% Castlegar News 1989 Review, April 16, 1989 Jewelry business Castlegar News 1989 Review, April 16, 1989 Waneta Mallin 11th year...21 Oglow building has 4-in-1...23 Lavener Bros. Jewellers ... for 57 years, a name synonymous with Kootrac markets skidder... 18 Terra Novarefurbished...20 t jewelry des caters to customers In 1932 two brothers from Swit- zerland emigrated to Trail and began Lauener Brothers Jewellers. They ran the store until 1968 when present owner Bob Durkin bought it but kept the original name. Durkin was already experienced in the jewelry business. His father owned Durkin’s_ Jewellers in Trail. from 1937 to 1953 and Bob himself ran a jewelry store for two years, prior to taking over Lauener Brothers. The store offers a full range of jewelry and giftware. New Royal Doulton and Hummel figurines are alteady on the shelves, as are many new pieces of crystal from the innovative Swarovski company Durkin has a wide range of clocks and jewel boxes, both of which are popular giftitems. As well as. jewelry and giftware, Lauener Brothers offers many ser vices. Watch and jewelry repairs are done ‘on the premises by the three certified staff watchmakers. Even cuckoo clocks can be mended but they are ‘ta reat tabor of love because of the long time they take,"’ Durkin says With a very old watch, Durkin and his staff sometimes even have to make individual parts or a new casing because spare parts are no longer available Another service provided by the store is the engraving of jewelry and trophies, and the appraisal of jewelry for persona] information and for in surance purposes. An interesting aspect of the business that is increasing in importance is Customers can. bring in their own diamonds or gemstones, or old rings and bracelets, and Durkin or Paul Simonetta can suggest Ways they can be remounted or redesigned into a dif- ferent piece of jewelry Customers are also encouraged to bring in their own designs. As with any other business, staff are New switch gives better service Digital switching — latest in the state-of-the-art technology from B.C Tel — is the ‘‘digital driver’’ which provides high-quality telephone ser vice to residents of the West Kootenay If any single component in the B.C Tel telecommunications system can be credited with driving the network toward increased performance, , in creased efficiency and’ increased profitability, it is digital switching that isat the heart of telephone operations JIMHEDMAN -.-B.C. Tel’s customer service manager for the West Kootenay The expanding digital network gives B.C. Tel significant operating advan. tages by enliancing the capacity of the telecommunications system and making it possible to add new and valuable features. It is a technology in which B.C. Tel is a leader in Canada in terms of implementation. During 1988, the company installed in Victoria its Oth digital switch on the network These switches will be key components of the integrated services digital net work (ISDN). An emerging technology, ISDN heralds the future of communications by providing a system which carries voice, data and video transmissions simultaneously over one line. It sim- plifies communications by eliminating the need for business to use multiple networks and creates improved ef- ficiency The Financial Post in November 1988 estirhated that half the developed world’s telephones will become ISDN. compatible over the, next 10 years. B.C. Tel has the technological capability today and is ready to apply it The digital program for the West Kootenay began with Nelson in 1984, Trail the next-year, Castlegar in 1986 and Fruitvale, Rossland and Genelle in 1987. The company converted the North Nelson exchange to digital swit- EXPERT CRAFTSMANSHIP... Paul Si a is one of the key staff members who provide excel at Lauener Brothers Jewellers in Trail. a vitally important part, and Lauener Brothers offers some real expertise to itscustomers Durkin is a graduate jeweller and certified watchmaker. Simonetta is a graduate gemologist, and both he and Fred Schwindt are also certified wat chmakers. 7 Salesperson Brenda Simonetta recently took a course on pearl grading and restringing while Kathleen Pear son looks after the financial side of the business in her role as bookkeeper The staff also had a hand in choosing the colors for the renovations carried out late last year at the store. 