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Publication of the Swiss Canadian Chambers of Commerce Ontario and QuebecPublication des Chambres de Commerce Canado-Suisse de l’Ontario et du Québec
April/May Avril/Mai 2013
FFeature/Reportageeature/Reportage::Swiss Food in Canada/Produits alimentaires suisses au Canada
www.swissbiz.ca www.cccsqc.cawww.swissbiz.ca www.cccsqc.ca
NESPRESSO BOUTIQUE : 2045 Rue Crescent Montréal H3G 2C1
7535-CANaug12 HorizonSwissCN PureU 216x278_CB.indd 1 28/08/12 17:20
CON
TEN
TS /
IND
ICE
FEATURE / REPORTAGE
Swiss Food in Canada/Produits alimentaires suisses au Canada
4 Swiss Products: Quality and Value From a Sought After Brand and Lifestyle 5 Importations: accord d’équivalence entre le Canada et la Suisse 5 Organic Equivalency Agreement Between Switzerland and Canada 6 JURA: Bringing Barista Quality Coffee Into Your Home 7 Swiss Made 8 Au Saucisson Vaudois – les saveurs suisses au Québec 9 Ricola – Natural Cough Drops Straight from the Swiss Mountains
BUSINESS AND OTHER NEWSACTUALITÉS ÉCONOMIQUES ET D’AFFAIRES
10 Corporate Golf Memberships and Taxable Benefi ts 10 Hiring a Former Employee? Beware of the “Prior Service” Baggage 12 Business News 14 Swiss Rebellion at the Polls 16 A Lesson for Canada from Swiss R&D 18 Karin’s Performance Solutions: Karico’s Top Tips from 2012 20 Tribeca Insights: “Confi squadores” 23 Travel News 28 Trade Fairs
CHAMBER NEWSNOUVELLES DE LA CHAMBRE
2 President’s Message SCCC/Upcoming Events 3 Message du Président CCCS / Evénéments 5, 9, 25 Nouveaux Membres – CCCS 17 Quote of the Month 21 Scholarship Fund 22 La soirée raclette à l’Auberge 22 réélection Bruno Setz\Re-election Bruno Setz 24 SCCC New Members 27 Member Travel Bulletin Board 28 SCCC Group Health Plan
Publication of the Swiss Canadian Chambers of Commerce Ontario and QuebecPublication des Chambres de Commerce Canado-Suisse de l’Ontario et du Québec
Swiss Flag and Matterhorn
IN FO SU I SS E2
BOARD OF DIRECTORS • 2012 – 2013
President / Director:
Philipp GyslingMesh Innovations Inc.174 Hallam Street, Toronto ON M6H 1X5Tel: 416-871-8159Email: [email protected]: www.meshinnovations.com
Vice-PresidentErnst NotzNacora2 Hunter Avenue; Toronto ON M6E 2C8Tel: (416) 784-2872Email: [email protected]
Treasurer/ Director:Monica Stevens-WyssTrowbridge Professional Corporation25 Adelaide St. E.; Suite 1400; Toronto, ON M5C 3A1Phone: (416) 214-7833 ext.104Email: [email protected] Website: www.trowbridge.ca
Secretary & Legal Counsel:
Bernard LetteLette LLP20 Queen Street West, #3300, P.O. Box 33, Toronto ON M5H 3R3Tel: 416-971-4898Email: [email protected] Website: www.lette.ca
Past President / Director:
Hans MungerAuto Motion Shade Inc.400 Bentley Street; Unit 7-11; Markham ON L3R 8H6Tel: 905-470-6198 x 33Email: [email protected] Website: www.automotionshade.com
Directors:
Babette BaarsMarché Restaurants Canada Ltd.8 King Street East, Suite 838, Toronto, ON M5C 1B5Tel: 647-341-1444 Cell: 647-969-1445Email: [email protected] Website: www.marche-int.com
Rudi BlatterLindt & Spruengli (Canada) Inc.181 University Avenue, Suite 900, Toronto ON M5H 3M7Tel: (416) 351-8566Email: [email protected] Website: www.lindt.com
Mirko CapodannoSwitzerland Tourism480 University Avenue, Suite 1500Toronto, ON M5G 1V2Tel: 416-695-3375 Cell: 416-841-6644Email: [email protected] Website: www.MySwitzerland.com
Julien FavreUBS154 University Avenue, Toronto ON M5H 3Z4Tel: (416) 345-7033Email: [email protected] Website: www.ubs.com/1/e/canada
Sandra Leuba136 Curzon Street, Toronto ON M4M 3B5Tel: 416-616-4251Email: [email protected]
Ronnie MillerHoffmann-La Roche Ltd2455 Meadowpine Boulevard, Mississauga ON L5N 6L7Tel: 905-542-5522Email: [email protected] Website: www.rochecanada.com
Daniel OehySwissmar35 East Beaver Creek Rd, Unit 6, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1B3Tel: 905-764-1121Email: [email protected] Website: www.swissmar.com
Barbara Sutton100 Quebec Avenue, Suite 505Toronto, ON M5P 4B8Tel: 647-808-2461Email: [email protected]
Urs UhlmannZurich400 University Avenue, 25th Floor, Toronto ON M5G 1S7Tel: (416) 586-2959Email: [email protected] Website: www.zurich.ca
Andrea von MoellerB2-125 The Queensway; Toronto ON M8Y 1H3Tel: (416) 907-8012Email: [email protected]: www.2marketinternational.com
Honorary Director:
Bernadette HunkelerConsulate General of Switzerland154 University Avenue, Suite 601, Toronto ON M5H 3Y9Tel: 416-593-5371Website: www.eda.admin.ch
Executive Assistant:
Patricia Keller Schläpfer – SCCC756 Royal York Road, Toronto ON M8Y 2T6Tel: (416) 236-0039 Fax: (416) 551-1011E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.swissbiz.ca
Typesetting and Assembly: Nancy Raitt @ corptype
Printed by: J. B. Deschamps
Dear Members,
As indicated in the president’s message of the previous info suisse issue there are some important changes looming for the Swiss community in Toronto. Toronto will no longer have its own Consulate General and will soon fall within the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Montreal. As much as this may be an inconvenient situation for Swiss citizens in the Toronto area, it may also represent an important opportunity for our Chamber. We have a small working group at the SCCC that has been exploring the role that the Chamber may have going forward. To that effect we have had meetings with the main stakeholders (OSEC, Embassy, Consulate) to discuss possible scenarios for Swiss commercial and trade representation in Toronto. We are currently developing a new vision for the Chamber that would encompass new business activities and would include a formalized collaboration with OSEC and its Swiss Business Hubs. This new direction would strengthen our ties with Switzerland and the other Swiss players in Toronto (e.g. Switzerland Tourism, the Embassy and the future Honorary Consul) and it would also generate some income, as we would be supporting the Swiss Business Hub with some consulting services. Both Ambassador Lehner and Ms. Caroline Blaser from OSEC will be present at our annual general meeting in April to share their view of this new direction. As the president of the Chamber I feel this is a watershed moment for us and I am very excited about the new course that this represents for the coming years.
If the envisioned collaboration with the Swiss Business Hub comes to pass the Chamber may become more involved with the introduction of Swiss products in the Canadian marketplace, which is a nice segue to the current issue of info suisse that focuses on just that, Swiss products. The fact that so many Swiss and non-Swiss products use Switzerland and its symbols in their marketing efforts is a testament to the high quality and high expectations attached to anything coming from Switzerland. This issue of info suisse will give you a bit more insight into some Swiss products.
Finally, since this is my last president’s message, I would like to thank all the individual and corporate members for their support of the Chamber and their kind words along the way. It has been a pleasure and honour to represent this organization for the last two years. As of this year’s AGM, Ernst Notz will return to the presidency and he will expertly guide the Chamber towards new goals.
Happy reading!
Philipp Gysling
President
Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Ontario) Inc.756 Royal York Road • Toronto, Ontario M8Y 2T6Tel: (416) 236-0039 • Fax: (416) 236-3634 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.swissbiz.ca
2013 COMING EVENTS
April 17 Annual General Meeting at the King Edward Hotel
May 14 Swiss Night at the Marché
June 18 Golf Tournament with the German Chamber at Carrying Place
July 11 Swiss Night on the Patio
August 20 Pub Night with the British Chamber
September 4 Spousal Event at the RCYC
October 8 Swiss Night
November 16 Gala Dinner Dance at the King Edward Hotel
December 10 Fondue Night
Further Information can be found on www.swissbiz.ca/upcoming_events
Dates above are subject to change
AP R I L/MAY 2013 3
La Chambre de commerce canado-suisse (Québec) Inc.Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Quebec) Inc.
1572 Avenue Docteur Penfi eld, Montréal, Qué. H3G 1C4 • Tél: (514) 937-5822 • Fax: (514) 954-5619 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web site: www.cccsqc.ca
CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION / BOARD OF DIRECTORS2012 – 2013
Président / President
Mr. Jean Serge GriséDirecteur, Communications et Affaires publiquesFondation Lucie et André Chagnon Conseiller en affaires publiquesTel: 514.380.2001, # 1058E-mail: [email protected]
Secrétaire / Secretary
Me Monica SchirdewahnAvocate / Lawyer Lette & AssociésTel: 514.871.3838, # 213 E-mail: [email protected]
Vice-présidents / Vice-Presidents
Mr. Bruno SetzConsultantTel: 514.767.5123E-mail : [email protected]
Mr. Olivier RodriguezGestionnaire de portefeuilleMirabaud Canada Inc.Tel: 514.393.1690E-mail : [email protected]
Trésorier / Treasurer
Mr. Othmar WidmerConsultation WidmerTel: 514.290.4822E-mail: [email protected]
Directeurs / Directors
Mr. Jacques DemontManaging DirectorNespressoTel: [email protected]
Mr. Christian G. Dubois Conseiller de la Ville Ville de Montréal (Arrondissement Pierrefonds-Roxboro)Tel: [email protected]
Me Jean-Marc FerlandAvocatFerland, Marois, Lanctot Tel: 514.861.1110E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Moritz GruberConsultantTel: 450.567.2237E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Olivier SchlegelConsultant agro-gastronome E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Patrick VeenhuizenConseiller de développement, fi nancement et conseils stratégiquesCLD Beauharnois-SalaberryTel : 450.373.2214, poste 132E-mail : [email protected]
Mr. Paul WieserPDG pour le CanadaBusch Vacuum Technics Inc.Tel: 450.435.6899E-mail: [email protected]
Directeur honoraire / Honorary Director
Mr. Beat Kaser Consul général de SuisseTel: 514.932.7181 E-mail: [email protected]
Liaison au Consulat général de Suisse
Mr. Paolo Bezzola Consul Tel: 514.932.7181E-mail: [email protected]
Conseiller juridique / Legal Counsel
Lette & AssociésTel: 514.871.3838, # 213 E-mail: [email protected]
Responsable de l’administration / Administration Offi cer
Mr. Andreas Kräuchi Tel: 514.937.5822 Fax: 514.954.5619 E-mail: [email protected]
Chères et chers membres,
L’hiver se termine et votre Chambre est à préparer une série d’événements qui vous permettront des rencontres intéressantes. Nous avons déjà commencé à travailler à notre événement printanier principal : notre Tournoi de golf en mémoire de Jacques Thévenoz. Nous avions l’année dernière une équipe fantastique, qui a assuré un succès impressionnant, et ces mêmes personnes ont accepté de jouer à nouveau leurs fonctions; il s’agit de Jean-Jacques Laurans (président du Groupe Alfi d) qui sera le président d’honneur et Bruno Setz qui dirigera le Comité d’organisation. We are very grateful and we thank our friends for accepting to lead the organization of the Golf Event. Don’t forget to reserve for that great day, June 3, at the Whitlock Golf Club, in Hudson. J’invite les membres à réserver très tôt car c’est un événement très populaire et très couru.
