8
December, 2015 ELGIN THIS MONTH 9 • December 2015 • Business Beat Table of Contents Page 10 ................ The S-word Page 11 ................Trade Opps Page 12 .......... Legal Business Page 13 ......... Meet the Board Page 14 .......... Family security Page 15 .............. BA5 winners Page 16 ........... New Members A special feature in the January edition of Elgin This Month (ext. 222) Healthy Lifestyles for the New Year January Edition Advertising Deadline is December 14th To take advantage of these excellent advertising opportunities Last call for Uncorked … almost! GLIAS Board President Jim Banman (left), Sponsorship Chair Kathleen Keating and STEGH executive director Paul Jenkins are all smiles as they announce the June 18-19, 2016 Great Lakes International Air Show at the November Business After Five at the St. omas Airport. e local hospital was a major recipient of proceeds from the 2013 airshow. Tickets for the Chamber’s 4th annual “St. omas Uncorked” event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach- ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here. Uncorked is our annual wine-tasting event mixed with some art ap- preciation in the comfortable setting of the St. omas Elgin Public Art Centre. e date is Saturday January 23, 7 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and include 5 wine-sampling tickets plus unlimited opportunities for food samples that complement the 16 wines to be featured this year. All wines are served in a “blind” taste test, initially identified only by number. As the evening progresses, our sommelier and event MC Jamie Quai, will reveal each wine and provide details. At the conclusion of the event, we will provide lists with LCBO product numbers, wine names and prices to make find- ing any new favourites really easy. More event details and ordering information are in the Events list- ing on the Chamber website at stthomaschamber.on.ca, or you can call the Chamber of Commerce office and speak with any staff mem- ber at 519-631-1981. Uncorked is made possible by several sponsors. Our 2015 main sponsor is TD Canada Trust with Century Sound as co-sponsor. e Real Canadian Superstore will be our provider of delicious foods for this event. Table sponsors host each of the four wine service areas: Alexelle Slipcovers & Décor, Cellular Magician, HollisWealth/Action Financial Group and Michael Clark Construction. Date: Wednesday January 13, 2016 Host & Sponsor: e Talbot Teen Centre 745 Talbot Street, St. omas Catering by James Meadows + the TTC food services group Main Door Prize: VIA Rail Tickets for Two (travel in the Windsor – Quebec City corridor) Free Admission to all personnel from any business or organiza- tion that is a Member of the St. omas & District Chamber of Commerce. Community Spirit & The Spirit of the Season. They come together here thanks to people dedicated to progress and prosperity. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Members, Board of Directors, Volunteers and Staff at the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce. Season’s Greeting Your I.T. Specialists www.markit-techsolutions.com We do IT right the first time 519-913-3143

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Page 1: Season’s Greeting · event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach-ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here. Uncorked is

December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 9

• December 2015 •

Business Beat Table of ContentsPage 10 ................The S-wordPage 11 ................Trade OppsPage 12 .......... Legal BusinessPage 13 ......... Meet the BoardPage 14 .......... Family securityPage 15 ..............BA5 winnersPage 16 ...........New Members

A special feature in the January edition of Elgin This Month

(ext. 222)

Healthy Lifestyles for the New Year

January Edition Advertising Deadline is December 14th

To take advantage of these excellent advertising opportunities

Last call for Uncorked … almost!

GLIAS Board President Jim Banman (left), Sponsorship Chair

Kathleen Keating and STEGH executive director Paul Jenkins

are all smiles as they announce the June 18-19, 2016 Great Lakes International Air Show at the

November Business After Five at the St. Thomas Airport. The local hospital was a major recipient of proceeds from the 2013 airshow.

Tickets for the Chamber’s 4th annual “St. Thomas Uncorked” event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach-ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here.

