devteam, Author at ASP Security Services

By Sarah Jessop, HR Business Partner

At ASP, we value and recognize the diverse religious beliefs of our employees. The world’s rich diversity is reflected in the observances that are celebrated and recognized by our ASP employees. Knowledge of the following holidays and celebrations can enhance our workplace diversity and inclusion efforts. Throughout the months of October, November, and December, a variety of religious holidays, festivals, observances, and spiritual commemorations took place.

These events were celebrated and observed by many of us, so it is important that we recognize and respect each one of them.

We have compiled a list below of the many important religious events that took place throughout the last few months. We encourage you to review this list to learn more about some of the significant celebrations and observances that are meaningful to your colleagues and friends. Let’s celebrate diversity, together.

October 2022

October 4: Yom Kippur
A Jewish day of atonement to reflect on sins and seek forgiveness from God.

October 5: Dussehra
Dussehra means ‘the tenth’ and celebrates the triumph of Lord Ram over the demon Ravan who stole his wife Sita. The great Hindu epic poem, the Ramayana, is read and enacted. A big effigy of Ravan is burnt accompanied by fireworks. In Nepal it is called Dashain, and it is a major holiday.

October 9: Eid-Maulad-un-Nabi
Anniversary of the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Some Muslims mark this occasion by special prayers, whilst other Muslims may mark the occasion by dedicating more time to reading the Koran.

October 9 – 16: Sukkot
A day in the Jewish faith that remembers when the Jews journeyed to the desert on the way to the promised land.

October 13: Karva Chauth
A one-day fast kept by married Hindu women for the well-being and longevity of their husbands. The husbands feed the first bite to their wives only after they see the moon.

October 18: Birthday of the Bab
A day honoring the birthday of God’s messenger in the Baha’i faith.

October 19: Birth of Baha’u’llah
A day honoring the birthday of the prophet-founding of the Baha’i faith.

October 24: Diwali
A 5-day festival of light that combines several different festivals in honor of gods, goddesses, harvests, new year’s, etc. It is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains.

November 2022

November 1: Samhain
A festival in the Pagan and Wiccan religions that marks the end of the harvest season.

November 1: All Saints Day
Also known as Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos, this day honors the saints who have attained heaven in the Christian faith.

November 4: Qudrat (13th Month)
The first day of the thirteenth Bahá’í month. The English translation of Quadrat (Arabic) is Power.

November 8: Birthday of Guru Nanak Ji
A day honoring the birth of the founder of Sikhism.

November 8: Lokashah Jayanti
This day commemorates the birth of a famous 15th century reformer, Lonka Saha, who opposed temple worship and use of images.

November 18: Day of Covenant
The eldest son and appointed successor of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, referred to this day as the ‘Centre of the Covenant’ which was established to safeguard the unity of the community.

November 22: Qawl (14th Month)
The first day of the fourteenth Bahá’í month. The English translation of Qawl (Arabic) is Speech.

November 24: Martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur
This day commemorates his martyrdom (1621-1675). He was the ninth of the Ten Sikh Gurus and executed in Delhi by the Mughal emperor.

He died for the Sikh faith and also for religious liberty.

November 27: First Sunday of Advent
The Christian church year begins with Advent (from the Latin adventus meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’) which is also a time when Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

November 30: Feast of St. Andrew
A day honoring the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Barbados, and Romania in the Roman Catholic Church.

December 2022

December 6: St. Nicholas Day
He is the patron saint of Russia, who came from a town in Turkey. Being known as a protector of children, the tradition of leaving shoes out in the hopes of receiving treats is practiced in the Dutch, German and, Eastern European communities.

December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
A feast day celebrated by Roman Catholics that celebrate Mary’s conception without original sin.

December 8: Bodhi Day
In Japanese Zen, Bodhi Day is called “Rohatsu” and is the observance of enlightenment of the historical Buddha. Zen monasteries observe this day with a meditation retreat lasting several days.

On the last night of Rohatsu sesshin, monks and students often sit in meditation until dawn, as the Buddha did 25 centuries ago.

December 11: Masá’il (15th Month)
The first day of the fifteenth Bahá’í month. The English translation of Masá’il (Arabic) is Questions.

