You’ve Got a Friend

Trivia: This one seems highly appropriate, as the Hope is being contested this week! And as an aside, while it’s nice to see our own Mike Weir off to a great start on the season, you also have to feel for him just a little. As I understand it, he went 62 and 70 on Wednesday and Thursday, and is STILL a full EIGHT strokes north of the lead as he starts his Friday round. Clearly, as is always the case, the courses are set up to ensure the amateurs in the field are able to knock it around with some semblance of self-respect.

“How many different courses are played each year during the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic? A) One B) Two C) Three D) Four” Answer below.

I was able to attend a concert last night at the Center in the Square, featuring the music of James Taylor. His music, and lyrics, are all so poetic, and often very thought provoking. Given the historic events south of the border this week, and Taylor’s controversial, outspoken and very activist political past, the timing seemed quite appropriate.

It was a wonderful concert and a wonderful time. I’m very blessed.

Today I’ll be staffing – and working within – our Temporary Event Center (TEC) at Market Square, except over the lunch hour.

And this morning, as I type, because I’m already significantly behind schedule!, my eldest is writing his first high school exam. Science. His science mark was significantly below expectations early in the semester. Because he had just started high school, and was also playing football, and gearing up for hockey, I was a little concerned that his focus was misplaced. But, as it turns out, he had some unfortunate issues, not entirely his fault, with two projects, which had dragged down his early performance. And, in addition, his teacher had issues with the performance of the entire class. I spoke to him. His teacher spoke to everyone, and no doubt made a few things very clear. And voila, his marks, and those of his peers, are back up where they belong.

My youngest, attended his first middle-school DANCE, of all things, yesterday. The last two periods of the day were dedicated to a dance. I asked him how the dance was. “It sucked.” (I wasn’t very impressed with that particular phrase, and explained that I didn’t want to hear it again.) I then asked if he danced at all. “No.” But I did learn that one of his friends did dance. Interesting times.

For now, it’s time to get back at it. I’ll leave you with the lyrics to one of the more popular songs at the concert last night, “You’ve Got a Friend.”


When you’re down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They’ll hurt you and desert you.
Well they’ll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don’t you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you’ve got to do is call.
Lord, I’ll be there, yes I will.
You’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.


And the answer: “D) Four”

Better Service to Guests at Our Temporary Event Center

Trivia: “How many official PGA TOUR events did Byron Nelson win in 1945? A) 11 B) 15 C) 18 D) 21” Answer below.

I’ve been feeling quite tired the last couple of days. Today especially. There’s simply so much to do, which drags my work hours well into every evening. Hopefully I’ll get to bed a little earlier in the coming evenings.

I put a few minutes yesterday into the development of a little form to gather information from people that stop into our Temporary Event Center (TEC) at Market Square. They’re all very interested in our coming golf training center when they come in, and they’re even more excited by the time they leave.

We’ve typically offered up a brochure and asked them to use our website to register for email updates. But, of course, many will forget, and they may miss the boat on the incredible pre-opening membership deals we offer.

Now, our guests have the option of filling out this brief form, and we’ll ensure they receive said email updates. It’s easier, faster, and more reliable.

I was to meet with another advisor yesterday afternoon, but it didn’t work out. He was a little late and we missed each other. But, it did leave me with a little time to reflect and organize, which doesn’t happen all that much these days.

I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes.

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” -Alan Cohen

And the answer: “18 – five better than any other player’s best single season”

The Optimists Creed by Christian D. Larson

Trivia: “What player fled Czechoslovakia as a nine-year-old refugee and traveled with his father to Yugoslavia, Italy, and Switzerland before settling in Germany and finally returning to Prague in 1997? A) Bernhard Langer B) Alex Cejka C)Thomas Bjorn D) Peter Lonard” Answer below.


THE OPTIMISTS CREED

I Promise Myself ...

...To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
...To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
...To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
...To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
...To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
...To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
...To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
...To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
...To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
...To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
...To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
...To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Written by Christian D. Larson.
Referenced from The Secret (www.thesecret.tv).

And the answer: “B) Alex Cejka, who still considers himself German”

Busy Weekend for the World’s Greats

Trivia: “Where was the term ‘birdie’ first coined?” Answer below.

It’s nice to see the PGA Tour back in full-field action. The Hawaiian and west coast swings have traditionally made for some challenging television schedules, but no longer. We can now enjoy primetime, real time coverage by The Golf Channel. These are good times for the golf spectator.

Of course, this past weekend, along with what seemed like most other Americans, Tiger Woods was in Washington, D.C. enjoying the many inauguration events. Tiger actually took to the podium and spoke quite eloquently about the values instilled in him by his father, and by his father’s career in the military. Tiger hosts the AT& T National tournament each year in the D.C. area, all in an effort to celebrate and honour American servicemen and servicewomen everywhere.

Meanwhile, the greatest female golfer ever, Annika Sorenstam was busy in Florida hosting her own inaugural event, the first ever playing of her Annika Invitational tournament for female juniors from around the world. The first year was apparently a great success, so henceforth the top 60 female juniors globally will be invited to Florida to learn from Annika and compete for the Annika Invitational title. Fantastic!

Back here in balmy Kitchener-Waterloo, we keep making steady progress towards the grand opening of Parmasters KW. Parmasters HQ – officially named Golf Training Centers, Inc. – our franchisor, continues to make stunning progress also. They’ll make some big announcements in the coming weeks.

And the answer: “At the Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey in 1898. There, a member described a well-played shot as a ‘bird of a shot.’”

Temporary Event Center Hours

Trivia: “What was Rule No. 1 in the first written golfers’ code? A) You must play with three partners. B) You must play the ball as it lies. C) You must act honourably. D) You must tee your ball within a club’s length of the hole.” Answer below.

I worked at our Temporary Event Center (TEC) at Market Square on Saturday. Yesterday I popped in there as well, along with my two boys. We tidied up a few things watched a movie while doing so. We didn’t have any visitors. I was hoping one particular individual might stop by, but that didn’t work out.

As mentioned on Saturday, I’ll generally work here, in the TEC, most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’ll likely also be here on many Saturdays. This structure is meant to help our members and future members contact us, while also affording time for offsite meetings and other tasks involved in building our golf training center. Specific hours are posted weekly on our front door.

Sunday morning I went for a short run, and then shovelled the snow from my driveway when I returned back home. I kept the run short as I’ve been battling some right knee pain. It started in the summer and then hit me at two charity/competitive runs, one in Oakville and the other in Waterloo, this past fall. Sunday morning I treated it with some Rub A535 and a knee brace. This helped, but clearly didn’t solve the problem.

Back to the action...

And the answer: “D) You must tee your ball within a club’s length of the hole.” [This one definitely confuses me. I suspect the implication was that you must tee your ball within a club’s length of the PREVIOUS/JUST COMPLETED hole, while playing the next hole. Any other suggestions or clarifications would be greatly appreciated.]

Monthly Update to “Future Members”

Trivia: “Your ball lands near a tree on the edge of the green, so you bend back the branches in order to get a better shot. What rule have you broken?” Answer below.

I’m writing this entry in my home office, but will likely wait and post it shortly hereafter, when I get to my office at our Temporary Event Center (TEC) at Market Square.

I worked too late again last night, but also squeezed in a good workout and some relaxing time. It will likely be an earlier night tonight. My eldest son plays hockey this evening, but it’s an early game. I’ll do a little writing after the game, then relax and hit the hay, as they say.

My youngest is battling a sore lower leg. I’m not sure what the problem might be. He had x-rays taken yesterday, but apparently it will take up to a week before his doctor receives the images. In the meantime, he’s to stay away from strenuous, active sports and activities. It’s unfortunate. He hurt himself downhill skiing last year, and has had a few of these periods where he has to sit on the sidelines and watch.

I’ll likely head to a Williams Coffee Pub to work this afternoon. I’ll be at the TEC this morning. I just find the change of location invigorating. We have so much to do!

Earlier this week we issued an email update to the many interested parties that have registered for said updates via the Parmasters KW website. We like to refer to them as “future members”, because we know they’ll see the incredible value we offer, eventually. Here’s a brief snippet from that update.



Hello Fellow Golfers,

Thank you all for your interest. We’re writing to provide the latest news from Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo.

First, the topic you’re all most interested in. When will your golf training center open?

Quite frankly, we’ve been delayed by a few months. One of our largest investors – while remaining absolutely committed to your golf training center – has taken longer than expected to free up the capital required for the investment in our center. While we’re frustrated by the delay, we are also excited and pleased that all of our investors and stakeholders are working tirelessly to ensure your center opens as soon as possible. At this point, a summer 2009 opening seems most likely.

In the meantime, we are committed to communicating as best we can with all local golfers. To this end, these email updates will now be issued monthly.