Uncorked is our annual wine-tasting event mixed with some art ap-preciation in the comfortable setting of the St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre. The date is Saturday January 23, 7 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and include 5 wine-sampling tickets plus unlimited opportunities for food samples that complement the 16 wines to be featured this year. All wines are served in a “blind” taste test, initially identified only by number. As the evening progresses, our sommelier and event MC Jamie Quai, will reveal each wine and provide details. At the conclusion of the event, we will provide lists with LCBO product numbers, wine names and prices to make find-ing any new favourites really easy.

More event details and ordering information are in the Events list-ing on the Chamber website at stthomaschamber.on.ca, or you can call the Chamber of Commerce office and speak with any staff mem-ber at 519-631-1981.

Uncorked is made possible by several sponsors. Our 2015 main sponsor is TD Canada Trust with Century Sound as co-sponsor. The Real Canadian Superstore will be our provider of delicious foods for this event. Table sponsors host each of the four wine service areas: Alexelle Slipcovers & Décor, Cellular Magician, HollisWealth/Action Financial Group and Michael Clark Construction.

Date:Wednesday

January 13, 2016Host & Sponsor: The Talbot Teen

Centre745 Talbot Street,

St. Thomas

Catering by James Meadows + the TTC food services group

Main Door Prize: VIA Rail Tickets for Two(travel in the Windsor – Quebec City corridor)

Free Admission to all personnel from any business or organiza-tion that is a Member of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of

Commerce.

Community Spirit & The Spirit of the Season.

They come together here thanks to people dedicated to progress and prosperity. Merry Christmas and

Happy Holidays from the Members, Board of Directors, Volunteers and Staff at the St. Thomas & District

Chamber of Commerce.

Season’s Greeting

Your I.T. Specialists

www.markit-techsolutions.com

We do IT right the first time

519-913-3143

Page 2: Season’s Greeting · event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach-ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here. Uncorked is

December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 10

247-450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON519-637-0181 x204 1-888-877-2119www.arcbenefitsplanning.com

Stability & Predictability for Small BusinessesEGGS 8.5X11-10-12

St. Thomas & DistrictChamber of Commerce2015 Board of Directors

Chair: Ross Fair Fanshawe CollegeVice-Chair: Dan Kelly, CPA, CGA Dowler-Karn Ltd.Treasurer: Mark Lassam, CPA, CA Lassam& Co.Past Chair: LauraWoermke

St. Thomas Elgin Public Art CentreDirector: Sean Dyke

St. Thomas Economic Development Corp.Director: Robert Furneaux Gorman-Rupp of Canada Ltd.Director: Brian Helmer

Reith & Associates Insurance & FinancialDirector: Kevin Jackson Elgin Business Resource CentreDirector: Jeff Kohler City of St. ThomasDirector: Phil Mauer Phil Mauer & Associates Inc.Director: GinetteMinor Alexelle Slipcovers & DécorDirector: Ray Bosveld HollisWealth

PublishedbyMetrolandMediaGroupLtd.,anddelivered tobusinesses in St. ThomasandElginCountry

For complete information on the St. ThomasandDistrict Chamber of Commerce, reach us at:115-300South EdgewareRd.,St.Thomas,OntarioN5P4L1Telephone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466E-Mail:[email protected]:www.stthomaschamber.on.ca

President & CEO BobHammersleyAccounting Coordinator SusanMundayMember Services WarrenAllen

Business Beat

Viewpoint Events and News of Interest to our Members

Removing snow from roofsGet ahead of winter with a 10-step plan

There’s a lot more to snow removal than buying and using a shovel, especially for businesses. Steve Zronik is a Consultant with WSPS (Workplace Safety & Prevention Services), an agency the Chamber works with year ’round to assist our Members in manag-ing workplace health and safety laws, and in working intelligently to reduce and prevent injuries. Steve has provided the following article and quotes that prove there’s more to snow removal than just a shovel.

