work | SMART  Higgins International Inc. Continued from page 1


Aboriginal Human Resource Development),” says LaRose, who led the start-up of Staffing Solutions. “Tey were trying to set up a program for “meaning-


ful work,” through a pilot called Partners for Careers for post-secondary graduates and they weren’t sure how to set it up from scratch, so in one year I had set up the entire program.” To this day most of what LaRose set up for Staffing Solu-


tions is still there because of how well it worked. LaRose now serves on the board of CAHRD as treasurer. LaRose was offered an opportunity to work for one of


the largest recruitment companies in Winnipeg. Tey did HR Consulting and had 3-4 people working in Executive Search, and after a year she noticed there was a market for Indigenous Executive search. “It struck me one day that there was a need to special-


ize in placing clients from diverse backgrounds. I saw the talent in our Indigenous community of Winnipeg but no one was tapping into it. I believed this would be an excit- ing opportunity for the firm and I was willing to build this new area of business.” “You can’t have these Native people sitting in our reception area”


At the time the owners of the firm didn’t believe this


was a profitable venture, so they advised LaRose she could pursue this, but it would have to be on her own time. So she did. After a couple of years, about 30 per cent of the revenue


of the firm was related to Indigenous business and search, not just in Manitoba, but right across Canada. “What happened in our community is word got out that I


was leading this initiative and providing opportunities for our peoples,” says LaRose. “So about once a week, some- one would spontaneously show up at our office to drop off resumes of their relatives who were accountants, engi- neers, lawyers and other professionals but they wouldn’t make an appointment. I always said to our receptionist, ‘let them have a seat and come get me so I can come out and meet them and thank them because I really feel like that would make a difference.” Even though the firm was seeing a lot of success with


new venture, not everyone was thrilled about these visi- tors to the office. At the end of the day one Friday, one of the owners of the firm warned LaRose, “You can’t have these Native people sitting in our reception area.” LaRose went home extremely upset, and ended up re-


signing from her position the following Monday. Blessing in disguise


“At that point I thought, ok, I’ll do my own thing and


if it works out great, if not, I’ll find another job in a few months; but it boomed,” LaRose says. “In hindsight, I was a little bitter for about six months,


but I never would have started my own firm in a million years, so it was a true blessing in disguise.” LaRose started Higgins International Inc. in 1999 and


hasn’t looked back. Within a few months LaRose was already hiring staff because of the demand, and eventu- ally opened an office in Ottawa which is run by her son Brock; in addition to their office in Winnipeg. Higgins International Inc. is recognized as a Canadian leader in


Brenda LaRose (center), with Roberta Jamieson (left) and Jon Hountalas (right).


the recruitment of diversity and Indigenous executives and board members. Since starting the company, LaRose has won many


different awards for her work. Higgins Inc. was the first Indigenous business in Canada to receive the Gold-level Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Award from the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (CCAB) in 2005, 2011, and 2014. In addition, LaRose won an Indspire award in 2015, for Business and Commerce. Te award meant a lot to LaRose, but what made it even more special was because of the other recipients who received awards. “What was great was some of the other award winners


were people who I’ve helped place in their positions through Higgins Inc., and to see how successful and how much of a difference these individuals are making is something that brings me a lot of joy.” In March of this year LaRose sold her shares of Higgins


Inc. to Leaders International who now owns the Higgins brand. LaRose has stayed on and is an Executive Search partner with Leaders. With over 30 years in the industry, LaRose has built her


name and company into one of the most well-respected and trusted names in recruitment of Indigenous execu- tives and board members. With numbers on the rise, La- Rose feels like things are heading in the right direction. “We are playing catch-up, but I feel like we’re do-


ing it at a pretty good speed,” says LaRose. “Te key to economic development, the key to self-sufficiency, and the key to getting out of many issues we have and Indigenous peoples comes down to education. If we can get our kids educated and our people educated, we’re going to be fine, so that’s what we’re working towards.” LaRose says. Te Indspire awards and gala will be held in Winnipeg next February. Supporting educational opportunities and inspiring our youth is what they do and this is making a big difference to our community and our country." “I’m happy with what’s happened in the last 10 years,


and I was happy with the 10 years before that. We are heading in the right direction, but still have a way to go.”


