This is my fifth year being a part of the Motorcycle Ride for Dad, a national event that raises money for prostate cancer research and awareness.

The buzz at the starting line-up is indescribable. It’s where chrome meets leather and where rubber meets the pavement. There are so many familiar faces and everyone is pumped about raising money for this important cause.  Every single rider has a story to tell. Either they know someone who has been touched by prostate cancer or they have fought the battle themselves, and thankfully, won.

I’ve been an avid rider for over 20 years now, so being part of the ride was a no-brainer for me. This event brings to together my deep passion for motorcycles and my strong interest in prostate cancer prevention and awareness. I can’t help but ride for the cause! It’s how I give where I live.

Most people may not know that prostate is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of death from cancer in Canadian men. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in seven men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime.  We need to do something about this.

For me, I consider myself blessed that none of my loved ones have been affected by this disease. Part of the reason why I ride is to help ensure that they never are. Being a father really makes you think about what you are contributing to our planet. I want to be here for my son for as long as I possibly can. I know that I have an active role to play in my own health and well-being.

So far, I’ve personally raised $10,000 for the cause and I’m pretty proud of this accomplishment. But there’s still work to be done. Each year, I serve as a TELUS ride captain for the TELUS Care team in Ottawa, and I do what I can to help rally participation and organize ride-day events. In just three years, this small Ottawa team has managed to raise over $27,000 together.

For the third year, TELUS is the title sponsor of the ride. I feel so fortunate to be part of a company that supports me as an employee, and is contributing to the health of my community. TELUS has also partnered with the Ottawa Hospital Foundation to run a free prostate-specific antigen clinic which offers a simple blood test to help detect prostate cancer. Over the past two years, the clinic has provided free prostate cancer screening to more than 500 men. We’re saving lives and that’s pretty amazing.

I really want to get the word out about the importance of men having regular check-ups to ensure their prostate health. There is research that shows that 90 per cent of prostate cancer cases can be successfully treated with early detection and that’s why raising awareness about this disease is mission critical. We need to spread the word to our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons.

My word of advice to other men is to get an annual check-up with your doctor to identify any potential issues with your prostate. It’s so easily detected and the spread of this disease can be prevented. As men, we need to take more active roles in our own healthcare.

So, get checked guys! It could just save your life.

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Luiz Da Silva, is a TELUS client service manager based in Ottawa.

The Motorcycle Ride for Dad has raised more than $10 million toward prostate cancer research and awareness since it first started in 2000. All net proceeds from Ride for Dad initiatives are donated to the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation. It’s not too late to be part of the rides as they are still taking place between now and June 22 in 30 major cities across Canada.

Share photos on how you #givewherewelive at www.givewherewelive.ca.

As a child growing up and learning to play the piano, I recall that it was always with a sound of hushed reverence that my teacher would speak about the Royal Conservatory. I imagined it in my mind as some great place where one went to dazzle crowds with the sound of fingers on keys and the magic that was created from those movements.

It was with great pleasure then that I was invited by TELUS to come out and help support their arts and culture initiatives with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) at their annual Royal Occasion celebration. Affectionately known as the Royal O, the signature black tie event brings together some of Toronto’s finest in the arts and business scenes.

I did some reading up on TELUS and how they were taking strides toward assisting the youth of today through the arts and I found that they have done and continue to do so much. For instance, for each table sold at the Royal O, TELUS will send one child to the Learning Through the Arts Technology (LTTA) camp. Also, and perhaps more significantly, TELUS has also assisted RCM fully fund the participation of 33 youth in need from the Youth Empowerment Program for March Break and Summer Media Arts Camps. What better way to ensure that these types of programs are accessible to a wider audience?

Each year the Royal O celebrates Canadian talents who have made a lasting impression in the arts scene. This year, rock and roll icon Randy Bachman, internationally acclaimed soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, and legendary music producer Bob Ezrin were inducted as RCM Honorary Fellows.

It was a wonderful treat being able to sit in the RCM Great Hall and listen to Bachman as he belted out some of the music he’s best known for. It was hard not to want to request sugar for your coffee or tea. Pieczonka also moved the crowd as she graced the stage and serenaded us with her vocal agility.