Ontario winters can sweep in quickly and unex-pectedly, and once here they can still be unpredict-able, with extreme variations in snowfall and tem-perature. If snow and ice could accumulate on the roof of your business, be proactive. Preparing a snow removal plan now could make all the difference be-tween a worry-free winter and a frantic, last-minute response that could expose people to injuries, and your business to liability and loss.

"During a storm is not the time to improvise a snow removal plan," advises Zronik. "Your people could be removing snow in the worst possible conditions."

Why you need to planSeeking a rationale for putting a plan together?

Consider this:• excessive weight loads can cause roof collapse,

jeopardizing the safety of anyone on site and the health of your business

• freeze/thaw cycles can exacerbate existing defects and compromise the integrity of your roof membrane

What to include in your plan1. Know your roof load limit and build your plan

around it. If you don't know the load limit, have a civil or structural engineer inspect the roof. Compare the limit to the estimated weight of the snow, the removal equipment, and workers on the roof.

2. Conduct a hazard assessment. "Treat it like any other job hazard," says Zronik. Figure out what could go wrong, and how great the risk is, then use this information to prioritize your next steps.

3. Map the site. Knowing where all the roof pen-etrations are and where to deposit rooftop snow on the ground is priceless information. Take digital pho-tos. They'll give you a quick visual reference when you need it.

4. Prepare the site. Cordon off skylights, gas lines and other obstacles that snow may hide and remove anything that doesn’t need to be there.

5. Figure out what snow removal and personal protective equipment you'll need. Shovels and scoops are recommended over snowblowers and other motorized equipment. Those devices aren't very congenial with fall prevention lines and ropes, gas lines, or plumbing stacks. Inspect your equip-ment now and make repairs or replace if necessary.

Ensure you have the right fall protection equipment for the job, and that em-ployees wear clothing suit-able to the weather and working conditions, e.g., head protection, mittens/gloves, insulated footwear, sunglasses, etc.

6. Determine how many people you'll need. Make allowances for win-ter holidays, illnesses and other factors that could af-fect your head count.

7. Arrange for what-ever specialized train-ing workers will need,

such as working at heights. Provide as much train-ing as possible so that workers can approach every sit-uation safely. “If you're hiring new employees," says Zronik, "ensure they successfully complete worker health and safety awareness training and any other training required under the  Occupational Health and Safety Act."

8. Create pre- and post-snow removal inspection checklists, to ensure workers have everything they need before going on the roof, and to identify and repair any changes to the roof after the snow has been removed.

9. Have the equipment ready and people trained before the first snowfall.

10. Devise a written rescue plan in case a worker falls and becomes suspended in a fall arrest system.

Hiring a snow removal service?If you're hiring a service instead of using your

own people, the above suggestions can help you as-sess prospective service providers. "You need to have confidence that your service provider will do the job safely," says Zronik. "If they're not up to the job, you could be held liable."

Everyone involved needs to be clear on who is un-dertaking the work, what each of the parties associ-ated with the work are responsible for. This ensures compliance and helps keep everyone safe.

How WSPS can helpWSPS  consultants  can help you develop a snow

removal plan and identify training needs. If you're contracting out, WSPS offers three essential courses on working with contractors:

• Hiring Outside Contractors• Managing Safety of On-Site Contractors• Contractor Health and Safety in Ontario (1 hour

e-course). Also available in FrenchIf you're not familiar with Ontario's new working

at heights training requirements, read these articles on the WSPS website: www.wsps.ca

• New working at heights training requirements may affect you. Follow these 6 steps

• 10 tips for choosing the best working from heights training provider

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December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 11

Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members

The on-line newsletter iPolitics is a solid source of news,  resources and information for us at the Chamber. Following the Friday Novem-ber 13 move in Ottawa by Prime Minister Jus-tin Trudeau to release the mandate letters given to all 30 members of the new Liberal cabinet, iP-olitics  released summary information night. We found particular interest in the mandate given to the Trade Minister.