We are also adjusting our schedules to ensure we are in the Market Square Temporary Event Center as often and regularly as possible. You’ll find an up-to-date office hour listing on the front door. Generally speaking, for now, you’ll find the Temporary Event Center open most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the day. However, even the latest schedule is subject to changes, as required for offsite meetings.

Our blog – available at shsouthern.blogspot.com – will be updated several times each week.

The Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo website – www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo – will also be updated regularly.

While our Temporary Event Center remains quite rough around the edges, we have made a few changes to make the space work more effectively. Feel free to stop by and see us at anytime.

Lastly, we have temporarily suspended our Membership Preview Events. We simply require the time and resources to focus on other activities, primarily related to actually building your golf training center. Preview Events will resume shortly and you will be advised when that occurs.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to urge your fellow golfers to visit us via the Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo website or at our Temporary Event Center in Market Square. All interested golfers should register for regular email updates.



And the answer: “Rule 13-2, which states that you cannot bend or break anything fixed or growing that will improve your lie, stance, or area of intended swing”

Inspired Moments or Insomnia

Trivia: “How many PGA TOUR events were hosted on Tournament Players Club courses in 2004?” Answer below.

I’m at the office this morning. The day started with a brief breakfast meeting with another member of our Board of Advisors. Then some errands and finally, to our Temporary Event Center here at Market Square.

The late nights are catching up with me. I know such hours can’t go on for very long. As I’ve read and heard many times, the key is to set a consistent pace that one can maintain for the long haul. That “pace” would of course consist of a mix of work, relaxation, sleep, fun, family, exercise, and so forth. The term “balance” fits into this discussion.

Of course others, such as Wayne Dyer, suggest that we should not fight our sleep requirements. Dyer suggests, in at least one presentation that I’ve seen, that if one finds oneself wide awake in the middle of the night, he/she should get up and use that time effectively. These quiet times, when all others are asleep, when the world is quiet, when we’re not bothered by the day-to-day hustle and bustle, when our thoughts flow less inhibited, can often be our most inspired moments. Dyer also advocates sufficient sleep, work/life balance, etc. I’m sure.

I resolve to continue to seek that balance. But also to continue to embrace those middle-of-the-night quiet moments, rather than condemning the wakefulness.

And the answer: “10 events: FBR Open, THE PLAYERS Championship, BellSouth Classic, EDS Byron Nelson Championship, FedEx St. Jude Classic, Booz Allen Classic, John Deere Classic, Buick Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship, and the Michelin Championship at Las Vegas”

Skura Presentation and Kijiji Listings

Trivia: “How many times did Jug McSpaden finish in the top 10 in 1945 to set the PGA TOUR record?” Answer below.

The Bob Skura presentation last night was very interesting and well attended. I can’t really do Bob’s topic nor approach justice, so I won’t try. Suffice it to say that it was a mix of intentionality, golf-related teachings to focus on what you want, not what you don’t (i.e. the fairway, not the river along the left) and The Secret. I did come away with new ideas, a fresh approach, and invigorated.

After the seminar last night I had a bite of supper and a fairly good workout, and then did a little more work. There’s a lot to do these days, and I seem to be able to produce with a fairly small amount of sleep – generally in the four hour range lately. Last night was five.

Today I’m working in a local Williams Coffee Pub. The Wi-Fi connection is very convenient. And, of course, our Parmasters golf training center will be Wi-Fi enabled throughout.

I’ll head into the Market Square Temporary Event Center later this afternoon.

I also wanted to mention that I have a few items offered for sale on Kijiji. All are in fantastic condition. As my life has changed, I simply no longer use these items. They include:
Canoe – Algonquin Swift 17’
Camera – Nikon F401s AF 35mm film, with two lenses
Shuffle Board – King Edward 11’

And the answer: “31 times.”

Office Hours and Bob Skura Seminar

Trivia: “What was Italian American Gene Sarazen’s birth name?” Answer below.

It was another late night last night, issuing further updates to our shareholders and stakeholders. I also attended my eldest son’s hockey practice. The finished with a shootout drill that all seemed to enjoy.

We’ve now posted our expected office hours on the front door of our Temporary Event Center (TEC) at Market Square (at the corner of King and Frederick Streets in downtown Kitchener). We have many offsite meetings and other activities, and thus cannot staff the TEC at all times. While the office hours may change from time to time, we hope this makes it much easier for all involved.

I have just a couple of meetings today, and a seminar this evening. Bob Skura – author of “How Great Golfers Think – Perfecting Your Mental Game” – is hosting his first “Mental Game Workshop.” I’m looking forward to the one-hour presentation. Bob is seeking feedback to ensure the Workshop delivers maximum value for all who attend in the future. He’s received some terrific reviews on the book, and also offers a periodic newsletter titled “ForeThought,” available via his website.

For now, it’s time for another coffee and a few phone calls.

And the answer: “Eugenio Saraceni. He changed his name at age 16 to Sarazen because ‘it sounded like a golfer.’”

Board of Advisors and Shareholder Group

Trivia: “Who won the men’s and women’s individual gold medals for golf in the 1900 Olympics, the first time the sport was featured in the Games?” Answer below.

I’m a little tired this morning, having worked until about 3:00am last night. I’ve been delinquent at blogging lately, as admitted and admonished yesterday. But, we’ve also been terrible at issuing email updates/newsletters to our members and those who have registered for updates via our website. I was determined to get another update out yesterday, and did so in the wee hours.

If you’d like to receive these monthly updates, simply register via the Parmasters KW website at www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo.

This morning I’m off to a late (aka “second”) breakfast with a member of our Board of Advisors. He just called and delayed by 30 minutes, meaning a small re-jigging of the schedule.

We’re lucky at Parmasters KW to have built a solid Board of Advisors, and also a fantastic ownership group. They’re all highly supportive team players that bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and energy to our golf training center.

Of course, we’re still looking to grow both teams, so we keep an eye out for the right and interested individuals.

I’m actually in offsite meetings the bulk of the day, but will return to our Temporary Event Center at Market Square later this afternoon. This evening I’ll take my eldest to a late evening hockey practice, and hopefully get a workout in before doing so.

For now, I’m off to a second breakfast.

And the answer: “Charles Sands and Margaret Abbott of the United States.”

Delinquent Again

Trivia: “Standing on the second tee leading the 2001 British Open, Ian Woosnam discovered he had 15 clubs in his bag. What was his penalty?” Answer below.

I clearly, once again, fell behind on blogging. It was nice that I received a few inquiries as to why the writing had fallen off.

My apologies to the blogosphere and any/all that read this blog. We have lots happening at Parmasters KW, and I’ll do a better job of sharing going forward. I’m just easing back into things today.

For now, it’s time to get back to work. Lots to do, and a meeting with our bookkeeper later today.

And the answer: “The penalty for carrying more than 14 clubs is two strokes per hole, with a maximum of four strokes per round. Since Woosnam had not yet played the second hole, he was penalized two strokes, knocking him out of the lead and costing him a shot at golf’s oldest championship.”

The Chapters of Indoor Golf

Trivia: “Why was Ed Oliver disqualified from the 1940 U.S. Open?” Answer below.

We’ve had a lot of great news lately at Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. We’re making progress on many fronts. This includes finalizing our required capital, welcoming more members, building a strong team, and the list goes on. Parmasters HQ is also close to breakthroughs on many different fronts, which only means great things for our members, other patrons and our business.

I can’t recall if I’ve blogged about this topic before. So if this is a repeat, my apologies. I’m sure someone will point out my memory lapse. I’m speaking, or typing rather, about an analogy I use to describe what we bring to indoor golf. Parmasters is to indoor golf, what Chapters is to bookstores. Let me explain.

Before Chapters arrived on the Canadian retail scene, a bookstore consisted of a few thousand square feet, with shelves and books jammed in everywhere. Stores were small and designed to display and ultimately sell books. That was it. Then Chapters changed everything. They opened with some 10,000 square feet of book heaven! There were couches and chairs, washrooms, often a Starbucks coffee shop, gift ideas, and the list went on and on.

Patrons visited the old bookstores when they wanted to buy a book. Patrons visit Chapters when they feel like immersing the book culture/lifestyle. The older stores were designed to facilitate transactions. Chapters was designed to grow a culture, and ultimately facilitate many more transactions!

Before Parmasters, indoor golf consisted of a few simulators, a bar, perhaps a small putting surface and washrooms. Parmasters is changing all of that. We include lounge seating, an incredible cafe, a massive best-of-in-the-world indoor short game area, often a fitness center, locker rooms, meeting rooms, club repair and storage, Wi-Fi Internet access throughout, and much, much more.

