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.

SHINE MATHEW & MANISH MUNUKUNTLA

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.

The Mobile Patrol Supervisors at the North York office were excited to receive four brand new Toyota Priuses to replace aging vehicles in the fleet.

By Ramakrishna Malkapuram, Commercial Service Delivery Manager

Emis Daniel

Emis Daniel’s rise to fame and recognition story started on June 15, 2017, when he started with ASP as an event security guard at the Burlington sound of music festival. Since then, Emis has never looked back. He joined Widdicombe Place, a retirement home operated by QuadReal property management. His sincerity and commitment to his job is simply outstanding. In a very short period, he has earned tremendous respect not just from his co-workers but also from the client. In recognition to his outstanding service at Widdicombe Place, the client requested to award him with the site supervisor position in September 2022. He continued to excel in his new role as a site supervisor by not only providing his expertise at the facility but also by training the new ASP staff. His passion towards his job is evident in his hard work. Congratulations Emis.

Varinder Panesar

Varinder Panesar joined ASP on May 06, 2020, as a casual guard. He was cross trained at several residential sites. His consistency paved way for him to become the site supervisor at Widdicombe Place on November 29, 2021. He demonstrated a great attitude and always showed inclination to learn and innovate. His consistency and sincerity was rewarded when he got promoted again to become night shift mobile patrol supervisor on September 27 2022. He continues to excel in his new role. Kudos to Varinder for his hard work!

Ranjan Sethi

Ranjan Sethi joined ASP on August 2, 2020, as a TTC casual guard. He demonstrated good work ethic and worked at various TTC sites. His consistency towards his job duties helped him to get promoted to become full time respite security specialist in February 2021. His hard work and consistency got rewarded again when he got promoted as a night shift mobile patrol supervisor on June 12, 2022. He continues to excel in his role. Kudos to Ranjan for great job !


By Kat Szumacher, Operations Manager

ASP’s hard work and commitment to success led to big wins yet again. Thanks to the dedication of our team, and our ability to collaborate and work together when challenges arise, we are pleased to announce that the City of Toronto Corporate Security Management team has awarded ASP with the Respite contract for another year.

Servicing the City of Toronto Respites has been no small task. Since taking up the challenge in early 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, we understood that in order to be successful, we’d have some hard work ahead of us. The City of Toronto Respite facilities have traditionally been high-activity sites, requiring a rigorous selection process and extensive training prior to site deployment. We faced lockdowns, mask enforcements, and required specialized training to best service the shelter users and our client. This past year, we revamped several elements of onboarding, training, and recruitment, which have yielded overwhelmingly positive reviews from the City during our monthly meetings. These efforts have had tangible and resounding results that have been felt at all levels, especially by City of Toronto Corporate Security Management, and resulted in us being rewarded the contract for our third year!

There have been so many projects and initiatives started since October, from the PTS entry launch, Tracktik reporting updates, MPS realignment, scheduling float and reserve staff, our probationary review process, onboarding and training updates, guard matrix audits, and others. I would like to thank everyone who made this happen as it was a team effort by so many incredibly talented people across the organization.

A special thanks to:

  • Antoniette Freeman
  • Dave Harris
  • David Ramlagan
  • Fatema Pipalyawala
  • Gurdeep Bathal
  • Harjinder Singh
  • Harvinder Singh
  • Jacinth Rose
  • Jatin Sood
  • Jay Ritchie
  • Kadina McKenzie
  • Keba Walters
  • Khan Sultan
  • Kirti Khatri
  • Lucy Nguyen
  • Manish Munukuntla
  • MD Abdul Halim
  • Noah Thompson
  • Phil Marinelli
  • Ranjan Sethi
  • Saikrishna Penjarala
  • Sean Gallagher
  • Shine Mathew
  • Tristan Fuller
  • Varinder Panesar
  • Wendel Sylvester

Thank you to Recruitment, Training, Administration, HR, IT, MPS Team, and our Respite Rapids. And of course, to all of our Site Supervisors and Respite Specialists – this win would not have been achieved without you. Thank you for your continued hard work in making sure our clients know that to ASP, #SecurityMatters.


By Mary Christidis, Operations Manager, Security

We teamed up with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to spread some festive cheer by doing a surprise pop up with our team to hand out some fun I Am Toronto Pearson branded swag and gift cards. What a great way to kick off the holiday season! Thank you GTAA!!!


