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An Enduring IdeaAn Enduring Idea50 years of Alberta Blue Cross
Mario Abrioux Grant Adsit Myrna Aguillon ChristelAhlisch Dante Ajero Paola Alcayaga Laureene Allen Marietta Almoneda Kathryn AlvesAnn Ambrose Hoda Amirie Heidi Anderson DaveAndrews Marleen Androschuk Dwight AnthonyHarry Anton Glenda Arden Robert Arends JeffArmstrong Nick Arscott Roberta Awid CatherineBacinski Randy Baird Jose Baires Dianne Balon-Anderson Tamara Baraniski Laraine Barby JuneBarclay-Abraham Shannon Baretta Catherine BarnesJill Bartlett Diana Barton Brenda Bassett Tracy Batiuk-Marcoux Cheryl Beitel Georgina Bell Stacy BellLeanne Bellerose Julie Belyea Bill Benford DoloresBerezowsky Corry Bespoyasny Mario BilheteCheryl Billau Carla Bjorkman Karen BlacquiereGrant Blum Karen Blum JimBodie Angela Bodnar SonyaBodner Nancy Boer DougBogda Cindy Borhen MoiraBorys Shelley Bourak ValerieBowman Sharon BradburnSusan Bramm Shirley BridgesSam Britton Colleen BrodykL o rraine Brown Maria Bru n i -Bossio Darren Bryks ArnieBuchholz Lois Bugga CindyBullerkist Shayna Busat Ursula Bushnell Lisa BushnellJeannette Byrtus Micheal Cadrin Marilyn CampbellPatricia Cardinal Jo Carpino Jennifer Carson PhyllisChan Loreen Chapman Tara Chatschaturian JessicaChau Alice Chen Betty Cherniwchan Vikki ChipcharJanet Chipley Charlene Chong Tai Barry Christensen
Jeff Christensen Vicky Christodoulou Karen CimolaiEileen Collingwood Philip Corbett Susan CormackEvelyn Crockett Judi Crossley June Croutze-ArmstrongDarlene Crowe Carolyn Curry Trina Dahl Leigh DarbyJon Davies Emmet De Los Angeles Kerry-Lynn DechkaJacqueline Dedio Te rry Demers Roseann DespatisBarbara Dhoedt Anh Do Quynh Do Maria DonnellyJoanne Doonanco Raquel Dorado Lucie Doucet GlennDreissigacker Luisa Dubon Hilda Dueck Nancy DumkaJoy Edwards Leora Ellett Charlene Ellis Sandra EllisJackie Evans Sharon Evans Robert Fanning WadeFasek Robert Fediuk Brenda Fedun Lynette FelicitasEvelyn Felstad Graham Ferguson Pedro Ferreira SandraFick Krista Fisher Don Forbes Jean Foxall Lisa FriedlAllan Friesen Cheryl Friske Karen From Janine Frost Paul
Funk Angela Gallant Denise Gannon Nancy GardenLori Gardner Teresa Garniss Shanon Gaucher EdwardGebran Brian Geislinger Jane Gibson Karen GibsonMichelle Gillespie Louise Gillis Gloria Gilyshyn LindaGlass Linda Goehring Cherylyn Gonsalves Tr a c yG o o d h e a rt Bev Gordon Elizabeth Grace Sean
Graham John Gray Cathy Gregory Gayle Grieves-Mang Lisa Gylander Trinity Hacklander Rosa HallShirley Halliday Deb Hamer Richard Hanak MatthewHanak Kevin Hansen Linda Harkin Karen HarrisonStan Hartfelder Shannon Hastings Barrie Hayduk JanetHayne Patrica Haynes Darrin Heise Carol HendersonLinelle Henderson Ron Hepburn Maureen HepperJanice Heslep Charmaine Hetman John Hidber KristinaHinch Erwin Hinz Paul Ho Monika Hoffmann DougHolland Stacey Holland Alison Holman Gene HolmanR i c h a rd Holmes Kathy Holzmann Muriel HonzukLindsay Hopper Glenda Horon Wayne HousemanTe rry Hruschak Anna Hui Kathy Huls Bern a d i n eIbbotson Darlene Insley Kris Jahns Bea JamiesonMichelle Jaques Lorrie Jede Wendy Jeffels Lorene
Johnson Renate Joy Pamela JunckReeta Kahlon Shenaz KamaldinPraveen Kapur Susan Karch JanKaur Marjorie Keay Joyce KeenSherry Kilborn Stephen Kiss ChrisKitching Richard Kokorowski KarenKondor Len Kondro Olga KorolAngie Korsan Bonnie KosterA u d rey Kozack Craig KozunSharon Kretschmer Vel Kreye MargKunyk John Kupilik Johnny Kwok
Ted Labrosse Alison Lacusta Carmen Lajeunesse DanLajeunesse Marcel Lajenesse Pina Lalli Charlotte LangPasquale Laporta Jodi Larose Joan Laventure LonnieLaw Trina Law Pat Lawlor Kam Lee Steven Lee ThomasLee Andrew Leitch Cheryl Lemanski Rick Lepage ZebibLibsekal Ginette Lindop Nina-Leigh Lindsay Marina
Alberta Blue Cross is people.