After the ceremony, guests flooded the floors of the TELUS Centre to enjoy more music, mingling and munchies. It was a beautiful evening and the ambiance of the centre was enchanting. No detail was missed.

From start to finish the evening was a glittering success, but the real winners are the people, old and young alike, who get to enjoy the love and lessons of music.

—-

Toronto based Janelle Watkins is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of theSceneinTO, an arts and culture based website that gives you the goods on everything that is wonderful about the city of Toronto. Ms. Watkins is passionate about the prospect of everyone getting to experience a bit of the good life. She has worked alongside prominent leaders from the fashion, culinary, art and media worlds. You can follower her on Twitter @theSceneinTO.

TELUS has been a strong advocate of this kind of code since the beginning, in part because it will eliminate confusion about the applicability of conflicting provincial rules to federally regulated telecommunications services. We already do most of what the Code requires, and our Clear and Simple policies, which we started in 2009 in response to customer feedback and have built on since, will continue to exceed its standards in many respects.

The Code requires clarity and transparency in consumer documentation (we’ve already completely re-written our service terms in plain language), and mandates tools to help consumers manage their usage and spending. TELUS and Koodo already empower customers with a wide range of tools to prevent “bill shock” (such as capping international data roaming charges) and much of the Code will make our practices uniform across the industry. We will continue to exceed the Code’s requirements in this area by providing the most extensive suite of usage notifications and online and on-device usage information available.

All consumers will join our customers in having the benefit of device balance transparency (we already put the starting and remaining device balance on your bill), certainty as to early cancellation fees (limited to the amount of the remaining device balance), and the ability to have their device unlocked (in order to be able to use a foreign SIM card when travelling, for example). TELUS already provides a trial period, as well as one-on-one free tutorial sessions at our Learning Centres where customers can learn how to get the most out of their device. We give effect to service cancellations immediately, instead of forcing the customer to give 30 days’ notice, something that some of our competitors require but the Code now prohibits.

Throughout this proceeding, TELUS (and other carriers large and small) urged the Commission to avoid prescribing rules that could regulate competition out of the market by being too prescriptive, or that would lead to unnecessary operational inefficiencies or higher costs. The Commission has carefully balanced the consumer benefits of new rules against service provider costs and competitiveness, and come up with flexible rules that let each carrier decide how best to implement them. That’s ultimately just as customer-friendly a policy as the rules themselves.

We do have some concerns about a few of the rules, and will need clarification on others to ensure that the Code doesn’t have unintended consequences. Reducing the amount of time in which consumers can pay down device subsidies from three years to two could have the effect of increasing up-front costs to acquire new smartphones. There are also concerns about the impact of the Code on the tab model, which Koodo pioneered in Canada. We doubt the Commission intended the Code to reduce the viability of this popular consumer option, which features the ability to pay down a device balance gradually, based on how much the customer spends each month, without a term commitment.

We are philosophically aligned with data usage caps – they are a good way to avoid surprise bills – and we already have them in key areas. Nonetheless, the Code has relatively low default triggers of $50 in domestic data overage and $100 in international data roaming charges, which could make them more of a hindrance than a help for some. Applying them at the account level instead of the user level could lead to frustration among customers who have multiple devices on their accounts, such as small businesses and families. Fortunately, consumers will have the choice of opting out, so there’s flexibility built in to the rule.

Choice will continue to be the key for Canadian wireless consumers. Canadians always have the choice of buying a new wireless device outright and going month-to-month with no obligation or taking advantage of some of the world’s most favourable device subsidies in exchange for a term commitment. These subsidies have made smartphones affordable for more consumers here than in perhaps any other country. Further, international surveys show that Canadians pay rates that are about average among comparable markets, and in fact lower than average for heavy users.

Canadians love the value their smartphones provide, and are among the most enthusiastic users of them in the world. This is no doubt due, at least in part, to the fact that Canada’s wireless networks are also among the best in the world, thanks to enormous capital investment by competing carriers. TELUS alone has invested $30 billion in infrastructure and technology, wired and wireless, since 2000.

The Commission’s intention with the Code is to enhance Canadians’ ability to exercise choice, and we support that goal. We put what matters to you at the heart of everything we do because we want to be your choice and earn your business through strong service and value. We will do what it takes to implement the Code and make it work for you.