December 18 – 26: Hanukkah
The 8-day celebration of the “Festival of Lights” that commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

December 21: Yule
A Pagan and Wiccan holiday that begins at sundown at the winter solstice.

December 25: Christmas
This day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth over 2000 years ago. Customs include lighting candles, exchanging gifts, and using evergreen decorations to celebrate this day, the most widely observed Christian festival of the year. In most communities it is a family day.

December 26: Kwanzaa
A professor who wanted to encourage African Americans to celebrate their heritage started Kwanzaa’s in California in 1966. Kwanzaa means first fruit in Swahili and is a harvest festival.

Families exchange gifts and have African-style feasts. Seven-pronged candleholders are lit on each consecutive night for the seven principles: unity, self-determination, working together, sharing, purpose, creativity and faith. The celebration continues till January 1.

December 26: The Feast of St. Stephen
Also called Boxing Day, this day commemorates the life of a saint known for his service to the poor who became the first Christian martyr.

December 30: Sharaf (16th Month)
The first day of the sixteenth Bahá’í month. The English translation of Sharaf (Arabic) is Honour.

Do you feel we have missed anything? Let us know! Contact our Diversity and Inclusion committee at
inclusive@security-asp.com

By Sarah Jessop, HR Business Partner

On September 30, 2022, Canadian’s recognized the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a federal statutory holiday which was established to honour those who were impacted by Canada’s residential school system. The purpose of this day is to ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

The Truth

As National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is all about honouring the truth, it is important to recognize the abhorrent residential school system that operated within Canada from 1831 – 1998. Throughout this time, 140 federally run residential schools were created for the sole purpose of indoctrinating indigenous children into a Euro-Christian way of life. This cultural genocide was put in place because the Canadian government wished to deny itself of its legal and financial obligations to Aboriginal people and gain control over their land and resources.

Under the leadership of Sir John. A. McDonald, Indigenous children were ripped away from their families to eliminate all ties to their culture. Upon arrival at the school, children were separated from their siblings and forced to strip out of their own clothing.

They were then made to wear westernized uniforms that were poor in quality and not at all suited to Canada’s weather conditions.

After joining the schools, extreme neglect and abuse became a part of everyday life for these children. They were prohibited from speaking their own languages, and they were physically punished, isolated and humiliated if they misunderstood staff directions. A lack of Supervision created situations where students became prey to abuse, and laborious chores took precedence over learning. Poorly built and maintained buildings contributed to the spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, and many innocent children died because of this blatant disregard for human life.

Reconciliation

By establishing the long overdue National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, our government took the first step in recognizing that this is an issue that all Canadians need to recognize and address. Reconciliation is the responsibility of every Canadian, and it is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. For us to support this mutually respectful relationship, we must be aware of our past, acknowledge the harm that has been inflicted, and make positive actions to change the future.

Wearing Orange

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also known as Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led day of commemoration which honours the children who survived residential schools and remembers those who did not. The orange shirt symbolizes the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations. The symbol directly relates to the story of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation who was forced to remove her orange shirt on her first day at a residential school.

Many of our ASP employees took part in Orange Shirt Day as part of this commemoration. Below are the photos that you submitted to show your support. Thank you to all those who participated!

By Sarah Jessop, HR Business Partner

The results of the Engagement Matters – 2022 Employee Satisfaction Survey are in!

Thank You to Our Participants

Before we share the engagement survey results, we’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all ASP employees who participated this year. Your candid feedback will be the driving force behind our 2023 engagement initiatives as we continue to work on improving the employee experience at ASP.

The Results

The infographic provides a quick comparison between our 2021 and 2022 results. As you will see, we listened to your feedback from 2021 and executed change accordingly to improve feelings of engagement in areas such as overall happiness, recognition, and relationships with leadership.

What’s Next?

We recognize that we have room for improvement, and our survey respondents made some great suggestions in the comments on how we can create meaningful change in 2023. As we speak, the leadership team is meeting to create a 2023 action plan based on your responses. They are reviewing key findings and making both immediate and long-term plans based on the results. We hope that in 2023, the initiatives we implement continue to improve your experience as an employee at ASP. Once again, we would like to thank all those who took the time to complete the Engagement Matters – 2022 Employee Satisfaction Survey. Without your essential feedback, this endeavour would be meaningless.