Patrons visited the older indoor golf experiences to play golf on the simulators and have a beverage. Patrons visit Parmasters to immerse in the golf culture/lifestyle. The older indoor golf centres were designed to facilitate transactions – time on a simulator. Parmasters is designed to grow the golf culture, to create a club where members feel at home, to be an incredible entry point to the game, to be a major hub for the golf industry wherever we open! Parmasters, quite simply, brings Better Golf, More Fun, Guaranteed.

And the answer: “He was in a rush to complete his round before a storm set in, so he teed off before his tee time and was consequently disqualified. Oliver would have tied for first if it weren’t for his mistake.”

Which Wolf Do You Feed?

Trivia: “Which of the four major championships is held at the same course each year? A) The Masters B) U.S. Open C) British Open D) PGA Championship” This one is easy! And of course, the “British Open” should really be presented for what it is, “The Open Championship”. Answer below.

It’s been another crazy and busy day at Parmasters KW. We made some good progress on many fronts. By the end of the day, as always, I was quite tired. And I should likely be in bed, but just wanted to share a quick story/lesson/legend that was related to me today.

I meet each week, generally on Wednesdays, with one of our shareholders. I asked for his time because it’s clear to me that he’s one of the most intelligent, no-nonsense and results-oriented business minds that I know. The meetings are part brainstorming, part mentoring, part refocusing and sometimes I get told I’m wrong. It’s all good.

Today this old, apparently Cherokee, legend came up.


An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

- Excerpted from the First People website, www.firstpeople.us, found here.


This evening I had a wonderful time with a great friend and her son. I enjoyed stories about hockey, skating, video games, his many friends, his teacher, his school and the list goes on and on. He’s a wonderful young lad, so full of life. It was a perfect and relaxing evening to end a long, hard day.


And just a few moments ago I walked past a photograph of my father. I still can’t believe he’s gone. There’s not a day that passes that I don’t think of him. Tonight the thought occurred that my father is likely chuckling just a little, at my expense, up in heaven. He told me, as I purchased the Parmasters franchise rights, that I was about to lose one of my favourite, relaxing, de-stressing activities. Golf!

I told him he was crazy, of course. I mean, I was entering the golf business. Of course I would golf more, or at least just as much. I certainly wouldn’t golf less than I did before I entered the industry. But, time has proven my father to be correct! I’ve golfed just a handful of times this year, including one and only one full, 18-hole round. I’ve practiced even less!

I miss my father more than words can describe. And as every day since his death passes, I gain increased understanding that he was a great man. And yes, he was right about my golf game!


Soon time to turn in. Choose your wolf carefully. My father did.


And the answer: “A) The Masters has been held at the Augusta National Golf Club since its inception in 1934.”

Run Forrest, Run

Trivia: “How many total major championships did Bobby Jones win from 1923 until his retirement at age 28 in 1930? A) 7 B) 9 C) 11 D) 13” Answer below.

It was a very busy weekend, but I still managed to rest up for the week ahead. Well, if you count six hours of sleep as “resting up”.

My youngest had a birthday party and sleepover on Friday evening. And I was out Friday evening also and had a truly fantastic time. Saturday morning we hosted another Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo Preview Event and then I picked up my youngest from his sleepover – he had way too much fun and way too little sleep! Saturday afternoon was spent working mostly, and then in the evening my eldest had his first hockey game of the season. They won 5-2 and he head at least one assist.

Sunday morning dawned to another 5 km charity run with a very close friend. This run, the CIBC Run for the Cure, is more about raising money than competition, so we weren’t timed. But, by my watch, we shaved close to two minutes off of our time at the previous run a couple of weeks ago. Good stuff!

Sunday afternoon was mostly working and hanging out with my boys.

Well, it’s time to get back at it. This will be a busy week, as are most, or actually, all.

And the answer: “D) 13. This ranks second only to Jack Nicklaus’s 20 major wins (including two amateurs), which occurred over a span of 27 years.”

New Landlord

We have a new landlord at Market Square. The article from The Record is included below, and can also be found here.

We’re excited about this new relationship. Working with Cora has been wonderful. And, in fact, we’ll continue to work with the same individuals. They simply now work for a different company. At the same time we fully expect that Realex will bring a few new ideas and innovations to all of the properties, including Market Square.

Realex completes purchase of Cora assets

TheRecord.com - Business
RECORD STAFF
WATERLOO REGION

Realex Properties Corp. has completed its $142-million purchase of six office buildings in Kitchener and Waterloo from the Cora Group.

Realex purchased five buildings in downtown Kitchener: Market Square at 25 Frederick St.; The Galleria at Frederick and Weber streets; 22 Frederick St.; Commerce House at 50 Queen St. N.; and 235 King St. E.; as well as the Accelerator Centre building in the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park.

The properties comprise 932,000 square feet of rentable area and 2,000 parking spaces.

Realex, which unveiled the deal in June, paid for the properties with cash, shares, assumption of debt and vendor take-back mortgages.

The Calgary company also owns all or part of 17 office and industrial buildings in Alberta and British Columbia.

Cora, which still owns several properties in Waterloo Region and other parts of Ontario, has moved its offices from The Galleria building to 1305 Victoria St. N.

Cora founder Manfred Conrad has joined Realex's board of directors. His son, Adrian, is now Realex vice-president for southwestern Ontario.

Don’t Check Your Ego at the Door!

Trivia: “Where was [2008 FedEx Cup Champion] Vijay Singh born? A) The United States B) Fiji C) India D) Malaysia” Answer below.

You can now find us on Facebook here!

The following article comes from the Globe and Mail. You can find it online here.

It’s interesting. The author, Curtis Gillespie, advocates taking more golf lessons and being sure to park your ego at the door – or greenside – when you do so. The insinuation is of course that golf instruction can be hard on the ego. Perhaps even demeaning and/or depressing.

That’s because almost all golf instruction follows the error correction model. The instructor takes a good look at your golf swing and then eagerly pronounces all that is wrong with said swing. He/she points out the many flaws and errors in your swing before eventually advising you how to swing correctly.

We take a different approach at Parmasters Golf Training Centers. We teach you a brand new swing, from the ground up. We call it Straight-Line Golf. We keep nothing from your past swing. There are no errors and thus no correction. We use highly effective, proven teaching techniques such that each client learns Straight-Line Golf efficiently and effectively.

Since there are no errors, our teaching methods build you up rather than demeaning or depressing. We build up your ego, your golf ego, rather than causing it damage.

Having learned Straight-Line Golf, Parmasters clients feel they can effectively tackle any golf course on the face of this planet. And they’re correct!


SEE A PRO AND CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR
Golf magazines won't help your swing but a good teacher might - if you're the right kind of student

CURTIS GILLESPIE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
September 26, 2008 at 9:21 AM EDT

There aren't many things I can imagine paying $200 an hour for, and the few that I can are not ones I'm likely to admit to in public. However, there is something I would pay that kind of money for that I'll acknowledge with no shame.

It involves a level of enforced submission, it's true, though I probably deserve it. And yes, it encourages the addict in all of us. But standing in the heat with my master's hand gripping my forearm, his voice stern in its counsel, I realized that this was a weakness I ought to have made peace with long ago.

Suspend your lurid fantasies, because I'm referring to a golf lesson.

Though I'd had a group lesson as a junior and the odd conversation with a pro here and there over the years, I'd never had the kind of attention I received on a recent trip to Scottsdale, Ariz., where I met with Bill Forrest, born and raised in Ontario, but now one of America's best teachers (in 2006 he was named Teacher of the Year by the PGA of America).

He has taught everyone from foreign royalty to tour pros to Kevin Costner, but for one hour his only concern - or perhaps it's more accurate to say the source of his anguish - was my poor stray dog of a golf swing. It was an hour about me.

It was a solipsistic, decadent, narcissistic hour, unrelated to anything of any real importance or value.

I highly recommend it.

Why so few of us take proper instruction is a mystery, since the vast majority of us could really use it (and winter, indoors, is a perfect time for it, since we can focus on form rather than results). Certainly, it doesn't have to cost $200 an hour; most golf instruction is considerably less than that (few teachers are as experienced as Mr. Forrest).

Perhaps we don't pursue real teachers because every golf publication now focuses on the latest theory, the latest tip, the latest trend that's going to "unlock" our potential and effortlessly transform us into scratch handicaps.

Why pay all that money for a live teacher, part of us must think, when I can read a magazine and get better? Answer: Because you won't get better.

Golf magazines will go into mind-numbing detail about the Stack and Tilt swing, the Two Piece Takeaway, the X-Factor Swing, and any of the other thousands of swing theories floating around out there.

A country clubber unsheathing his new Stack and Tilt swing developed on what he's read in a magazine is like a mountain climber heading up Everest after reading a hiking guide; lives could be at risk.

You need a sherpa to guide you through the hazards.

Another factor in why we may not pursue instruction is that some of us sense, or already know, that we are less-than-perfect students.