Le succès de notre soirée « Raclette » s’est répété encore cette année et au nom de nos membres, je remercie tous les râcleurs et Marc Bolay de l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel. Thanks also to all our sponsors and particularly the Swiss Cheese Marketing organization. Nous apprécions toujours les cadeaux qui nous sont offerts par nos membres et que nous faisons tirer lors de ces événements.
Nous avons développé une liste de conférenciers que nous vous présenterons sous peu, car nous croyons que nos membres doivent avoir une occasion de rencontrer des leaders de notre économie. We have contacted several economic leaders who will be speaking to you in the next few weeks.
You will be receiving very soon the documents for the preparation of our Annual General Assembly. Nous vous attendons en grand nombre, car c’est votre Chambre et c’est à vous qu’il revient d’élire vos dirigeants.
En terminant, nous avons aussi participé, en mars dernier, à certaines activités célébrant le vingtième anniversaire de la Francophonie dans le monde; le Consul général à Montréal, Beat Kaser, s’est assuré de mettre en évidence la culture, la gastronomie et l’économie suisse. Le Québec a eu l’occasion de connaître l’importance de la Suisse dans cette grande fraternité qu’est la Francophonie. Merci et félicitations à toute l’équipe du Consulat général et à notre ami Beat Kaser, qui est un allié important de notre Chambre.
Bon printemps et au plaisir de vous voir très bientôt lors de nos prochains événements.
Jean Serge GriséPrésident du conseil d’administration de la Chambre de commerce canado-suisse du Québec.
EVÉNÉMENTS / UPCOMING EVENTS 2013
mi-mai 2013 / mid-May 2013 Assemblée annuelle /
Annual General Assembly
3 Juin 2013 / June 3rd 2013 Tournoi de Golf / Golf Tournament
Des événements supplémentaires seront ajoutés au fur et à mesure
Additional events will be added as soon as the dates will be known
Dates sujet à changements / Dates subject to change
INFORMATION et détails/and details : www.cccsqc.ca ou/or (514) 937-5822
IN FO SU I SS E4
Swiss Food in Canada
Produits a l imentaires suisses au Canada
SWISS PRODUCTS: QUALITY AND VALUE FROM A SOUGHT AFTER BRAND AND LIFESTYLEInterview with Daniel Oehy, President of
Swissmar, written by Sandra Leuba
Daniel Oehy, President and Founder of
Swissmar, started his company 30 years ago,
importing high quality Swiss products to sell
to Canadians. Swissmar not only sells Swiss
brands, such as Wenger of Switzerland with
the Genuine Swiss Army Knifes, but also
among others, Peugeot of France, famous
for its pepper and salt mills and wine
accessories.
It was a tough beginning three decades
ago, as Daniel Oehy’s potential customers
were unfamiliar with the concept of paying
a higher price for better quality. Daniel
considered it part of his mission to educate
Canadians and Americans about the rela-
tionship between the price of Swiss made
products and their quality and longevity.
Daniel also introduced to North Americans
the Swiss lifestyle tradition of eating melted
cheeses in the form of fondue and raclette.
When Swissmar was founded, very few
people knew what raclette was, while today
Swissmar sells tens of thousands of raclettes
a year.
Selling Swiss products in Canada is not
always an easy task. Switzerland has some of
the highest manufacturing costs in the world
and the exchange rate of the strong Swiss
Franc does not help. So, what is the secret of
successfully selling Swiss products in North
America? The products and services must
differentiate themselves from the cheaper,
non-Swiss copies, through better quality
and precision, creating a willingness for cus-
tomers to pay a higher price. For example,
Swissmar’s potato peelers, manufactured in
Switzerland, sell for $5.00 each, signifi cantly
higher than cheaper brands sold elsewhere.
But, the peeler continues to be a top seller,
having sold millions due to its excellent per-
formance and durability. Another example is
the famous Genuine Swiss Army Knife from
Wenger. For years Chinese manufacturers
AP R I L/MAY 2013 5
have produced cheap versions, but beside
the superior craftsmanship of the original,
customers continue to look for the true
brand and buy the ‘genuine’ item.
On the other hand, people, even the
Swiss, are not always willing to pay a
premium price for Made-in-Switzerland. In
the past, caquelons, the fondue pot in which
the cheese is melted, were manufactured in
Switzerland. A decade ago Swissmar moved
production to China because the caquelons/
pots could be manufactured there in the
same way, with the same Swiss machinery
and at lower labour costs. Similarly for
raclettes, it is now impossible to fi nd raclette
ovens in Switzerland that would qualify to be
sold under the Swiss Made label. For these
reasons and others, more than a decade ago
Swissmar created its own “Swissmar” brand
and now sells many products manufactured
in China and other countries. All of this being
said, Swissmar continues to have great
success selling many Swiss made products
such as garlic presses, spatulas, openers and
many others.
On an administrative note, importing
products from any country requires a lot
of paperwork. The free trade agreement
between Canada and the European Free
Trade Association (EFTA), Switzerland being
part of it, has been in place since July 2009,
but didn’t bring many changes to Canadian
importers. Surprisingly, the paperwork is
identical but pricing became slightly cheaper
with the elimination of duty. Canada and
China concluded negotiations in September
2012 on a FIPA’s, a Foreign Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreement and
we will see in the near future how this will
affect Swissmar’s imports from China. ■
IMPORTATIONS: ACCORD D’ÉQUIVALENCE ENTRE LE CANADA ET LA SUISSESource: OFAG
Le Canada et la Suisse ont conclu un
arrangement d’équivalence concernant les
produits bio.
Dans une communication du 21
décembre 2012, l’OFAG (Offi ce Fédéral de
l’Agriculture) informe que les réglementa-
tions du Canada et de la Suisse relatives à la
production, la transformation et l’étiquetage
de produits bio de même qu’aux systèmes
de contrôle sont reconnues réciproquement
comme équivalentes. Le vin n’est pas inclus
dans cette entente.
Le Canada reconnaît dès à présent tous
les produits bio suisses contenant des
ingrédients bio en provenance de la Suisse,
d’États membres de l’UE ou du Canada
comme équivalents. En contrepartie, la
Suisse va ajouter dans les meilleurs délais
le Canada à la liste des pays reconnus. Du
fait de l’inscription du Canada dans Ia liste
des pays, les entreprises bio suisses n’auront
plus besoin, probablement dès mars 2013,
de demander des autorisations individuelles
en vue de l’importation de produits bio
canadiens.
L’UE avait déjà signé un tel accord avec
le Canada en Juin 2011 (cf. notre brève du
30 juin 2011).
ORGANIC EQUIVALENCY AGREEMENT BETWEEN SWITZERLAND AND CANADASource: Organic Federation of Canada
Switzerland and Canada have concluded an
organic equivalency agreement, Organic
Federation of Canada reports. Swiss and
Canadian Regulations on production, pro-
cessing and labeling of organic products
along with the control systems are deemed
reciprocally equivalent.
Canada recognizes all Swiss products
with organic ingredients originating from
Switzerland, EU member states or Canada as
equivalent. In return, Switzerland will add as
soon as possible Canada on its list of recog-
nized products. This mutual agreement will
facilitate trade between the two countries
and will consequently galvanize the trade of
organic products. Wine is not included in the
agreement. ■
BIENVENUE AUX NOUVEAUX MEMBRES
CCCS (QUÉBEC) INC.
Individual members / Membres individual
XEBEC Adsorption Inc.
M. Philip Sigrist, Sales Manager
30. boul. Industriel
Blainville, QC, J7C 3V4
Tél. 450.979.8718
e-mail : [email protected]
www.xebecinc.com
Stefan Gemperli
5539 Ave. Woodbury, apt. # 11
Montréal, QC, H3T 1S5
AvH German International School
Mr. Thomas Linse, Principal
216 Victoria
Baie-d’Urfé, QC, H9X 2H9
Tél. 514.457.2886
e-mail: [email protected]
www.avh.montreal.qc.ca
IN FO SU I SS E6
JURA: BRINGING BARISTA QUALITY COFFEE INTO YOUR HOMEBy: Barbara Sutton
Since 1931, the Swiss company JURA
Elektroapparate AG has been developing
innovative high-end household appliances.
A pioneer in the fi eld of automatic
espresso/coffee machines in the mid-1980s,
JURA today produces fully automatic coffee-
makers for use in the home.
The traditional Swiss brand has evolved
into a global player. The main offi ce of the
company is still located in Niederbuchsiten,
Switzerland, where it was founded. JURA
is represented in Germany, Austria, the
Netherlands, the US, the UK, Australia, South
America, Spain, Sweden and South-East
Asia by its own sales organizations and
joint ventures. In many parts of the world,
the company is entering the market closely
cooperating with distributors.
In Canada, JURA has partnered with
Faema to bring a superb line of award-
winning products to our market. Faema has
been providing espresso and cappuccino
machines to Canadians for over 50 years and
now has North America’s largest showroom
in Mississauga, Ontario. Faema welcomes
visitors to the fabulous space to see the
wide range of JURA coffee machines. (Visit
the website at www.jura.ca for details.)
JURA’s success can be attributed to
a couple of factors. One, the Swiss are
renowned for their outstanding mechanical
engineering and, what’s more, the Swiss
are the third largest consumers of coffee
in Europe, second only to the Finns and
Norwegians. The Swiss consume 900 cups
a year per capita. Surprisingly, the Italians,
who invented espresso and cappuccino,
consume less coffee than the Swiss! This is
likely because Italians prefer to visit a coffee
bar, while the Swiss enjoy making their
coffee at home.