By Laurel Woodhouse, Health and Safety Manager

As a worker, did you know that you have three important rights? These include:

  1. The right to know about hazards at work and the right to get information, supervision and instruction to protect your health and safety on the job.
  2. The right to participate in identifying and solving workplace health and safety problems either through a health and safety representative or a worker member of a joint health and safety committee.
  3. The right to refuse work that you believe is dangerous to your health and safety or that of any other worker in the workplace.

The Right to Know:

Workers have the right to know about any potential hazards to which they may be exposed in the workplace. The primary way that workers can become aware of hazards in the workplace is to be informed and instructed on how to protect their health and safety, including health and safety related to the use of machinery, equipment, working conditions, processes and hazardous substances.

The employer can enable the worker’s right to know in various ways, such as making sure they get:

  • Information about the hazards in the work they are doing
  • Training to do the work in a healthy and safe way
  • Competent supervision to stay healthy and safe

The Right to Participate:

Workers have the right to be part of the process of identifying and resolving workplace health and safety concerns. This right is expressed through direct worker participation in health and safety in the workplace and/ or through worker membership on joint health and safety committees or through worker health and safety representatives.

Workers have the right to refuse work that they believe is dangerous to either their own health and safety or that of another worker in the workplace. For example, workers may refuse work if they believe their health and safety is endangered by any equipment they are to use or by the physical conditions of the workplace. The worker should explain to their employer why they believe the work is unsafe. Although they cannot not leave the work site, they can ensure they are in a safe place. If the worker and employer disagree, the Safety Worker Representative is called to assist with determining controls. All parties must agree that the work is safe to continue. The jurisdiction of the work will determine how the right to refuse is applied. All jurisdictions in Canada have adopted the philosophy of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS) where everyone in the workplace is responsible for their own safety and for the safety of co-workers. The IRS puts in place an employee-employer partnership in ensuring a safe and disease-free workplace.


By Laurel Woodhouse, Health and Safety Manager

Who We Are?

LifeSpeak is a leading platform for mental health and wellbeing, available whenever and wherever users need specialized information and guidance on problems that affect their daily life.

What We Do?

LifeSpeak helps employees thrive so they can stay focused, healthy, and productive.

For you to develop a stable, healthy mindset no matter what life throws at you, LifeSpeak has gathered its top mental health specialists to offer you useful resources, tactics, and tools.

Mobile

Access to all programming while also enabling users to download videos for offline viewing, stream podcasts, participate in live ‘Ask the Expert’ webchats and manage their account, right from their phone.

Computer

This web-based service offers anonymous access to hundreds of short videos. Our full range of formats includes videos, podcasts, tip sheets, quizzes, and more.

Tablet

LifeSpeak empowers people to take action before a life challenge or issue becomes critical. It’s a proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Download our app in the appstore or googleplay: https://asp.lifespeak.com/


By Robin Stevenson, Manager, Canine

The ASP K9 teams have a wide range of skills and interests outside of their dog related expertise at work. This article focuses on two particular handlers who have unique interests in an exciting and physically challenging hobby.

First, we have Emilie Gagne, who handles EDD Canine Jordan and has worked with ASP for over a year. Emilie has had a lifetime interest in the Rodeo, and five years ago she took that interest to the next level by joining a bullriding school in Alberta.

From there, she never looked back. Emilie has honed her skills to where she now competes across Canada and the US, winning numerous events. Bull-riding is not an easy sport to master, and Emilie suffered a setback just over a year ago when she broke her hip after being thrown. Fortunately for us, Emilie fully recovered and is back riding and competing.

Next up we have Jenna Belshaw, who handles EDD Canine Samba. Jenna started riding horses at the ripe old age of 3! She was hooked and spent her weekends and summers riding and learning horse care. By 13, Jenna got her first horse and continued to be exposed to recognized experts in the horse industry.

Two of the biggest influencers are Bryn and Mike Robertson, who are renowned for Barrel Horse training. Jenna began her competitive career in barrel racing at age 16 and has not looked back. The goal is to ride a set pattern around 3 barrels in the fastest time. Jenna has achieved multiple accomplishments including countless OBRA 1d championships and rodeo wins. Jenna credits a lot of her wins lately to her main horse Norman, a 12-year-old quarter horse who comes off the racetrack. She continues to compete all over Ontario, Quebec and the United States, traveling almost every weekend.