Image by Praveen Kumar on Unsplash.com

Suddenly tariffs are forefront as we explore and alter our shopping habits.

You prefer Starbucks but now you’re pulling into the Timmy’s drive-thru. At the grocery store, you might reach for French’s rather than Heinz and you let Quaker Oats gather dust as you chuck Goldy’s into your cart instead. As for travel, we seem to be avoiding stepping foot south of the border. AirBnB reported recently that properties rented in Canada by Canadians are up 40%.

Canada may be known as meek and apologetic, but we’ve chosen to take a stand when it comes to costly American levies. Rather than simply cowering as prices shoot up, we’ve responded with a united front.

According to BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic, we can and we are making a difference. The “Buy Canadian” movement adds $10 billion to our economy. Not too shabby.

What does “Elbow’s Up” have to do with buying Canadian ketchup and spending your vacay in Wawa?

Grab a Moosehead Lager, sit back in your Muskoka chair, and get ready for a very brief history lesson.

For a little over a year now, Balaklava Technology Simplified has called 20 Creighton Road in Walkerton home. Now, we’re ready for you to be part of the big reveal. Here are 3 reasons to spend part of your Maundy Thursday in Walkerton at Balaklava Technology Simplified’s Grand Opening. Plus, be one of the first 30 to arrive and you’ll get extra-special swag.

1) Curiosity Killed the Cat

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for humans, it can be a very good, mind-expanding trait. Research shows that curious folks tend to be happy folks. Why not aim for “higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being”? As Balaklava’s building evolved, you watched excavators dig, foundations poured, and trusses set in place. Now you get a chance to see the finished product!

“We’ve come a long way,” remarks Owner and President Mark Pinder.  “We outgrew our Mildmay space, we were out of parking, office and warehouse space. We’d love for you to tour our new 4,500-square-foot facility. Including the meeting and conference rooms in our high-tech Business Center.”

Go ahead and give in. Head to Balaklava’s Grand Opening on April 17 between 2:00 and 8:00 pm. Need another reason?

One of Balaklava Tech Center's meeting rooms.

During the pandemic, most of us learned how to use Zoom. We made calls to grandma and long-lost pals and, of course, we used it for work. Despite “Zoom fatigue”—and seeing too many coworkers without pants—we all seemed to have survived.

For many, conference calls were more of a staple than the toilet paper we couldn’t seem to get our hands on. And they continue to remain a significant part of your workday. Microsoft’s statistics maintain that in the few years since 2020, the number of work meetings has tripled.

The power of video conferencing is undeniable. These video call platforms save time. They cut costs—think of no longer having to drive two hours out of town for a half-hour consultation or avoiding the need to fly staff from around the globe to one location. And virtual meetings will undoubtedly “increase in demand as hybrid, remote, and global work expand”.

You use them. But do you know how they work?

From a tech point of view, a one-to-one conference call is a relatively simple process.  Add in more than one recipient, however, and the level of difficulty goes way up. Real-time communication and collaboration mean that software applications and coding are necessary. This is a much more complex situation that requires in-depth knowledge, skill, and expertise.