While we chatted during my lesson, Mr. Forrest told me that he's noticed a few patterns over the decades he's been teaching: There are good students and bad students, he says.

Good students let down their defences, they listen and then they practise.

Bad students are usually men, usually older, usually successful in business and have about a 12 handicap.

Why is this the prototypical bad student?

"Because most men who are pretty fair players, a 12 handicap, for instance, aren't willing to get five shots worse at the start to get 10 shots better in the long run; because the male ego is resistant to instruction; and because successful people aren't used to being told what to do."

The best student, says Mr. Forrest, is the female beginner. "They improve in a hurry because they're so grateful to get some expertise, and because they actually listen to what you're telling them. They don't care if they aren't going to be tour pros."

Men, conversely, sometimes avoid instruction precisely because we need it, because it would be embarrassing to stand in front of a teacher and showcase that spasm that calls itself a golf swing. We shouldn't care; the world is full of hideous golf swings. David Feherty once likened the swing of world-class golfer Jim Furyk to "an octopus falling out of a tree." In any case, as Bruce Grierson points out in his fine book U-Turn, there is an old Turkish proverb that says, "No matter how far down the wrong road you have travelled, it is never too late to turn around."

Time is also a factor. If you have any of the following - children, spouse, job, bills, other hobbies, a life - the likelihood is that a scratch handicap will elude you. But being a little better wouldn't hurt, would it? Most of us would say we could use a little more Zen-like calm in our lives, but not many of us are running off to monasteries to enroll in two-week silent retreats.

Golf can be terrific fun even if you never manage to shoot 68. Keeping the ball in play, hitting the odd good shot, scoring at a level that's at least going to save you from embarrassment should you find yourself in a company tournament - all these things are quite achievable, provided you get the right kind of instruction, focusing on fundamentals.

Check your male ego - or your male - at the door. Find an instructor to teach you a decent grip, proper aim and alignment, a sense of rhythm, and you're ready to play.

Too many of us get our tips from some guy on the range, or we imitate our ill-equipped partners, or we mess ourselves up with every goofy swing theory in the latest golf magazine.

If that's how you learned the game, well, let that be a lesson.

Curtis Gillespie is the author of Playing Through: A Year of Life and Links along the Scottish Coast. His most recent book is the novel Crown Shyness.


And the answer: “B) Fiji”

The Downtown Card

Trivia: “Who was the first known female golfer?” Answer below.

It’s been another busy week. We’ve welcomed many new members – Welcome! – made progress on budgeting and space planning, welcomed a returning team member back, issued newsletters to members and future members, and signed up new community partners.

Our community partners are businesses throughout the community with whom we partner. I guess that’s why we call them “community partners”. They display our marketing literature in their place of business, and we do the same with their literature in our center. We also note them on our website, but we’re still working on that.

Our community partners also offer some sort of discount or incentive to our members, thus increasing the value of your Parmasters membership!

This past week also saw the launch of the new Downtown Card by the Kitchener Downtown Business Association! Businesses noted on the card offer some sort of incentive to people carrying and presenting the card. We offer 15% off of food and beverage from our Links Golf Cafe – when it opens – and the first month free with any membership.

And the answer: “Mary, Queen of Scots, who raised more than a few eyebrows when she was seen playing golf shortly after her husband’s death in 1567.”

Who knew?

Sunday 5km Race and Trivia

The run on Sunday went well. My results weren’t very impressive, but I did enjoy it. You can find our results here.

I’m going starting a new blog tradition. Or maybe it should be termed a “habit”. I’m not sure. Regardless, a wonderful friend gave me a book titled “The Ultimate PGA Tour Book of Trivia”. It’s brimming with interesting trivia, in the form of questions and answers. Most blog entries will now include one such question and answer. (I will add a permanent citation to my main blog page shortly.) Here we go.

“Many early sports, such as 15th century “Kolven” of Holland and “Chole” of Belgium, greatly resembled the game of golf. But what intrinsic part of the game was missing, keeping them from being considered early forms of the sport? A) A finishing point B) Clubs C) The ball D) The hole” Answer below.

The rest of the weekend is just a blur. Lots of work accomplished, children going here there and everywhere to activities, friends coming over, etc. And of course I caught as much of the Ryder Cup matches as I could. The golf was fantastic, as expected.

Yesterday we took delivery of a few banners from Mizuno. We sell custom-fitted Mizuno golf clubs. No other brands, and only custom-fitted. The banners will allow us to pretty-up our Temporary Event Center...

... Where we’ll be hosting another Preview Event this evening.

Yesterday we also welcomed back our first team member. Mike will focus on sending periodic newsletters to our members and future members, as well as partnering up with local golf courses.

The answer: “D) The hole. Both games, and many other similar ones, saw players hit balls around the landscape, but none involved dropping the ball below ground.”

Busy Weekend

I'm blogging from my son's archery lesson. They're just covering the basics during this first lesson. This is his second time taking archery lessons, so it's mostly review. I just hope they don't start shooting in this direction. So if this entry ends abruptly...

It's going to be a busy weekend. I had a great workout last night, but also discovered, as I lifted a few weights in my basement, that my dishwasher has sprung a leak. Happily I brought my tool box home yesterday. It had been at our Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo Temporary Event Center. I'll work on the dishwasher later today.

Hockey starts this weekend - early Sunday afternoon - for my other son. So we'll be getting skates sharpened on the way home from this lesson.

And the future archery expert has a sleep-over birthday party tonight. I'll retrieve him Sunday around noon.

Sunday morning I'll be competing in a 5 km charity run along with a close friend. I think maybe my blog entry a week or two ago prompted her to suggest this run. I'm really looking forward to it. I'd like us to do a lot more of these, and also work our way up to 10 km events. Early to bed tonight!

And of course, the Ryder Cup matches are on this weekend! The Golf Channel is providing unbelievable coverage. It's amazing how they come up with different angles and sidebar stories to explore. As a Canadian there's maybe not a lot of drama, as we aren't part of the matches. But the golf tends to be very, very good. And the team dynamics and strategies are something seen rarely in golf. Fun to watch!

And lastly, but very importantly, I have all kinds of work to do this weekend. Chris, one of our team members, has just completed another Preview Event. Since virtually everyone that attends sees the incredible value and purchases a membership, I assume we have welcomed a few more members to Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. Welcome!

Time now to watch some archery, and to flip through a book given me by my 5 km run mate, "The Ultimate PGA Tour Book of Trivia". Many excerpts will make their way into this blog in the future.

A Very Central Location

It’s just after 6:00pm at our Temporary Event Center here in downtown Kitchener, and all is well. We’re just gearing up for another Preview Event.

We’re seeing the Parmasters KW buzz continue to grow and grow! It’s a real treat to see months, or actually YEARs of effort finally coming to fruition. Everyone is enthusiastic, supportive and eagerly anticipating our grand opening this winter! And we’ve yet to really kick our marketing efforts into gear.

A friend attended the Inspiring Women “The Experience” conference today and apparently had a great time! It was quite a treat, I’m told, to meet royalty!

I, of course, did not meet royalty today. But I did meet with several equally interesting individuals, making progress on several fronts. And there were countless phone calls and meetings booked well into the future.

When we selected Market Square (at the corner of King and Frederick Streets in downtown Kitchener) as our location, and signed that 20-year lease, we knew it was a very central and highly accessible location. Now, as we’ve opened our Temporary Event Center here, and this is my office, I’m even more amazed at how perfect this location is! I attend meetings all over Kitchener and Waterloo, and it’s always a quick and easy trip.

Well, back at it for now. Our guests will arrive shortly.

Running, Football, Golf, Etc.

It’s been a fairly productive day. We hosted yet another Preview Event at our Temporary Event Center at 10:00am and it’s been fairly busy since. I picked up some supplies at a local Staples and ran a few other errands, followed by some housework and tidying of my car (which had been badly neglected), and then more office work.

I also managed to squeak in a short (5 kms) run (I should probably use the term “jog”, but “run” sounds so more athletic!) this evening. It has rained most of the day, and actually really started to pour several times during the run. Between that and splashing through dozens of puddles, my time wasn’t great.

I haven’t run much lately. Just once or twice this summer really. I got out to RIM Park with a friend for a warm Sunday morning run a few weeks ago. I felt bad that I was holding her back. We ran in several 5 km charity events last summer, but have not tackled any thus far this year. I think she figures I’m too slow!

This evening I’m sitting in my family room with some golf and football on the television, and lots of reading and more work to do. Edmonton just took down Hamilton in a close CFL tilt! We’ll see how much more work I’m able to complete. Tomorrow will start with some golf practice, as my game is in terrible shape.

FREE Short Game Area Membership

These are exciting times at Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo!