Before there were Blue Cross plans, there was an idea. The
idea became a movement which spread across the continent.
The Blue Cross idea arrived in Alberta in 1948 and has been
part of the community ever since.
In 1996, less than two years before Alberta Blue Cross
celebrated its 50th birthday, the legislature of the province
of Alberta passed the ABC Benefits Corporation Act. The act
officially gave the non-profit corporation its legal
independence and “the rights, powers and privileges of a
natural person.”
The Plan had grown up.
Half a billion dollars flow through Alberta Blue Cross each
year. More than a million Albertans carry Alberta Blue
Cross cards in their purses, pockets and wallets.
This publication is dedicated to an idea and the people who
believed in it. It’s a celebration of an organization with a
proud past and a bright future.
A proud past
A bright future
It’s about us, and you.
Alberta Blue Cross has grown up
page 2
The 50-year evolution of this
company is embodied in the
500 people who work at
Alberta Blue Cross today. The
values of service and innovation
thrive in a vibrant corporation.
Visitors to our offices often
describe their impression with
one phrase:
Alberta Blue Cross is people.
It’s a buzz.
Feel the EnergyFeel the Energy
It’s a buzz.
page 3
listening
creating
It’s people connecting with each other;
it’s more than a million claims
processed each month; it’s experienced
minds tuned to jobs they know.
They’re people who read thousands of
pages of studies to learn about the
trends that transform health care every
day.
People who create software which is
so fast and seamless that in the future
we can forget it’s there and
concentrate on getting to know each
other better.
They’re people who answer phones
and listen quietly while a father frets
about his sick child.
Clockwise from top: Jose Baires, Desktop Support, Edmonton; Jeannette Rogers, ServiceRepresentative, Red Deer; Brian Stewart, Building Maintenance, Edmonton; PaolaAlcayaga, Pharmacy Services, Edmonton; June Barclay-Abraham, Customer Services,Edmonton; Beth Grace, Corporate Services, Edmonton; Allan Friesen, Group Sales,Lethbridge; Susan Karch, Individual Products Sales, Edmonton.
page 4
caringPeople who dream up new ideas and
services that will make life easier and
better.
They’re people who monitor rows of
computers that silently carry out their
tasks 24 hours a day.
People who meet impossible deadlines
and send out a hundred thousand
pieces of mail at a time.
They’re people who find the tools we
need, from pencils to computers.
learning
page 5
connecting
servingPeople who volunteer for United Way
and buy flowers to support cancer
research and who raise money for
flood victims.
People whose parents and
grandparents came to this province
from every corner of the earth.
People who are Brownie leaders and
hockey coaches and dog lovers and
parents and grandparents.
Clockwise from top: Siobhan McIntyre, Front Desk Security, Edmonton; Sonya Bodner, BenefitsClerk, Grande Prairie; Anna Hui, Human Resources, Edmonton; Bev Strong, Group Sales, FortMcMurray; John Gray, Group Sales, Calgary; Meg McChesney, Help Centre, Edmonton; GlendaHoron, Group Service Representative, Lethbridge; Theresa Miletti, Corporate Accounts ServiceRepresentative, Calgary; Charmaine Hetman, Dental Claims, Edmonton.
This page, clockwise from top: Darlene Sipes, Sales Assistant, Lethbridge; Brent Milligan,Individual Products Sales, Edmonton; Tonya Stuehmer, Individual Products Sales, Edmonton;Stacey Bell, Individual Products Administration, Edmonton; Linda Goering, Sales Assistant,Red Deer; Warren Pacaud, Branch Manager, Calgary.
Facing page, clockwise from top: Nirmal Singh, Individual Products Sales, Edmonton; DaveSchmid, Desktop Support, Edmonton; Sandra Loyer, Individual Products Administration,Edmonton; Susan MacMillan, Pharmacy Services, Edmonton; Pasquale Laporta, Researchand Product Development, Edmonton; Lisa Mark, Health Services, Edmonton; Tom Lee,Government Operations, Edmonton; Sirtaz Ranauta, Computer Services, Edmonton.
participating
People who restore cars and
learn to sail and who golf until
dark on weekends.
People who return to school part-
time to learn the latest software or
take an MBA or study Tai Chi.
People who learn how to
renovate their homes.
People who believe there’s
always a way to make things
work even better.
They’re people like you.
believing
1900s
The idea for pre-paid hospital care was so natural that it emerged in various parts of NorthAmerica almost simultaneously. It was early in the century, long before universal hospitalinsurance.
The idea was this: medical expenses are inevitable, so why not pay a little money everymonth so you could get hospital care when you need it? Or, why not get a group ofpeople together and pool the money?
The first group in Alberta to take this most logical step may have been a union ofLethbridge coal miners. The miners struck up a deal with Edgar Dutton from the GaltHospital in Lethbridge. Each man would pay a small amount each month for himself andhis family. And when he needed help after an accident or when his wife needed maternitycare, a certain number of days in hospital would already be paid for.