He was generally a healthy child, but we started to notice that he always seemed to be thirsty and even a little sluggish at times. But, there were no major alarms bells that would tell a parent that something wasn’t right with their child’s health.

One morning, while on a camping trip with our family, Liam woke up feeling listless, his eyes were weary, his breathing was heavy, and his skin tone had turned a shade of grey. The family was concerned and rushed Liam to the local hospital only to learn he was already in the state of diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe complication of untreated type 1 diabetes.

All we kept thinking was how could this be? How did we not know that our little boy had this disease? Our poor child was entering a diabetic coma, fighting for his life, and we were all in a total state of shock.

With the amazing care at the hospital, Liam was quickly diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic.  Our family was educated on how to manage the disease and keep Liam healthy. We came to terms with the fact that he would be insulin dependent for the rest of his life, but the daily needles were the hardest part to get used to.

Having to inject our son four times a day was the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to overcome.  Who wants to hurt their child? He would often cry, have tantrums, and try to get away from the needle because he was so afraid. But we knew that we had no choice otherwise Liam would end up back in the hospital.

Today, Liam is a vibrant and growing eight year old boy and this will be the second year he leads Team Liam in the TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes. Liam is fighting not just for himself, but for other kids too so they can be free of daily needles, insulin worries and feeling sick all the time. Finding a cure would mean freedom. Freedom from finger pokes. Freedom from having to analyze every single meal our child eats. Freedom from worrying about him passing out from low blood sugar levels. A cure would change our lives.

That’s why we are walking to help find a cure on June 9, so that no other child has to go through this traumatic experience. I am so proud of my company TELUS for supporting such an important cause that affects so many, especially our young. Since 2000, TELUS and our team have donated more than $7 million to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. I know that we can continue to make a difference when we walk together. I am filled with so much hope.

Liam always says, “Mom, diabetes sucks.” But we know that diabetes won’t stop our brave little boy from enjoying the happy and normal life that he deserves.

- Julie Moore is a TELUS team member based in Scarborough, Ontario.

One factor that contributes to our cultural landscape is Work Styles, our flexible work program that gives team members the ability to work where and when they’re most productive.  Ask any TELUS team member what’s great about our work environment, and undoubtedly Work Styles will appear on their list.  The philosophy behind the program is simple: give team members the flexibility to work at home or in the office and they’ll have increased ownership and a strong accountability for reaching their goals.  They’ll also experience better balance and a stronger sense of control, which ultimately leads to increased engagement.  As a result, they will better respond to our customers.

Moving to a flexible work program needs to be thoughtfully planned. Our program was established in 2006 after conducting a study involving 170 team members where we asked them to work from home for as much of the year as possible. Our results showed that retention and engagement rates went up and there were environmental benefits as well: the group saved 114,000 kg in greenhouse gases and 14,000 hours of commuting. The program had tangible benefits, and it has expanded over the last 7 years.  Today, our goal is to have 40 per cent of our team members working on a mobile basis, 30 per cent working within TELUS buildings, and another 30 per cent working from home full time by 2015.

Learn more about our Work Styles program and the benefits:

Attracting top talent

The benefits of a flexible work program are vast when the program is managed well.  In addition to greater performance, increased work-life balance, reduction in harmful environmental pollutants and reduced strain on transportation infrastructure, a flexible work environment has advantages for team member recruitment and retention, which has sustainable impacts on our talent pipeline.

According to a study by Harris / Decima, 89 per cent of employees feel that a flexible work program makes a company more attractive, and flexible work was considered the second most important factor, after money, when Canadians are looking for a new job. In addition, 87 per cent of employees who have worked remotely responded that they are just as productive, if not more, when working away from the office, and 56 per cent said that a flexible work arrangement would motivate them to work harder.

In any organization, a strong network of leaders is essential in driving forward the vision of the business.  A flexible program like Work Styles is therefore critical in attracting top talent who will achieve our goals and set the landscape for our future growth.