We’ve welcomed another new team member. Chris Robson is currently hosting a Membership Preview Event, even as I type. I’m seated off to the side, working away, but obviously taking a break to blog at the moment.

Attendance at our Membership Preview Events has been growing steadily. Chris has done a great job handling all of the inbound calls and helping interested parties book into one of the Events.

We’ve also recently announced two new and very exciting membership types!
- FREE Short Game Area Membership
- Junior Membership
You can learn more here.

And we issued the following press release earlier this week!

Here’s the release:

Local Golf Training Center Raising $50,000 for Charity

Play golf for free! And support a great charity! While it may sound too good to be true, Kitchener-Waterloo’s first year-round, indoor golf training center – called Parmasters and slated to open this coming winter – plans to raise $50,000 for its cause, Right To Play, while offering free golf!

Right To Play is an athlete-driven humanitarian organization that uses specially designed sport and play programs to encourage the healthy physical, social and emotional development of the world’s most disadvantaged children and their communities.

Right To Play works closely with UNHCR, UNICEF, CARE and the RED CROSS bringing sport and play programs to children in developing countries. World athlete ambassadors include Wayne Gretzky, Donovan Bailey, Lance Armstrong, Steve Young, Marnie McBean and hundreds of others.

Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo offers the Free Short Game Area Membership to all local golfers. A minimum $20 donation to Right To Play is suggested, but not required. Parmasters plans to register 2,500 Free Short Game Area Members at its Market Square location in downtown Kitchener.

The Free Short Game Area Membership will allow access to the 3,000 sq ft. short game training area in the center that includes putting on an incredibly realistic undulating putting surface from Southwest Greens, as well as chipping and bunker play.

Flexible hours and climate-controlled indoor facilities allow golfers of all levels to gather at Parmasters to enjoy the ultimate golf training and practice centre. The rest of the facility at Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo will feature Long Game Practice Bays with a unique ball-return system; golf simulators featuring world-class courses, a retail shop for equipment and golf apparel; and a training events room that can be rented for corporate functions and family birthday parties. And the on-site Links Golf Café, offering gourmet organic coffee and clubhouse fare, as well as wireless Internet service, will be convenient for Parmasters’ members, as well as local walk-in customers and businesses.

“Right To Play is a fantastic organization doing great work on a global scale!” notes Stephen Southern, President, Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. “We hope golfers and future golfers alike will take advantage of this free lifetime membership opportunity!”

Golfers are encouraged to contact Parmasters by calling 519-578-0303, or writing to kwinfo@parmastersgolf.com, or visiting them online at www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo.

Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo: www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo
Right To Play: www.righttoplay.com

Membership Preview Events

We’ve held a few Membership Preview Events thus far and have been very happy with the response. These events run three times each week, providing future members the opportunity to consider membership.

Each Membership Preview Event consists of a brief, 40-45 minute presentation, followed by question and answer. During the presentation we convey a wealth of information about Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. We also, of course, describe the many features and benefits that flow to members of Parmasters KW.

We offer many membership options including weekday-only, anytime we’re open, family memberships and corporate memberships. This variety allows future members to choose the path that’s best for them.

Our Membership Preview Events run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, every week, at 7:00pm, and also on Saturday mornings at 10:00am.

If you love golf, why not join the club? Membership does have its rewards! (Sorry Amex!) You can reach the office at 519-578-0303, or drop us an email at kwinfo at parmasters golf dot com, or simply register via our website at www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Another New Team Member

I can’t believe how quickly July has disappeared. We had some wonderful times at Parmasters KW during July, and made a lot of progress. But I remain continually amazed at how quickly time passes.

We have another new team member starting today. Andrew Parsley will lead various marketing initiatives and work alongside Mike to drive our Membership Preview Events.

I’ve attempted to get a little more sleep lately. I find myself always tempted to burn the candle at both ends, as they say. I realized recently that I was doing so again, and have intended and realized a little more sleep lately. It’s a constant battle, with so much to do, and a passion to accomplish the work.

For now, I must get down to the office and begin the brainwashing of Andrew (insert sinister laugh here!)... er ... I mean, begin training and educating Andrew on the ways of Parmasters.

Vacations

Mike hosted another Charter Membership Preview Event for us last night. We had several future members out, most of who became members last night. Welcome aboard! It’s a wonderful time at Parmasters KW!

I stumbled across a blog post from the Indianapolis-Noblesville area in Indiana, USA. More specifically, the blogger recently attended an event hosted at Parmasters Noblesville and had some raving comments. You can find the post here.

It’s a busy week this week, but also a time for reflection. Summer is here in full bloom. People are vacationing, travelling, and spending quality time with those they love. It’s a time to reflect on what we truly want out of life, and to ensure that each day takes us one step closer to that most worthy ideal.

For now, it’s also a time to get back to work. I’ll leave you with a quote.

We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe gold ears,
Unless we have first been sowers
And watered the furrows with tears.
It is not just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours,
Life's field will yield as we make it
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Membership Preview Events Commence

It’s been another busy and exciting week here at Parmasters KW. We held our first Membership Preview Event on Thursday evening and welcomed our very first Charter Member!

As noted previously on this blog, we’ll cap our Charter Memberships at 750, and then will welcome an additional 750 Memberships after our grand opening.

Charter Members are those that join our membership prior to our grand opening. We offer special incentives to thank Charter Members for joining prior to our opening.

So, with our first Charter Member in place, we have only 749 Charter Memberships available!

We’re also about to start signing up Community Partners. These are local businesses that offer a special discount/deal to Parmasters KW members. Thus, your Parmasters Member Card is actually also a very significant and well-recognized discount card!

These are exciting times for our current and future members, and for Parmasters KW! For now, I’ll get back at it!

More Parking For The Kitchener Core

We’ve had even more good news for the Kitchener core, with the announcement that the Benton and Charles Streets parking garage will proceed. The location of this parking facility will see employees of the new courthouse walking right past/through Market Square. That’s good news for Parmasters KW as well!

This article is taken from the Waterloo Region Record.

Long-stalled parking garage plan gains speed

Terry Pender
RECORD STAFF

KITCHENER
City councillors are moving quickly to build a 500-spot parking garage at Charles and Benton streets in the downtown.

And all taxpayers -- not just drivers -- will pay for the $15-million garage, now that council has rejected setting up a parking authority to help with the financing.

To speed things along, councillors waived the requirement to seek competitive proposals before choosing a consultant on the project. The consultant has already been paid about $400,000.

The city will borrow $9 million to pay for the garage, which is to have shops at ground level. When interest payments are included, the city's share of the cost rises to $15 million.

The province will kick in $6 million, an inducement that prompted the city to revive dormant plans for a parking garage on that corner.

Plans for the garage at Benton and Charles surfaced after the province announced it will build a 340,000-square-foot courthouse on the block bounded by Scott, Weber, Frederick and Duke streets. It will need 690 parking spaces.

Coun. John Gazzola proposed establishing a parking authority, with the idea of using parking revenue to pay for parking facilities.

"And if we did that, then the users would have to pay for it, and it wouldn't impact the taxpayers," Gazzola said to council recently.

"On one side of our mouths, we are arguing about the environment and how we have to get people out of their cars, and then we are building parking garages for them," Gazzola said.

Mayor Carl Zehr said he, too, would like to see a parking authority. But parking rates are not high enough to bring in the kind of revenue that could support parking operations, he said.

"It has to make financial sense so that it has a reasonable chance of standing on its own," Zehr said.

Coun. Berry Vrbanovic said it doesn't make sense to create a parking authority that would need tax dollars anyway.

The city plans to call for construction bids as soon as possible and hopes work on the garage will begin in November.

Kitchener parking operations have long been heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Parking operations were budgeted in 2007 for a deficit of $1.8 million.

The deficit would increase if council agreed to provide more free parking in the core, which some downtown merchants are now lobbying for.

The province plans to build 290 parking spaces as part of the courthouse plan and is counting on the city to provide the other 400 spaces. City staff say the province could move the courthouse to another municipality if Kitchener doesn't agree.

Construction of the courthouse will start in late 2009 or early 2010. The city aims to have the new parking garage open by November 2009.

The garage at Charles and Benton streets is not the only one on the books.

The city also plans to pay $8.75 million for 250 public spaces on the first level of an underground parking garage on Centre Block, which is next to City Hall. But many of those spaces could be occupied by the faculty and students at the nearby Wilfrid Laurier University graduate school of social work. To attract the school to the core, the city agreed to provide 175 parking spaces for the faculty and students at the subsidized price of $20 a month per space.

The garage at Benton and Charles will be built with no public consultations, something Mark Garner, head of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association, doesn't like.

"We should have been in the loop and communicated with when this was going on," Garner said.

Downtown merchants believe there is a shortage of parking that has to be solved, he said.

