work | SMART


 ATCMB helping people conquer their fears Continued from page 1


 Recycling Continued from page 1


Recycled electronics at Mother Earth Recycling facility. For the first three years MER continued with the e-waste,


but in 2016 they moved into their current location at 771 Main Street and began their mattress recycling program in January 2016. Jessica Floresco, who has been the general manager at


Stephen McIntyre, Jeff Skinner, Robin Williams and Woody Harrelson on set of "The Big White". “We’ve always had a very vital film industry,” says


Skinner. “2007 was our biggest year, and then the bottom fell out of the economy. It took a while to rebuild but it’s definitely going strong now and the profile of my students proves that.” Skinner opened ATCMB 12 years ago and with it brought


an extensive resume along with it which includes over forty theatrical productions and over 500 musical stage appearances, many of which were with his vocal group, Te Argyles, who worked nationally and became enter- tainment ambassadors for Expo ’86 in Vancouver. In addition, Skinner has also done over 50 films and


television projects including Falcon Beach, Less Tan Kind for HBO, the feature film Faces in the Crowd, and Te Big White with Robin Williams and Woody Harrelson. Tat wealth of experience didn’t come without hard work. “I have done everything from getting coffees, to stage-


hand, being an extra, to having speaking roles in some big movie and television productions,” adds Skinner, who’s family started the famous “Skinners” restaurant in Lockport back in 1929. “Like any job, the more you know will make you a better actor.” Helping people overcome their fears Tough the name says Actors’ Training Centre of Mani-


toba, being an actor is not a pre-requisite. In fact, it has been estimated that 75% of people experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness when public speaking. Skinner says not everyone is at the ATCMB for the same reasons because everyone is unique and has their own skills and


fears. Te training ATCMB provides can help people in many different facets of their lives. “Our job is to study the human condition,” Skinner


adds. “You can’t do that without studying your own. So everyone in my class tends to become very self-aware, and that carries over into their personal life.” Most recently ATCMB has been expanding more and


more into corporate work. It’s an area that Skinner be- lieves is sometimes overlooked. “Many people who have been promoted from one job


to another and now they have to speak in front of groups, and that can be terrifying,” says Skinner. “We can train them in different techniques and methods to help them become more comfortable in front of a group of people.” Skinner, who has a Teatre degree from the University


of Winnipeg, says his degree has helped him get job op- portunities he normally wouldn’t get. “It’s interesting how that degree got me more work in


the corporate industry than anything else because they made the assumption they could teach me the job, but I already would come in with people skills and that was important to them.” For the past 12 years hundreds of people have come


through the doors at the ATCMB. Watching people over- come their fears, speaking in front of crowds, getting roles in movies, or growing as a person is what continues to drive Skinner. But at the end of the day, there’s one big reason Skinner keeps doing what he’s doing. “It’s just damn fun.”


 Te Portal - a truly unique experience


Continued from page 1 Hall opened the Portal in October, 2016 with his wife after


trying a VR set for the first time just a few months previous. When it first opened there were only four in Canada. Now there are close to 10. "I was so blown away by the experience that I re-evalu-


ated everything I was doing, and I asked my wife whether I could buy the most expensive equipment in VR that's commercially available today, and she strangely said yes," said Hall. “I’ve always been interested in technology, games, and


computers, but this was a completely different direction than what I went to school for.” Hall, who hails from London, England but has called


Winnipeg home for the past four years, has a master’s de- gree in applied geographical information systems, which is a computer-based science and technology that integrates computer hardware, software and data to leverage the visual clarity of maps. “Tere’s a mild crossover through remote sensing and


creating 3D models, but overall this was completely dif- ferent and something that once I tried it, I needed to do.” The Portal is equipped with the most advanced and


expensive equipment for entertainment use in the VR in- dustry at the moment. Separated into two rooms, the 10 foot by 10 foot space leaves you plenty of room to move around while you’re trying out different experiences. Te sensory experience is full-body. After you put on the


headset, you are handed two controllers which now become your hands. You then have the ability to move around in this virtual world that responds to you. Inside the booths, players have a 360-degree view of a different world as soon as the headset is turned on. Whether you choose to have an underwater experience, or you are ready to fight off zombies, you’ll feel like you’re there. “It feels real,” adds Hall. “Everything around you is in 3D,


so you can walk around the environment and discover new things, and you actually feel like it is happening.” Te cost is just 50 dollars an hour for two people, with a


10 dollar charge for each additional person. Even though there’s only one headset between the group, everyone who has come to the Portal has said being a spectator is as much fun as being the one with the headset, says Hall. “Watching a buddy that looks like they’re 160 meters high in the air and they’re actually just walking along this


June 2017


MER since the move to the new building, says the first year was productive, but there’s still plenty of work to do. “Tis past year we processed about 2,500 units but our


goal this year is to reach closer to 10,000 units,” Floresco adds. “With 30,000 mattresses going into the landfill each year, there is still plenty of work left to do and many more mattresses to be recycled.” Ikea and Sleep Country are the main sources for MER.