Success takes time and effort, and isn’t guaranteed

While we continue to see benefits from our Work Styles program, we’re still on a journey.  The program needs to be consistently monitored, evaluated and well managed to ensure it continues to work for both our team members and our business. Properly implementing a flexible work program in any organization requires complex change management and a shift away from a traditional view of a working environment. It means having the right support, technology and infrastructure so that team members are properly supported as they adopt a working style that suits their needs. It also isn’t fitting for certain roles and industries. For instance, roles that involve one-on-one interaction with customers, or that require close contact with teams or complicated technology aren’t often suitable for mobile or at home work environments. Companies that adopt a flexible work program need to ensure business requirements are still being met, and that the team has ample opportunity to innovate and collaborate.

Committed to an exceptional culture

We’ve come a long way on our journey to becoming an outstanding culture and creating an excellent experience for our team members and our customers.  The success of our Work Styles program is a testament to this, however we’re always striving to improve by learning and adapting our approach. We’re confident that we’re well positioned for success and that by sticking to our goals and remaining committed as a team, we’ll continue to set an example for others.

Hear how our team members are benefiting from the Work Styles program:

Sandy McIntosh is VP, Human Resources for TELUS Customer Solutions.

I am tremendously proud to be part of a team that is so committed to the health and well-being of communities across the country, and this recognition by Corporate Knights acknowledges the numerous initiatives our team has undertaken in recent years, including:

• Creating innovative and sustainable office buildings and world-class energy efficient Intelligent Internet Data Centres that meet the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification;
• Implementing industry leading recycling programs to dispose of equipment such as decommissioned telephone poles and old wireless devices, diverting over 8.2 million kilograms of material from landfills in 2012; and
• Leveraging our advanced telephone, messaging and video conferencing technologies to move ideas instead of people.

As a result of these initiatives, we are making excellent progress on our targets to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 10 per cent and 25 per cent respectively by 2020 over our 2009 levels. I encourage to you review our 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility report to learn more about the fantastic initiatives TELUS is undertaking.

I am excited for our team’s continued collaboration and diligent focus on the advancement of our environmental and social goals to create healthier and more sustainable communities across the country. Congratulations to the TELUS team on this inspiring recognition!

All the best,

Andrea

We accepted the award at the HALO luncheon on Wednesday surrounded by incredible companies also excelling in the cause space. Hearing about the amazing campaigns from nominees including Subaru, CHASE Bank and DoSomething.org, we were humbled to have our campaign selected as a GOLD winner. We work diligently every day to merge business and community value, and being recognized for our giving efforts was a true honor.

The Free the Children Campaign is one that will stand out as a career highlight for both us. Together with Free The Children (FTC), we were able to give a voice to young Canadians and help them achieve their vision of making a real difference in their communities.

TELUS created a national cause marketing campaign in support of Free The Children’s signature We Day events. The campaign featured three elements:

• Phones for Good program that promotes the purchase of TELUS smartphones linked to contributions to FTC
• Earn Your Way to We Day inviting youth people to visit telusforweday.com where they could post how they’re making a difference in their communities
• The 20K idea, encouraging youth to upload a YouTube video describing how they would partner with a local charity to create positive change in their community

The award was the reason we decided to make the trip to Chicago, but the lasting outcome, was the connections made with the inspiring group of like minded people from across the world. The collective knowledge from both the brand and not-for-profit side of the field was extremely valuable; all of us, truly committed to meaningful partnerships between brands and causes to create positive change.

We are eager to put these learning’s into action to ensure we can get back to Chicago next year!

Missing the windy city already.

Kailey Spooner and Trish Tambellini

I happened to share my story about how I give back by making nutritious, gourmet lunches once a month for the elderly at the South Granville Seniors Centre in Vancouver.

I had no idea what was about to happen because of that one post.

Volunteering at the centre started last year.  I was looking for ways to make a meaningful difference for others and knew it had to be related to helping low-income seniors, a cause that’s close to my heart. I grew up without grandparents and that’s a special relationship I’ve been missing in my life. So, I really wanted to find a way to connect with, and help out, seniors in my community.

I also happen to have a great passion, and some would say, talent for cooking. So when I discovered the lunch program at the centre, it was a perfect combination of my interest and skills coming together in the spirit of community service.

The centre sure needed a helping hand. Their facilities are dated, food budgets are tight and, sometimes, our volunteers have to wash dishes between lunch and dessert because there aren’t enough plates to go around.