The following is an excerpt from a feature  by writer BJ Siekierski.

In addition to directing her to implement the Canada-EU trade agreement (CETA) and consult on Canada’s “potential participa-tion” in the Trans-Pacific Part-nership (TPP), Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland’s mandate let-ter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stresses expanding trade with emerging markets — sin-gling out China and India as pri-orities. It doesn’t specify, however, whether that means concluding existing free trade negotiations — with India — or launching them, with China.

“As Minister of International Trade, your over-arching goal will be to increase Canada’s trade and attract job-creating investment to Canada, focus-ing on expanding trade with large fast-growing markets, including China and India, and deepen-ing our trade links with traditional partners,” the letter says. 

A bullet point later calls for the development of a targeted strategy to promote trade and invest-ment with emerging markets — “with particular attention to China and India.”

That strategy, the letter explains, should include “the mobilization of our small- and medium-sized enterprises and the rich diversity of Canada’s population; and improved supports to Canadian companies looking to export and Canadian com-munities looking to attract investments.”

CETA and the TPP are both addressed in one bullet point.

“Develop strategies to implement the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and consult on Can-ada’s potential participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This will include working

with relevant ministers and provinces and territories to support adjustment in sectors including agriculture, the auto sector, and compensation for incremental cost increases to public drug plans arising from CETA,” the letter says.

The letter also calls for a new Canadian Trade and Export Strategy, part of which includes an Investment in Canada Office, headed by a Chief Executive Officer.

The role of that CEO, the letter says, will be to “work seamlessly with provincial, territorial, and municipal govern-ments and provide concierge services to promote business in-vestment in Canada so that potential investors will have a one-window

shop to make investing in Canada simpler and more attractive.”

As many of our Members are aware, the St. Thomas & District Chamber has shown previous interest in China. Since 2013 we have hosted and participated in three tours to China with visits to Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou. Cham-ber staff are negotiating a return visit for later in 2016 and expect to release details next month. We expect to provide an opportunity for Members to see and explore China from both, or either, a busi-ness and personal awareness perspective.

Working in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we have also begun plans for local analysis on any Canadian participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We are assembling a Task Force to review the agreement with an eye to identifying specific and detailed information that relates to our local area and pre-senting the information for the benefit of all in-terested. Agriculture and manufacturing are key interests that we will explore. Timelines for action suggest we will begin our work in February and conclude any activity concurrent to ratification by Canada, the US and all other key partners in the agreement.

Minister's Mandate – A look at trade and local opportunities for Chamber action

Communication check-up

We’re sending it. Are you receiving?One of the Chamber’s main communication products is a weekly email

newsletter we call Green Mail. If you should be – or want to be – seeing it, but you’re not, there’s any easy fix. Just go to the Chamber’s website at stthomas-chamber.on.ca and click on the Green Mail words in the left-hand column on our main page. Or, if you’d prefer to come and get Green Mail instead of having us send it, links are posted each week on the main page of our website and via the Chamber’s Face Page, our Members-only Facebook Group, on Twitter and in the Chamber’s LinkedIn group.

Green Mail contains two sections of information each week. The first is an event & activity section that showcases Chamber events and provides our community partners with an opportunity to share news of theirs. The second section is news that impacts the business community.

We deeply appreciate the frequent comments we get from Members on the news and information we share via Green Mail. From news on surprise Min-istry of Labour inspections to legislation changes that impact the workplace, we try to make Green Mail as useful and informative as possible. That means we also welcome your media releases and posts, too. Submissions are welcome at this email address: [email protected].

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce has been building and making B2B and B2C connections since 1869, and we have several plans to grow our services in the months ahead.