Survey Response Winners

Congratulations to our participation incentive winners! To promote our survey, employees that responded were entered into a draw for their work group. The following individuals were randomly selected and won a $20 gift card:

**AUDREY ALLOTEY**
Customer Support Representative at Ottawa Airport

**JUZAN BROWN**
Security Guard, Toronto Pan Am

**NAVEEN CHANDRA JYOTHILINGAM**
Concierge

Not pictured winners:

Readeat Kerie – Respite Supervisor
Tajinder Sunner – Terminal Access Control
Shilpa Shilpa – Security Guard, Commercial Division
Gurmeet Garcha – Terminal Patrol at Calgary Airport

By Sarah Jessop, HR Business Partner

The following new hires have joined ASP since our last newsletter was published. Please join us in welcoming them to the ASP family!

Don Wall

Don Wall joined ASP on September 26, 2022, as our Operations Manager at Calgary Airport.

Don is an accomplished operations executive with over thirty years of core operations experience in the aviation industry. He started as a Customer Service Manager for Air Canada, which led him to the role of General Operations Manager of Air Canada in Calgary for ten years.

His performance got him appointed to Manager for Operational Excellence in Air Canada. He successfully designed, executed, and managed initiatives for cost savings and performance improvement using Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies.

Don’s recent position was at SkyCafe in Calgary as General Manager for Operations. He led a team of operations and duty managers overseeing the delivery and execution of SOPs while optimizing customer satisfaction.

Reporting directly to Garinder Grewal, Director of Aviation, Don is responsible for the management, supervision, training, and operations of YYC’s security team. He will ensure compliance with our contract requirements and government legislation. Don will be the primary operational point of contact with the client.

Katarzyna Szumacher

Our Residential and Commercial team had the pleasure of welcoming Kat Szumacher as an Operations Manager on October 11, 2022.

Based out of our North York office, Kat is responsible for managing our Respite operations as part of our Commercial division.

Kat is well-versed in the world of security, having previously worked at Logixx as a National Account Manager and at Allied Universal Security Services as a Security Director.

She is experienced in client management, team development, and handling complex operations. Kat is a wonderful addition to our team, and we have no doubt that she will succeed in her role as Operations Manager.

Fatema Pipalyawala

On October 10, 2022, Fatema Pipalyawala joined ASP’s Human Resources department as a Recruiter and is based in our North York office.

In her role, Fatema is responsible for employee sourcing, selection, community outreach, social media, and onboarding assistance for our residential and commercial division.

Prior to joining ASP, Fatema worked for Logixx Security as a Recruiter, where she was responsible for the full-cycle recruitment process. Additionally, Fatema holds a Master of Commerce in Business Administration, Management and Operations from the University of Mumbai.

We are delighted that Fatema chose to join our dynamic recruitment team here at ASP.

By Sarah Miller, Operations Manager, School Crossing Guard Division

School Crossing Guard Supervisor Mohammed Mounir

On September 27 School Crossing Guard Supervisor Mohammed Mounir (center) was presented with a Canadian Security Lifesavers Association Award for heroically saving a child from being run over by a bus during a crosswalk inspection. Seen here, Mohammed is accepting his award from Operations Manager Sarah Miller (far left), Service Delivery Manager Dave Harris (left of center), City of Toronto Project Manager Jasna Filipovic (right of center), and City of Toronto Assistant Project Manager Majid Khan (far right).

School Crossing Guard George Gymnopoulos

George was recognized in October by Service Delivery Coordinator Amy Strachan with Tim Horton’s gift card to thank him for a compliment that ASP received about him. A member of the public called in to share how much they admired his kindness, patience, and said that he is an asset to the Bayview community.

Great work, George!

ASIS International’s Global Security Exchange (GSX) conference was hosted this year from September 12 to 14 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This annual event gathers security, military, intelligence, and policing leaders from around the world to network and share best practices. School Crossing Guard Operations Manager Sarah Miller attended and represented ASP and brought back many lessons learned and applied that knowledge to improve the company.