It was the Great Depression that shaped the thinking of the people who would go on tocreate Blue Cross and the modern health care system.
The depression was devastating for many thousands of Albertans. Wheat prices toppled.
After farming, coal mining was the first industry to develop in Alberta. The life of acoal miner was hard and dangerous. Miners were among the first Albertans to pre-pay for medical care.
For thousands ofAlbertans propermedical care wassimply out of the
question.
First, an IdeaFirst, an Idea
1930s
Coal wasn’t needed to power the trains to ship thewheat so mining ground to a near standstill. Droughtravaged the land, especially in the southeast. Farmswere covered in a layer of dust; thistle blewdepressingly across the prairie. There was no moneyfor clothing and little money for food; for thousands ofAlbertans proper medical care was simply out of thequestion.
Those who witnessed the suffering vowed not to let ithappen again.
In 1934 the Edmonton Group Hospitalization Board(EGHB), which would eventually become the
nucleus for Alberta Blue Cross, was born.
Created at the urging of Dr. A.F. Anderson, thesuperintendent of Edmonton’s Royal AlexandraHospital, the plan allowed individuals and groups topre-pay for care. It was a quaint operation by today’sstandards. It was led by a young Irish immigrantnamed Joseph Monaghan and had two full-timeemployees. A committee comprised of representativesof the hospitals met each month to sign up newmembers.
Meanwhile, in the United States that same year, aschoolteacher named E.A. van Steenwyk wasdreaming up the blue cross symbol. Mr. vanSteenwyk, who ran the Hospital Services Associationof Minnesota, needed a symbol to distinguish his planfrom the others springing up across the continent. Hebegan to place a blue cross on his stationery andadvertising. Clear, simple and colourful, the crosscaught on. Soon groups across the United States and
Edgar Dutton gave groups the opportunity to pre-pay forhospital care at the Galt Hospital in Lethbridge. Hebelieved passionately that no one should be withoutmedical care because they couldn’t afford it. He wouldgo on to become the second chairman of the AlbertaBlue Cross Board of Trustees.
Clear, simpleand
colourful,the cross
caught on.E.A. van Steenwyk, a Minnesota
schoolteacher, administrator and jack-of-all-trades with a flair for promotion, commissioned
a young art student to draw this poster. It wasthe first public use of the blue cross.
Courtesy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
1940s
Canada were using the blue cross to denote their non-profit, pre-paidmedical plans.
The depression gave way to war and Albertans were exposed to achanging world. Americans sent their engineers and machinery to theprovince to build the Alaska highway and Edmonton became the airgateway to the north. Alberta was slowly coming of age.
By the end of the war it was clear that government had to help fundhospitals, but politicians and other leaders couldn’t agree on whoshould pay for what.
Some municipalities paid for hospital care. The SocialCredit government, under Premiers William Aberhartand Ernest Manning, made various controversial foraysinto funding medical care. The federal government,urged on by tireless prairie politicians, argued overproviding some form of national health insurance.
In 1947, the Associated Hospitals of Alberta (AHA), abody of health administrators representing hospitalsacross the province, took the lead in establishing anextensive new pre-payment plan available to allAlbertans.
The creation of such a plan was by no means assured.
Nelles V. Buchanan helpeddraw up the act toincorporate the AssociatedHospitals of Alberta andallow it to operate a BlueCross plan. He went on toserve as chairman of theBoard of Trustees from1953-76.
The creation ofthe Plan wasby no means
assured.
The Trocadero Ballroom was a dance hotspot for generations ofEdmontonians. In 1947 the Associated Hospitals of Alberta metthere because it was the only venue large enough for all theparticipants. At the convention the idea of bringing a Blue Crossplan to Alberta was debated and passed.
Some hospitals saw no need for such a planand feared it would dismantle a system theythought was functioning adequately.
During the association’s annual meeting, held inthe Trocadero Ballroom in downtown Edmonton(the only place large enough to hold all thosepeople), the resolution, brought forward by theRoyal Alexandra Hospital’s Murray Ross, wasdebated and passed.
The new plan would be modelled and namedafter the much-admired Blue Cross plans. RoyalAlex lawyer Nelles V. Buchanan—who would goon to become Chief Judge as well as serve alengthy term as chairman of the Board of Trusteesof Alberta Blue Cross—together with JoeMonaghan, drafted legislation to incorporate theAHA and allow it to administer a Blue Crossplan. The legislation, sponsored by Social CreditMinister of Health W.W. Cross, passed in theprovincial legislature in the spring of 1948.
Someone was needed to run the new plan andthe founders assumed it would be Joe
Joseph (Joe to all who knewhim) Monaghan served almost25 years as executive directorof Alberta Blue Cross. He wascompletely devoted to the Planand worked 16-hour days tokeep it afloat during the earlyyears.
The discovery of major oil depositsnear Edmonton in 1947 set a newcourse for Alberta. 1940sThe new plan would be modelled
and named after the much-admired Blue Cross plans.
