“My employees mean everything to the success of my business. My core values guide me.

Meet Jennifer Baudoux.

Born in Stellarton, the second oldest of four girls, Jennifer learned from an early age the importance of a person’s roots, tradition and family values. For many years, the family would drive over to Kenzieville to visit her grandparents. They also took several trips around the province looking for adventure.

She and her sisters were outdoors people. Besides biking and running, Jennifer had a passion for sports with ringette dominating the winter months and soccer in the summer. As part of a rite of passage, she got her driver’s license followed by her first job in the food services industry.

Her first leap of independence was a three week solo trip she took to Norway at the age of 17 to visit an exchange student.  She had never been out of the Maritimes before but received the blessings of her parents to travel alone. Her trip to Norway fuelled her passion for travel and the outdoors as she spent much of her time mountain climbing.

She had a good head for math so it wasn’t surprising that she attended the community college in Stellarton to pursue a diploma in business information technology. She wasn’t sure of her career path but she knew it would be in business. “I wasn’t fuelled with angst wondering what I would do the rest of my life. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to reveal itself,” says Jennifer.

She married in 1997 and she and her husband bought a piece of land in Hazel Glen which they cleared with their own hands. She took a position at McDonald’s restaurant and spent 17 years with the company, many in a management role.  With two small children, this was very demanding with long hours at work. Like so many couples, there was a lot of juggling with one partner working day shift and the other the back shift to make things work.

Both she and her husband ended up working in Truro. This required a daily commute and after a hydroplaning accident one day while transporting the children, they decided to buy a home in Truro. While they liked Truro, there was much second guessing and the lure of Pictou County was too strong. “There is great comfort in knowing where you’re from.” They bought an old home in Kenzieville not far from her grandparents.

In 2007, her husband bought a Canada Bread franchise. Jennifer decided to leave McDonald’s to work with him. His travels took him to the A&W in Antigonish. The local franchisee, hearing of Jennifer’s extensive experience in the food services industry, asked if she would meet with him. Despite her initial objections (“I’m not doing this again”), she decided to partner with the current owner in 2012. In 2016, she became the sole owner.

“I learned a lot about being a woman in business. You must believe in yourself and not be intimidated. You have to learn to take things in stride,” says Jennifer.

Recreation was and continues to be a crucial part of her success in business and in life. “Sports are good for the mind, the body and the soul. “ An avid biker and runner, many a problem was solved while out on the back roads or a mountain. Both she and her two children have become competitive cross country mountain bikers. Jennifer recently competed in the Canada Cup and her children hope to qualify for the Canada Games team some day in the future. The three of them have also completed triathlons.

The A&W franchise in Antigonish has been recognized locally and nationally as one of the top restaurants in the chain. This hasn’t happened by accident. In a hyper competitive industry, Jennifer has been able to attract and keep employees in a business which is known for a high turnover rate. She notes that paying a fair wage is part of the equation but Jennifer does the extras that go a long way to engender loyalty. She provides fresh fruit for the staff and uses team building exercises like skating, bowling and trips to the Keppoch. She takes people in a management role to national and international conferences.

Jennifer is the president of the Maritime Association for A&W and is a skilled trainer and motivator.

When summing up her life to date, Jennifer indicates that business has helped her with her personal life and her personal life has helped in business. “You need to set goals and be prepared to work hard to attain them.”

Jennifer’s wheels are always turning whether in the board room, the restaurant or on Keppoch Mountain.

Dr.Najeeb Kadir

“I do not believe in any wars, past or present. War is not for human beings.”

Meet Dr. Najeeb Kadir.

Najeeb Kadir was born in Kifri, Iraq in 1958. He was the middle of three children and at an early age, the family moved to Diyali, Iraq where his father worked as courtroom clerk. His mother stayed at home with the children and impressed upon them the importance of education as she was an educated woman. After he completed grade 11, the family moved once again, this time to Baghdad where there were more opportunities and better schools.

It seems that nearly every Iraqi family wanted their children to become engineers or doctors as these occupations could provide a better life. Najeeb had three uncles who were well educated. As a result, he had access to books and picked up a great deal of English in his teenage years. Gaining high marks in the national standardized test for all grade twelve students, Najeeb chose medicine from a list of possible options prescribed by the government. The journey to becoming a doctor was just beginning, the great hope of his family.