School Crossing Guard John Triantafilopoulos

John was recognized by School Crossing Guard Supervisor George Calbery in October with Tim Horton’s gift card and a special thank you for helping a lost child at the Jane and Stong crosswalk. John quickly helped the little girl by keeping her safe, identifying her school, and coordinating her return to her teacher. Thank you for finding and helping the lost child, John!

The School Crossing Guard Division participated in the Toronto Police Service’s 14 Division open house on September 17, collaborating with the police and several other organizations to build relationships with the local community and improve community safety.

School Crossing Guard Supervisor Mohammed Mounir and Operations Manager Sarah Miller volunteered their time to host the pictured crosswalk safety booth and educate children about road safety. ASP also made a donation to the event, which provided free ice cream, popsicles, and drinks to all open house visitors.

On October 21 ASP received a compliment from a member of the public about School Crossing Guard Anastasia Maltezos that cited her positive attitude and eagerness to assist all pedestrians. Anastasia was presented with a Tim Horton’s gift card from Service Delivery Coordinator Amy Strachan to thank her for the great job she does. Keep up the fantastic work, Anastasia!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first annual ASP School Crossing Guard Halloween Costume Contest in October. We received many fantastic submissions and loved reviewing all of the photos received (pictured here). Based on a vote among the North York office staff, the top three winners of the contest were:

#1. Anna Cappuccitti

Chicken Crossing The Road ($100.00 prize)

#2. Tammy Nugent

Riding A Dinosaur ($50.00 prize)

#3. Michelle Hagerman

Unicorn ($25.00 prize)

We would like to give a special thank you to Tammy for choosing to donate her winnings to the annual company holiday food drive. ASP further matched her donation by doubling the purchase on her behalf.

Congratulations to School Crossing Guard Operations Manager Sarah Miller for recently being added to the Humber College Police Foundations Program alumni recognition wall. Sarah graduated with honours from the program in 2016 and is both an alumni of distinction and past program ambassador.

The Globe & Mail released an article on September 05 titled ‘A New Cohort of Crossing Guards Welcomes Children Back to School’, featuring two ASP School Crossings Guards, Abby O’Dell and Demitrius Marshall. Congratulations for making the news, Abby and Demitrius!

On October 31, wearing his Halloween mask, School Crossing Guard Douglas Titer received a Tim Horton’s gift card from Service Delivery Coordinator Amy Strachan in response to a glowing compliment that ASP received about him from a member of the public. The person shared that they admired how professional, friendly, and safety-oriented Douglas is, and that he makes the local community proud. To quote the compliment, “Douglas is AMAZING!”.

School Crossing Guard Tristan Latocha was recognized by Service Delivery Coordinator Amy Strachan on November 02 with a Tim Horton’s gift card. ASP had received a call from a member of the public who shared how safe Tristan makes her feel when she is crossing the road and how seeing him smile every morning, even when it’s raining, makes her day. Thank you for being such a positive influence in the community, Tristan!

By Mohammed Mounir, School Crossing Guard Supervisor

School Crossing Guard Bibi Bacchus

I would like to recognize School Crossing Guard Bibi Bacchus for her incredible passion and keeping her community safe at her crosswalk. Working at the Jane and Wilson intersection is challenging because it is consistently busy with pedestrians and drivers passing through, although Bibi makes supporting this intersection look easy.

She is punctual and is always ready to adapt to the changing traffic. She crosses every person and is extra thoughtful with seniors. Bibi is always focused, driven to keep her crosswalk safe and the public thanks her for it every day. The School Crossing Guard division would like to extend that same gratitude and thank you for your hard work, Bibi.

Congratulations to Abdul Cholakkilakath (center) who won a 50 inch Amazon TV on June 28th through the School Crossing Guard Referral Raffle!

School Crossing Guard James Pegg

On June 27th, School Crossing Guard James Pegg (left) was recognized by Service Delivery Coordinator Amy Strachan (right) for finding a lost child at the Gentian & Renforth crosswalk.

James had found a young boy distressed, alone, and unable to tell him where his family and home were.

James made sure to report it and kept the boy safe for nearly an hour until he could be reunited with his parents. Thank you, James!

ASP CEO Dean Lovric spent a morning visiting crosswalks and crossing guards all over Toronto. Dean even got to put on a uniform and help some pedestrians cross as seen here at Burbank & Whittacker, supervised by experienced School Crossing Guard Cecilia Tang. It was a lot of fun to kick back for a few minutes and watch the boss take care of some crossings.