A 1948 act of the Alberta legislatureincorporated the Associated Hospitals
of Alberta and allowed it to administera Blue Cross plan.
1950s
Monaghan. Monaghan slipped easily intothe new role. He became totally devotedto Alberta Blue Cross and would serve asits executive director for close to 25 years.
For a dollar per person and two dollarsper family per month the Plan signed upnew members. The rush was on.Thousands of Albertans realized for thefirst time that health care was within theirreach. That year, the Plan signed up50,625 participants and paid out$79,346.
Many of the great advances in medicinehad occurred prior to 1948, buttuberculosis, whooping cough andpoliomyelitis were still deadly infectionsthat crippled and killed hundreds ofAlbertans each year. Jonas Salk’s poliovaccine was a few years away andantibiotic medicines to treat tuberculosishad not been invented.
page 12
Downtown Edmonton, 1950s, before thearrival of the glass and steel structures thatdominate the skyline today.
Dr. Angus McGugan served asfirst chairman of the Board ofTrustees and helped steer thePlan through its difficult earlyyears.
The rushwas on.
Many of the Plan’s first subscribers were happy tofind they could get treatment for conditions that hadbeen plaguing them for years. This stretched thePlan’s cash to the limit. Joe Monaghan worked 16hour days, bearing much of the strain of keeping thePlan afloat through a few difficult years.
Hospitals—with an interest in seeing the Plansucceed—agreed to let Alberta Blue Cross holdback 10 percent of their bills until it got on its feet.For a few years it was touch and go. Dr. AngusMcGugan, the first chairman of the Board ofTrustees, seriously considered shutting it downcompletely.
From their humble offices in the Thompson buildingin downtown Edmonton, Joe Monaghan and his staffsigned up subscribers and entered relevantinformation about them on ledger cards. The Plancovered hospital costs only.
Meanwhile, oil was discovered in Leduc. Largerfinds soon followed. Alberta became a significant oilproducer and was changed forever. Like the province
Alvin Blair, the secondexecutive director of AlbertaBlue Cross.
The Plan needed a new home so in1961 the Board of Trustees
contracted Poole ConstructionCompany to build this three-storey
structure on 108 Street. Thefoundation was designed to support a
six-storey building. The additionalthree storeys were added in 1965.
This photograph tells a lot about the office of the 1950s.Note the adding machines on the desks and the ledgercards stacked at right. Telephones only came in blackand smoking was allowed. Office chatter was notallowed, however. And if the workers had been at theirdesks when this photograph was taken, the men wouldbe wearing jackets and ties and the women wearingregulation-length skirts.
1950sMeanwhile, oil wasdiscovered in Leduc.
1960sitself, the fortunes of Alberta Blue Cross would be linked to Albertacrude, through boom and bust.
Through those earliest years, when there was little claims experience onwhich to base rates, Alberta Blue Cross learned through trial and error.Occasionally it made mistakes and took losses but Joe Monaghan andhis growing staff learned their lessons well.
In 1956 the offices were moved to 106 Street, south of Jasper Avenue,and in 1957 the company bought a secondelectric typewriter, tilter chairs and a centraldictating system. Revenues rose steadily andemployees got a six percent raise.
Alberta Blue Cross grew with the economy,but its biggest steps were usually in reactionto sweeping changes made bygovernments.
In 1957 Ottawa passed the HospitalInsurance and Diagnostic Services Act.Alberta joined soon after. Suddenlygovernment was picking up a goodportion of the bill for hospital services,
snatching away most of the company’s reasonfor being. As he would do time and time again,Joe Monaghan scrambled to fill the gaps andprovide the coverage subscribers needed. NowAlberta Blue Cross paid various extra hospitalcharges. The company continued to meet itsessential mandate, which was to serveAlbertans’ health care needs, but for the firsttime it was a supplementary provider.
Alberta Blue Cross entered the sixties flush withconfidence. In 1961 the Plan paid out $1.7 million in claims to277,142 participants. Filing cabinets were taking up more room thanworkspace so the Board of Trustees decided to build a new home. Itpaid $81,000 for the lot at 10025-108 Street and contracted PooleConstruction Company to build a three-storey structure on the spot. Thefoundation was designed to support a six-storey structure. The remainingthree storeys were added in 1965.
Alberta in the 1960s was still a largely rural province striving tomaintain and promote its autonomy on the national stage. ErnestManning and his Social Credit government stepped in and out of healthcare, experimenting with various schemes.
Frank Huntington isremembered with affection bythose who worked with him.Charismatic and progressive,he loosened up the rigid codesof conduct that had come froman earlier era. He passedaway in 1987.
page 14
Alberta Blue Cross entered the sixtiesflush with confidence.
1970spage 15
The Board of Trustees approached the minister of health and convinced him toupdate the 1948 act and by 1965 Alberta Blue Cross covered special dutynursing, ambulances, drugs, and medical appliances.
In 1966 Lester Pearson’s Liberal government succeeded in enacting legislationto create Medicare. Under Medicare, the federal government would sharehealth care costs with the provinces.