Young people in particular are embracing
the challenge of learning to make coffee at
home like a professional barista. The popu-
larity of Starbucks and other coffee chains
has inspired this fascination and many
are prepared to pay the price to acquire a
superbly designed, reliable and fully auto-
matic coffee machine. You can expect to
pay at least $1300 for a basic JURA coffee
machine and the best are more expensive,
priced at $6,000. It is worth the invest-
ment for many people - in 2011, JURA’s
worldwide revenue was CHF 352,200, 000
($3,838,482,916.46 CND).
Roger Federer is JURA’s brand ambassa-
dor and he was there to open the JURA World
of Coffee exhibition at their headquarters in
Niederbuchisten in 2009. The permanent
exhibition explains the history of coffee, its
production and the story of JURA as well.
Perhaps you will visit the next time you go
to Switzerland – or you can view the virtual
exhibit online at www.juraworld.com. You
can also follow JURA on facebook, where
you can test your knowledge with the JURA
barista quiz! ■
Swiss Food in Canada
Produits a l imentaires suisses au Canada
D É M É N A G E M E N T S I N T E R N A T I O N A U X
1 800 874-1071514 631-6565www.amjmontreal.com
AP R I L/MAY 2013 7
SWISS MADE Contribution from the Editorial Team:
Sandra Leuba
There has been and still is a lot of talk in
Switzerland and elsewhere about the
declaration of “Swiss Made” or “Made in
Switzerland” for products and goods. The
Swiss are understandably very protective
of what became their “brand”. Especially as
the economic value of a “Swiss” origin for
products or services is considerable in an
ever more globalized economy.
The advantages and success’ that accom-
panies the commercial use of the “Swiss”
brand has attracted attention as well as envy
which lead to a referendum about Swissness:
protecting the “Made in Switzerland” decla-
ration and the Swiss cross which is currently
discussed in the Swiss parliament.
With this background information, there
is a new book, which fi ts the topic of this
current Info Suisse “Swiss Products in
Canada” well. This article is not meant to
promote the book but rather to touch on
some questions about Switzerland’s success
and to state some quotes. Here about
the book:
FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY – ONE COUNTRY’S REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTWhy has Switzerland – a tiny, land-locked
country with few natural advantages –
become so successful for so long at so many
things? In banking, pharmaceuticals, machin-
ery, even textiles, Swiss companies rank
alongside the biggest and most powerful
global competitors. How did they get there?
How do they continue to refresh themselves?
Can the Swiss continue to perform in a hyper-
competitive global economy?
The book Swiss Made: The untold story
behind Switzerland’s success, offers answers
to these and many other questions about the
country as it describes the origins, structures
and characteristics of the most important
Swiss companies. The authors suggest its
success is due to a large degree to sound
entrepreneurial thinking and openness to
new ideas. And they venture a surprising
forecast on the country’s ability to keep pace
in an age of globalization.
Switzerland has achieved low infl ation,
low unemployment and a high standard of
living. It bounced back after japan destroyed
its traditional watch manufacturing industry.
Professor Martin Feldstein,
Harvard University
At a moment when European capitalism
is on the defensive in many places, and
those concerned with the future of econom-
ics should carefully consider the Swiss model.
Professor Lawrence Summers,
Former US Secretary of the Treasury
Switzerland has been a highly successful
“brand” – not least in the world of central
banking, where it has long had infl uence
way beyond its quantitative weight.
Paul Volcker, Former Chairman,
US Federal Reserve
To read more about the book Swiss
Made, or the referendum Swissness, please
visit the websites:
https://www.ige.ch/en/legal-info/legal-
areas/made-in-switzerland.html
http://www.swiss-made.org ■
IN FO SU I SS E8
Swiss Food in Canada
Produits a l imentaires suisses au Canada”?
AU SAUCISSON VAUDOIS – LES SAVEURS SUISSES AU QUÉBECPar Marie-Lysa Picard
C’est en 1976 que Pierre Picard a ouvert
la «Boucherie Ste-Brigide». Au départ,
l’entreprise était une simple boucherie de
village. C’est seulement quelques années
plus tard que l’idée de produire des char-
cuteries suisses est lancée. Dans les années
70 et 80, le Québec a connu une vague
d’immigration européenne. En arrivant à
Ste-Brigide, M. Jean-Paul Cuenoud, d’origine
suisse, s’est liée d’amitié avec M. Picard.
S’ennuyant de la charcuterie traditionnelle
suisse, M. Cuenoud suggéra de commencer à
fabriquer celle-ci. M. Picard et son fi ls Marcel
acceptèrent le défi . Des charcutiers suisses
immigrés au Québec sont donc venus part-
ager leur savoir-faire et les recettes qui ont
fait la fi erté de leurs familles. La Boucherie
Ste-Brigide avait une nouvelle vocation,
celle de charcuterie suisse.
Marcel est parti en Suisse en 1992 parfaire
ses connaissances de charcutiers en allant
sur le terrain rencontrer et suivre des forma-
tions avec des artisans. Par le fait même, il a
ramené avec lui certaines recettes tout à fait
uniques comme les saucisses grill.
En 2000, le commerce changea de nom
pour «Au Saucisson Vaudois». Ce nom
représentait davantage qui nous étions.
(Le saucisson vaudois est le nom de notre
produit vedette).
Les possibilités de développement et
d’agrandissement étaient impossibles dans
le bâtiment de la rue des Érables. De plus,
il fallait savoir que nous étions sur cette
rue pour s’y arrêter. Et par respect pour
les voisins, car l’ancienne boutique et la
production étaient placées dans un quartier
résidentiel, la rue principale était plus
appropriée. Le 15 juin 2005, le magasin
déménage sur la rue principale de notre
village, dans un des bâtiments de la ferme
Cuenoud. En étant situé sur la rue principale,
plus de gens nous remarque et arrêtent
visiter la boutique et ils ont de l’espace pour
fl âner à travers notre boutique.
En plus de nous offrir une meilleure visi-
bilité et plus d’espace, le nouveau bâtiment
est un symbole. D’une part, il a appartenu à
M. Cuenoud, la personne qui est à l’origine
de ce que nous sommes aujourd’hui. D’autre
part, il symbolise notre attachement et
notre engagement à notre terroir. Pour notre
équipe, travailler avec les producteurs du
coin est un honneur de même que de faire
découvrir les traditions culinaires suisses aux
québécois.
Pour nous visiter: 368, rue Principale,
Sainte-Brigide, Québec, Canada J0J 1X0
Notre site web : www.saucissonvaudois.qc.ca ■
Marie-Lysa Picard, Marcel Picard et Pierre Picard
Au Saucisson Vaudois
Le magasin
AP R I L/MAY 2013 9
RICOLA – NATURAL COUGH DROPS STRAIGHT FROM THE SWISS MOUNTAINSBy: Oliver J. Woodburn of
Lindt & Sprüngli (Canada), Inc.
Formed 83 years ago in 1930 by Emil
Ritcherich, Ricola AG is today one of the
most modern and innovative manufacturers
of herb drops in the world. Here in Canada,
Ricola has been available for consumers to
enjoy since the 1980’s, though it was likely
only those consumers of Swiss heritage who
knew the brand or shopped at specialty food
stores and bakeries who were purchasing
them. Distribution was diffi cult to achieve
for a small brand and Health Canada’s
strict regulations were a barrier to over-
come. Unlike Ricola’s Kräuterzucker or Herb
Candies which in Switzerland offer candy
taste and enjoyment with benefi cial herbs,
the Canadian regulations require that the
medicinal herbs at the core of Ricola quali-
fi es it as a regulated Natural Health Product.
In the mid nineties, Ricola’s Canadian
broker went bankrupt, but fortunately Lindt &
Sprüngli was opening in Canada and agreed
to take on Ricola as a fellow premium Swiss
brand. A new era was ushered in for Ricola
in Canada with a focus to widely distribute
Ricola at pharmacies, grocery stores and
mass merchandisers. Ricola was positioned
as a cough drop and throat lozenge. The
Swiss grown mountain herbs have been
known for centuries to have benefi cial prop-
erties for supporting health and for decades
now these benefi ts have been scientifi cally
proven. The scientifi c proof of the herbs effi -
cacy is why Ricola is sold as a cough drop in
Canada and the USA. When consumers have
a cough they fi rst of all want something that
works, then something that tastes good and
ideally something that is natural. Ricola has
met all these criteria for Canadian consum-
ers and as such is the #1 herbal cough drop
sold in Canada.
“Riiicollaaa”…. The call heard around
the world is one of the most familiar sound
mnemonics in North America. It is so famous
that it is constantly showing up in popular
culture, whether it’s the Royal Canadian
Air Farce, Rosie O’Donnell or any number
of Hollywood movies that have scenes in
Switzerland; someone always wants to
sing out “Riiicollaaa”. This has been a great
benefi t to Ricola since the call associated
by consumers to imagery of the Swiss Alps
and therefore reinforces the Ricola’s Swiss
heritage which is also one of its 3 core
brand pillars.
It’s a fantastic story when a family owned
company from Switzerland can so success-
fully take a traditional Swiss product and
distribute it around the world without losing
its roots or founding principles. Canadians
love Ricola and can look forward to an even
greater selection of fl avours and innova-
tion from the Richterich family in the years
to come. ■
BIENVENUE AUX NOUVEAUX MEMBRES
CCCS (QUÉBEC) INC.
Corporate
Trowbridge Professional Corporation
M. Jean Millot, Partner
e-mail: [email protected]
1, Place Ville-Marie, bureau 2001
Montreal, QC,
H3B 2C4
Tél. 514.866.4913
www.trowbridge.ca
Gagné, Bennett, Avocats
Membre additionnel / additional member :
M. Marc Lapointe
Tél. 514.871.1206
e-mail : [email protected]
IN FO SU I SS E10
CORPORATE GOLF MEMBERSHIPS
AND TAXABLE BENEFITSBy Paul Girolametto of Cunningham LLP
The Tax Court of
Canada recently
released its deci-
sion in a court case,
Gillis v. The Queen,
which focused
on corporate golf
memberships and taxable benefi ts. The
case involved a corporate golf membership
that afforded the individual shareholder,
who was also the president and main sales
person of the corporation, unlimited golf.
The issue before the Court was whether the
corporate golf membership constituted a
taxable benefi t to the individual and, if so,
what was the value of the benefi t.
Generally, employees are assessed a
taxable benefi t on the personal portion of
certain expenses or advantages provided by
a corporation. The most common examples
of these benefi ts include the use of an auto-
mobile, group term life insurance premiums,
and imputed interest on interest-free loans.
However, where it can be shown that the
primary purpose of the expense or advan-
tage is related to the corporation’s business,
there will not be a taxable benefi t to the
employee. This is true for corporate paid
memberships and dues for recreational
and social clubs. In other words, where the
primary purpose of the club membership
and dues are principally for the employer’s
advantage, no taxable benefi t should be
assessed to an employee.