“since 2013 we have hosted and participated in three tours to China”

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December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 12

Email: [email protected] www.stthomaschamber.on.ca

88

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lish

04

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*additional processing fees may apply**most industry categories qualify

115 - 300 South Edgeware Road, St. Thomas Phone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466

Helping to Drive Business Success

For complete details, contact the Chamber

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Legal Business Events and News of Interest to our Members

Monty Fordham

by Monty Fordham

We would all agree that the various forms of social media so readily accessible these days provide an ongoing barrage of information ranging from health issues, politics and law, right down to topics of personal interest. However, we can never lose sight of the fact that these social media are really not much more than electronic rumour mills. While much of the information posted by individuals is de-rived from other sources, there is absolutely no guarantee the information is reliable or truthful, at least without us digging deeper.

Recent postings concerning the amendments to the Ontario Estate Administration Tax Act (1998), while containing some useful informa-tion, often contain serious misinformation, which has resulted in a minor panic concerning the pay-ment of the tax (EAT) and the calculation of the amount of the tax. A little history would be help-ful.

While the Estate Administration Tax Act (1998) was passed in (surprise) 1998, the present lev-els of tax have been in existence since 1992 and have remained unchanged since. Back in 1992, we referred to the levy as “probate fees.” This was because the payment was made to the Clerk of the Court at the time a will was submitted for

probate, upon the death of the maker of the will. This terminology persists today, at least among the more mature of the legal profession. The gov-ernment of the day, however, decided it would be a good idea to triple the amount of “probate fees” on the value of an estate over $50,000. So, in 1992, the rate went from .5% to 1.5%.

As a result of a Supreme Court decision in 1998, the fee was determined to be a tax. As a result of this decision, the government passed the present Estate Administration Tax Act (1998). It did not increase or decrease the amount of the levy, and it remained payable at the time a will was submitted for an appointment of an estate trustee (formerly called probate).

Lawyers involved in estate and personal plan-ning have always known that certain assets of a deceased person are exempt from “probate,” or, using the current terminology, do not require that a certificate of appointment be obtained. Exam-ples of this type of asset include jointly registered real property, joint bank accounts with right of survivorship, life insurance policies with a named beneficiary and certain registered investments, again, with a named beneficiary. These types of as-sets are said to “pass outside the will” of a deceased person. Accordingly, generally, no EAT is payable on these types of assets.

But how do we value the assets which must be included in the application for appointment of

estate trustee? Well, up until January 2015, the valuation process was fairly informal. An estimate of the value of the estate less any debts was pre-pared and EAT was paid to the Court official at the time of filing the application, based on that amount. The estimated amount was not broken down in any way, and was simply set out in a sworn declaration by the estate trustee (executor for us mature folks). I can’t imagine that anyone would have undervalued any assets in order to pay less tax. However, the government was not as convinced.

The change which occurred in January, 2015 simply requires the estate trustee to provide de-tailed valuation of estate assets which are subject to EAT. There has been no increase in the amount of EAT charged, and assets which were exempt before are still exempt. The tax is payable on es-tates where an application for appointment of estate trustee is required. The inventory and valu-ation are set out in an “estate information return,” which must be filed within 90 days of receipt of the appointment.

Nothing in the new regime makes it more or less important to effectively plan the eventual trans-fer of your estate to your heirs with your lawyer, accountant and financial advisor with a view to minimizing the amount of EAT.

Continued on page 25

Heard it (EAT) through the grape vine

965TalboT STreeT ST.ThomaS519-633-3123

open at 11ameveryday

We Deliverall Day and Night

www.dominos.ca

Drop off your non-perishable fooditems at Domino’s to support the

Caring Cupboard

Page 5: Season’s Greeting · event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach-ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here. Uncorked is

December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 13

Let us ensure your vehicle isready for that holiday roadtrip

135 South Edgeware Rd,St Thomas

519-631-7117www.stthomasautoguys.com

Experience service the way itshould be.. You can rely on Bob,James and their team to keep

your car running safely.