Most provinces resisted at first, but the federal money was too good to refuse,so each signed up within a few years. Alberta joined Medicare in 1969.
The Plan was 19 years old and suddenly the prospect of irrelevance loomed.Joe Monaghan even prepared for that possibility by setting aside severancemoney for his staff.
But as details emerged, it became clear that Medicare—although it wouldpay for hospital care and physicians’ services—was not comprehensive. Therewas plenty left for the Plan to cover. So Alberta Blue Cross stepped in to pick
up charges not covered by Medicare. Commercialinsurers abandoned the business and the number ofAlberta Blue Cross subscribers doubled. Twenty-fourclerks worked full-time typing out new Blue Crosscards.
It was in the 1970s that Alberta roared onto thenational stage. The Social Credit government ofHarry Strom was swept out of office by the
In 1986 Alberta Blue Crossbought Victoria Place. It was re-named Blue Cross Place andoccupied two years later.
The mainframecomputers of the
1980s.
The Planwas 19 years
old andsuddenly
the prospectof
irrelevanceloomed.
1980sconfident young Conservatives led by Peter Lougheed. The energy crisissent the price of oil skyrocketing. Money flowed west. Canadians fromacross the country moved to Alberta to work.
The province was growing rich. Alberta companies knew that extensiveand generous extended health coverage was a vital ingredient inattracting talent. Alberta Blue Cross responded with so-called “Cadillac”programs that gave extensive coverage.
Wealth attracts attention and private insurance companies were drawnback to the province where they challenged Alberta Blue Cross in its ownback yard. The company learned from the competition and became leanerand stronger.
Through the 1970s Alberta Blue Cross busily added new products andservices. There was outside Canada coverage, dental care, then visioncare. New offices were added in Grande Prairie and Red Deer.
In 1970 the company took on large contracts to administer programs forthe Alberta government. The need to computerize became more and moreapparent.
Alvin Blair, the executive director since Joe Monaghan retired in 1972,brought in George Ward from the Northern Canada Power Commissionto supervise the installation of computer systems.
The arrival of George Ward and introduction of the Univac 90/30computer symbolized the transition to a progressive organization whichwould never shy away from new technologies.
George Ward converted typists to data entryclerks and hired the best programmer/analystsavailable. Soon the 90/30 was outdated andnew equipment was added to keep up. Themainframe computing system would be updatedand expanded steadily as computers grew morepowerful.
The 1980s brought new change to the province.The National Energy Program rekindled oldfeelings of alienation, oil prices dropped andbusinesses downsized. Health care costsskyrocketed,prescription drugsgrew moreexpensive andcomplex.
Alberta Blue Crossmodernized.Personal computersbegan to arrive ondesktops. The companypioneered the PRIDE system toadjudicate prescription drug claimsusing standard telephone lines. New
V. George Ward arrived atAlberta Blue Cross in 1974and led the company into thecomputer age. He becamepresident in 1987.
The company offered new products andlearned how to fine-tune existing ones.
products were added. Biggercontracts with government demandedongoing updating of computersystems.
In 1983 Frank Huntington succeededAlvin Blair as executive director. It wasunder his leadership that life insurancewas added to the product lineup.Alberta Blue Cross could now meet allthe benefit needs of groups.
With revenues nearing $200 million and a growing staff, it was time tofind new space. Victoria Place, the building next door to the Blue CrossBuilding, was purchased in 1986 and renamed Blue Cross Place.
George Ward became president in 1987 and led the company into the1990s. Alberta Blue Cross grew in size. Revenues increased. Thecompany offered new products and learned how to fine-tune existing ones.Employees grew more specialized and brought greater amounts ofeducation and training to their jobs.
Alberta Blue Cross faces the new millennium knowing that values arechanging. The population is aging. People are living longer and healthierlives. Albertans are demanding more and more from modern medicinewhich continues to grow more expensive.
The company is more dynamic than ever. It’s more specialized and moreflexible.
It’s ready to take a great idea into the next 50 years.
2000Ready to take
a great idea
into the next
fifty years.
Ready to take
a great idea
into the next
fifty years.
+
Alberta Blue Cross embraced digitaltechnology in 1974. Today ourcomputing systems are helping to setnew industry standards.
YouYouTo help show who Alberta Blue Cross is today, we
want to tell you about some of the people we
serve.
We cover groups of three to 30,000; we cover
individuals and families; we protect seniors and
others though programs of the Government of
Alberta.
A cross-section of our customers is a brilliant
spectrum of people and industry.
They’re groups like United Way, Spartan
Controls Ltd., Spruceland Millworks Inc., Monod
Sports Ltd., PCL Constructors Inc., Tirol Group
of Companies and Weyerhaueser Canada.
They’re travellers like Corrie McQuay. They’re
young families like Kieran Ards, Leah Junck
and Gabrielle. They’re active seniors like Rudy
Jarosch and Harold Johnston.page 18
Since 1941 United Way of the Alberta CapitalRegion has mobilized resources in the community toenhance the quality of life for all citizens. UnitedWay is dedicated to reducing economic and socialdisparities and helping to nurture healthy children,strong families, self-reliant individuals andsupportive communities.