The court ruled in Gillis, that even though
the individual was a key salesperson and
the corporation benefi ted greatly from the
corporate golf membership (i.e. regular golf
games had resulted in sales totalling more
than $5.75million), the individual did not
receive the benefi t by virtue of being an
employee, rather he received the benefi t
by virtue of being a shareholder. The Court
acknowledged that the primary purpose of
the corporate golf membership was for busi-
ness purposes, but maintained that a portion
of the membership fee should be included
in the taxpayer’s income as a shareholder’s
benefi t. It appears that based on the deci-
sion in Gillis, when a benefi t is received by
virtue of being a shareholder, an apportion-
ment of the personal benefi t is required to
be included as a taxable benefi t, whereas
if the benefi t is received by virtue of an
individual’s employment a full exclusion is
available if the primary purpose relates to
the corporation’s business.
In short, if you are the owner of the busi-
ness, you may have taxable benefi t issues.
If you are an employee, it appears a full
exclusion may be available.
Whether a benefi t is received by virtue
of one’s shareholdings or employment is
a question of fact. However, the Canada
Revenue Agency’s administrative position,
which is supported by Canadian jurispru-
dence, is that where an individual is both
a shareholder and an employee, he will
be deemed to have received the benefi t
by virtue of his shareholdings. This can
only be rebutted if it is shown that the
same or similar benefi t would have been
made available to employees with similar
positions and responsibilities. The taxation
authorities have never accepted golf as a
deductible business expense and it is clear
from this court case that they will now view
golf dues and fees as an “assumed taxable
benefi t” where the employee entitled to the
advantages is also a shareholder
For more tax and accounting information or if you have any questions, please follow Cunningham LLP on Twitter@CunninghamLLP or contact Paul Girolametto at [email protected], by telephone at 416-496-1051 x254or visit their websitewww.cunninghamca.com ■
HIRING A FORMER EMPLOYEE? BEWARE OF THE “PRIOR SERVICE” BAGGAGEBy Rishi Bandhu
of Crawford Chondon & Partners LLP
A recent decision of the Supreme Court of
British Columbia considered how to treat a
break in an employee’s service when deter-
mining entitlement to reasonable notice.
Specifi cally, in Dobbs v. the Cambie Malones
Corporation 2011 BCSC 1830, the BC trial
court considered whether or not the prior
service time should be counted in determin-
ing the notice period.
Business and Other News
Actual i tés économiques et d’affa i res
AP R I L/MAY 2013 11
Mr. Dobbs commenced employment with
“Cambie Malones”, a Vancouver hotel and
bar in the Gastown district, in March 1999.
He later became the General Manager of the
establishment. In October 2007, Mr. Dobbs
resigned from his position to accept employ-
ment elsewhere. In September 2008, Mr.
Dobbs was re-employed with the Cambie in
a senior management capacity, but not as
General Manager. 30 months later, in March
2011, Mr. Dobbs was dismissed from his
employment.
Mr. Dobbs brought an action for wrongful
dismissal which the court allowed. In deter-
mining how much notice he was entitled to,
the court grappled with Mr. Dobb’s length of
service. Mr. Dobbs argued that his length of
service should be counted from March 1999,
less the 11 month break, giving him 11 years
of service. According to the employer, due to
the hiatus, his length of service should be
counted from September 2008, crediting
him with only 30 months of service.
The Court noted that previous decisions
dealing with an employee’s prior service
time have held that the key question was
whether or not the facts suggested that
the employer recognized continuity in the
employee’s service. If so, the prior service
would be relevant for determining total
length of service in order to calculate the
notice period.
Applying this test to the facts, the Court
found that the parties considered Mr. Dobb’s
prior period of employment during negotia-
tions. Most signifi cant to the Court was that
the Employer gave Mr. Dobb’s vacation pay
of 6%, consistent with his previous contract
of employment, and not the base vacation
pay of 4%. Further, the Court found that
the employer considered Mr. Dobbs’ prior
experience as General Manager as an asset
in deciding to offer re-employment. In
effect, according to the Court, the employer
treated Mr. Dobb’s as a long term employee.
Mr. Dobbs was therefore entitled to have his
notice period calculated based on 11 years of
service, not 30 months, and was ultimately
awarded 12 months’ pay in lieu of notice.
The result in Dobbs will surprise many
employers given that his continuity of
employment was broken, by his own res-
ignation, for a period of 11 months. Given
the resignation, the length of the break
and the fact that Mr. Dobbs was re-hired
into an entirely new position, it is diffi cult
to understand the necessity of recognizing
the entirety of his years of service, from a
fairness perspective.
Nevertheless, this unfortunate result can
be avoided by including language in the offer
of employment or contract of employment
that says that the employee is considered
to be a new employee and that prior service
will not be recognized for any purpose other
than as may be required under employment
legislation (ie the Employment Standards
Act in Ontario requires severance pay to
be paid on all service, regardless of breaks
and regardless of whether the employee
resigned or was dismissed during the earlier
periods of employment). Alternatively,
employers can recognize prior service for
certain employment benefi t purposes, like
vacation entitlement, while excluding con-
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IN FO SU I SS E12
Business and Other News
Actual i tés économiques et d’affa i res
sideration of prior service for purposes of
determining notice of termination.
Hiring a former employee can be a smart
business decision given the previously
acquired knowledge of an employer’s busi-
ness that the individual brings to the table.
To avoid the burdens and liability associated
with the prior service, as demonstrated by
the Dobbs case, employers should take care
to provide an appropriate written offer or
contract of employment.
For more information on above or other topics visit their website at www.ccpartners.ca or contact David Chondon by e-mail at
TOP OF THE NEWSThe Swiss Foreign Direct Investment in the
U.S. report for 2012 notes that Switzerland
is among the top investors in the U.S. The
Swiss cumulative investment is $212 billion
with $57 billion in value added and $9.1
billion spent on research and development.
In addition, Swiss fi nance and insurance
affi liates hold more than $1 trillion in assets.
Swiss affi liates support 430,600 jobs
in all 50 states including the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico with high concen-
trations in the fi nancial, manufacturing and
R&D sectors. The states with the most jobs
are California, New York, New Jersey, Texas,
and Pennsylvania. The average salary of an
employee of a Swiss affi liate is $95,200.
WINS AND UPDATESWorld Courier, an Amerisource Bergen
company, opened a new offi ce in Basel − the
company’s third offi ce in that country after
Zurich and Geneva. It operates a network of
151 ISO 9001-certifi ed offi ces in 52 countries
including 13 GMP-compliant investigational
drug storage facilities in key emerging and
strategic locations.
Cambridge MA-based Cytel Inc., a pro-
vider of Clinical Research Services, opened a
new offi ce in Geneva, Switzerland to support
the growing demand for clinical research
and biostatistical consulting capabilities
throughout Europe.
Dow Formulated Systems, part of
Michigan-based Dow Chemical, has opened
a wind application centre as part of a new
800 meter square composite excellence
centre in Freienbach. It is to help deliver a
portfolio of resins, foams and adhesives to
wind turbine blade manufacturers.
Accelrys, Inc., headquartered in San
Diego, has acquired its long-time partner
Vialis AG, a systems integrator based in
Liestal, BL, serving the pharmaceutical,
biotechnology, chemicals, and agro-science
industries.
À part le chocolat, SWISS a bien d’autres bonnes choses à o rir. Comme des temps de transit rapides et la qualité du service. Chaque jour, SWISS relie sans escale Montréal à la Suisse, où des correspondances optimales vous attendent pour d’autres destinations européennes. Bienvenue dans le monde de SWISS. Pour informations et réservations appelez le 1-877-FLY SWISS, contactez votre agence de voyages ou visitez le swiss.com
Du chocolat suisse sur tous les vols ? Les clichés ont parfois du bon !
De nombreuses récompenses : SWISS Business avec des lits parfaitement horizontaux.
*
*Notre emblème est notre promesse.
050_300_Tailfin_7.25x5_Canada 1 13.12.11 10:20
AP R I L/MAY 2013 13
REVERSE INVESTMENTS & PARTNERSHIPSSpecialty chemical company Clariant has
announced the inauguration of a new plant
in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, that produces
several chemical specialties and technologi-
cal solutions for different markets, including
personal care, crop protection, metalwork-
ing, construction, and painting.
Swatch Group, Switzerland’s largest
watchmaker by sales, will pay $750m
in cash for Toronto-listed Harry Winston
Diamond Corporation’s jewelry and watch
division, and assume up to $250m in debt.
Foster Wheeler AG, based in Zug with
operational headquarters in Geneva, has
acquired Yonkers Industries, Inc., a 30-year-
old US-based fi rm that specializes in the
management of construction and commis-
sioning of pharmaceutical and biotech facili-
ties, with capabilities to also manage the full
engineering, procurement and construction
management of such facilities.
Foster Wheeler AG has also acquired
Three Streams Engineering, Ltd., a privately
held engineering company located in
Calgary, Canada.
HUBER+SUHNER based in Appenzell has
acquired the assets of Astrolab, Inc. head-
quartered Warren, New Jersey, at a non-dis-
closed price. The deal will be fi nanced from
Huber’s own resources. Astrolab is active
in high-tech niche markets such as space
and defense, and offers high-end radio fre-
quency solutions for industrial markets.
Winterthur-based Sulzer has acquired the
assets of the carbon business of Thermoset
Inc. in Mequon, Wisconsin. The acquisition
complements Sulzer Metco’s high-perfor-
mance carbon friction product line with a
well-proven woven carbon friction material.
It also strengthens Sulzer Metco’s position in
the global truck and passenger car market.
Heerbrugg-based metal parts manufac-
turer SFS Intec is investing $31.45 million to
expand its existing plant in Medina County,
Ohio. The plant, which makes metal parts for
the auto industry and fasteners used in the
roofi ng and construction businesses, expects
to create 80 full-time jobs.
Geneva-based CISA Trust Co. has opened
a new sales and marketing offi ce in Miami.
SOTAX Corporation, headquartered in
Basel, continues its expansion in North
America with the establishment of a new
facility in Westborough, MA. The site
includes a large application and demonstra-
tion laboratory, conference rooms to host
seminars and workshops as well as instru-
ment assembly, quality control and product
development areas.
Etobicoke - 1557 The Queensway
Mississauga - 7090 Kennedy Road
Oakville - 3487 Wyecroft Road
Scarborough - 2250 Markham Road
Kitchener - 4500 King Street East
Ottawa - 1763 St. Laurent Blvd.