Most of the seniors who visit the centre don’t have a lot of disposable income, and they can’t afford a fine meal on a regular basis. I try to create unique recipes from scratch, made with only the highest quality ingredients that I purchase from local farm markets. I really believe that seniors deserve healthy and memorable dining experiences. They’ve earned it.

What surprises me is now there’s a waiting list for lunch on the day I’m at the stove. It’s a great feeling.  My next lunch at the centre is on June 20 and anyone is welcome to attend.

On May 23, the TELUS team pulled off a major surprise for me, the centre staff and the seniors who were on hand for lunch. With help from TELUS, we treated the seniors to something extraordinary.  There were beautifully decorated tables, live music by a string quartet and service with a smile by the friendly volunteers from the company.

But they didn’t stop there.  The folks from TELUS also donated new plates, a stand-up freezer and other appliances, as well as a gift card for $1,000 that we can use for future lunches at the centre. These generous gifts were so unexpected and we all are very grateful as the supplies will go a long way in helping us, help others.

I truly believe that as citizens of our community, we should never become complacent or simply ‘too busy’ to care for others.  I feel that for those of us who have much, much is expected and we all have an obligation to pay it forward. If you care about something, and you really want to make things better, you can always find time to do it. Working hard and being busy are not enough to fulfill you in life. Seeing the joy in others, because of something kind that you did, that’s what fulfills you. That’s what matters.

In all honesty, I get back so much more than I give.

Kevin Curtis is a TELUS customer and senior manager at a Vancouver area advertising intelligence firm.

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Spreading joy goes viral
Watch and share three uplifting web videos, which showcase how our customers are giving where they live on TELUS’ Facebook page:

• Watch Kevin’s story
• Watch Michelle’s story
• Watch the story of Phare Enfants et Famillies

How much time do you spend thinking about overexposure to noise? If you’re like most people – the answer is probably not a lot. According to a study from the American Medical Association’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), one in five American teenagers has some degree of hearing loss. This is an increase of 31 per cent over the last survey conducted 10 years ago.

Noise-induced hearing loss occurs over time when our hearing is exposed to sounds that are too loud, for too long. Many culprits are less obvious than others. Most people are aware that music players, power tools, concerts and sporting events are risks, but did you know that you can even experience hearing loss from things like TV, video games and even noisy school and work environments?

Noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. One of the reasons I chose to work for TELUS is because they are committed to causes I believe in; causes that empower youth and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. Since 2002, TELUS has donated more than $290,000 in support of programs offered by the Hearing Foundation to encourage people to “take care of your hearing, so you can hear the things you love!”

How do you create a quieter, safer environment for your family?

• Turn down the volume on music players, TVs, and video games; if you have to shout to be heard, it’s too loud!

• Reduce time spent in noisy environments.

• Avoid competing noise sources in the house.

• Close doors to workshop, laundry and other noisy areas.

• Choose quieter toys for children, putting electronic toys on the lowest volume setting.

• Wear earplugs at concerts, sporting events, school dances, noisy workplaces, and when working with power tools. Keep the activity enjoyable, but safe.

• Make sure all family members understand the value of good hearing and how to protect it.

If someone in your family is experiencing ringing in their ears, or speech that sounds muffled, talk to your doctor and arrange a hearing test with an audiologist. In fact, it’s a good idea for everyone to have their hearing checked.

On May 22, for the third year in a row, TELUS team members and volunteers from the Hearing Foundation handed out ear plugs to commuters in downtown Toronto as a part of our TELUS Day of Giving. Recipients were encouraged to “Practice Safe Listening” and protect their hearing.

The Hearing Foundation of Canada is committed to eliminating the devastating impact of hearing loss on the lives of Canadians.

Find out more at hearingfoundation.ca; info@hearingfoundation.ca and @hearfdncan on Twitter.

Jennifer Kirner,

Senior Manager, TELUS Community Investment

It got me thinking, “what can I do to positively impact the earth?”. So, I planted a garden with my 5 year old son on the weekend!

Will that change the world? Can planting a garden change the world? Well, Ron Finley tends to think so, and I found his story really inspiring. So no matter what positive action we take, maybe it will inspire someone else to do something positive, and so on and so on.

Share with us

We are asking our team members, our customers and social media community, via our Facebook page, to share “How do you plan to celebrate?” Let us know!