his entire business as a race promoter is ruined. As he says, even a great promoter can't make a living with only one suicidal ostrich.

So, taxed near to death, government messing up his business and ultimately having to battle the evil spirits sent upon him by one particularly evil Persian, he becomes the adorable little comic relief. Much like Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (opposite Ricardo Montalban).

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
theprovince.com: HST could drive black market for construction contractors
Business down due to looming HST and loss of home-reno tax credit
June 06, 2010

Toronto by Night: It Was a Hot Night on the Town

Photo Collage: The Full Moon Fire Jam at Kensington Market in Toronto
2010 © wobuilt.com

Ever wonder what happens in Toronto after the sun goes down? Well this week, I visited with some people at Bellevue Square Park in the Kensington Market, who enjoy the night and who have a passion for fire and play. It was a "fire jam" where fire spinners, fire jugglers and other flaming entertainers come together for an evening of showing their skills on one of the city's dry splash pads. Flaming poi, staffs and fans and eating torches were all well represented there - even a flaming bull whip.

In the safety of bright twilight, before the real talent lit up, I tried the more simple manoeuvres of the practice pois. After about a half hour and with nightfall rapidly approaching, I decided the little bruises I acquired were a sign that I should not try this with fire. However, I was not disappointed because the performances that evening were....illuminating.

With J9 on the staff, Scarlet on the poi, Ari (another one, not me) on the bull whip and JQ on the flaming balls it was a hot night on the town. Actually, it really was. Each time the fire eater blew out flames, it warmed the air all over the splash pad.

There was also another skill demonstrated that night. It was a fire jam spa session where the girls lined up for depilation. Not hot wax, not razor and cream, but flaming hair removal! it was fast, painless (so they told me) and smooth as a baby's bum when done. I'll just have to take their word on it. For a brief moment, I thought about having them try to tidy up my Ignatieff eyebrows, but that was a really brief moment.

It's really dark when the show gets into its rhythm, so there are more bad pictures than good ones. Also, given that the performers are all playing with fire, I stayed a respectful distance from the action. That said, here are some of the highlights of what you can find in Toronto late at night when the kids are in bed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
youtube.com: Kensington Market June 1, 2010: Fire Fan Dance: New Model Circus Army Fire Jam
from: StreetHeatStoryNMCA | June 02, 2010

The Magic of Renovation Shows

The Magic of Renovation Shows

Image No: 0061632 from Canstockphoto
Copyright reserved

As I settle on the couch with my coffee cup in hand to watch yet another renovation show and another miracle take place I can’t help but wonder how realistic these renovation shows really are?

The formula is always the same. At the start we see a room in considerable disarray which is dismantled within 30 seconds. Next comes the plan with or without everyone’s approval and then it’s full steam ahead. Any problems seem to be solved over the commercial break. While everyone’s antics have us laughing the work is somehow magically progressing. It all seems so simple as I watch the show’s development and the costs seem so reasonable. Another commercial break and we see everyone jumping for joy at the final outcome. While everyone is still in rapture over the transformation I let my mind wander to the possibilities of what might be in my own home and start planning my campaign. Then I pull my head out of the clouds and get a reality check. We don’t get to see the renovations-gone-wrong or a horrified client. We don’t get to see the considerable planning that’s involved in a project. Nor do we see the significant amount of work and time involved. We only see the renovation fairy wave her magic wand that has everyone crying tears of joy with the end result.

Renovation shows are useful in showing us the possibilities and giving us ideas, but we have to remember that realistically, a good renovation takes excellent planning, the right know-how and a certain amount of patience and the only renovation that comes out perfectly and takes a half hour is the one on T.V.

________________________
Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

links:
Generation Renovation: Shows: Home & Garden Television Special Online Features
HGTV.com

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A Reflection: Home Sweet Home

We start early with our dreams!