United Way's mission is to "increase the capacity ofpeople to care for one another," and it achieves thisby engaging people in building caring, vibrantcommunities. Alberta Blue Cross, with its owntradition of caring for the community, is proud of itsassociation with this organization.
AL B E RTA CA P I TA L RE G I O N
United Way
page 19
Upstream and downstream, from the well site to thepilot light, the flow control processes designed andsupplied by Spartan Controls Ltd. are helping industryreach new levels of efficiency.
Efficiency is an essential component in bringing theproduct to market in Alberta’s $26 billion a yearenergy sector.
Process control systems designed by Spartan arechanging the business by giving oil and gascompanies new capabilities, like the tools to controlremote wells by computer from bases locatedanywhere in the world.
A team spirit and a commitment to education andcustomer satisfaction have helped make the 460“Spartans” (as they call themselves) industry leaders.
Alberta Blue Cross salutes Spartan’s growth, innovationand leadership.
Spartan Controls Ltd.Spartan Controls Ltd.CA L G A RY
Edmonton warehouse Spartans (from left) DarrenTabler, Ken Stevenson, Nigel Valentine, Tom Evenson.Calgary Spartans Kim Senneker, reception, andGordon Rycroft, accounting manager.
It began in 1983 with a solid idea,$10,000, and a tough-minded entrepreneur.
Today Spruceland Millworks employs 140and sells more than $60 million of specialtywood products every year.
Along the way the company president, BenSawatzky, has picked up awards formanufacturer and entrepreneur of the yearwhile creating a culture of success that putspeople first.
The goal is customer satisfaction and toachieve that Spruceland knows a dedicatedand motivated work force is essential.Spruceland employees work flexible hours,receive salaries that are higher than the
industry average, and eachknow their part in the successof the business.
It adds up to a team spiritthat was shown in the springof 1992 after a stray sparkfrom a welding torch igniteda fire that burned thecompany’s Spruce Grove millto the ground. Employeesbegan rebuildingimmediately and no one losta single day’s pay. Threemonths later a new,
expanded mill was back in operation.
Alberta Blue Cross salutes a company thatturns challenges into opportunities.
SprucelandMillworks Inc.
SprucelandMillworks Inc.
SP R U C E GR O V ESP R U C E GR O V E
page 20
Joanne Clay has beenwith Spruceland since1994.
When John Monod left a ruined Europeafter World War II he made his way toBanff, the resort town on the CP Rail linerunning through the Canadian Rockies.Carrying only a gold watch and a fewdollars, and driven by a passion forskiing, he headed for Sunshine Village.
He set up a ski school andhelped bring the sport ofskiing to the Rockies.
Seeing a need for properequipment, he opened aski shop and importedmerchandise from Europe.He eventually moved hisshop to Banff; it has beenpart of the landscape eversince.
In 1982 his three sons—champion racers who grew up on skislopes--—took over the family business.They expanded to locations in LakeLouise and Mount Norquay and openeda snowboarding store down the streetfrom the main location.
The Monods' love for skiing and theoutdoor life has fueled their passion tocreate and maintain a truly premieroutdoor store. In 1991 the company wasnamed Canadian ski retailer of the year.
Monod's celebrates its 50th anniversaryin 1999. We're pleased to be amongthe first to congratulate them.
page 21
Phillip, Peter and Nicholas Monod
MonodSports Ltd.
MonodSports Ltd.
BA N F F
Repeatedly voted one of the best-managed private companies inCanada, employee-owned PCL is the largest contracting organizationin this country and one of the largest in North America. Employing asmany as 4,000 construction professionals at any given time, thecompany completes about $2 billion worth of work each year.
PCL knows its reputation as a master builder rides on the shoulders ofits employees.
They’re people who keep their cool while constructing billion-dollarprojects with tight budgets and tighter timelines. They're seasonedprofessionals who spend a lifetime finding innovative solutions to newconstruction challenges.
They're people like LesAlbert. A veteran with morethan 45 years with thecompany, Les has acted asmentor to countless youngconstruction professionalsand continues to share hiswisdom with tomorrow'sleaders.
Sharing wisdom is part ofthe PCL culture. There’s nosubstitute for experience.It's a value we share atAlberta Blue Cross.
PCL Constructors Inc.ED M O N T O N
page 22
Les Albert was project superintendent onEdmonton’s Walter C. Mackenzie HealthScience Centre; the $300-million building isone of the most complex teaching hospitals inNorth America.
page 23
Don McLean, the burly, basketball-playingCEO of the Tilley-based Tirol Group ofCompanies, points to the lapel pin on hisjacket. It reads "Alberta," and has aCanadian flag on it.
"It's true what they say." he comments, "Thispin opens doors around the world."
You can take his word for it.Tirol exports 100,000 tonnes ofAlberta-grown forage productseach year to every corner of theearth.
