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

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!

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:

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

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

My name is Humberto Pimentel and I’m the Vice President of Operations for ASP Security. As the Vice President, I plan to build relationships with our stakeholders and delegate operational efficiencies based on your strengths. I look forward to working closely with Dean and the entire ASP team on finding creative ways to deliver outstanding customer services, grow our business and reduce our spending so we can use our budget effectively. With the creative abilities and dedication of all whom I have met thus far, I can see us doing great work. One of the reasons I accepted this position is the welcoming company culture, which made me eager to join the team. I hope I get to meet all our employees in person over the next few weeks when I visit our clients. Prior to working with ASP Security, I held senior general management roles in the security and financial industries. My personal interests include listening to all genres of music and catching a live show when a great band is in town. I’m happy to share more about my role here at ASP Security, and want to learn how I can best support you.

The following new hires joined our head office in Q2 and Q3 of 2022. Please join us in welcoming them to the ASP family!

Rob Alidina

We would like to share with you all the appointment of Rob Alidina to the ASP/ ICTS family. As of August 29, 2022, Rob joined us in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and holds all accompanying responsibilities with a specific focus on immediate, short- and long-term fiscal guidance and planning, acquisitions, monetization of proprietary technologies, and finance.

Rob Alidina is an accomplished strategic finance executive with extensive financial and operational experience in a multitude of industries including telecommunications, industrial and consumer goods, retail, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, he has been exposed to ownership structures that include large and small-cap publicly traded organizations (including multinationals domiciled in the United States), along with privately-owned firms. His diverse skills transverse across the finance and accounting realm that span financial reporting, planning and analysis, audit, treasury and risk management, supply chain and operational finance, capital budgeting, as well as tax planning. His passion and business acumen has translated in sustainable profitable growth in various organizations including manufacturing, serviced based industries, as well as the wholesale and distribution segments of the markets. Rob’s leadership skills have allowed for the opportunity to facilitate strategy and business transformation, change management, and ensured finance is a valued business partner to the business’s he’s operated.

Rob has held senior finance roles and his advancement led to being a Chief Financial Officer at two division at United Technologies including Carrier as well as Chubb Fire and Security. His most recent role was the CFO for Olon Industries. Rob graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in accounting and a minor in finance. He subsequently completed his Master of Business Administration from McGill University in finance and international business with honors. In addition, Rob holds his professional license from the order of the Certified Professional Accountant of Canada.

For many people, public speaking instills a dreaded, irrational fear. Just the thought of it makes their blood pressure rise. But public speaking is no different than playing an instrument at a concert. If we didn’t know how play it and hadn’t practiced the music, it would be a disaster. So, when people tell me they have a fear of public speaking, I always ask – have you practiced?

My first time in front of an audience, I was on panel discussion. It was a blistering hot day in July, and it felt like it was 50 degrees Celsius backstage. I peeked out, and the room was packed. I felt very, very unprepared, and I was a trembling, nervous mess. To make matters worse, I had sweat stains under my arms – super embarrassing, right? I survived the experience but vowed to never be unprepared again.

After thinking about the event, my main take away was the need to practice. I started telling personal stories in front of my friends as if I was speaking in public and asked for their feedback, which I took in stride. I also embraced my nervousness and accepted my speaking cadence. While I’m never going to be a professional speaker, I can get up in front of a room and that is ok. I’m also never going to play in an orchestra. So set realistic expectations.

In terms of what to say while speaking in the public, I am a big believer in positive body language and being polite, even if am disagreeing with someone when on a panel. A lot of public speaking is about understanding your audience, reacting to the audience, and being confident.

Avoid looking at your notes and make eye contact with as many people in the audience as possible. Looking at the folks in the back of the room helps to project your voice. Most importantly, being friendly and positive helps create a connection with the audience and gives an air of confidence.

I also like to include personal anecdotes because I know the stories inside out. Before going on stage, I always write a couple of words in my notes to remind me of different stories I could tell, depending on the how the audience is reacting. An amusing story or two can be extremely helpful when you see the audience starting to get restless and a little pizzaz is needed to reaffirm the connection.

Finally, expect the unexpected. For my second public speaking event, the room was super air conditioned, and I was freezing. It felt like I walked out on to the stage as stiff as a board because I was so cold. But I did way better than the first time.

We have all heard the old saying “change is the only constant in life” and we know that to be resilient, both personally and professionally, we have to face change head on and get to the other side.

The world rarely stands still. Change blows through our lives, sometimes like a breeze, sometimes like wind and most recently like a storm.