The garages at Benton and Charles and on Centre Block should look after those concerns, he said.

Now that councillors have approved those two garages, there is a pressing need for a debate about long-term plans for parking and transportation downtown, Garner said.

"I always thought it would be great to have King Street as an entire, I wouldn't say like the Red Mile in Calgary, but a closed-off street where it's just walking and cafés."

Critics who see adding parking to downtowns as a waste of resources weren't impressed with Kitchener's plans.

"The future is not going to be about car storage," said James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere and a board member of the non-profit Project for Public Spaces.

Cynthia Nitkin, also of Project for Public Spaces, who has spoken in Waterloo Region, suggested a parking problem is a healthy sign.

"It means people want to stop and shop."

But parking shortages are often just a perception, not a reality, she said. In fact, Kitchener's consultants say about 20 per cent of the public parking spaces downtown are empty at the busiest times of the day.

Instead of building parking garages or providing more free parking on the public's dime, the city and downtown merchants should worry more about product selection, marketing, displays, organizing festivals and other programming for public spaces, Nitkin said.

In Canada, Calgary hasn't built a parking garage in the core in more than 25 years. Parkades were built around the downtown, and people can ride the light rail for free in the core.

"Once you start tipping away from the car, a lot of interesting things happen," Nitkin said.

tpender@therecord.com


BENTON AND CHARLES

For 45 years, the land is a surface lot with 81 spaces -- 21 monthly, 60 hourly.

In 2002, city seeks bids for construction of a 525-space, five-storey parking garage on the site. The estimated cost is $8.1 million, and when the lowest tender comes in at $12.4 million, the project is shelved.

In 2003, Kitchener calls for expressions of interest in building the garage with city help. City offers to provide $3 million to $4 million, waive development and permit fees, and co-ordinate parking rates at city-owned lots. No takers.

In June 2008, the province announces it will build a new courthouse downtown if the city provides 400 parking spaces.

June 2008, the city announces a parking garage will go up at Benton and Charles. Public hearings, normally required for downtown projects of that size, will not be held.

Dad Was Right, Again

Yesterday was Canada Day, of course. The first day of the 7th month of the year. Some might call it the midway point in the year. And yet, it marked my first round of golf this season.

In fact, we didn’t even play a full round, but rather just 9 holes plus 2 additional holes for a little more fun. I played with my two sons.

Afterwards we grabbed some pizza and attended the University of Waterloo fireworks display.

I know my Father is currently laughing up in Heaven. He told me a long time ago that if I went into the golf business, I would end up golfing a lot less. He was concerned because, at that time, golf was really my only outlet to get away from the stress of the daily grind. I told him he was crazy, of course. And once again, it turns out he was right.

Calgary Firm Buys Market Square

The good news has been flowing recently for the Kitchener downtown core! We’re struggling to keep up with the news flow and bring it to your attention. This article came out on Thursday of last week, published in the Waterloo Region Record.

Please note, this is great news for the Kitchener core and for Parmasters KW. Realex will bring new energy and vitality, as noted in our previous blog entry, to both the downtown core and to Market Square. Through the due diligence process involved in any major acquisition, Realex is fully aware of our tenancy in Market Square. They share the vision held by both our current landlord, Cora, and us, that Parmasters KW will be a fantastic addition to both Market Square and the Kitchener core.

Calgary firm buys chunks of Kitchener downtown
Cora Group selling six major properties in $141M deal

From The Record.com
Michael Hammond
RECORD STAFF; with files from Greg Mercer, Record staff

WATERLOO REGION

Downtown Kitchener is getting a major new landlord in a blockbuster deal that will see The Cora Group sell six office buildings and its property management business.

Realex Properties Corp., a real estate company headquartered in Calgary, announced yesterday it has signed a letter of intent to buy five buildings in downtown Kitchener and one in Waterloo from Kitchener-based Cora Group.

The deal, including the property management business, is worth $141.8 million. The price consists of cash, stock and debt, Realex said in a news release. The transaction, slated to close by the end of August, will give Realex sole ownership of the following properties in downtown Kitchener:

Market Square, a former mall that now houses offices, including the Waterloo Region Record

The Commerce House office building at 50 Queen St. E.

An office tower at 22 Frederick St.

The Galleria building at Frederick and Weber streets

An office building 235 King St. E.

Realex is also buying the Accelerator Centre building in the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park.

The properties have a total of 933,000 square feet of space occupied or for rent and 2,000 parking spaces. Realex will also acquire from Cora the rights to jointly develop land in Kitchener and Waterloo.
Manfred Conrad, chief executive and principal owner of Cora, will join Realex Properties board of directors once the deal closes.

Adrian Conrad, who leads Cora's management business, will become Realex's vice-president in charge of southwestern Ontario.

Neither executive could be reached for comment.

Mayor Carl Zehr said he's pleased the Conrad family will maintain links to the downtown properties through their new roles with Realex.

He takes the deal as a sign outside investors are impressed with new developments happening in the core.

"The momentum that has been building from a number of ventures, both public and private, is sending a message loud and clear," Zehr said.

Mark Garner, executive director of Kitchener Downtown Business Association, said the deal is a promising show of confidence.

"If someone is willing to pay what they are paying, they clearly see a viable market here," he said.
"That can't be a bad thing."

In a press release issued yesterday, Realex's chief executive Marc Sardachuk said the Cora purchase fits with Realex's strategy of expanding into technology regions in eastern Canada.

"This acquisition will help Realex achieve its strategic objective of building a national real estate platform with core property holdings in high growth geographic areas," he said.

Sardachuk could not be reached for further comment yesterday.

Realex holds an ownership stake in 17 office and industrial properties, mainly in Calgary and Edmonton. The company also has a self storage business with locations in Alberta and British Columbia. Realex trades on the TSX Venture Exchange, but the company said in a recent investor presentation that it intends to graduate to the senior TSX exchange this year.

Besides the properties it owns and manages in the region, Cora also has properties in Corunna, Sarnia, Southampton, Blyth and Sudbury.

mhammond@therecord.com

Urban Vitality

There has been much momentum occurring in our downtown as of late. The key to making a downtown a success is ‘urban vitality’ 24-7, 365 days a year, and Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo will help contribute to the vitality of Kitchener’s downtown.

A downtown is a key identifier to a community. Downtowns help define and characterize a community. Our downtown is home to almost 12,000 employees, 691 businesses and 85 restaurants. Over the last year our downtown has also seen a decrease in the apartment vacancy rate and a decrease in the commercial vacancy rate. A downtown’s uniqueness, distinctiveness and vitality are what attract residents and visitors to live, work and play. Last year Kitchener’s downtown saw almost 400,000 people come to the downtown for events and festivals.

What will help Kitchener’s downtown to continue to prosper over the next few years will be more people moving into the core. This in turn will generate the need for more businesses and services in our downtown. Instead of activity coming to a halt at 5 pm when workers leave the downtown for their homes in the suburbs, the residents living in the downtown and the businesses will contribute to a ‘vitality’ after 5 pm. The ‘vitality’ will in turn contribute to the perception that downtown is a safe environment. Unfortunately, there are many in our community that feel downtown as it exists now is not a safe place to be after 5 pm. They couldn’t be more wrong! ‘Urban Vitality’ after 5 pm will help change their perception.

For the next few months, our downtown will be very fortunate to have four Downtown Ambassadors whose job will be to help create a friendly, helpful and safe environment in our downtown. They will promote and respond to inquiries on downtown activities, events and businesses, support outreach workers in the downtown area as needed, provide guided tours for groups visiting the downtown or new hires in downtown businesses and monitor and report to by-law, security or police any negative activities as required. They will be working two shifts, 10 am to 6 pm and 3pm to 11 pm six days of the week. Our Ambassadors will be easily recognizable in their green shirts and will be a welcome addition to our downtown.

Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo can’t wait to open its doors in Kitchener’s downtown and contribute to building ‘Urban Vitality’.

Balance

We continue to set up our temporary Market Square Event Center. Late yesterday we created a meeting space with tables, an LCD panel, etc. Today we must acquire some chairs and other necessities.

I spoke briefly to a friend yesterday about life-work balance. He’s a hard worker and very dedicated, to his work. I’m sure he’s very dedicated to other aspects of life also, but I’ve only really known him as a colleague, connected through business functions.

Of course, as I urged him to maintain some focus on life-work balance, I knew that I was asking him to do as I say, not as I do. I’m currently in a period of great imbalance, working hours that are far too long, and not spending enough time recharging my batteries, so to speak.

Such periods of imbalance are, by their very nature, temporary. These periods may last days, weeks, months or even years, but they’re always temporary. We simply cannot keep going in a perpetual state of imbalance. Eventually our bodies and minds tell us that enough is enough, and we’re forced to re-assess, to re-balance. Thus, these periods of imbalance are always temporary.