9 lient customer service “ang“nanuracture, Th Fe new carpets and display cases to give a brighter, more attractive look For 57 years now, the store has been offering “quality” merchandise, the finest of craftsmanship and the frien dliest of staffs.”” “Our customers are our friends, and we value their continued patronage,” Durkin says ching last year and plans to convert Salmo this month followed by South Slocan in June Digital switching is designed to be a complete,.totally modular family of witching systems capable of mecting the existing needs of telephone operations Companies in a cost effective manner while anticipating future requirements For B.C. Tel’s customers, the in stallation of this switch means better, more reliable service a more satisfying return for the charges paid to use our network. For our eholders, a new switch means a reduction in costs and improvement in productivity Which will be reflected on the bottom line ofthe company’s returns For telephone customers, the con version to digital switching means im proved network maintenance through continual assessment of switching fun ctions, as well as faster completion of calls and repair service. In addition, electronic switching provides residents with sophisticated optional custom calling features such as call alert, call forwarding, speed calling and three way calling susie Craftsmanship and Expertise! From: 1932-1968 — Bill and Oscar Lavener 1968-Present — Bob Durkin Bob Durkin owned & operated his own store. Durkin's Jewellers, in Trail from 1966 to 1968 : BOB DURKIN’S PERSONAL PLEDGE————~) “Quality Merchandise, the finest of craftsmanship, and the friendliest of staffs. Our customers are our friends, and we value your continued patronage.” All Watch & Jewellery répairs done on premises * Rings & Jewellery custom-made on premises © Engraving LAUENER BROS. JEWELLERS We've Got the Gifts of Love — 1355 Cedar Ave., Trail — Phone 368-9533 808 DUKKIN — Goalisto keep country competitive Increased productivity, breaking into new markets, creating new jobs and increasing sales are all hallmarks of business success. And business success ‘is what _makes Canada’s economy thrive. But Canada is also a player in the world economy and is up against some tough competition To meet the challenges of an ever-changing inter national marketplace, increasingly driven by-scientific progress and technological change, Canadian industry must undergo some major changes of its own Industry, Science and Technology Canada (SFC) was created to help industry achieve this goal. “The focus of ISTC policy development, program and service delivery, and our advocacy Fr inside and outside government can best be summed up as building support competitiveness on a sector by sector basis, and will continue to provide information and development services to the business community,"’ Lotto says. The emergence of a new set of technology families information technology, biotechnology, and advan ced materials changing the way business is conducted In cooperation with the private sector and univer sities, the government will provide support to help in dustry develop, acquire or apply these technologies “These technologies are labelled ‘strategic’ because they are essential for Canada's competitiveness and future prosperity,” Lotto says has created- opportunities and is Firms will be encouraged to make alliances and create networks, t y sharing the costs and risks of INNOVATIVE... representative of the type of project that will keep Canada competitive in international marketsisa for tours. D by Sub Aquatic Development Corp. of Vancouver, the design won the bronze trophy in the innovation category of the 1988 Canada Awards for Business Excetience. Centre will provide ‘one-stop shopping’ for the B.C accelerating the development and application of Mese ORaiee BREWED RIGHT. N THE KOOTENAYS. BUSINESS PEOPLE. Just about anywhere you find a phone in British Columbia, you'll find a copy of the Yellow Pages.™ When potential customers want to find you, it’s a good bet they'll use the Yellow Pages. 8 out of 10 British Columbians refer to the Yellow Pages at least once a month. And 97% of people generally call or visit a business after referring to the Yellow Pages first. Why do they look there first? Because customers know the Yellow Pages is the most complete, accurate and accessible business directory available. We've been here for over 60 years and we've proven we can do the job. That's why virtually everybody is listed with us. For more information on how effective advertising in the Yellow Pages can be, call toll-free, 1-800-242-8647. Advertising in the Yellow Pages is the best way to have your customers reach you when they need you. ~ And isn’t that what a good paging system is all about? Director in B.C As the government of Canada’s flagship economic department; ISTC will ensure the inter national competitiveness of Canadian industry and-en courage a standard of business excellence that. will secure Canada’s place as a leading industrial nation in the next century “The department will work to renew and expand Canada’s scientific, technological, managerial and in dustrial base through new programs that will support emerging and strategic technologies, initiatives that tate-of-the-art use Another initiative in_promoling Canada’s national competitiveness is the establishment of an In. ternational Trade Centre within our Vancouver office,” Lottosays. The