Covid-19, and its “variants” turned our lives upside down and as we begin recovery, we are now facing organizational change as we experience role adjustments and leadership and contract change. Many of us have also experienced significant change in our personal lives, such as loss of a loved one, marriage, divorce, promotion, childbirth, health, or financial issues, etc.

We are often uncertain as to whether the changes in our work or personal life will be for the better. The harsh reality that we all must face is that change will never end until we experience that final life-ending change, and even then, life will go on without us.

Change can be challenging for everyone to one degree or another, but just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s bad. Here are some tips to help you better navigate change and adapt with ease.

Accept the Change

Understand that change is a natural part of life, both in and outside of the workplace. By learning to accept that change is a natural occurrence, we can more quickly adapt when it happens. Remind yourself that many of the best opportunities in life show up when we are open to change.

Stay Positive

A positive attitude is essential. Maintaining the ability to view a potential change with a positive attitude is integral to your ability to adjust rapidly. Focus on what could be made possible because of this change.

Get a Fresh Perspective

Getting an outside perspective from friends or family members outside of your home or workplace can have a powerful effect on how quickly you adapt. These conversations can help you realize how rapidly other workplaces change as well. They may be able to be offer advice on how to better cope with the changing environment.

Focus on What You Can Control

When you’re in the midst of a change, the feeling of having no control can often emerge. This sense of powerlessness can set the mind reeling on an emotional downward spiral. But in reality, even in the direst situations, we have some degree of control. The important thing is to try to focus on the things that you can control. This shift in mindset, away from what you can’t control, can leave you feeling happier and more fulfilled.

Practice Good Self-Care

The anxiety and stressors that often surround change can have a direct impact on our bodies and emotional state. Our mental well-being can suffer. That’s why it’s essential to get adequate sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet. Attending to your physical well-being is more important than ever. A well-rested and balanced body can better handle the roller coaster of ups and downs that come with change and subsequent transitions.

Set New Goals

Setting a new goal can help to renew your purpose and give you the clarity of focus. It can bring a new mindset shift that directs your energy and propels you forward. Instead of worrying about the change, you can focus on the actions that will move you towards your goal. As you advance toward a new beginning, take stock of what you need to accomplish those goals and identify opportunities that will help you move forward. This can have a powerful impact on your energy and state of mind.

Stay Connected to Coworkers

To maintain your productivity and workplace success, it’s important to stay connected to coworkers as your work environment is evolving. Speaking with coworkers regularly can help you stay plugged in to what’s happening around you.

Become good at asking questions, because the more you know about what is going on in your current workplace, the more confident you will feel. Talking to others can help you maintain your positivity, boost your spirits and increase your energy.

Support Others

Sometimes the best antidote to change-related worry is to stop focusing on yourself and start helping others. Ask yourself: How can I best support a family member, friend or co-worker who is feeling anxious about a change in their life or work?

Answering this question and taking action can help soften the edge of your own change issues while providing greater purpose and meaning to your life.

Learn to Love to Learn

Technology is always changing! It seems you just become accustomed to one procedure, and you must suddenly adapt to a new one. New policies are also being established every day. And let’s not forget the new government regulations that often make our jobs harder. Adapting to change is critical to success.

Achievement-oriented people know that to be able to excel in all they do, and live their lives to full potential, continuous learning must be a lifelong process.

Learning new skills should be constant, no matter how much experience you may have and no matter how old you may be. Focus on the sense of accomplishment you feel when you have learned any new skills or gained knowledge on any topic.

See the Opportunity

With every change comes great opportunity. It may not feel that way at first, but people who can maintain their composure during times of transformation can often find new avenues for growth and advancement. Look for areas where you can gain skills while at the same time strive to understand the new playing field that’s emerging.

Be Patient

Finally, be patient with yourself and others. Adapting to change does not occur overnight. Keep a positive attitude and focus on the benefits and new opportunities change can bring. If it’s a change in your personal life, view adapting to it as a challenge. Just be sure to expect a few bumps in the road along the way. When you experience stages of resistance and uncertainty but are then able to assimilate change and finally conquer it, you will experience an enormous sense of accomplishment, and your self-esteem will be increased.

Adapting to change can take time and patience. We must accept that change is happening; hone strategies for dealing with the unknown; and then shift our behavior to accommodate new situations and challenges.

It helps to have cornerstone beliefs and cornerstone friends and family members to ground us during periods of especially drastic change, but one of the major strategies for adapting to change personally is simply realizing that you can’t avoid it and understanding that you will get through it. You may even find that new and exciting opportunities show up for you when you learn to accept and embrace change.