Tose who buy IKEA or Sleep Country mattresses, and pay to have them delivered, can have their old ones removed and recycled for $15. Te companies will either deliver or stockpile the mattresses at their stores for MER to pick up and they will then be disassembled and re-purposed back at MER’s facility. Floresco has noticed a lot of people have questions about


why there is a $15 dollar fee. “Te fee is necessary because at the moment there is no


environment levy when a mattress is purchased,” Floresco says. “When you buy an electronic product, pop, tires, or any


other recyclable items you have to pay a levy fee to cover some of the costs of recycling that particular type of product, but for mattresses this is not the case so we charge the 15 dollars to cover that cost,” says Floresco. “We're hopeful the province may consider doing this in the future.” Mattresses have many recyclable components Tere are many different materials in a mattress that can


be recycled that many people may not know about. Foam can become carpet underlay; fabric can serve as


padding used by oil industries and absorbent material for oil spills, as well as yoga mats; metal can be recycled; wood can be chipped for playgrounds and other landscaping. While there are many reasons people should want to


recycle their mattresses, Floresco adds there’s a bigger impact involved. “Not only can people take great pride in knowing they


are helping the environment, but also they’re creating jobs and opportunities for people in one of Winnipeg’s poorest areas.” “Our primary goal is to employ aboriginal people and


provide training and life skills,” says Floresco. “We try to act as a launch point for that first job for people so we take a lot of people from CAHRD who are going through their programs.” “A lot of people who come in don’t have any job skills,


maybe they’re lacking education, or they have a criminal record which makes it difficult for them to find employment, and that’s where we can help.” MER gets a lot of funding through CAHRD and their


programs to employ people, which is usually for about six months per person. Some of the employees who have worked at MER have gone on to Red River College, have found employment elsewhere, or have been hired at MER. “Since starting the program 17 months ago, a lot of the


Owner of The Portal, Chris Hall.


mat, and seeing how terrified they look, it’s actually really entertaining for everyone who is there.” Te entire experience is displayed on a giant projection


screen so everyone watching can see what is going on. When the game is done and the headset comes off,


Hall says that’s when people really realize how unique the experience really is. “Once you take the headset off and realize you’re not on


a plank 160 metres in the air, but just in a room on McDer- mot Avenue, a lot of people take that deep sigh of relief.” Te equipment and games can be tricky to use, and Hall


suggests a minimum age of 7, but leaves it up to parents to determine whether the equipment and content is suitable for their kids, adding they’ve also had people in their 80’s try it who loved it as well. As business continues to grow, the group sizes have


been growing as well. Te Portal has hosted kids par- ties, work parties, stags, and stagettes just to name a few. In addition to the ‘fun’ side of VR, Hall sees a lot of


potential in other areas as well. “I see huge potential in the medical field,” says Hall.


“How this can help kids with autism learn in a controlled environment and what they may see in real life.” “Tat’s just one of many potential benefits that we may see from the world of VR.”


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staff at the end of their training have asked if they could stay on longer,” says Floresco who adds it’s a testament to how when people find out the skills they have gained and the confidence they now have, they want to continue learning. “Te employees really enjoy working here.” MER can recycle anything


What many people don’t realize about MER is that they


also have a store where customers can purchase refurbished computers, laptops, TV’s, DVD’s, and many other items for a discounted price. Floresco says MER has even found different ways to create their own product with recycled material to sell in their store. “Something we have done is taking fabric and foam from


the mattresses and making them into dog beds.” Finding new ways to use the recycled material to create


jobs and help the indigenous community learn life skills is something very important to Floresco. “We have a feasibility study for a new program going on


right now that would see us take a truck with materials to the Women’s Correctional facility where they would learn how to sew and make things out of the materials which we would then bring back and sell,” says Floresco. “We’re excited to see the results of the study when it’s all done.” “At the end of the day It’s all about creating jobs and op-


portunities for indigenous people and improving life skills in order to help them succeed,” adds Floresco. “And I believe Mother Earth Recycling is doing that.”


Smart Biz 5


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