 Canada Games celebrates 50 years Continued from page 1


 Lil' Steps Farm Continued from page 1


Lil' Steps helps youth with emotional and mental difficulties. Lucy Fouasse, founder of Lil’ Steps, opened the doors


to the farm two years ago. Fouasse has spent the last 17 years working in the counselling field in many different capacities from justice, to mental health, and others. But it wasn’t until four years ago when Fouasse was on the other side of the counselling, that she realized the important part animals can play in mental health. “I suffered a serious head injury that left me unable to work


and with a number of symptoms that made my day-to-day tasks very difficult,” says Fouasse who suffered from mi- graines, double vision, short-term memory loss, and anxiety. “I purchased two miniature horses and would spend


every day with them and through this I noticed a change in myself. I was learning to be in the present moment through mindfulness and this helped my anxiety tremendously.” Once Fouasse was on the road to recovery she decided


to meld her love for animals and counselling background together to help others. After doing some research, Fouasse noticed there was a definite need for this kind of counselling. “I recognized that there were a number of people who


would fall through the cracks of the systems,” Fouasse says. “I wanted to create a service that was available to all children and youth and affordable through a sliding scale model. My service fits around the individual as opposed to the individual having to meet criteria for the service.” Studies suggest there is an instinctive bond between


humans and animals. Our ancestors may have looked to animals for signals of whether they were in a safe environ- ment or not. If animals are in a calm, peaceful state, the hypothesis says that humans are able to interpret this as a signal that we can relax. Fouasse says each animal has different characteristics that can help people. “When you look at the brain waves of a horse and how


they are always in the present moment due to being a prey animal, just by being around them can change our own brain waves to do the same,” says Fouasse who adds horses are very intuitive and can sense the energy of a child, which allows a perfect mirror reflection to the child on their on their own energy and emotions. “Recognizing our own emotions is essential in the therapeutic work in healing.” According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, It


is estimated that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder – the single most disabling group of disorders worldwide. Today, approximately 5% of male youth and 12% of female


youth, age 12 to 19, have experienced a major depressive episode. Te total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million. Fouasse says Lil' Steps helps these youth through confi- dence building. “I would say that one of the primary pieces that all kids


walk away from is confidence and a better sense of self. At the farm, you can be who you are…it’s a place to be and become. Te animals accept you fully and are honest in a non-judgemental way with their feedback to the youth on their behaviours towards the animals.” Tere are many different animals at the farm, each with


their own personalities. “My five pound dog Serenity teaches about confidence


and fear. She is the boss of the farm,” says Fouasse who adds that sometimes lacks some healthy fear. “We discuss how anxiety is a good thing for us and how this helps us to keep safe. We talk about her confidence in that she is only five pounds (and then I usually cover Serenity’s ears as I tell the children this), but she thinks she is 100 pounds and this is how confidence works – if we believe we are bigger than we are then we can do anything.” Te farm also boasts three rats who teach the kids not to


The Canada Summer games celebrates it's 50th year when it comes to Winnipeg this month.


Tis first Canada Winter Games saw a total of 1,800 athletes from 10 prov- inces and two territories come out to compete in 15 sports. Te games have been held every two years, alternating between summer and winter events. Since then over 75,000 athletes


have competed in the games with hundreds of thousands taking part in their provincial or territorial try- outs and qualifying events. Coaches, officials and over 6,000 volunteers help to make the event happen along with the host city. A collaboration between the Government of Canada,


August 2017


provincial/territorial governments, host municipalities, the private sector and the Canada Games Council make these events possible. Building tomorrow’s athletes Te Summer Games are our coun-


try’s largest, multi-sport event for young athletes. Some of the athletes may have competed at national or international events but for many this will be their first experience at- tending a multi-sport event with their provincial or territorial team. Canada Games exposes youth to elite level competition, inspiring them to reach further, train harder and maximize


their own potential. Performing well here has proven to be a stepping stone to greatness; this year’s stars may very well become future national or international professionals or even Canadian Olympians. Watch our future stars as they compete for the Canada Games Flag and Centennial Cup. Opening and closing ceremonies


promise to be amazing and include past alumni. Even if you are not planning to attend a sporting event, you won’t want to miss the parties celebrating culture and the success of past and current athletes.


www.smartbizwpg.com


judge a book by its cover, a fainting goat who teaches youth about anxiety and how it feels within the body, and a 1200 pound horse named “Fleur” who can be pretty intimidating to a youth, but learning if kids can keep their energy relaxed and in the moment, they’ll earn trust and respect from Fleur. In the last few years, mental health awareness has defi-


nitely increased. Fouasse says she feels very optimistic that they are on the right track. "I do think we have a way to go, however we are much more


understanding and knowledgeable that we were years back,” adds Fouasse. “I am hoping and dreaming one day that peo- ple can talk about mental health as easily as we talk about physical health. We will need to be conscious on continuing to educate people about the truth of mental health and how mental illness does not define us. Once we can recognize that mental illness is no different than different physical ailments and we need to be accepting, non-judgmental and open to helping others – than we can provide an atmosphere for people to heal – just like the farm does.”


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