The expansive, sun-drenchedfields of southern Albertaprovide ideal growingconditions for alfalfa, thecompany's main export. Tirolcompresses alfalfa into cubesand pellets which can withstandthe rigours of shipping acrossoceans.
These products are fed to dairycattle which supply milk for thenourishment of young people.They are particularly needed inAsian countries which lack theland base necessary to growforage crops.
Seeing a need and learning tofill it, Tirol has become aninternational player with itssights set on the next millennium.
TI L L E Y
T i rol G roup of Companies
WeyerhaeuserCanada GR A N D E PR A I R I E
page 24
Weyerhaeuser Canada takes its caring attitude directly into the communityand saves lives because of it.
The company’s 44-member volunteer emergency response team (ERT), isexpert in emergency medical care, fire fighting, and specialized rescueoperations.
Trained beyond government standards, and cooperating with the GrandePrairie ambulance service and fire department, Weyerhaeuser’s ERT respondsto emergencies on-site and off.
The team is prepared to assist GrandePrairie authorities with steep slopeaccidents, people trapped in sewers anddrain pipes, fire fighting and firstresponder emergency medical aid.
In their spare time many team membersvolunteer in community activities such asScouts, Brownies and amateur hockey.Motivated by their concern for others, thevolunteers take their training to everygame, jamboree, festival and cookout.
Alberta Blue Cross is proud to beassociated with an organization thatserves the community in such ameaningful way.
Weyerhaeuser ERT volunteers BradMcKinnon, Tony Sangra and ReneeLinssen.
Leah Junck, Kieran Ards, andbaby Gabrielle
In 1989, seeing the need forcomprehensive supplementary coveragefor people who were not members ofan employer group, Alberta Blue Crosslaunched a new line of individual healthplans.
It took off. Through the 1990s, moreand more Albertans were self-employedor working as contractors to othercompanies. Affordable Alberta BlueCross individual plans are ideal for thisgrowing part of the economy.
Individual health plans are the perfectsolution for people like Kieran, Leahand Gabrielle.
Kieran, who works for a company thatbuilds and installs playgroundequipment, doesn't have employergroup coverage. So he took mattersinto his own hands and signed up forcoverage to protect himself and hisgrowing family.
page 25
Kieran, Leahand baby Gabrielle
IN D I V I D U A L HE A LT H PL A N SU B S C R I B E R S
Corrie McQuay
For thousands of Albertans, AlbertaBlue Cross travel coverage is anessential part of their holiday plans.
Since 1974—and growing steadilyever since—Alberta Blue Cross hasprovided insurance for travellers.Today, medical bills can be paidfor up to $1,000,000.
Alberta Blue Cross is there forpeople who have suffered injury orillness while travelling. They’repeople like Stettler’s CorrieMcQuay, who was badly hurt in atraffic accident while on holiday inTexas. We took care of the billsand paperwork so Corrie couldconcentrate on getting better.
We were happy to see her homeagain, healthy.
Corrie McQuay
page 26
TR AV E L CO V E R A G E
page 27
Harold Johnston and Rudy Jarosch
Since 1970 Alberta Blue Cross has administeredsupplementary health programs on behalf of AlbertaHealth.
When they turn 65 every Albertan receives a BlueCross card which helps cover the costs of a variety ofexpenses, including prescription drugs, ambulanceservices and accidental dental care. They’re peoplelike athletes Harold Johnston, 74, and Rudy Jarosch,72. They swim 50 meters in less than 40 secondsand compete against top athletes in their age groupsfrom across Canada.
Harold, a civil engineer from Toronto, joined theworkforce in the spring of 1948. He headed westduring the building boom of the 1950s where hemanaged the construction of some of the infrastructureprojects that helped make Alberta what it is today,including roads, dams, bridges and airports.
Still going strong, Harold holds records in freestyleand butterfly.
After his release from a European prisoner of warcamp soon after the war, Rudy Jarosch set his sightson Canada.
He arrived in Quebec City, where he saw aphotograph of the Canadian Rockies and decided itwas the place for him.
He became an instant Albertan and worked in someof our key industries: first the railroad in Jasper, thenthe oil patch in the foothills; and finally, for 33 years,processing metals for Sherritt Gordon in FortSaskatchewan.
Alberta Blue Cross is proud to participate in thesuccesses of this growing segment of the province'spopulation.
Harold Johnston
& Rudy JaroschGO V E R N M E N T PR O G R A M S
Harold Johnston
& Rudy Jarosch
Tomorrow...
The best ideas endure.
page 28
Change is part of the life of this company.
Alberta Blue Cross never stood still, because it
couldn’t. We’re experienced enough to be
poised for change and wise enough to know we
can’t always predict the future.
Will our children’s children carry Blue Cross
cards in their purses, pockets and wallets?
Will they turn to Alberta Blue Cross for their
extended health and dental needs?
Definitely.
Tomorrow...
