AMICK in the Community

January 2010
Mexico Trip

In 2010 AMICK Consultants Limited took a week out of their busy work schedule and traveled to the beautiful Country of Mexico. We had the privilege of spending a week under the sunny skies at a wonderful resort on the crystal blue waters of the Mayan Riviera. The resort was set among ancient ruins and attached at the hip to a wildlife park, you could literally be standing inside the stone ruins of a Mayan temple and less than an hour later be watching a black leopard roar.

A highlight of the trip was our journey into the past when we visited the Mayan city of Chichin Itza. It is one thing to see a pyramid on the television but it is a whole other experience to be within an ancient city and staring up as the stone building dwarves you with its history. It was spectacular. The people, the history, the sun, the sea and of course the chance to relax and unwind after a busy year, all together another brilliant company trip!

- Phil Rice, Operations Manager

February 2007
OPPI Planning & Archaeology Session

The Lakeland Planners of the OPPI (Ontario Professional Planners Institute) hosted an event on February 16, 2007, at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority's Tiffin Building, regarding the new Ministry of Culture Technical Standards and Guidelines for Consulting Archaeologists, which was attended by dozens of interested parties. This event was organized by Michael Henry, Managing Partner of AMICK Consultants Limited, and was sponsored by AMICK Consultants Limited.

The event was held to present an overview of the Standards and Guidelines, and how it would impact archaeology.Many attendees braved a cold February morning to arrive at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, located in Utopia, Ontario. The day was filled with intent discussion of serious matters concerning the First Nations, planners, developers, and archaeologists.

Guest speakers included Dr. Peter Timmins, member of the executive of the Association of Professional Archaeologists, of Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants Inc., who provided an overview and discussion of the new documents; Mr. Fred Flood, CAO of the Corporation of the Town of Midland, who discussed his personal experience of the discover of an ossuary during development in Midland; Mr. Jeff Cowan, who discussed the legal implications of recent rulings by the courts, and the current planning context as it relates to First Nation ancestral sites; and Mr. Michael Henry, Managing Partner of AMICK Consultants Limited, who provided an overview and discussion of Aboriginal engagement as outlined in the proposed new Standards and Guidelines.

Our thanks go out to the attendees of the event, as well as the guest speakers for their insight on the topics. Also, special thanks go out to the people involved with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority for facilitating the event, and to the Lakeland Planners of the OPPI for hosting. The staff of AMICK Consultants Limited supported the event logistically, as they attended by volunteering their own time and efforts on the day.

January 2007
Cuba Trip

Due to a successful year in 2006, AMICK Consultants Limited opted to reward members of staff with a trip to Santiago de Cuba in early 2007. The wonderful beach of the all-inclusive resort, along with live entertainment, beautiful excursions into the city and surrounding mountainous areas, and of course the free drinks, all made for a great de-stressing vacation.

"We left at night and we landed at night, so there was little to see as a first impression of the island. As first impressions go the iconic vision of Che's face painted on the side of an airport building is the one I will remember before we ever disembarked from the plane, but it was stepping out of the climate controlled cabin into the dense and oh so wonderfully warm Caribbean air that really sent home the message that would become a mantra in my head for the week..."We are not in Canada anymore."

" That night was a prelude of things to come. Sitting at the 24-hour pool bar - a place we have come to know well - we said hello to Cuba with many drinks and discussions of what we were looking forward to. But it wasn't until the next day, as we awoke to the stunning blue skies and equally stunning blue of the restless ocean, that I felt we had truly been welcomed to this foreign land. Here was Cuba in all its glory; warming like the lizards you could share your lunch with beneath the tropical sun."

- Phil Rice, Operations Manager