A university education was free in Iraq. This included expensive medical books. He enrolled at the University of Baghdad School of Medicine in 1976. He spent these years living at home and besides his studies, he enjoyed the social life and sports, particularly soccer. In year four of the six year program, he decided that he wanted to be a surgeon.

The Iran Iraq war threw a curve into Najeeb’s life and his studies. In 1982, the government of Iraq headed by Saddam Hussein issued a decree forcing many young doctors into the army. For three months, Najeeb attended boot camp and learned how to use a gun, a far cry from the surgeon’s scalpel.  For the next two and a half years, he was posted with an infantry regiment on the front lines of the conflict, about one kilometre from the war zone. He performed lifesaving procedures, witnessing the horrors of war on a daily basis. He knew that if he were to suffer from PTSD, his future would be in jeopardy. For this reason, he focused on his own person safety and that of his family back home as a distraction from the trauma which was all around him.

This experience of war and human suffering, transformed Najeeb’s life. “I learned to cherish human life. I was very motivated to spending the rest of my life to help people get out of their misery.”

He spent an additional one and a half years in a military hospital away from the front lines before being discharged. He continued his studies in Glasgow, Scotland for two years. In 1990, he was a fully qualified surgeon. He was now married with a wife, two sons and a daughter.

He was adamant that he didn’t want to continue his career in Iraq.

Due to ongoing travel embargos, he ended up going to Libya to practice medicine. He then moved on to Dubai. A chance meeting in the hallway one day with the head nurse, known as the matron, changed the trajectory of his life. “How long are you intending to stay in Dubai?” she asked the young surgeon. “There is no future for you here. I am going to Canada. You could make a contribution in Canada. You will find a brighter future there.”

In 2004, Najeeb received a permanent residency visa to Canada and headed for Toronto. He had a friend in Halifax who was a businessman who invited him to come for a visit. While in the city, Najeeb met Dr.Robert Stone. Najeeb credits Dr.Stone as very influential person in shaping his life. Eventually, he got licensed in the province of Nova Scotia and in 2006 was recruited by the hospital in Yarmouth. In 2008, he had an opportunity to do a locum in Amherst and that’s where he’s been ever since. During a ten year period, he has been the chief of staff at the hospital as well as the chief of surgery. He has glowing words for his colleagues in the surgical unit.

In 2015, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.

To keep physically and mentally sharp, he goes to the gym seven days a week. Another part of his workout regime happens inside a boxing ring where he spars two to three times a week.  “When your body is healthy, your mind is at ease. When your mind is at ease, you can handle stress better,” says Dr.Kadir.

“I love Canada where human rights are respected. This country has provided me with an excellent quality of life.”

Dr.Najeeb Kadir loves his work, loves his family and his adopted country.

“I am a very passionate person. Passion encompasses every fibre of my being: my hands, my feet, my heart, and my soul.”

The improbable road from Iraq to Amherst has been challenging but this is what has fuelled the “passionate physician.”

Courage

“Bill. I love you so, I always will.”

Wedding Bell Blues – Fifth Dimension

“I am a hard worker and a fighter. I love my family more than anything, including my four legged friends.”

Meet Linda Kennedy.

The youngest of three siblings, Linda was born on Hallowe’en Day in London, Ontario. “I’m a treat; not a trick!”  quips Linda. At the age of three, her father was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a group of varied inherited disorders of the peripheral nervous system characterized by progressive loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of the body. By the time she was five, her dad had leg braces. It was her first exposure to the world of people with disabilities.

Even at a young age, her caring instinct came to the fore. Her mother always thought that she would have made an excellent nurse. Eventually, her dad ended up in a wheelchair and suffered through cancer, a heart attack and pressure wounds. He accepted his lot in life with grace and dignity.

The family moved to Burlington in 1967.

Linda loved her youth and was a sports enthusiast. After graduating from high school, she attended Sheridan College where she received a diploma in Media Arts. She ended up in television, a world dominated by men at the time. She gained the respect of her peers and management and became the first female master control technician in Canada.

Bill Kennedy was born in Toronto. His family was originally from Newfoundland . He was one of ten children and at the age of 16, left home in search of work. He moved to St. John’s, married young, and had two children. The marriage ended after six years.