International Trade Centre (ITC) provides a full range of trade services including export counselling and the provision of market opportunity information Lotto says that the ITC will also assist businesses in developing marketing plans and will support export awareness initiatives such as seminars and workshops “In essence,”’ Lotto says, “the International Trade by Sub Aquatics Development Corp. and are in service in the Caribbean. A fifth sub is ready for delivery to Guam. Salesin1988 were 18million,upfrom 8 million in 1987. The ai a highly able vessels allow and marine life. i p view of reets The world is experiencing an economic transfor is being driven by technological innovation, initiatives sould include export promotion drives, selec —Tive “ihvestinent promotion, and technology ap- plications for new and enhanced products. To, fulfil this role effectively, ISTC’s sector where increasingly the knowledge content of a product ov service is becoming the key factor in its com petitiveness Firms must now master a larger number of echnologies than in the past-in order to remain com, petitive says Tom Turner, ISTC’s Director of In dustry and Technology Services. ‘tManaging the cor porate transition from old to new technologies is one of the major challenges facing businesses at this time Industry, Science and Fechnology Canada will upport alliances among companies, between groups of companies and research institutions, and between groups of companies and foreign partners These alliances will position Canadian firms to ‘apture future markets in a myriad of industrial sectors, all of which will profit from advances in biotechnology, information technologies, and advanced materials,”* Turner says. An example of such alliances would see a company interested in harnessing protein engineering to produce a better product, team up with a group of X-ray crystallographers, a National Research Council laboratory of protein chemistry and a research institute involved inartificiatintettigences . A biopesticides company might ally itself with ex perts in forest science, protein chemistry and molecular genetics, ‘The-goal of these alliances will be to translate basic research into technology which in turn would offer commercial possibilities,” Turner says THE COMPETITIVE EDGE To help Canadian industry become more inter nationally competitive, Industry, Science and Technology Canada will develop initiatives that cater tc each individual sector of industry “In developing action plans for industry sectors, it would be useless to use the same strategies across th board,”’ Turner says. ‘‘A plan for improving the com, petitiveness of Canada’s aerospace industry would definitely not have the same effect on improving the competitiveness of our clothing and textiles industry Depending on the needs of individual sectors, such Specialists in-€ach_province will © TEIWork with their industry colleagues, evaluating performance and identifying strengths and weaknesses in entire sec tors as well as in individual firms. If we are to fulfil our mandate of making Canadian companies more competitive in the world marketplace, we are going to have to know each sector of industry from the ground up,"’ Turner says. Turner points out that one of ISTC’s prime roles will be that of chief advocate, within the federal gover nment, for Canada’s business and scientific com- munities in areas such as taxation and regulation A major component of each provincial office of Industry, Science and- Technology Canada will be the newly created International Trade Centre (ITC) which will make the federal government's trade services more accessible to the Canadian business community — par- ticularly exporters and export-ready companies. Headed by a senior trade commissioner, the centres will ensure a two-way flow of information. between Canadian exporters and Canadian trade commissioners abroad “*We will provide Canadian companies with export counselling and_information-on_new market_oppor- tunities,"’ says Zen Burianyk, senior trade com- missioner at the Vancouver ITC “In addition, we are an access point of the Program for Export Market Developmen. (PEMD) which assists B.C. businesses to participate in foreign trade shows and various other kinds of export promotions.”” The centres will also be linked to the Department of External Affairs’ WIN Exports — a customized, worldwide communications network that provides data on over 20,000 Canadian companies, including over 2,500 B.C. firms, to 102 Canadian trade offices around the world An office of the Canadian International Develop- ment Agency (CIDA) is also located within the Van couver International Trade Centre Lotto says that the ITC ‘‘will be a key element of our thrust to help Canadian industry expand and become more internationally competitive ISTC strives for excellence Editor's note: The following is an interview with the Minister of Industry, Science