Brossard - 7200 boul. du Quartier
Laval - 2360 Autoroute Chomedey (Aut 13)
Pointe-Claire - 58 boul. Brunswick
Sainte Foy - 1454 Avenue Jules Verne
For all store locations, please visit lindt.com
and discover a wide selection of irresistible Lindt Chocolates and gifts at delectable deals.
Visit a Lindt Outlet Boutique
IN FO SU I SS E14
Business and Other News
Actual i tés économiques et d’affa i res
FROM THE FOREIGN DESKLacoste SA, the French classic fashion brand
that bears the crocodile symbol, has been
acquired fully by the Swiss family-held group
Maus Freres, The deal valued the French
sportswear maker at 1.0 billion euros.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, based in
Hyderabad, has moved its European head-
quarters to Basel.
OTHER NEWS FROM OUR WORLDWIDE SOURCES Zurich ranks 2nd after Vienna in the Mercer
Human Resources 2012 Quality of Living
Survey of 221 cities. Geneva ranks 8th and
Bern 10th.
Zurich ranks 5th (2nd in Europe after
London) and Geneva 9th (3rd in Europe)
in The Global Financial Centers Index 12
compiled by Z/Yen Group. The Swiss cities
ranked 6th and 14th in GFCI 11.
Transparency International’s 2012
Corruption Perception Index lists Switzerland
as 6th among 176 nations around the
world. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand
tie for fi rst place followed by Sweden and
Singapore. Canada ranks 9th and the US
19th. The CPI scores and ranks countries/
territories based on how corrupt a country’s
public sector is perceived to be. It is a com-
posite index, a combination of surveys and
assessments of corruption, collected by a
variety of reputable institutions. The CPI is
the most widely used indicator of corruption
worldwide.
Syngenta announced that Griffi n
Greenhouse Supplies Inc., a US-based sup-
plier of greenhouse and nursery materi-
als, signed an agreement to acquire the
Syngenta Horticultural Services (SHS) distri-
bution and brokerage business. Syngenta
later announced today it will acquire Sunfi eld
Seeds, a US-based provider of sunfl ower
seeds production and processing services to
more than 30 countries
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s research
to fi nd the best place to be born in 2013
named Switzerland number 1 on the quality
of life index. Australia comes in number 2
and the US ranks 16th along with Germany.
A December 11 Business Insider article
by German economist Gerd Habermann
reported on “7 Reasons Why Switzerland Is
The Best-Run Country In The World.” ■
SWISS REBELLION AT THE POLLSBy: Beat J. Guldimann, LLD
5 March 2013
On the fi rst Sunday of March 2013, the pre-
dictable became a reality in Switzerland as
an angry mob of voters gave the so-called
“Rip-Off Referendum” a decisive victory,
with 68% of the voting population waving
through a constitutional amendment that
makes Swiss corporations laws the toughest
and shareholders in Swiss public companies
the strongest in the world.
Scenes of Zuccotti Park in New York City
in the fall of 2011 come to mind when the
Occupy movement voiced their anger at
Wall Street. Protesters got the sympathy and
support of the 99 Percent but Occupy New
York ultimately got evicted from the park
and died soon after.
The Swiss may seem an unlikely bunch
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TANT D’HORIZONS À EXPLOR R
AP R I L/MAY 2013 15
but in Switzerland’s system of direct
democracy “by the people, for the people,
of the people” – to borrow a term from the
U.S. Declaration of Independence – the 99
Percent not only have a voice, they wield
political power. Never has this been demon-
strated more visibly than just now.
Inequality of compensation for an honest
day’s work has increased signifi cantly over
the past few decades. By all accounts it
seems as though the cycle has somehow
reached its culmination point as more C-suite
executives in publicly traded multinational
corporations are taking home paychecks in
the eight fi gures than ever before.
It should come as no surprise that the
greed of the few is met by the resentment
of the many. Jealousy has turned into anger
and outrage in an economy where corpora-
tions hoard profi ts, avoid creating jobs and
shrink their workforce while rewarding
the C-suite with outrageous bonuses even
though little to no real economic value has
been created.
One does not have to be a Marxist to
understand how the excesses of the past
decades have created bedrock from which
rebellions are taking off.
A prosperous middle class is the oxygen
feeding successful capitalism. This is
common wisdom in global economics, yet
the West’s economic and political system
has allowed the middle class to slowly erode
as real wages have stalled for years, if not
decades, and job security became a distant
memory of a comfortable past. Economic
growth over past decades has been fueled
by consumers’ easy access to abundant
credit, not by their increasing earning power.
The eroding middle class now seems
to realize the disconnect between their
struggle and the ever increasing share of
corporate profi ts that the “pinstripe elite”
keeps accumulating.
If all of the economic benefi t is concen-
trated in the hands of a few, we no longer
have healthy capitalism but a modern adap-
tation of feudalism. Some of the people that
made it on the Forbes Billionaire list may
fi nd this attractive, but it is hardly the dream
of any regular folk.
This is the backdrop for what happened at
the polls in Switzerland. An outraged middle
class pitted against corporate elites, utilizing
the powers given to them in the system of
direct democracy where the people can take
the reins if they believe that the people they
elected to represent them in parliament are
not doing their jobs.
The March 3, 2013 vote made history
as Swiss voters chose a radical solution
as payback for the many frustrations and
outrage that the populace has with the
excessive compensation practices in many
of the country’s leading multinational
corporations.
And so, the Swiss now have corporate
laws that require a shareholder vote on
executive compensation, ban sign-on
bonuses, golden parachutes and certain
forms of profi t sharing, and enforce all of the
above with outrageous criminal sanctions.
While the general objective of the new
law is quite sensible, certain aspects, such
as the criminal sanctions package, are not.
Unfortunately, in a popular vote, there is no
outlet like a second reading in parliament
by which cooler heads could prevail after a
good night’s sleep.
At least, the new Swiss rules leave
executive compensation in the hands of
shareholders rather than generally fi xing
ceilings for bonus payments as is currently
being debated in the European Union as part
of the banking sector overhaul.
The future will tell what the fallout is
of the “Rip-Off” vote as the multinational
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IN FO SU I SS E16
Business and Other News
Actual i tés économiques et d’affa i res
corporations most affected by the changes
ponder their options. Are they going to
simply accept the verdict of the Swiss people,
or are they going to move headquarters to
London or New York to escape a jurisdiction
that has served them so well for so long but
has now become hostile? At this point, it is
anybody’s guess as to what the corporate
reaction will be and what the consequences
will be for the Swiss economy as a whole.
Comments in the international media on
the vote were a combination of amazement
and disbelief that the conservative Swiss
would become such radicals. The common
thread, however, focused on the fact that,
given the same political power, the peoples
across Europe would likely have voted just
as the Swiss did.
With approval ratings for the U.S.
Congress at an all-time low of 14%, just
imagine what American voters could do if
they had the opportunity to take the reins
out of the hands of Congress and all the
Beltway lobbyists. The level of dysfunction
and lack of performance on the job that we
are currently seeing on Capitol Hill would be
unimaginable.
Beat Guldimann, owner of Tribeca Consulting Group, holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Basel; he was legal counsel at the former SBC (86-96), President and CEO of UBS Canada (97-01), Head of Global Private Banking at CIBC (01-04) and Vice-Chairman at Hampton Securities (05-07). ■
A LESSON FOR CANADA FROM SWISS R&DNeil Reynolds
Ottawa — special to the Globe and Mail
Last updated Monday, Sep. 10 2012, 10:59 AM EDT
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Offi ce
employs 10,000 people (mostly scientists
and engineers) to grant monopoly rights
to the inventor of the next new thing – and
to disclose to the world all the secrets it
contains. In doing so, it makes a profi t,
a rare example (now that the U.S. Postal
Service and Canada Post are losing money)
of a competent user-fi nanced government
agency. For the U.S. patent offi ce, business
is good. Notwithstanding the turmoil of the
times, it increased its payroll by 50 per cent
in the past fi ve years.
The world is getting more globalized,
more integrated – and more intelligent – at
progressively faster speeds. At some point
during 2011, scientists have calculated,
the world will have produced more than
one billion transistors for every person on
the planet. Judged by patents, Canada is
getting smarter, too – though not as fast as
the United States, Japan and many of the
advanced countries in Europe.
The U.S. patent offi ce issued a record
number of patents last year to Canadians:
5,223. This was an increase, year over year,
The Swiss explain the country’s success at manufacturing things
out of atoms and molecules as a legacy of precision watch
making. (ARND WIEGMANN/Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)
AP R I L/MAY 2013 17
of 20 per cent – an implicitly impressive per-
formance until compared with Japan (up 26
per cent), Germany (up 25 per cent), South
Korea (up 26 per cent) or the U.S. itself (up
24 per cent). Canada did relatively well, but
at the same time fell further behind many
competitor countries.
Compared with the world, Canada’s
performance looks humbler still. According
to IFI, a Delaware-based producer of patent-
related databases, the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Offi ce issued 219,614 “utility
patents” (commonplace industrial patents)
in 2010 – a one-year increase of 31 per cent,
the biggest one-year gain ever. It issued
more than half of these patents (50.3 per
cent) to U.S. inventors, either as corporations
or as individual – maintaining the American
global dominance in scientifi c and technical
innovation.
For the fi rst time, the U.S. patent offi ce
issued more than 5,000 patents to a single
company in a single year. With 5,896
patents, IBM kept its ranking as global
leader for the 18th consecutive year. IBM’s
closest top 10 patent competitors: Samsung
(4,551), Microsoft (3,094), Canon (2,552),
Panasonic (2,482), Toshiba (2,246), Sony
(2,150), Intel (1,653), LG Electronics (1,490)
and Hewlett-Packard (1,480).
Some people think that it’s unfair to
compare patent production of smaller
countries with patent production of larger
countries – and especially against the patent
production of the United States and Japan,
which together hold two-thirds of all the
patents in the world. Yet absolute numbers
do matter. As it happens, however, Canada
doesn’t fare at all well when compared
with the other countries on the basis of
population.
Based on patents issued in 2007 by
U.S., European and Japanese patent offi ces
(the three places where important patent
applications are simultaneously fi led), one
small country emerged as a spectacular
patent producer. It wasn’t Canada. With a 7.8
million population, Switzerland led the world
with 120 patents per million people. Japan
fi nished close behind with 118. Other top-
inventor countries: Sweden (80), Germany
(68), Netherlands, Finland and Denmark (all
60) – and the United States (40) and Canada
(20). Thus the United States beats Canada
10-to-1 in absolute numbers and 2-to-1 in
relative (population) numbers.
With less than one-quarter of Canada’s
population, Switzerland produces more
internationally important patents than
Canada by a wide margin – one reason why
the World Economic Forum declared the
country last year as “the most competitive
country in the world.” On the other hand, it
doesn’t hurt Switzerland to possess IBM as a
strategic partner in advanced nanotechnol-
ogy research. IBM has operated research labs
in Zurich for more than 50 years; this year,
in association with ETH (the Swiss federal
institute of technology), the company will
open a state-of-the-art nanotech lab (cost:
$90-million U.S.) – a certain generator of
patent applications to come.