Image No: 0239891 from Canstockphoto
Copyright reserved

What constitutes a dream home and how do these dream homes form? For many of us we start to put together a dream home at a young age when our dreams have no limits. It may start at a young age playing with a dollhouse and letting imagination run wild. Or it might be helping Dad doing repairs and reno projects around the family home.

Many of my friends started off with dreams of large homes with swimming pools and huge backyards and I shared in those dreams without any particular dream of my own. My dream home started to form along the way as my interests, habits, and lifestyle preferences took root. Shortly after I was married we rented an apartment of our own. It was only a 2-bedroom with a bijou kitchen but it boasted a walk-in closet, had a balcony overlooking a park and was in close proximity to shopping and transportation. I loved that apartment.

When we started a family I thought a house would be more ideal, but the reality turned out to be a little different. The maintenance, upkeep and expenses of a home proved to be more than I bargained for. I thought I had attained my dream home only to find that the actuality was quite different, and the dream was altered yet again. As I longed to go back to the simplicity of my old apartment it became apparent to me that a condo is definitely my dream home.

The answer to the question of what constitutes a dream home is a very personal thing and that for myself life and reality had a way of shaping and changing those dreams into what they are at this moment in time.

_________________________________
Lonya is a staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.


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Professional Versus Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Renovations

Washroom ready for painting or is it?

Image No: 0303024 from Canstockphoto.com

Copyright reserved

As I walk thru the neighborhood I am struck by the flurry of activity that all the renovations are generating. Painting, roof repairs, window installations, and remodeling projects - signs on the lawns advertise what job is being done and by which company. What a great idea to hire a professional renovation team! I am reminded of some personal experiences with do-it-yourself renovations and some of the unpleasant results. Friends have also recounted their horror stories of do-it-yourself projects with even worse outcomes. There have been accounts of bathrooms with no doors and a hole where a window should be; stories of no walls to define the separate rooms and even the absence of ceilings.

One supposed advantage that gets a good number of people on the do-it-yourself bandwagon is the financial savings. But this can turn out to be a major pitfall. I learned the hard way that the drawback of not having the right know-how and experience to do a particular job correctly will certainly reverse this advantage. When we decided on a minor bathroom renovation, a simple toilet installation produced a minor flood. The services of a professional plumber were called for to repair the damage and finish the job as it should have been done in the first place at a substantial price tag. No financial savings here!

Another drawback is the time involved. I can laugh about it now, but the bathroom renovation that took 2 years to finish caused some very short tempers and sorely tested our marriage. Again, the lesson I learned the hard way is that living in a mess for an extended period of time can cause a lot of chaos and aggravation within a household.

The message here is that unless you know what you are doing and really enjoy puttering around with home repairs and renovation projects, a professional renovation team can save time, aggravation and costly mistakes. The cost may be higher but the payback can be substantial in the long run. Peace of mind for a job well done, and the time for personal interests may be well worth the price tag. I know what my choice will be for future projects.

_________________________________
Lonya is a staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

Image: CMHC "Time for a Change?" poster
"Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has the information you need to plan and carry out your dream renovation. From the planning stages to the final touches, and from replacing doors and windows to giving your bathroom or kitchen a facelift, CMHC can help."
Image Credit: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/hoficlincl/moloin/upload/Time-for-a-Change-Sept.pdf

links:
Home Renovation - Do it Yourself or Hire a Pro?
About.com: Home Renovations
Portal:Home improvement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Home improvement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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A Reflection: Now Life’s Events Can Impact on Your Home Design

Our editorial in the August Bloor West SNAP Community Paper
Click on picture to enlarge.

Bloor West SNAP is a monthly source for a captivating view of the many community events, celebrations, business gatherings and general daily life in the communities of Bloor West Village, Swansea Village, High Park, The Kingsway, Roncesvalles Village and the Junction.
http://www.snapbloorwest.com/

A Reflection: Now Life’s Events
Can Impact on Your Home Design
by: Martina Ernst

What do you do when life deals you one of those unexpected curve balls, such as having to care for elderly parents or the return of a daughter after a divorce with grandchildren in tow? Even planned changes such as a new baby’s arrival can play havoc with your living arrangements.