Bill was tall, handsome, and very athletic. Through a series of coincidences, he ended up playing on a co-ed baseball team. Linda was a teammate. After the first game, the team went to a bar. Linda thought Bill was “magnificent” but a potential “heart breaker” and not for her. She mistook his shyness for arrogance.

They played on a few different sports teams over the next few years. One night, he asked her to dance at a function. “It clicked right away. We both knew in an instant that we were made for each other.”

They were married on October 23^rd, 1987. With so many people from out of town in for the wedding, they decided to have a family get together in Muskoka. The newlyweds went up a day early before the others arrived. Being baseball enthusiasts, it was not surprising that they watched game 7 of the World Series that evening. Late into the evening, Bill stepped out on the deck for a smoke. Linda heard a thump and thought it might be a raccoon jumping off the roof onto the deck.

She grabbed a flashlight and went outside. A faint vice called out, “Linda. Help me. I broke my neck. I can’t move.” Bill had leaned back on the railing of the deck, slipped, and fell over backwards, landing on his head and crushing his C6 vertebrae. It was later discovered that the railing was 11 inches too low. Even at this darkest of hours, Bill maintained his legendary sense of humour. He looked at Linda and said, “Look out, Rick Hansen. Here I come.”

After a stay in the local hospital, he was airlifted to Sunnybrook in Toronto. Bill’s long and arduous journey had begun. He spent time in the brain/spinal injury unit for a few months before moving to Lyndhurst, a rehabilitation facility. He spent 10 months there and forged lifelong friendships with other patients. Many pranks were played. Laughter was sprinkled with tears but Bill never bemoaned his fate. “Why me? Why not me,” became his mantra. Anyone can become disabled in a heartbeat.

The couple moved into an accessible townhouse and four years later they bought a house. Their home became the focal point for family gatherings and celebrations, the more the merrier, and that included pets. Their motto was, “We welcome all stray pets and people.” Bill’s disability did not stand in the way of a good time.

In order to keep the family going, Linda had to work at two jobs. She was also quickly becoming Bill’s primary caregiver. A dynamo, she had the capacity to survive on very little sleep.

Over the years, the family traveled to many places. Bill’s children from his first marriage were now living with them full time. In 2004, they traveled to P.E.I. to attend his sister’s wedding. The day after the wedding, Bill slipped and fell resulting in a pressure wound. This would be a harbinger of more difficulties ahead. He had surgery to fix the pressure wound and while in hospital, contracted c difficile, a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life threatening inflammation of the colon. He endured three rounds of c diff but he never complained. He was more concerned about Linda’s well- being.

In 2011, Linda stopped working to devote her time caring for Bill. “I did it because I loved him. He needed my love.”

The relationship was not without its struggles but Linda attributes her fortitude and inner strength to both her dad and mom who set the moral compass and showed the family how to deal with adversity. According to Linda, the last ten years of their marriage were their best despite the fact that these ten years also posed the greatest health challenges for Bill and the extended family.

Bill’s pressure wounds continued to be a concern and then he was diagnosed with cancer. He became a type 2 diabetic, suffered a heart attack and had congestive heart failure. His weight plummeted from 240 to 110 pounds. A feeding tube became necessary.

While all this was happening, Linda’s father’s health was in decline and she spent time helping with her dad’s care. Her dad’s disease rendered him a quadriplegic. Linda applauds her mother who set the tone and example in the household: never give up and never give in.

In 2016, Bill’s health worsened and Linda’s dad finally succumbed to his illness. Her brother in law, who she visited with regularly, died of brain cancer. And their beloved dog died that summer.

Bill turned 65 on December 13, 2016 but sadly never got to cash his first company pension cheque in January of 2017. On Christmas Day, 2016, Bill died hugging the one he loved the most.

CMT is a hereditary illness. Linda was diagnosed at the age of 26. The stress of caring for so many for so long took its toll and in 2011, she started noticing that her medical condition was worsening. Having watched her father’s demise, she knows what’s ahead. But Linda is not deterred. She wants to be a change maker and will devote her considerable energy and talents to improving the health care system. “There has to be purpose for the pain.”

Linda’s final word to Bill on Christmas Eve was HOLLAND: How Our Love Lives and Never Dies.