Switzerland is an astute little country with
a well-deserved reputation for invention
and for innovation. Innovation Scoreboard
2010, a European report on global com-
petitiveness published earlier this month,
praised Switzerland “for the exceptional
performance of its intellectual assets.” The
Swiss explain the country’s success at manu-
facturing things out of atoms and molecules,
modestly enough, as a legacy of precision
watch making.
The OECD reports, by the way, that the
Swiss have the highest ratio of R&D invest-
ment (compared with GDP) in world: 3.74,
compared with Canada’s 1.84. The Swiss
unemployment rate is 3.6 per cent. The
country’s budget is balanced. To the victor
go the spoils. ■
B U S I N E S S A N D M A N A G E M E N T C O N S U L T A N T S
STEIGER, ZUMSTEIN & PARTNERS AG
CONTACT:
Nauenstrasse 49, P.O.Box,CH-4002 BaselPhone +41 61 270 99 10, Fax -19E-mail: [email protected]
M E M B E R O F :
• Establishment and management of Swiss corporations• Accounting services• International Tax Planning for companies and individuals• Management functions in Finance and Administration for Swiss- and international companies• Services provided in English, French and German
Quote of the Month
Perfection is not attainable,
but if we chase perfection
we can catch excellence.
Vince Lombardi
IN FO SU I SS E18
Karin Lindner
KARICO’S TOP TIPS FROM 2012By Heidi Garcia
We strive to provide our readers with tips,
tools, and practical advice on how to become
the best organization, the best leader, and
the best person you can be. The greatest
investment you can make is in yourself and
in your personal development.
For this issue, I would like to share with
you with some of the highlights from our
feature articles over the past months.
DO YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO THINK DIFFERENTLY?Would you agree that mindset has a tremen-
dous impact on how we master and manage
challenges in our personal and professional
life?
In her book entitled “Mindset” author
Carol Dweck suggests that there are two dif-
ferent kinds of mindsets: a Growth Mindset
and a Fixed Mindset.
In a fi xed mindset, people believe their
basic qualities such as intelligence or talent
are simply fi xed traits. In a growth mindset,
people believe that their most basic abilities
can be developed through dedication and
hard work.
There is something very powerful in
changing the way you think. Generally,
exhaustion at work doesn’t come from the
work itself but from the mental attitude that
people have toward work and life. Imagine
the potential for success by challenging
yourself to think differently.
ACHIEVING GREAT RESULTSHow productive can a frustrated employee
be? What impact do negative employees
have on their coworkers? What’s the con-
nection between employee engagement,
motivation, productivity and the bottom
line? As a leader, what role do you play in
engaging your workforce?
One of the best ways for you to achieve
outstanding results is to empower your
employees to do the right thing by trusting
them to make responsible decisions. Most
employees care about the work they do.
They care a lot. They want to do a good
job and want to do their part to help the
company to grow and succeed. Invite them
to share with you their continuous improve-
ment ideas and then get them involved in
implementing their suggestions. Let them
know that you value them and appreciate
the work they do.
A key element to your success will be
to effectively utilize and fully engage every
employee. Keep in mind that at the end of
each day, one of the most valuable assets
of your organization goes home. The ques-
tion is whether or not they will return the
next day.
GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK – THE WHY AND HOWIn the January/ February 2012 issue of the
Harvard Business Review entitled “Creating
Sustainable Performance”, the authors
Spreitzer and Porath named four workplace
essentials to nurture a workplace environ-
ment in which employees can thrive. One of
the four is Performance Feedback.
“Feedback creates opportunities for
learning and the energy so critical for the
culture of thriving. By resolving feelings of
uncertainty, feedback keeps people’s work
related activities focused on personal and
organizational goals. The quicker and more
direct the feedback is, the more useful it is.”
Performance Feedback should be part of
the normal, expected conversation between
managers and direct reports. There needs to
be a willingness of the manager to allow the
feedback discussion to be a TWO WAY con-
Kar in’s Performance Solut ionsKar ico’s Top T ips f rom 2012
AP R I L/MAY 2013 19
versation, in order to allow the direct report
an opportunity to provide his/her own ideas
on how to improve. At its core, it is basically
information, but it is the capability of the
feedback provider that will, bottom line,
defi ne its value and benefi t to the recipient.
DO YOUR CHOICES REALLY MATTER?Are you aware that the daily choices we
make impact not only ourselves but also
our immediate environment and with that
the big picture? Many people believe that
if their environment would change, their
attitude would change as well. However,
it is the exact opposite. If you change your
attitude, all the circumstances around will
start to change. We have to understand that
every single one of us plays an important
role in the big picture
Life would be so much easier if people
would start to understand and appreciate
that everyone wants to have a good life
for themselves and their family and most
people really want to contribute in one way
or another. Sometimes you make plans but
life has other plans for you and then it really
is a matter of perspective and choice as to
how you will handle it.
It is certainly not about changing every-
thing; start making small improvements
from where you’re at right now. The choices
you make today will impact the life you
have tomorrow.
PUTTING YOUR PLANS INTO ACTIONWhat provides the greatest sense of
accomplishment for an individual, team or
organization? Typically it is setting a goal
or target, creating a plan, and then follow-
ing it through to completion with positive
results that moves the business forward.
This process of planning, doing and achiev-
ing creates pride, energizes people, propels
them with confi dence onto the next objec-
tive and drives engagement on all levels of
the organization.
The process, which has many names
and takes on a wide range of formats, with
simple or highly complex layered tools is
basically ACTION PLANNING.
There are many theories as to what the
essential elements of a solid action plan are,
but basically it boils down to the following,
as described by Deane Pittman, an execu-
tive Engineering and Lean Manufacturing
consultant at Anubis: Clarity, Simplicity,
Measurement and Follow-Up.
NO WORD OF A LIECan it be that we tell little white lies when
we are fearful?
Are you aware of situations where people
who lie seem to get further ahead?
Does lying help us to take the easy way
out?
Are we forced to lie to meet other
people’s expectations?
Should there really be different “levels”
of dishonesty?
Trust is so important - in relationships,
in business, and in life in general. Many
employees have a hard time trusting man-
agement. Many managers don’t trust their
employees. Investors have trust issues.
Customers don’t trust companies to provide
the quality they were promised. Suppliers
don’t trust that they will receive the money
owed to them. What has happened? Doesn’t
anyone keep their word anymore?
Ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I always tell the truth?
• Do I always keep my promises and
commitments?
• Do I typically give my best effort and
avoid cutting corners?
• Do I avoid using organizational resources
for personal purposes?
• Do I do what’s easy or what’s right?
Heidi Garcia is a Human Performance Specialist working with KARICO Performance Solutions, located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Karin Lindner is the founder and owner and her mission is to “help organizations and individuals in manu-facturing environments to become the best they can be by positively impacting their ROI (Relationships, Outcomes and Improvements)”. Karin can be reached at 1-647-401-5274 or by e-mail at [email protected]; you may also visit her website at www.karicosolutions.com ■
Seit über 20 Jahren in Ontario zugelassener, deutschsprechender Anwaltund Notar bietet Ihnen persönliche Betreuung und fachliche Kompetenz.
BALDWIN ANKA SENNECKE HALMAN LLPBARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
Victoria Tower25 Adelaide Street EastSuite 900Toronto, Ontario M5C 3A1www.bashllp.com
Direct: 416.410.2113Facsimile: 416.410.9423Cell: 416.816.2113Handy: [email protected]
ALEXANDER SENNECKE
Für weitere Fragen stehe ich gerne zur Verfügung.
Helping youmake the Right
Moves
IN FO SU I SS E20
“CONFISQUADORES”By: Beat J. Guldimann, LLD
Europe’s mess is getting
bigger and bigger
as global observers
witnessed in the case
of a chaotic EU bailout
that played itself out
last week on the tiny Mediterranean island
of Cyprus.
Economically, Cyprus is an irrelevant part
of the Union, representing only around 0.2
percent of the EU’s GDP, yet the smallest
member state managed to become the focal
point of European policy making, monopo-
lizing bureaucrats and political leaders in
Brussels for weeks.
Cyprus’s experiment with offshore
fi nance, attracting billions of Euros in foreign
deposits to fund an unsustainable economic
explosion, has failed. Without bold action
from Brussels, Cyprus would have had no
choice but to exit the Eurozone, maybe even
the EU, and return to its roots in agriculture
and tourism.
A Cyprus exit from the currency union
would hardly hurt the common currency. It
might have been smarter for Brussels to work
on an organized exit than hastily putting
together a bailout package that leaves a
series of new questions about whether the
EU has a consistent master plan for effective
crisis management. God knows they need
one of those, but what we have witnessed
in the case of Cyprus is anything but.
We have always maintained that one of
the key risks in EU politics is that desper-
ate people will do desperate things. This is
exactly what happened here.
Over the past quarter century, Cyprus
has established a banking environment that
attracted moneys from a variety of countries
with wealthy citizens worried about the
safety of their assets. Cyprus became a des-
tination of choice for Russian oligarchs and
wealthy families from across the troubled
Middle East looking for a safe haven for their
assets. Cyprus was a convenient partner,
welcoming new business from Russia, Syria,
Lebanon and the like while more typical
safe havens, such as Switzerland, put up
more barriers for clients from these areas.
Some twenty years later, the offshore
experiment collapsed, together with the
Cypriot banking sector; and since Cyprus
joined the European Union in 2004, the
country had lost autonomy in dealing with
the ensuing crisis. Cyprus’s Big Brother sits
in Brussels, dictating the terms of their
assistance.
What is most remarkable in the Cyprus
bailout is not that one of their banks will
be eliminated from the roster to rescue
the nucleus of the fi nancial sector. What is
shocking about this bailout is that the EU
decided that confi scation of foreign bank
deposits was a valid policy option.
Clients of the Bank of Cyprus with more
than 100,000 Euros on deposit will be forced
to forfeit 30% of the value of their deposits
to recapitalize the bank. Cyprus’s safe haven
status has been wiped out over night.
It is worth noting here that a large portion
of bank deposits over 100,000 Euros held in
Cyprus is owned by non-EU citizens, most
importantly oligarchs and other wealthy
families from Russia. By decree from
Brussels, they will now fund a signifi cant
portion of the EU rescue of Cyprus- based
banks.
Obviously, it is politically more expedient
to violate private property rights of a few
Russians than to deal with yet another upris-
ing of EU citizens in a Mediterranean country.