Over 20 Years ExperienceAll major Fleet Cards accepted

.stthomasautoguys.comwww

• Expert Auto Repairs• Professional Diagnostics• Warranty ApprovedScheduled Maintenance

Have a Safeand Happy HolidaySeason

Have a Safeand Happy HolidaySeason

Employment Services Elginot Street, St. Thomas | (519) 631-5470

ain Street, West Lorne | (519) 768-0020ww.employmentserviceselgin.ca

facebook.com/EmploymentServicesElgin

Season’s Greetingsfrom Employment Services Elgin

Employer Services:As an employer, you make your hiring choices carefully.

Our Job Developers can help you save time and money witha full range of no-cost-to-you services, including job postings,resume pre-screening, and access to government training

allowances and wage reimbursements.

Job Seeker Services:Access to job postings, one-on-one employment counselling,

career exploration tools, funded employment programs,workshops, and more.

Emplo400 Talbot S160 Main S

ww

CHAMBER NEWS Events and News of Interest to our Members

Upon completion of the Chamber’s 146th Annual General Meeting on Novem-ber 18, the current Board met and accepted the Nominat-ing Committee report nam-ing the Directors to represent our Members for 2016, Janu-ary 1 to December 31.

Completion of the Nomi-nating Committee Report is one of the � nal duties of the Board’s Immediate Past Chair. Laura Woermke of the St. � omas Elgin Public Art will retire as Past Chair at December 31 this year. Two other Direc-tors, Je� Kohler and Rob Mise, retire at December 31, having served the maxi-mum of two consecutive terms.

� e Chamber’s Board consists of 12 Members elected from the membership and up to 3 addi-tional Directors appointed by the incoming Chair. Elected Directors serve 3-year terms while Chair’s Appointees serve 1-year terms. � e Chair has the option of making additional appointments to en-sure balance in sectoral representation and skills at the Board table.

� e Chamber’s 2016 Directors are, by alpha-betical order,

Raymond Bosveld HollisWealthKathy Cook World FinancialSean Dyke St. � omas Economic DevelopmentRoss Fair Fanshawe CollegeRobert Furneaux Gorman-Rupp of CanadaBrian Helmer Reith & AssociatesKevin Jackson EBRCDan Kelly Dowler Karn Ltd.Mark Lassam Lassam & Co. Chartered AccountantsPhil Mauer Phil Mauer & AssociatesGinette Minor Alexelle Slipcovers & DécorBob Ward � e Auto Guys

Dan Kelly of Dowler Karn Ltd. is completing a year as the Chamber’s Vice-Chair and is the Chair-Elect for 2016. Ross Fair of Fanshawe Col-lege becomes the Immediate past Chair. President & CEO is Bob Hammersley and, ex-o� cio, the Secretary of the Board. � e Board will elect its of-� cers at the � rst meeting of the new year in Janu-ary.

� e current Vice-Chair of our Member Ser-vices Committee, Ray Bosveld, has been named to Chair the MSC group and Chris Patriquin of Simply Pure Water/My Water Guy.ca has been named Vice-Chair of Member Services.

Chamber Board set for 2016

Ray Bosveld, new Chair of the

Chamber’s Member Services Committee

Ross Fair, Chamber Board Chair 2015

Dan Kelly, Chamber Chair-Elect 2016

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Decemberw, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 14

MERRY CHRISTMASWE HAVE IT ALL.

RENTALS & SALES

www.st thomasrenta ll.com

QUALITY EQUIPMENTWELL MAINTAINED

RENTINGThe Smart Way

To Get Things Done.

Visit our new location1241 Talbot St.St. Thomas

631-5450

You’re finalizing your mortgage – a huge com-mitment that comes with a great deal of responsi-bility. It’s natural to be concerned that your family might lose their home if the income earner was no longer around to make the payments.

You have a couple of options, both involving af-fordable monthly payments. Lending institutions offer mortgage insurance – also called creditor insurance — at the time you sign the mortgage. The other route is personal life insurance that you can buy through your financial security advisor.