and Techhology, Harvie Andre. Q: How do you see your role as Minister of In- dustry, Science and Technology and how does it relate to the government's overall objective: A: As minister of industry, science and technology, 1 and my colleagues, Tom Hockin, minister of state (smaJ businesses and tourism) and Bill Winegard, minister of state (science and technology), are respon sible for delivering the government's commitment to help all sectors of the Canadian economy strive for in dustrial and scientific excellence and achieve inter national competitiveness In this regard, the goals of the department are right up there among the ranking” priorities | Of the gover nment At the Cabinet table, my” concern is with the business environment. What we are doing is helping to create the conditions that will make Canada a great place to do business and provide firms of all sizes with opportunities to excel asa result of their ownefforts Q: How do you and your new department plan to carry out this mandate? | A: First, we need to assemble a solid base of infor mation, insight and understanding of the competitive circumstances of Canadian industry and the state of science and technology in Canada. Second, we have to-be well informed and sensitive to the broader economic and policy environment Third, we have to be doers and contributors, doing things that contribute to the government's objectives Q: What personal priorities and goals do you at- tach to your role? A: Lhave made it my personal priority goal to build our relationship with our industrial and scientific con. stituencies and to understand their concerns and aspirations. At the same time, 1 want to spread the word about whai this new department is all about, specifically what we have tooffer For the future, we in the department want to be able to take a longer term and broader view, to think in terms of strategies, of market position, of technological capability in our various sectors, and sit down with our industrial colleagues to reach agreement on what both industry and government have to do We will have to consider very carefully what the role of government should be. And it should be much more than just responding to the demand for capital assistance In our new {role, we will have to be receptive to new ideas, some of which will come from industry, some from academia, some from other departments of government Whatever the source, new ideas will have to be critically examined before we espouse them. Above all, this department will be in the vanguard of a collective government-wideeffort Q: How does ISTC differ in its role from past in- dustry departments like DRIE and ITC? A: Industry, Science and Technology Canada is a department fundamentally different. from_ its predecessors. What concerns us most as a new depar tment is the total picture of the collective actions of the private and public sectors toward the goal of keeping Canada among the top economic performers Our task-is to orchestrate, to harmonize, and in Tegratethe-actions-of-many—players,-in—addition—to- initiating our own actions. * While regional development has been separated HARVIE ANDRE «+. task is to harmonize from the core mandate, everything the department does has to be sensitive to opportunities and circumstances in all parts of Canada. Q: What do you hope your department will have achieved at the end of your government's four-year mandate? A: In my view, I hope we will be able to say the following things in four years as we look back on our performance « That-we, as a department, established a coherent vision of where this country is headed and took major steps to put in place the capability required to improve Canada’s rank among the leading industrial nations. * That this department, on the basis of its knowledge, its influence, and its broad balanced view of competitiveness, is a first and frequent stop for business and science people as they pursue their own strategies Here I seea prominent role for the provincial offices © That we have established a web of effective policy initiatives, services and programs to integrate ef forts along the seamless ribbon from science to markets. That we have delivered the government's scien. ce and technology agenda in the form of a number of centres of excellence, a substantial improvement in the pool of highly qualified people, and an improved in: frastructure for the diffusion of technology to Canadian industry © That we have forged a umber of research and development and technology alliances that bring together the best people in this country © That we have established a department that is in perception and reality a key team player in the major private and public sector initiatives that will build our competitiveness. Aboveall, our goal isto be sensitive to people, their hopes and their aspirations, whether they be business people, scientists or Canadians in general.