Russian Prime Minister Medwedev accurately
called the measures what they are: simple
Tr ibeca Ins ights“Conf isquadores”
R e stau ra nt, bar
et douces fo li e s
4 2 6 , RUE SA I NT - G A B R I E L
T 5 1 4 . 8 7 8 . 3 5 6 1M O N TRE A L Q C
A U B E RG E S A I N T- G ABR I E L . C O M
AP R I L/MAY 2013 21
theft. However, no matter how upset he is
about the Cyprus confi scation, he is not going
to let this get in the way of “Staatsraison”
in dealing with the larger issues between
Russia and the European Union.
We now have the fi rst case of a desper-
ate gubernatorial body resorting to the
desperate measure of confi scating private
property to deal with a structural problem.
The signifi cance is not that this happened on
Cyprus. It lies in the precedent that has been
created and the possibility that government-
sanctioned theft of private property may
become part of the blueprint if and when
Brussels has to step in to clear chaos in
future cases.
As to Cyprus, it is safe to bet that most
of the money currently on lock-down will
fi nd its way off the island in a hurry as soon
as the account freezes are lifted. If Brussels
wanted to avoid a large- scale run on Cyprus’s
banks in the context of this bailout, it has to
realize that it has created the foundation for
a run at least by wealthy clients offshore.
The resulting erosion of deposits will create
new issues for the banks, possibly making
another bailout unavoidable in only a few
months.
If Brussels wants to maintain the notion
that the EU has a reliable legal framework
in which it operates, the world needs to see
a valid master plan for the management of
future crises that replaces the patchwork
that is currently in place and eliminates
uncertainties.
Beat Guldimann, owner of Tribeca Consulting Group, holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Basel; he was legal counsel at the former SBC (86-96), President and CEO of UBS Canada (97-01), Head of Global Private Banking at CIBC (01-04) and Vice-Chairman at Hampton Securities (05-07). ■
YOUR GLOBAL LOGISTICS NETWORK
Kuehne + Nagel Ltd. info.toronto@kuehne–nagel.com www.kuehne–nagel.com
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
OF ONTARIO
The Swiss Canadian Scholarship
Fund of Ontario is pleased to offer
yearly scholarships. It is open to
members of the SCCC and the
Swiss Community in Ontario.
To fi nd out more about the
availability and eligibility criteria,
please visit the Ontario Chamber’s
website at:
www.swissbiz.ca/scholarship
IN FO SU I SS E22
LA SOIRÉE RACLETTE À L’AUBERGEPar Olivier Rodriguez
Cent quatre amateurs de fromages s’étaient
donné rendez-vous le 20 février dernier à
l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel pour partager la
traditionnelle raclette de la Chambre de
Commerce Canado-Suisse.
Tous ces participants ont fait honneur
aux sept meules (de fromage) qui, pour
l’occasion ont été raclées sans relâche par
Messieurs, Marc Bolay, Raphaël Delacombaz,
Richard Dill, Olivier Schlegel et Alex Volery.
Michel Andrey, accompagné de son
accordéon, a contribué à la chaleureuse
ambiance de la soirée. Encore une fois, de
nombreux chanceux ont profi té du tirage de
notre traditionnelle tombola et, cette année,
c’est Monsieur Pierre Ménard qui a gagné la
convoitée paire de billets d’avion offerte par
Swiss. Par leur dons, nos généreux comman-
ditaire permettent, année après année, de
garnir notre tombola de lots variés et très
appréciés qui contribuent au succès de cette
soirée. Nous en profi tons pour les saluer et
les remercier vivement.
Un grand merci également aux organ-
isateurs et au personnel de l’Auberge
Saint-Gabriel qui ont fait en sorte que cet
événement soit une grande réussite.
Le rendez-vous est déjà pris pour
février 2014.
Nos sincères remerciements à nos
commanditaires :
Au Saucisson Vaudois, Auberge Saint-
Gabriel, Busch Vacuum, Chocolats suisses,
Consulat Général de Suisse, Fromages de
Suisse, Nespresso Canada, Rodania, Swiss
International Air Lines, Vins VIP. ■
RÉÉLECTION BRUNO SETZRE-ELECTION BRUNO SETZNous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que
notre Vice-président, Monsieur Bruno Setz,
a été réélu comme délégué des Suisses
de l’étranger pour L’Est du Canada pour la
période 2013-2017.
Le Conseil d’administration félicite Bruno
pour sa réélection.
We are proud to announce that our Vice-
President, Mr. Bruno Setz, was re-elected
as delegate of the Swiss Abroad for Eastern
Canada for the period 2013 – 2017.
The Board of Directors congratulates
Bruno for his re-election. ■
Chamber News
Information de votre chambre
Consul Général de Suisse Beat Kaser et Monsieur Jean Serge Grisé
Messieurs Olivier Schlegel et Marc Bolay
Messieurs Richard Dill , Alex Volery et Raphaël Delacombaz
Madame Sylvie Leduc, Monsieur Pierre Ménard et Monsieur Andreas Kräuchi
www.swissmoments.com www.momentssuisses.com
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BASEL REGIONFondation Beyeler
The Fondation Beyeler is the fi rst Swiss
museum to present a comprehensive exhibi-
tion of the late work of Swiss artist Ferdinand
Hodler. It is in these fi nal years between
1913 and 1918 of his career that Hodler’s
international signifi cance for modern art
becomes clearly visible. In these late paint-
ings, he revisits the themes that had occu-
pied him all his life – his own self-portrait,
his legendary panoramas of the Swiss Alps,
his fascination with women and death – and
explores them in new series and variations.
BERN REGIONBern – UNESCO World Heritage to turn 30
in 2013!
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, has many
charms: Its quaint old town is framed by
the Aare River and offers spectacular views
of the Alps. Thanks to its well-preserved
medieval townscape, the Old Town of Bern
was entered onto UNESCO’s listing of World
Heritage Sites in 1983. In 2013 the big
30iest anniversary is coming up – Bern is
celebrating this milestone birthday!
Emmental – A Clash of the Alpine Titans
Every three years, the largest sporting festi-
val in Switzerland and one that is certainly
steeped in tradition, takes place – the Federal
Wrestling and Alpine Festival. In 2013 it is
being held in Burgdorf, near Bern, in the
heart of the region where the Emmentaler
cheese is made. Some 250,000 spectators
are expected to watch the festival, which is
held only once every three years and will
also see the crowning of the country’s only
monarch – the King of Swiss Wrestling.
Bellevue Palace - 100th anniversary of
the Swiss Confederation’s offi cial state
guesthouse
In 2013, Bellevue Palace in Berne celebrates
its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the anni-
versary in due style, countless festivities and
events will take place throughout the year.
As the Swiss Confederation’s offi cial state
guesthouse, the classic grand hotel is of
major national, historical and cultural signifi -
cance. It has hosted countless heads of state
and leading fi gures from the world of poli-
tics, industry, culture and society. The offi cial
100th anniversary is on 27 November 2013,
a century to the day of the hotel’s opening.
GRAUBUNDEN REGIONDavos – New Visionary Hotel to be opened
in 2013
The top Italian architect Matteo Thun has
designed the new luxury 5-star hotel
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IN FO SU I SS E24
InterContinental «Stilli-Park» close to Davos
lake, which will open in autumn 2013. The
hotel is encased in a bronze-toned metal
shell. The resort is ideally located in the
middle of a picturesque mountain landscape
offering a view over the Lake Davos and the
city itself as well as over the surrounding
mountain panorama and the ski slopes.
Waldhotel Davos - Luxury apartment on
the outskirts of Davos
Celebrating 100 years anniversary of Thomas
Mann in Davos, the Waldhotel opens a new
luxury apartment. In his novel “The Magic
Mountain”, Thomas Mann invented the
Berghof, a mountain retreat. The place never
actually existed in Davos. Until now. As a
small tribute to Thomas Mann and a new
special offer for the guests of the Waldhotel,
the hotel has recreated the Berghof. The
Chalet Berghof Sertig is situated in the alpine
tranquillity of the wild and romantic Sertig
Valley. Here the Waldhotel hs created spa-
cious and comfortable holiday apartments,
in part from existing buildings, with a great
deal of passion and an eye for detail.
Federal Yodeling Festival in Davos 2014
From July 3, 2014 to July 6, 2014, Davos in
the Grisons canton will be center for all the
fans of yodel, alphorns and Switzerland’s
fi nest folklore music. The festival attracts
more than 200’000 visitors and is the climax
of many small local yodeling festivals. The
urban infrastructure of Davos embedded
in the stunning alpine surrounding is the
perfect place for this traditional Swiss
folk festival.
GENEVAWatch Tour
The Watch Tour offers a chance to visit the
center of Geneva while discovering the
watch industry through around a hundred
boutiques and a dozen historical monuments
linked to Geneva’s watchmaking history.
It also provides an opportunity to prepare
a stay in the city by pinpointing ahead of
time various selected brands with a view to
making a purchase. The Tour may be varied
in length and done on foot, by Segway or
by bike, lasting either a few hours or an
entire day.
JUNGFRAU REGIONBond World on the Schilthorn
Fifty years after the fi rst James Bond
screen spectacular, the latest 007 epic is
again attracting millions of movie-goers to
cinemas around the world. To celebrate the
occasion, the Schilthorn Aerial Cableway in
the Bernese Oberland is planning to launch
a special anniversary attraction – Bond
World 007. The summer of 2013 will see
the opening of the interactive exhibition
and cinema, extending over some 4305
square feet and dedicated to the death-
defying exploits of 007. The Schilthorn
already holds a pride of place in James Bond
movie-making history. It was here on the
2970-metre summit (with its “Piz Gloria”
revolving restaurant) that “On Her Majesty’s
Secret Service” was shot during the winter
of 1968/9.
LAKE LUCERNE REGIONAndermatt – Europe’s fi rst Chedi Hotel
Europe’s fi rst Chedi Hotel and Residences
development is nearing completion and
is set to open to the public by the winter
season 2013. Designed by world-renowned
architect Jean- Michel Gathy of Denniston,
the 5 star hotel is set in the exquisite natural
beauty of Andermatt. The property has
been designed in a traditional chalet style,
with open fl oor plans, lofty ceilings and
light-maximizing windows. The Chedi offers
various bars and restaurants including a cigar
lounge, wine salon, an après ski bar and two
superior gourmet restaurants. Furthermore
the hotel will feature a state-of-the-art spa
and wellness oasis. Situated within the heart
of Andermatt, the Chedi Andermatt is in
easy reach of all the Andermatt Swiss Alps
resort facilities, including the 18-hole golf
course, car-free village, and ski lifts.