Mortgage insurance is conve-nient. You can apply for insur-ance coverage at the same time you’re getting your mortgage. This insurance is used to cover the outstanding mortgage bal-ance if you die. You can also in-clude your spouse in the coverage.

However, it’s important to research the differ-ences between mortgage insurance and personal life insurance to help ensure you’re giving your-self and your family the insurance protection that

meets your needs.You do have to qualify for per-

sonal life insurance, a process that may include verification that you and your spouse are in good health. Once you start paying the premiums, you’re covered for the term of the policy, with automatic renewals. And as long as premiums are paid as required, only you can cancel the policy.

The benefit payoutWith mortgage insurance,

your creditor is the named beneficiary and the proceeds are paid to the creditor, not your family. If you die or your spouse dies, the out-standing amount is paid off.

As the mortgage is paid down, the benefit cover-age decreases.

Personal life insurance allows you to choose your beneficiaries. And the lump-sum benefit payment is paid tax free on the death of the life insured even if the mortgage is paid off. This type of cov-

erage provides added fi-nancial security beyond just the mortgage.

Monthly premiumsWith mortgage in-

surance, the coverage decreases each month until the entire princi-pal is paid off, although the premiums stay the same. With personal life insurance, your coverage doesn’t decrease as the mortgage is paid.

Don’t let your mort-gage jeopardize your family’s financial secu-rity. You have choices!

Perhaps your best option is to choose a plan that will keep the premium you pay level for 10 years, 20 years or for your lifetime.

FlexibilityGenerally most lending institutions offer non-

convertible term life insurance where the lending institution owns the mortgage insurance policy. If you switch mortgage lenders, your policy is void. Given that you’ll be older than when you origi-nally signed your mortgage or your health may have changed, the premiums with a new lender could be higher or you may not qualify for new coverage.

If you already have a personal life insurance policy in place and you buy a bigger home, you may want to consider increasing the coverage. One option may be to leave the existing policy in place and take out a second one to increase overall coverage for your family.

Take time to carefully weigh both of your op-tions. A financial security advisor can provide ex-pert guidance.

Pro Text Events and News of Interest to our Members

Mortgage insuranceOptions for family security by David daCamara

...personal life insurance allows

you to choose your beneficiaries...

This column appears regularly in Business Beat and has been submitted by David daCamara, Financial Advisor, with Reith & Associates Insurance and Finan-cial Services Limited, 462 Talbot Street, St. Thomas. Questions and comments on this column are

welcomed by the writer at 519-631-3862 or via e-mail: [email protected]

Enjoy your time with family and friendsthis festive season. Happy Holidays!

Making the holidayseason brighter

Mutual funds offered by Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc.Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of theSun Life Financial group of companies.© Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2014. Life’s brighter under the sun

Michael MooreTel: [email protected]/michael.moore#3 - 9 Princess AvenueSt. Thomas, ON N5R 3V3

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December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 15

Let’s Help Families in NeedThis Holiday Season

Mark Lassam, CPA, CA115 Curtis Street, St. [email protected]

Full Range of Accounting ServicesAuditing • Accounting • Taxation

Business Plans • Management ConsultingSmall Business Services • Bookkeeping Services

Estate and Trust ReturnsBusiness Succession Planning

Please donate to Christmas Care

with Toys and Non-perishable food items

at our office at 115 Curtis St., St. Thomas

BestWishes forthe Holiday SeasonFrom all the staff at

Bowsher and Bowsher

2 Second Avenue, St. Thomas, Ontario • (519) 633-3301www.bowsherandbowsher.com

bowsher+bowsherL A W F I R M

BestWishes forSeason’s Greetings

Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members

The Chamber’s November Business After 5 at St. Thomas Municipal Airport brought news on the 2016 Great Lakes International Air Show coming next June 18 & 19. The event was sponsored joint-