School Crossing Guard Michelle Marshall was recently gifted with a customized t-shirt from the community at her crosswalk, Bainbridge & Gorman Park.

Michelle has kindly donated the shirt to ASP so that it can be displayed at the North York office School Crossing Guard picture wall (under construction).

The School Crossing Guard Division has developed a helpful Crosswalk Safety Pamphlet for schools to share with their students. This pamphlet is currently being shared with all schools that ASP’s School Crossing Guard Program supports.

Thank you to Michelle Hagerman, Jessie Llanera, and Mohammed Mounir who modelled for the pictures in the pamphlet.

The ASP School Crossing Guard Division has received some heart-warming fanart from Torontonians who greatly appreciate their local School Crossing Guards. Here are some of the best submissions we received.

School Crossing Guard Michelle Hagerman

By School Crossing Guard Supervisor George Calbery

Michelle Hagerman has been with ASP since September 2019. She is one of our crossing guards that when I visit her location someone will always come up to me and demand that we never move her to another crosswalk away from the community. Michelle has a great sense of caring and fun. She often dresses up in costumes for holidays and children know her by name. Seen here on the last day of the school year, the community brought her balloons and wished her a happy summer break.

Thank you, Michelle, for all that you do from the smiles that you bring and to the strong sense of safety you provide each shift.

School Crossing Guard Deborah Hackshaw

Deborah joined the ASP crossing guard team in March of 2022 as a casual. Over that span of time, she has been reliable and a strong addition to the ASP team. With each assignment, Deborah puts heart and soul into the job with a strong sense of community and caring for the children. When I spoke with Deborah on the last day of school last year, she was so happy with the thank you cards she received. Deborah told me how much she loves working as crossing guard and helping the children.

Deborah, thank you for all your hard work.

Congratulations to School Crossing Guard Teresa DeRosa for being awarded a Certificate of Recognition from Flemington Public School on July 31!

On August 26, the School Crossing Guard Division held its first annual employee barbecue event. Over one hundred staff came out to enjoy free burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, games, and beautiful sunny weather in Boyd Conservation Area (Vaughan, ON).

By Jason White, Manager of Strategic Initiatives

Before starting any communications project – written, video, presentation, social media, etc. – I think about the audience and how to connect with them. I ask myself questions about who they are, what are they are looking for, what is their motivation and how do I motivative them, because all good communications boils down to knowing your audience and understanding how they will decode (understand) your message. I do this exercise every day, so imagine my surprise when I did not follow my own advice.

In the ASP diversity and inclusion training, we are encouraged to add preferred gender pronouns in our email signatures. Until recently, I resisted this. I did not have any reason or justification for not having my preferred pronoun listed; it just felt strange. However, this is not good communication, and it was time to practice what I preached.

After reading several blogs and articles and listening to a few podcasts on gender pronouns, one podcast really resonated with me. It featured a non-binary person who was asked: “What do you say to someone who is hesitant about using a preferred gender pronoun?”

Their response was, and I am paraphrasing, “accommodating a person’s preferred gender pronoun can make a huge difference to that person, while it really has very little impact on you. You’re just using words to make someone feel included.”

Put that way, I added he/him to my email signature. If I am honest, there are times when I find using preferred genders awkward, but I that is my issue – my feelings have nothing to do with my audience. My job is to connect with people, whether they be a he, she, or them.

Gender identity and gender expression are on a spectrum, so from a communications perspective, we want to acknowledge and accept the differences so we can better understand how our message will be received and decoded.

Simply put, including pronouns in your email signature and social media profiles improves your communications.

For more information on using appropriate gender terminology, check out the Government of Canada’s Inclusionary – a dictionary of gender-inclusive words and phrases. It was designed to provide writers, editors and translators with a starting point for writing inclusively in English, in accordance with the techniques outlined in the Guidelines for Inclusive Writing.

Not everyone will agree with all the solutions provided in the Inclusionary. Some solutions may not apply in certain contexts. For example, the Inclusionary provides alternatives to gendered terms for family members.

Of course, these gendered terms (“mother,” “father,” etc.) are perfectly appropriate in many contexts and don’t need to be consistently avoided.