And I realize that this period of imbalance for me is also temporary. There’s a lot going on right now, both personally and with Parmasters KW. It’s crunch time, as they say. And when crunch time ends, balance will be less elusive.

And yes, before I close, I do realize there are those that will disagree with the concept of being out of balance at all, even for short periods. Work-oholism is a real issue. But it’s not an issue I deal with. Given the choice between doing what I want (having fun) and working, I will always choose fun.

Membership Preview Events Starting

We’re in the midst of setting up our temporary Market Square Event Center. It’s located within an existing empty retail unit in Market Square, at 25 Frederick Street (the corner of King and Frederick Streets) in the Kitchener core.

This Parmasters KW Event Center will serve as the hub for our pre-opening marketing and sales initiatives. We’ll invite all interested golfers and future golfers to join us for a Membership Preview Event, to consider a Parmasters KW membership.

We’d also like to welcome aboard Mike Perkins. Mike will take the lead on organizing and running our marketing efforts, and he will also coordinate and execute most Membership Preview Events.

Mike is a fantastic addition to our small and growing team. He brings with him a wealth of sales and service expertise and experience, as well as an energetic and positive attitude! I may get Mike to introduce himself via this blog in the next few days.

Mike and I will work this afternoon to put in place some of the final touches on our Event Center.

We’ll run our first Membership Preview Events this week!

King Street Streetscape Redesign

For immediate release

June 18, 2008

Committee approves modified design for King Street streetscape

KITCHENER – Monday, June 16, the city’s development and technical services committee voted in favour of increasing the budget set aside for the King Street streetscape redesign project to $8.8 million, combining the city’s previous funds with the Province of Ontario’s allocation to fund the city’s original vision for the new streetscape.

The city’s portion of the funding for the project will be $5.68 million; while the remaining $3.2 million will come from the Provincial Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative.

The city will issue a tender for this project later this year that will ask vendors to respond with pricing options for different surface materials such as concrete pavers versus granite pavers. This will provide flexibility when city council makes a final decision on the project.

“Given the importance of this project to the overall revitalization of our downtown core, I think it’s only right that we attempt to achieve as much as we can through the redesign of the streetscape – while ensuring that we stay within our budget,” said Ward 6 Councillor Christina Weylie, chair of the development and technical services committee. “I’m very interested to see the ideas that will come out of the tender process.”

In early April 2008, in light of new information that showed the potential for the project’s cost to be $2 million to $4 million more than expected, council directed staff to pause the King Street streetscape project to complete a detailed third-party cost review.

The pause provided more time for staff to conduct a value engineering assessment that focused on determining ways to adjust the design of the project and reduce the overall cost.

Some of the features proposed for the redesign include:

- Replacement of all surface elements of King Street between Frederick and Francis streets;

- Extensive use of granite in sidewalks, curbs and crosswalks;

- New and upgraded street lighting with improved spacing incorporated throughout;

- Flexible parking delineated by removable bollards

- Stormwater infiltration planters and new transit shelters would be introduced throughout; new bike racks and benches would be installed;

- More than 100 trees would be planted

- More than 70 on-street parking spaces would be created.

"By issuing a tender that asks vendors to provide us with several pricing options for this project we will be able to find a way of completing the new streetscape to the benefit of the entire downtown," said Ward 1 Councillor John Smola.

The committee’s preferred option was one of five considered by city staff during their recent review of project costs.

Other options considered included:
- Postponing the project indefinitely;

- Undertaking a basic streetscape renewal that includes replacing surface elements and upgrading lighting ($5.3 million);

- Undertaking a streetscape renewal with the pedestrian first model in mind which would result in a design similar to the one originally proposed using lower quality materials ($7.9 million)

- Proceeding with a modified version of the original design ($6.5 million to $7.9 million)

The city’s portion of the streetscape improvements will be funded through the Economic Development Investment Fund (EDIF) and the roads resurfacing program.

A detailed breakdown of each of the options can be found at www.kitchener.ca. Construction is expected to be completed by 2010.

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For more information:

Michael May
Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing
City of Kitchener
519-741-2935

Ongoing Momentum in Kitchener Core

For immediate release

June 18, 2008

Annual monitoring report highlights ongoing momentum in downtown Kitchener

KITCHENER – The 2007 Downtown Trends and Indicators report, released at Monday's meeting of the city's finance and corporate services committee, shows that continued momentum in development in the core is spurring residents to live, work, learn and play in downtown Kitchener. 

The Downtown Trends and Indicators report, which outlines and analyzes the progress and performance of downtown Kitchener and surrounding neighbourhoods, summarizes the 2007-2010 Economic Development Strategy in action; the strategy builds on the Downtown Strategic Plan, but also addresses city-wide economic development.

"The statistics show we have a significant proportion of employees downtown, especially in daytime hours," said Silvia Wright, manager of downtown and community development for the City. "There are now indicators for increased residential development, which is the most significant need to provide balance for 24-7 vitality, and especially to provide a sustainable market for downtown businesses."

"People are choosing to live in the downtown and many of our citizens are spending their time downtown enjoying our special events, restaurants, live theatres and shops," said Councillor Chris Weylie (Ward 6).  "We are thrilled that the new Centre Block development and the Provincial Courthouse will be built in the downtown in the near future. These and other recent developments will lead to more successes in the core.

Some highlights of the 2007
Downtown Trends and Indicators Report are:

* 18,862 residents or 8.7 per cent of total population in downtown neighbourhoods

* Nearly 12,000 people work in the downtown core

* Construction values in 2007 are nearly double 2001 values

* 245 new residential units approved for construction, which account for 14.2 per cent of new units city-wide, with 1,104 new units currently being proposed for future development

* 28 per cent increase in event attendance; since 2004, 1.3 million people have attended events in downtown Kitchener

* Net growth of 48 business in the past three years; many of the new businesses added in 2007 were small retail shops, reflecting the increasing demand for retail shops by the office workers added in prior years

* $36.3 million in construction values in 2007, representing 8.3 per cent of city-wide activity; there has been a 30 per cent increase in permits since 2005, and $254.1 million in construction since 2001

* Decrease in apartment vacancy rate to 3.6 per cent, a five-year low; decrease in commercial vacancy rate to 9.9 per cent

"In the new economy, with a competition for talent, and a focus on environmental interest, urban centres are the economic engine for the entire community," notes Wright.

The report will come to council on Monday, June 23.

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For more information:
Jana Miller
Manager, Corporate Communications
City of Kitchener
519.741.2458

Our Newest Team Member Starting

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here. Our newest team member will start tomorrow. Welcome aboard Mike!

Mike will focus on one thing and one thing only: marketing and selling memberships. Membership at Parmasters KW will offer incredible value, lots of game improvement and most importantly, fun.

We’ll soon start regular meetings – we call the “preview meetings” – where future members can learn the many benefits of membership. Mike will help book future members into these meetings and also run many of the meetings.

Preview meetings will run Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, on a weekly basis.

I also wanted to congratulate friend and colleague Jim Estill on his recent blog accolades. Well done Jim!

For now, off to a breakfast meeting and then a full agenda of calls and tasks.

A Dad’s Faith

Another Father’s Day has come and gone. Dads have received due, their day of recognition and appreciation. Now they’re back to doing what they do best, being dads.

So, as the leftover cake is consumed, and Dads thank their children again for their thoughtful gifts, here’s a poem that resonates.


A Dad’s Faith

Out of all the dads that God picked through,
I thank Him every day that He picked you.
You are always there to lend a hand,
to pick me up when I could not stand.
To guide me and love me and to show me the way,
I love you dad each and every day.
You always know when something is not quite right,
and you always find a way to fix it before the day turns to night.
Thank you dad for believing and having a strong faith in God,
and for allowing Him to show you the child He had so carefully picked out for you to raise.
I would not be the [man] I am today,
without the faith that God had sent your way.
© Kimberly C. Arbogast

More Momentum for the Kitchener Core

We had two very positive announcements in Kitchener’s downtown core on Friday. Congratulations to the various driving forces behind these two great projects! This is more fantastic news and additional momentum for the City of Kitchener, core businesses and commerce, the Kitchener Downtown Business Association, and all residents!

The two announcements were covered in detail by the Waterloo Region Record. I’ve included below both the links to the articles, and the full text of the articles themselves.


A new courthouse: Kitchener facility will combine all regional courthouse operations

June 14, 2008
Frances Barrick
RECORD STAFF
WATERLOO REGION

Local politicians, judges and lawyers hailed the choice of downtown Kitchener as the site of a long-awaited new courthouse.

"I think it hits the mark," Justice Pat Flynn of Kitchener Superior Court said after the announcement yesterday by Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy.