These occurrences are common, however, may not have been in your life plan. When one or both of your parents begin living with you, this brings about huge changes to the comfort level in your household. Short of uprooting the entire family to a new location at enormous expense, all these concerns can be facilitated with the services of a competent professional with good planning expertise.

One of the most important matters is creating boundaries that give everyone a certain degree of independence. Part of the process has to be brainstorming possibilities with your family and then consulting with professionals, i.e. architects, designers and contractors to get the best suggestions to the challenges you facing.

Some points that would facilitate the process to achieve your desired results:

∙ Consider the situation you are facing and needs of everyone involved. Make wish-list.
∙ Discuss the issues with your family and take into account everyone’s needs and opinions. Solutions can range from simple partitioning to elaborate additions. Do you convert the family room to a granny suite or do you consider an extension to your home? Maybe converting two bedrooms into one and considering a chair lift would be the answer. How do you prevent from compromising the resale value by the conversion?
∙ Think about the existing space, budget, and desired lifestyle. How do you keep the cost down and provide the comfort your family deserves?
∙ Visualize the final outcome. What do you want to achieve and what do you ultimately need.
∙ Consult with all professionals involved and make your final decision.
∙ Get started!

Having a specific goal in mind can make communication a lot easier. The construction aspect of the project is the easy part, knowing what you want: priceless.

Martina Ernst is the CEO of Wo-Built Inc, a women-led Design and Build general contractor.
www.wobuilt.com

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Correcting the Gender Imbalance

Businessteam
Image No: 0421469 from Canstockphoto.com
Copyright reserved

As an operations manager and client of several manufacturers in the GTA and Hamilton area I had the opportunity to observe changes in the gender imbalance in the technical sales field.

In the process of preparing a bid for heating upgrades for a high-rise residential building in Oakville, Ont., I met with five suppliers whom we had not dealt with before. The sales staff were quite efficient in informing me of my options and demonstrated the heating components they carried.

When I started my search for the product upgrades, I dealt with only one woman out of five representatives from all the companies contacted. As I kept working with the five vendors for the quotations, it came to my attention that a male sales representative was replaced by a female. It struck me somewhat surprisingly, in a positive way, that in other projects as well and with other vendors that women were replacing the male selling staff.

It really shouldn’t have been so surprising because in actuality the gender of the staff made no difference because the assistance I needed can be equally provided for by both men and women. They are both capable of finding and relaying the correct technical information, pinpointing the pros and cons of the deal and they both would guarantee reliable service and quality of their products. But I love the idea of more women in technical sales for manufacturing because there are more people like me - female customers doing technical work and the number of women in the industry is increasing. It just makes sense that they should also work in the supply chain too.

_______________________________________________________
Corina Popescu is the President and CEO of Westown Electronics Co., a commercial supplier of heating and energy control parts for high-rise buildings in the South-West of Toronto and Hamilton area. She can be reached at cory@westown.com or 905-624-8311 (toll free 1-888-224-8311)and through www.westown.com.

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Welcome to Wobuilt's blog

Hello,

I would like to welcome you to Wo-Built Inc’s information and discussion forum where women in the building industry are invited to tell their stories, to give mentoring advice, to inform about construction and building issues and to let the world know about their experiences.

Wo-Built Inc helps women enter and thrive in the building and construction industry. We are especially interested in helping women enter the skilled trades. This forum is established to showcase women’s achievements, tell about Wo-Built’s progress and initiatives and to encourage participation in our vision of having more women actively participating in the construction industry.

Women have a lot to offer to the building industry and the building industry can offer great career opportunities to women. This forum is a vehicle for encouragement and progress to connect these two sides of the same coin.

Though the emphasis is on women, we love to hear the male perspective as well. We believe this forum could also act as a place to share information for better understanding and working in construction environments.

Our president Elida Huignard and I look forward to a great dialogue with you.

Martina Ernst
CEO

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