Lischuk Shelly Littlefair Laura Lochanski Sandra LoyerDon Lubinski Florence Luciak Tim Luk Wayne LupulConnie Lussier Pauline MacDonald Susan MacDonaldMoira Mackay Mary MacKenzie Susan MacMillanJean Macyk Warren Maday Joginder Madra RonMalin Lisa Mark Tracey Markeli Dolores MarquezRichard Martin Tony Martin Aldon Martinkus WynnMarvin Dean Marvin Jim Mason Meg McChesney LisaMcEnhill Michelle McGowan Aisiln McIntyre DonnaMcIntyre Darin McKinstry Earl McNeil Connie McNeillMaria Medeiros Kathyrn Meister Lillian MekechukMichelle Mellon Salma Merchant Shane MeyerTheresa Miletti Anne Milewicz Dave Miller BrentMilligan Karen Misura Carrie Moffat Peter Molnar JesseMonck Jill Moore Kathleen Moores Mignon MorrisonHeather Mullen Judith MullerIan Murdock Kaaren MurrayJim Myers Celena Mysko PatNagy Mirella Nardi HeatherN a w rocki Pat Nelson KyNguyen Sharon NielsenMyrna Nisbet Betty NodenB e rnie Novosel KatieO’Connor Mike O’DonnellMichelle Oakey JocelynOchitwa Sharon OchitwaRoss Olive Judy Oliver Laurie Oliver Kim Omelian RodOrchard Michelle Osterlund Marie Josee OuelletteWarren Pacaud Terry Pahud-Rose Eugenia Palylyk-Colwell Val Parkes Nancy Parkinson Carol ParsonsKathy Patterson Nicole Patterson Shannon PaulDebbie Paulson Lise Peacock Susan Pearce Gail
Pehrson Gail Pfrimmer Mari-Ann Pipella Shirley PipellaTrevor Piper Ray Pisani Rita Plant Tracy Ploc ColleenPoburn Diane Pollard James Pon Cheryl Posein SuePossnett Lee Postma Philip Prefontaine Tyra PrepchukMaureen Prepchuk Chris Presley William PumphreyYasmin Qadri Tara Radtke Jolanta Raducha LindaRafuse Sean Rainey Sirtaz Ranauta Mark RazzoliniSandra Reddon Marg a ret Refsahl-Jensen LeahReichenberg Sue Reid Nancy Rice Shannon Ritter LynnRobinson Suzanne Robinson Irene Roch DavidRoethlingshoefer Jeannette Rogers Irene RogozinskiDaryl Rolheiser Terri Romanko Yvonne Roppo PaulRoque Shannon Rosenow Debbie Roshuk Linda RossCindy Rouault June Rowlands Cathy RowlesWe t t e r b e rg Jerry Rudelic Shelley Russel Connie
Saccomanno Grant Sales Ali Salman Carol SamsonRaul Santos Julie Savard Amanda Schatzke KeomaSchermann David Schmid Gary Schur BrendaSemotiuk Elaine Shannon Alan Shaw Scott SheenMakiko Shigemitsu Gerry Shillabeer Larry Shipka AnitaSimaganis Michele Simpson Nirmal Singh Darlene
Sipes Lori Sjolin Betty Skrypichayko Adrienne SmithGordon Smith Wendy Smith Nicole Smyth LisaSpataro Nancy Sprague Cheryl St. Amand NeilS t a n n a rd Valerie Steckler Audrey Stelmaschuk JeffStephen Cathy Stevens Brian Stewart Lisa Stewart OllieStewart Morna Storozenko John Striegl Bev StrongJanina Syrnyk Shanna Tait Sonia Talanchuk Kim TamagiJil Tanguay Dawn Taylor Denise Taylor Garry TaylorDaryl Teron Jim Tetz Debbie Thiessen Linda ThiessenAndrea Thomas Christine Thompson Donita ThorneWendy Tinant Bev Tithecott Paul Tomochko TaniaTopolnyski Tom Trinh Sue Trombley Viki Tsirekas GaryTurnbull Linda Turner Leslie Tyler Charlene Tymchuk LaiUng Sandra Unger Maggie Vaccaro Pat Vague LaurieValente Alex Van Loon Bernice Vandenhouten Ida
Varsallona Denise Vekved RobertVietti Mark Volk Sheila Voll LaurieVollstaedt Laurie Wade DebbieWagner Sandra Walker Shery lWalker Daryl Wallace Georg eWa rd Nancy Wa rd MonicaWatkins Lisa Watmough LindaWatrich Cheryl Watson Agnes WattMarie Weir Karen We n t l a n dClarence Weppler Carol WetherellSherry Weymouth Donna White
Wanita White Linda Whiteley Jake Wielinga BryonWilliamson Paula Wintink-Smith Gre g o ry Wi t h a mLaurie Wnek Jennie Wong Nancy Woodburn JaniceWo roschuk Tracy Worsfold Josie Wright MelodyWrobel Margaret Wurzer Bonnie Yaworski TraceyZimmer
Alberta Blue Cross is people.
TMThe Blue Cross symbol and name are registered marks of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans, an association of independent Blue Cross plans. Licensed to ABC Benefits Corporation for use in operating the Alberta Blue Cross Plan.© Copyright 1998 Alberta Blue Cross