The gender-inclusive alternatives aren’t meant to be used in every context, but rather in those contexts where the gender of the person referred to is non-binary or is unknown. You must therefore exercise judgment in applying the proposed solutions.

https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/writing-tips-plus/inclusionary

By Debbie Ciccotelli, VP of Strategic Initiatives

In 2022, we began our recovery from the worst of the pandemic. 2022 was a bit of a wild rollercoaster ride for businesses and individuals – for those of you who recall Jim Catney (our retired VP) he had a phrase which sums up the past year “it is like drinking from a fire hose”.

But, 2022 was another transformative year for ASP. It was a year in which we stabilized the business further, welcomed new members and rolled out important initiatives that will make us a more resilient company and ensure we are prepared for future growth and success.

On our corporate level, many new positive initiatives have been implemented or are underway, such as:

Our IT Director Jeremy Knott has made great progress in introducing new technology from Plan.net to Halo which will transform the way we work and serve our employees and customers in the future.
Laurel Woodhouse has implemented many new Health and Safety Initiatives aimed at creating a safety conscious culture for the protection of all ASP employees.
Sarah Northrup and the HR team have actively improved recruitment, onboarding, and training methods, increased the focus on Leadership Development, Diversity & Inclusion, and Employee Engagement.
Our Aviation and RES/CIC leadership teams have increased our focus on both client and employee relationship management.
We reintroduced the CEO Excellence Awards (which was temporarily put on hold during the pandemic).
The ASP brand policy and guide was developed to ensure a consistent corporate identity that accurately reflects our company brand.
The Aviation Division was successful in once again winning the Security Contract at Toronto Pearson International Airport. We are extremely proud that we have been the security service provider for the GTAA for 22 consecutive years and knowing we will continue for many more years.

I am extremely proud to work for a company that is both people focused and company centric, and I am truly impressed at how quickly we have adapted to each new challenge and how teams from across the company collaborated with one another to make the most of every opportunity. Over the past year the company, our leaders, and our employees have demonstrated over and over again our agility and strengths as an organization. The services we provide are an integral part of people’s lives and our customers rely on us to keep them safe, secure, and informed. Working together, we made good progress toward our strategic goals despite significant challenges – not the least of which were ongoing disruptions from the pandemic that continues to have such a substantial impact on our own work and home lives, as well as on the lives of our customers. 2023 is set to be another exciting year for us. We can look forward to working further on many initiatives and also to uncovering new opportunities to grow our business and deliver the best services.

It is important to remain optimistic and hopeful about the future. Personally, I am an optimistic person because when we hope for a better future, we are placing trust in ourselves to make good choices in life. Each of us as individuals has the power to make change, however when we work together, we have proven that we can overcome any obstacles that arise. When we feel hopeful for the future, we wake up in the morning ready to embrace the day and trust in the potential for positive things to happen. We are more prepared to work hard, to strive, to be willing to tackle and overcome the obstacles that we face. My hope is that this and all the work that’s been done to drive change is a turning point for the future. That this moment and movement doesn’t stop. Every one of us has an important role to play in the work ahead and I’m confident that together we will achieve great things. As we bid farewell to 2022 year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the incredible work you do. When we are united, we are unstoppable—I hope we continue to shine and work together. Here’s to wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year! Cheers to what the coming year brings for us!

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

By Steven Scott, GEICO

Defensive driving starts before you leave home; check weather conditions, and if you know it’s going to be a wet, snowy or icy commute, make sure you leave yourself enough time to make that trip carefully instead of feeling rushed during your commute and driving too fast for the conditions.

1. Plan Ahead

Take extra time when it comes to making tight turns, like when you merge on and off of highways ramps. You should be mentally ready to make those turns extra slow. Try and stick to a lane with a shoulder next to it, so you have somewhere to move in an emergency.

2. Always Scan Your Surroundings

“That car came out of nowhere!” If you’ve ever heard someone talk about what happened during a motor vehicle accident, those words are uttered all too often. It’s impossible to see everything that’s around you all the time. That’s why it’s important to continuously check your mirrors and thoroughly scan intersections well before you pass through them. Defensive driving means getting in the habit of taking a quick peek down intersecting streets as you approach them so you can avoid being T-boned by a careless driver not paying attention to their red light. The ultimate goal is to always anticipate where vehicles will be a few seconds later so you can respond quickly.

