BUSINESS BRIEFS

BUSINESS SPEAKER

BUSINESS MARKETING speaker Bil Gibson will host a one-day seminar on April 29 at the Vancouver Trade and Conven- tion Centre entitled Boost Your Sales and Profits in Any Economy.

Gibson said he will deliver ideas and programs that will be trans- ferable immediately into increased sales and profits for business

BUSINESS

managers and corporate profes- sionals.

He added that all signs indicate the B.C. economy has bottomed out and is about to enter a power- ful upswing as its focus continues to shift towards the Pacific Rim.

“I'm bullish on British Colum- bia. In my opinion British Col- umbia is about to experience the boom of the 90’s,”’ said Gibson. ““We have the resources, a quality workforce and the strong en- trepreneurial business sector that will continue to make our pro- vince one of the best places in the world to do business in the next few years.”’

Gibson said the best time to gain market share, hire good peo- pie and train staff is at the bottom of the market while competitors “are out of shape and mentally down.”’

“The coming boom will be led primarily by independent business operators as entrepreneurs strive to reach new markets around the Pacific Rim,’’ said Gibson.

WASHINGTON STATE BUSINESS

THE FOURTH Corner Economic Development Group in Bell-

ingham, Wa., will sponsor a May 8 seminar entitled Expanding Your Business to Bellingham/ Whatcom County, U.S.A. from 1 to 6:30 p.m. at the Canadian Pacific Waterfront Hotel, 900 Canada Place Way in Vancouver.

The seminar will focus on what companies need to know about setting up and expanding business south of the border.

City of Bellingham Mayor Tim Douglas will be one of the speakers.

Topics to be discussed include:

@ labor force availability, cost and training;

@ the basics for setting up a business in Washington State;

@ visas and getting across the border.

Also included will be a Cana- dian investors’ pane! where several Canadian business executives will tell how and why they recently decided to expand their businesses to Whatcom County.

The registration fee is $100 Cdn. Payment must be received by April 24. For more informa- tion call (203) 676-4255.

MARKETING AWARD

MICK MULLAGH, president and chief operating officer of B.C. Cellular, is the recipient of a special Marketing Executive of the Year award to be presented on May 21 by the Sales and Marketi- ng Executives of Vancouver.

Previous winners of the award include West Vancouver businessman Jim Pattison, Keg Restaurants owner George Tid- ball, Vancouver Port Corp. chairman Patrick Reid and McDonald’s Restaurants executive Ron Marcoux.

Forget frugality on St. Barthelemy

From page 19

low-gear driving on the narrow, twisting, roller-coaster roads.

Our villa was unavailable for one night sc we went to Guanahani, the island’s largest hotel with 68 Sungalow-style rooms for a taste of luxurious hotel living (at $345). At least the tennis was free (instead of $22 an hour).

I have no plans to add up the total cost of this trip. But the

How to relieve

congestion twice as

fresh baguette and croissants from the bakery across the road each morning, the always-stylish French women, the fabulous deli and pastry dishes from La Rotis- serie, the friendly locals, the French wine and cheeses, the un- crewded beaches, the great restau- rants — they are worth every non-frugal dollar.

For more information, write

thelemy, F.W.i. Air Canada flies to Antigua and Guadeloupe. Sev- eral U.S. airlines fiy to the nearest jet strip on St. Martir (be sure to say you are in transit to avoid the departure tax).

Mike Grenby is a North Shore-based columnist and_in- dependent financial adviser who works with individuals; he will answer your questions as space. allows — write to him c/o The

Office Municipal du Tourisme, Quai General De Gaulle, Gustavia, 97098 Cedex St. Bar- Ave.,

y fast

The wave of the future in freight transportation is double-stacked containers on trains, further improving rail’s advantage as a “passing lane” for trucks. CN is already Canada's iargest carrier of double- stacked containers. With our recent restructuring to form CN North America, we'll put major emphasis on extending our intermodal services and double- stacking to the entire continent. This amatgamation improves our cross-border access to and from the U.S. through key gateways and direct-line linkage to Chicago's major rail crossroad. Double-stacking offers economic and ecological advantages. A double-stacked container train increases sharply the capacity of a regular container train, and saves fuei. The same number of containers on trucks would consume almost three times as much fuel. These efficiencies help keep us competitive and provide funds for major improvements. We'll invest almost $600 million over the next few years on intermedal service and double-stacking. Over $425 million is earmarked for innovative railcars, containers and for expansion and improvement of terminals. Another $155 million will go toward construction of a new tunnel at Sarnia facilitating cross-border movement of double-stack trains.

CN North America’s emphasis on double-stacking with its economic and ecological advantages stacks up as something special for business and for all of

Canada and its highways.

NORTH AMERICA Heading in all the right directions.

North Van.

i

Double-stack cantainer trains “WS can greatly reduce highway truck traffic, and aiso reduce fuel consumption and emissions, sharply.

North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale V7M 2H4.