ly by the Air Show and Railway City Brewing Co. Hetty Teuber of Silverthorn Landscape won premium Chalet Flight Deck

passes to the Air Show, valued at $400. John Taylor of VON and Peter Leack claimed 4-packs of Air Show admission tickets. Royal LePage re-altor Jim Harris earned a flight in a vintage air-craft. Paul Jenkins of the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation was rewarded with a Railway City Brewing gift basket and real estate sales rep Brent White took home a brewery gift card. Jim Banman, President of the Board of Directors of the Air Show presented their prizes while Paul Cor-riveau awarded prizes from Railway City Brew-ing.

(Photographs courtesy of Photos by MG).

We love winners!

Page 8: Season’s Greeting · event have been selling quickly and, with Christmas fast approach-ing, it’s likely there will be few or no tickets left once January gets here. Uncorked is

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Com-merce proudly welcomes the following businesses and individuals as our newest Members. Those listed below were accepted as registered Members to November 15, 2015. Once an organization registers with the Chamber, all personnel (owners/managers/staff) within the organization have full access to all Chamber programs, projects, events and services.

Crown of Jewels Salon811 Talbot StreetSt. Thomas, ON N5P 1E4Phone: 519-633-4201Email: [email protected] Website: n/aContact: Julie Somerville, Owner/Stylist Buyers Guide Categories: Hair Care/HairstylingProducts & Services: Crown of Jewels Salon wel-comes new and past clients to their location at 811 Talbot Street across from Van Pelts. There is free parking in front of the salon. From hair colouring to hair extensions, the team at Crown of Jewels

Salon are always there for their clients and accom-modate them the best they can!

Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance C4 – 233 Cross Avenue, P.O. Box 233 Oakville, ON L6J 2W9 Phone: 519-494-8700 Email: [email protected]: www.cchaforlife.orgContact: Allan Weatherall, Executive DirectorBuyers Guide Category: Agencies & Associa-tions, Community Services Products & Services: The Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance (CCHA) is a Canada wide volun-teer-run registered charity consisting of people with a congenital heart defect, their friends, fami-lies, and the medical community. CCHA’s Mis-sion is to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with congenital heart de-fects: by raising awareness, providing peer support and mentoring, advocacy, and advancing research.

Smart Dental Hygiene 587 John Street North Aylmer, ON N5H 2B6 Phone: 519-773-2863 Email: [email protected] Web: www.smartdentalhygiene.com Contact: Sarah Foshay, Owner/Independent Reg-istered Dental HygienistBuyers Guide Categories: Healthcare Services; Dentists & Dental ServicesProducts & Services: Smart Dental Hygiene is Aylmer & Elgin County’s first & only indepen-dent Dental Hygiene Clinic. Now you have a choice with Smart Dental Hygiene: direct access to professional dental hygiene services when you need it. A visit with your dental hygienist today can help your smile for tomorrow since dental dis-eases are preventable. With a child-friendly “1st Happy Visit”, Smart Dental Hygiene provides a focus on prevention of dental diseases, direct bill-ing to insurance with day/afternoon/evening & Saturday appointments available. Smart Dental Hygiene staff are fluent in the Low German lan-

guage & culturally sensitive. Another value: as an independent service, the fees charged are lower than you likely expect!

CBRE Limited 380 Wellington Street, Suite 30 London, ON N6A 5B5 Phone: 519-286-2010 Email: [email protected]: www.cbre.com Contact: Chris Harris, Broker/Associ-ate Vice PresidentBuyers Guide Categories: Real Estate Services, Real Estate - CommercialProducts & Services: Serving St. Thomas, Elgin County, and all of Southwestern Ontario, CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm. Associate Vice President & Broker Chris Harris is a St. Thomas resident and part of CBRE’s Special Properties Group. He has strong inter-est and extensive experience in meet-ing the needs of clients in all commer-cial sectors including industry.

December, 2015 E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 16

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