Vitznau – New area for Park Hotel
In the heart of Switzerland, at the foot
of Mount Rigi and on the shores of Lake
Lucerne, the Park Hotel Vitznau is said to
be one of Europe’s most beautiful places to
stay. In spring 2013 a new era is about to
begin for the well-known resort. Soon, the
Park Hotel Vitznau offers guests a unique
combination of a suite hotel, residence,
medical center and research facility, where
personal relaxation and recreation are the
main priorities.
TICINO REGION
Splash e Spa Tamaro – Rain or Shine
Splash e Spa Tamaro, outside of Lugano, an
innovative new attraction, unique of its kind,
is the fi rst Waterpark covering more than 2.5
acres dedicated to leisure and well-being,
offering aquatic leisure activities together
with Spa and Wellness treatments – all
inside a single complex. Families, adults and
children can access a huge range of attrac-
tions satisfying their every desire. Sun, rain
or snow, Splash e Spa Tamaro will always be
open to offer the very best in water leisure
pursuits and well-being.
Sasso San Gottardo
The imposing rock caverns, North of
Bellinzona that once housed an artillery
emplacement are now home to a themed
exhibition that focuses on the challenges
of managing our resources. Take the tunnel
railway to the once secret historical fortifi -
cations to experience a piece of history at
fi rst hand.
Travel News
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
SCCC (ONTARIO) INC.
New Personal Member:
Sean Duncombe
147 Glengrove Ave. West
Toronto, ON M4R 1P1
Email: [email protected]
How to become a member of the SCCC:
Sign up online at
www.swissbiz.ca/memberships
or contact our offi ce at [email protected] or
416-236-0039
AP R I L/MAY 2013 25
VALAIS REGIONNew hotel in Zermatt – Matterhorn Lodge
The Matterhorn Lodge, a unique combina-
tion of hotel and apartment building, offers
an atmosphere of peace and coziness. A true
Alpine refuge in this astonishing mountain
area, it is equipped with the appropriate
luxury of an up-to-date hotel. Most of the
old wood and the natural stone that give
the building its special touch fi nd their origin
in this very region. The hosts are Harry
& Felicitas Lauber, keen skiers, climbers
and golfers.
ZURICH REGIONSpecial exhibition Edvard Munch –
Kunsthaus Zurich
Love, pain and death, passion, loneliness and
sorrow: the entire oeuvre of Edvard Munch
(1863 – 1944) revolves around the funda-
mental experiences of human existence.
Munch is one of the undisputed precursors
of the Expressionist currents that began
to shape European painting at the start of
the 20th century. The exhibition comprises
almost 200 outstanding prints of interna-
tional origin and will take place between
October 4 2013 and January 12 2014.
Zürich Devotes itself to Richard Wagner
Zürich will celebrate the 200th anniversary
of Wagner’s birth with great events. Also this
year’s Zürich Festival, held from June 14 to
July 14, 2013 under the motto of «Wagner
Hothouse», focuses on the period Richard
Wagner spent in Zürich, and features musical
theater, opera, plays, concerts, exhibitions,
discussions, a symposium and much more
besides. Kicking off the Wagner Year 2013
is the artistic focal point, the world premiere
of «Richard Wagner – Wie ich Welt wurde»
by Hans Neuenfels, the fi rst coproduction
between the Zürich Opera House and the
Schauspielhaus Zürich. ■
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Swiss chocolate on every ight? Don’t you just love clichés?
050_300_Wing_7.25x5_Canada 1 13.12.11 08:45
BIENVENUE AUX NOUVEAUX MEMBRES
CCCS (QUÉBEC) INC.
Corporate
Lezza & Wieser Partners Inc.
Mr. Ferdinando Lezza, Managing Director
e-mail: [email protected]
68 Chesterfi eld Avenue
Westmount, QC,
H3Y 2M5
Tél. 514.488.6491
www.ecosysacqua.com
IN FO SU I SS E26
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Monica Stevens-Wyss Manager, Accounting & Business [email protected] Adelaide St. E., Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5C 3A1
Kurt PeyerFebruary 15, 1925, Zurich,
Switzerland – April 2, 2013,
Barrie, Ontario
Died peacefully, in palliative care at
Mill Creek Care Centre. Remembered
and honoured by his loving
family: Wife Mabel (nee Davis),
Children: Henry (Colleen), Daniel (Wendy) and Patricia MacLean.
Grandchildren: Robyn, Lindsey, Kirby, Luke, Devon, Anna & Tira. His
sisters Lore Weber and Heidi Hauser. Predeceased by his parents
Henrich & Anna, his brothers Henrich & Edi Peyer and his son in law
Lachlan MacLean. Mentor & Entrepreneur, loving friend and tour
guide to many.
Born into a loving family of Swiss German & Italian ancestry. Kurt
took full advantage of the alpine mountains and explored them
through cycling, hiking and skiing. When he was a young man he
travelled Europe as a gymnast. Well educated in the excellent Swiss
apprentice system he graduated as a precision mechanic. He immi-
grated to Canada in 1952 where he began working his trade and
founded Swiss Instruments Limited, in Granby, Quebec to sell Swiss
precision measuring instruments. In 1954, he relocated to Toronto,
Ontario. In 1955 he met Mabel Davis (fresh from Newfoundland),
a staff nurse at Toronto Western Hospital. It was love at fi rst sight!
They were married in 1957 and quickly expanded their family.
Meanwhile his hard work continued to expand his business. He
began selling Machine Tools in 1958. In 1962 he started Belmag
Inc in Quebec with a partner. In 1965 he purchased a commercial
building in Mississauga where the company remains to this day.
By 1968, Kurt opened Belmag Machinery Corp. in Vancouver with
another partner. Throughout this time Mabel worked diligently
for the business behind the scenes. In the following years, as his
customers needs changed his product lines evolved to represent
over 50 manufacturers from companies around the world. During
their teenage years Kurt mentored both sons as they began to work
for him. By 1986, they offi cially joined the fi rm to work by his side.
For a short time, Kurt employed all three of his children, his pride
was obvious to all.
Kurt was thrilled when his children married and was prouder
still when his grandchildren arrived. They made his life merrier,
especially when playing with him in the pool, visiting at home,
going to the cottage or travelling to the chalet. Over the years Kurt
travelled extensively for business. Many of those trips were spent
entertaining clients, and suppliers who became lifelong friends.
Kurt also travelled with his family across Canada, Switzerland and
Europe. Kurt & Mabel vacationed throughout Europe, USA, Africa,
Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Grenada. They made many new
friends along the way. In 2003 Kurt retired from the business,
and continued to be active with his favourite things in life: family,
friends, travel, music and food (his own cooking in particular). Kurt
will be remembered for his smile, hand rubbing and of course that
twinkle in his eyes that made us all feel so special.
AP R I L/MAY 2013 27
WHAT TO DO IN SAO PAULO, BRAZILAuthor: O. Widmer, Independent consultant and
Board member CCCS QC
My work requires me to spend quite some
time in Sao Paulo. I would like to share
some observations and tips of what to do
and where to go, knowing that in this day
and age we can get a lot of information
from various websites but perhaps lacking a
personal touch.
Sao Paulo is a conglomerate of cities or
centers with a population of over 10 million,
and over 20 million in the metropolitan
area. Thanks to recent efforts the city is
relatively safe. Of course there are areas
which one should avoid after sunset like the
area around “parque de la luz” a nice park
(during daytime) next to an old train station,
worth a visit if one has spare time.
Transport like buses and the underground
(called Metro) are fairly safe too, especially
the Metro is good means of transport to dis-
cover the various areas. In order to get street
and metro maps you best contact one of the
tourist offi ces you fi nd in various locations,
e.g. one on Avenida Paulista near the Trianon
park. Despite the improved safety, Brazilians
carry little cash with them so credit cards
are widely used and accepted even for small
amounts. Furthermore patrons will always
use their debit machines in front of custom-
ers. If not done so, you should insist on it.
For a nice stroll, go to the Ibirapuera park
which is Sao Paulo’s “central park”. You will
see ponds, nice walk ways and a number of
museums notably the Modern Art Museum.
If you feel more like shopping, you
should defi nitely visit Rua Oscar Freire,
elegant shops are interspersed with nice
coffee shops or one of the huge shopping
centers. Keeping in mind that in general
clothes, appliances etc. are rather expensive
due to their taxes.
To enjoy a view of Sao Paulo go to Edifi cio
Italia with its panoramic terrace which is
near prace (square) Republica which is in
the city centre. In the square there is an
open market with Brazilian handicrafts on
Saturdays and Sundays (1000 to 1600).
You would like to taste some of the exotic
fruits Brazil offers? I strongly suggest then
a visit to the Mercado Municipal, a 15 min
walk from the blue metro line station Sao
Bento. Not only do they sell all kinds of fruits
and other foodstuffs but there are various
restaurants and corner shops where you can
taste the local food such as “pastels” deli-
cious, deep fried and stuffed (meat, cheese
or seafood) type of big ravioli.
What better way to fi nish the article with
some more advice for good food. A must do
is of course eating at a “churrascaria” where
after serving yourself from a nice salad bar,
“gauchos” will serve you meat “a discre-
tion”. I recommend one called “Fogo do
Chao” which has few locations in Sao Paulo,
with one near the city airport Congonhas.
Another excellent restaurant is “Rubaiyat
Figueira” where they probably serve the best
steaks in town prepared with Argentinean
beef, which I fi nd much better than the
Brazilian. This of course contrary to the view
of my Brazilian friends! The main attraction
of the restaurant is a fi g tree almost in its
middle which is well over 100 years old.
Last but not least, Sao Paulo has one of
the largest Japanese communities outside
Japan and therefore you fi nd numerous
good Sushi places in the area (barrio) of
Liberdade. However the one I recommend
is near Paraiso metro station or Shopping
Paulista Placa called Mitsuyoshi Restaurant
and offers very fresh and fi rst-rate Japanese
food and Sake.
Enjoy! ■
Member Travel Bul let in Board
IN FO SU I SS E28
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Ecom16 – 16 April, 2013 | GenevaComputer
Mieux16 – 21 April, 2013 | GenevaBuilding & Construction
Baselworld25 April – 02 May, 2013 | BaselGems & Jewelry
Geneva International Book and Press Fair05 – 05 May, 2013 | GenevaPaper & paper Products
GEWA02 – 05 May, 2013 | FrauenfeldBusiness Services
Expat-Expo Zug05 – 05 May, 2013 | ZugBusiness Services
Rhema26 April – 05 May, 2013 | Saint GallIndustrial Supplies
BEA03 – 12 May, 2013 | BernAgriculture & Forestry
Vitafoods Europe14 – 16 May, 2013 | GenevaAgriculture & Forestry
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Discover the wide range of benefi ts available to you, such as Health and Dental, Critical Illness coverage, Short & Long Term Disability income replacement and more!
For more information, contact Patricia Keller Schläpfer at the SCCC
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