3. Brake Early

Defensive driving means leaving a little more space between you and the cars in front you than you anticipate needing — and brake early. In fact, it’s always a good idea to slow down a little sooner, especially in slippery conditions. Expect that it will take two or three times as long to come to a complete stop after making the decision to apply the brakes. This gives you more room to stop if someone ahead of you brakes suddenly and gives people behind you even more of a heads up that you are stopping when they see your brake lights.

4. Never Go On the Offensive

Defensive driving is actually the opposite of “road rage.” Don’t let other drivers’ aggressive tendencies rub off on you. Road rage often starts with one person’s hostility and causes a ripple effect on nearby drivers. You’ll be surprised at how often things can get heated on the road simply because someone gets cut off and then goes out of their way to “get back at” the other driver. But there are several ways to avoid road rage. Just play it safe — play it cool. https://www.geico.com/living/driving/auto/car-safety- insurance/7-ways-to-avoid-road-rage/

5. Don’t Get Distracted

Defensive driving isn’t only about being reactive. It’s also about being proactive. One of the best ways you can avoid a collision on the road is by paying full attention at all times. Don’t engage in activities that take your eyes and attention off the road. Using your smartphone is a big one, and this distraction goes well beyond just texting — music, social media, and surfing the web all take your attention away from the road.

By Kayvin Montaner, Service Delivery Manager, Customer Service

The operators of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (BBTCA) were presented with the Most Spectacular Recovery Award by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in November 2022.

Leading up to the resumption of commercial flights, everyone at BBTCA made sure the airport ‘was ready’. This consisted of repeat reviews of the plans and readiness, checking our lists and checking them twice, revising our protocols, reintroducing and reacquainting our teams with the site and taking tours, not to mention while wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Then came the evening of the restart, the execution of that ‘first day’, and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (BBTCA) was ready.

Kim Clarke, Director of Terminal Operations, personally thanked the ASP team for providing the daily support where it was needed. A big congratulations to all our teammates at BBTCA and keep up the great work!!!

On October 22, 2022, a security incident took place at BBTCA which led to the evacuation of the terminal. Our team volunteered to stay past their scheduled shifts to assist the airport authority in keeping passengers calm, handed out refreshments, and the supported the airport authority team during the event. Their proactiveness and dedication is a perfect example of exemplary customer service. Their actions that day earned them a commendation from the Director of Terminal Services at BBTCA. Thank you to our STAR winners: Ahasanul Huq, Prathap Rajasingham and Rajvi Parmar.

From left to right: Vladan Srndovic – Nieuport, Ahasanul Huq – PSA, Ovais Khan – Nieuport

From left to right: Vladan Srndovic – Nieuport, Rajvi Parmar – PSA, Ovais Khan – Nieuport

By Humberto Pimentel, VP of Operations

I had the pleasure to meet three ASP guards who work at Suez Water Technologies in Oakville who were recognized by the customer for outstanding services and dedication. Terry Case from Suez commented that “he was very pleased with the guard’s performance over the years and thankful for their professionalism and perfect attendance”.

Because of the excellent service, Suez have renewed the contract with ASP for an additional 3 year’s effective December 1st, 2022.

Congratulations gentlemen and thank you for your dedicated customer service.

From left to right: Lawrence Salikin 6 years of service, Humberto Pimentel VPO, Douglas Lewis 7 years of service, and Sohail Iqbal 6 years of service.

Thank you to Respite Operations Manager Kat Szumacher, Respite Supervisor Eric Damaso, and Respite Guards Shanalee Hope and Gurkirat Kaur for participating in a charitable event at the City of Toronto’s 1A Strachan respite center on November 08. ASP collaborated with the Toronto Police Service’s 14 Division Community Police Liaison Committee to distribute free reflective armbands, flashlights, and whistles to the shelter clients as a street safety initiative. This charitable event was organized and fundraised by School Crossing Guard Operations Manager Sarah Miller.

It’s a great day when you get to pet a cute dog on patrol. Seen here, MPS Shine Mathew and MPS Manish Munukuntla make a furry friend at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.