The multi-million-dollar courthouse will be built on a 3.3-acre site bounded by Weber, Frederick, Duke and Scott streets.

Except for a few businesses fronting Frederick Street, including a law office, the site is now a parking lot. The new address will be 59 Weber St.

The state-of-the-art courthouse will bring under one roof three existing courthouses -- two in Kitchener and one in Cambridge.

Construction is to begin in 2010, but officials yesterday did not know how long it will take or how much it will cost.

Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig was "very disappointed" the province didn't consider his city as a site for a consolidated courthouse. "We are trying to revitalize our core area like everybody else and this will hurt us."

Attempts to keep the courthouse at 99 Main St. open after the new one is built have failed, Craig said.

Court operations will also be moved out of the existing courthouses at 20 Weber St. and 200 Frederick St. in Kitchener.

Milloy announced plans for the consolidated courthouse almost three years ago to the day. People attending his announcement yesterday at Kitchener City Hall criticized the province for dragging its feet on a much-needed project.

"It is very frustrating that this has taken so long," said Flynn, whose Superior Courthouse is so crammed he and another judge have offices in former boiler rooms. "It is about time that politicians in Queen's Park recognize the depth and breadth of this region."

Flynn said the Superior Courthouse was built in 1959 to hold two courtrooms. Six courtrooms are now squeezed into the building, and security is inadequate.

"It is a very, very inadequate place for the operation and administration of justice."

The chosen site for the new courthouse is fitting, he said, since it is the site of the region's first county courthouse.

Kitchener Coun. Kelly Galloway said the project will be "another significant step" in the revitalization of the city's core. "We are extremely pleased."

Regional Chair Ken Seiling said the location fits with regional goals of infilling and developing city cores, although he's hoping for an earlier construction date. "Let's keep the pressure on the province and may be we can get the ball rolling faster."

The region owns the building housing Superior Court, and Seiling said there are plans to renovate it to house regional offices. The province owns the Kitchener courthouse and leases the Cambridge one.

Bill Moore of the Ontario Realty Corp. said the province will consider what to do with the Kitchener building once the court operations move out. He said the province's purchase of the Weber Street site should be completed in a few weeks after all environmental and soil tests are completed.

The next step will be the calling of proposals to build the courthouse from the private sector, Milloy said. The courthouse is part of the province's five-year plan to spend more than $30 billion in Ontario's infrastructure.


Centre Block proposal ready for council

June 14, 2008
Terry Pender
RECORD STAFF
KITCHENER

City council will be asked Monday to spend another $5.5 million on the redevelopment of a moribund block in the core.

After a year of negotiations with Andrin Investments Ltd., staff will ask council to select the Brampton-based developer for the long-awaited rebuilding of Centre Block.

It will be the latest chapter in the city's nine-year effort to assemble the land -- bounded by King, Young, Duke and Ontario streets -- and persuade someone to redevelop it.

"It continues with the huge momentum we have in the downtown core," said Mark Garner, head of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association and a member of the committee that evaluated the Andrin plan.

Included as part of the deal would be a cash infusion of $5.5 million by the city to pay for the cost of building 250 underground-parking spaces for the public, which Kitchener would own.

"There is a need for increased parking in the core," Garner said. "If we are going to get that growth, I think there is a huge need for that."

If councillors approve the deal, a detailed development agreement must be negotiated with Andrin, which could take up to five months. The company must also pre-sell 60 to 70 per cent of the 384 condominiums it plans for the site before construction begins. Work could start next spring.

It would take four years to finish the $90-million project, which includes two condo towers and shorter buildings that would wrap around Duke, Young and King streets. An underground parking garage with 750 spaces and a courtyard are also planned.

A committee of staff and citizens, formed in early 2007, has evaluated the plan and endorsed it.

"I think it is very important to get some high-quality housing in the Kitchener core," said committee member Rick Haldenby, the director of the University of Waterloo school of architecture.

Andrin wants to convert the historic Mayfair building into a boutique hotel and spa. Retail and live-work units are slated for the three-storey buildings fronting Duke, Young and King streets. The renovation of two other historic addresses on King is also part of the plan. "We need a social and cultural mix in the core, and I think this has the potential to draw people to live downtown," Haldenby said.

The city spent $9.1 million to assemble the land and buy out several businesses. The figure includes $7.65 million for the land and businesses and $1.45 million on legal fees, closing costs and consultants.

Under the proposed deal, Andrin will pay the city $3.1 million -- $2.3 million for the vacant land, $100,000 for a strip of land along King Street and $700,000 for the historic buildings at 11 Young St. and at 156-158 King St.

The 250 parking spaces would cost $35,000 each, for a total of $8.75 million, said Dan Chapman, acting city treasurer.

The city has $5.5 million earmarked for the parking from its economic development investment fund. That, coupled with the funds from the sale of land and buildings to Andrin, would be used to pay for the parking spaces.

"So our estimate right now is that we are about $400,000 short in funding, but we are still in negotiations with Andrin," Chapman said.

The city is on the hook to provide 175 parking spaces to Wilfrid Laurier University students and faculty for $20 a month per space. This was part of the deal negotiated to attract the school of social work to the downtown.

Andrin is no stranger to Kitchener. It partnered with Kimshaw Holdings to convert the former Kaufman factory into condominiums. That project cost more than $40 million.

When the city sought proposals for the redevelopment of Centre Block, three companies submitted plans by April 2007 -- Morguard Investments, the Windmill Development Group and Andrin. Within a few weeks Morguard and Windmill withdrew, leaving Andrin as the sole developer to negotiate with the city.

Refocusing On Our Goals

I’ve been through an interesting exercise these past several days. I dedicated most of the weekend to refocusing on my personal and business goals. This journey included time re-establishing and reaffirming my goals, as well as ensuring I was dedicating time in my day toward reaching and attaining my goals.

This process eventually lead to an adjustment of the way I note and track the tasks that I must complete, and the way I determine priorities.

I converted a while back, as per this blog entry, to a time management system advocated by David Allen in Getting Things Done. Well, in fairness, as I believe many of us do, I took many bits and pieces of Allen’s suggested system, but did not adopt his process in its absolute entirety.

Allen’s system included the concept of Urgency and Importance. I’ve blogged about the use of Urgency and Importance in determining priorities here.

At any rate, I’ve now re-affirmed my personal definitions of Urgency and Importance, and will ensure I use these definitions whenever I categorize a task. Each particular task may be Urgent and/or Important. As noted above, I have blogged before about where one’s time should be spent.

This refocusing journey is not quite complete, but I’m almost there. Parmasters KW is poised for great things, and we shall achieve those great things a little faster, through focus, intentionality and determination!

Second Anniversary

Congratulations to Parmasters Memphis! They’re celebrating their second anniversary this month! The Memphis team, including co-owners Mike and Mario, have made a massive contribution to the Parmasters franchise system and family. We owe them a lot.

We’re in the middle of another busy week within the development of Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. We continue to raise capital and lay plans for marketing and sales.

To say it’s been a challenging journey, opening our first center, would be a massive understatement. It’s an interesting life, being an entrepreneur. It can be both exhilarating and devastating in the same day. Often in the same hour! And of course, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! It’s a wild ride!

And someday soon, Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo will celebrate its second anniversary. Someday soon! For now, it’s back to work, back to making it happen!

Undiscussed

It’s been a long day, and now also a long evening. The day was filled with discussions and meetings focused on a few very weighty topics, both business and personal. There was much to discuss, and much more remains as yet, undiscussed (even though that’s not a word, officially).

This evening I’ve been working on an update to our shareholders. I didn’t get started until around 11:00pm, but that was earlier than anticipated. Earlier in the evening I enjoyed a nice meal and some wonderful company, which proved to be a welcome respite from an otherwise difficult day.

For now, it’s time to get organized for tomorrow’s tasks, and then grab a little shut-eye.

Absentee Blogger?

I’ve been an absentee blogger again. Or, perhaps that’s an oxymoron. By definition a blogger is one who blogs, and thus is not absent, or absentee. But, I digress.

Things are moving along with Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. We’ll soon hire our first team member and start selling memberships. You’ll soon see a large banner on the Frederick Street facade of Market Square, at the corner of King and Frederick, our home. And we’re also opening our temporary sales office within Market Square. Exciting times!

It’s also a very stressful time, as leader of the company, as we line up the remaining bits of capital that we require. There are always challenges in business, but some challenges tend to stress me more than others. Capital is one such thorn.

And of course, golf season is upon us once again. We can’t wait to participate more actively within the local golf scene. We’ll be heavily involved in tournament sponsorship, tournament hosting and ancillary activities. And of course, our Straight-Line Golf system makes golfers better – at least 25% better, to be specific – and so our largest contribution to the local golf scene will definitely be happier, more satisfied golfers.

Better golf. More fun. Guaranteed.