Veratika Canada's About Us Department

Our Location, History, Accomplishments,
Testimonials, and Resumes

We sell Canada's best women's comfort and relaxation necessities. For busy women worldwide.
All our products are based on Canadian concepts, and most hand made. Everything is from cottage industries or entrepreneurial manufacturers.
Some are from our Atlantic Ocean east coast. Or from Central Canada and the Prairies. Others from our Pacific Ocean west coast. Or from our Arctic Ocean north coast.
We offer our unique TikaLine™ Mood Theme Collections. And Gift Collections. Start relaxing the Canadian Way, today!

As you can see on the globe, we are located in Canada, in the national capital city, Ottawa, downtown very close the Canadian Parliament Buildings, the seat of our federal government, and a major tourist attraction for both Canadians and visitors from abroad.

We are a home-based business, so our client contact is mostly through telephone, fax, the Internet, and mail.

Our local telephone 613-231-4224 has voicemail, so even if we are not able to answer your call immediately, please leave a message so we can call you back. Or send us a fax at 613-231-5115.

In North America, outside the Ottawa calling area, we offer a toll-free line 1-877-567-8472. However, you have to catch us at home and awake on this line - no voicemail! We live in the Eastern Time Zone, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

You can write to us as well, if you wish. If you use email, write to our email address at sales@veratika.com.

Write us a letter at our postal, mail and by-hand address which is:

Veratika Canada,
Suite 702 - Ring 60,
258 Lisgar Street,
Ottawa, Canada, K2P 0C9.

Lets talk! We would love to hear from you!

The Veratika Canada Boutique Saga

We began business as a small shop called 'Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique' on Elgin Street in the heart of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, in 1995. We catered to the special relaxation needs of today's ever-busier woman, with products designed to take the sting out of life, and replace it comfort.

Our location in the nation's capital, almost in the shadow of Canada's Parliament Hill, meant we were frequent hosts to many tourists from many countries around the world. These folks found our Canadian-made products very attractive. It became clear to us that Canada's enterpreneurial artisans make products as good or better than most in the world.

Over the last ten years or so, we have been watching the developing potential of the Internet, and specially the World Wide Web, as a way to reach the world marketplace, to reconnect with our past customers from around the world, and to find new customers.

With the growing realization that ever-busier women world wide would appreciate having these products, in 1998, Veratika Canada was born. We have promised ourselves that our business will be built on foster close relationships with every customer, and 'going the extra mile' to satisfy her needs.

We believe in Relationship Marketing and Going-the-Extra-Mile

Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique has passed along almost five years of experience and knowledge to Veratika Canada Boutique.
We now know...

That too often today the customer is simply a number, not a person, nobody is listening, and nobody cares;
That the busier people are, the MORE personal attention they need, not less; and
That small is beautiful. Being entrepreneurs we can take the time to get to know you. So, you know us, we know you, and we listen - and so do the innovative entrepreneurs who make our products.
We also know...

That at today's reckless pace of living, making the best choice fast every time, in time requires from us ongoing mutual understanding - an 'extended family' atmosphere; and
That our new style of business - 'virtual' on the web, plus our Tikafairs™ - can meet your fast changing needs.
On the web, you come to our shop, and we come to your home or workplace. You are a private shopper, you have our undivided attention, so there are no interruptions, you shop anytime, there is no standing in line - and the list goes on and on!

Highlights of our community Accomplishments

We conceived the idea of The Nuttree™ Garden, a public citizen's garden dominated by nut trees and shrubs. The garden will be in the centre of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, in the shadow of the national Parliament. Its goal is to show Canadians and visitors that nut crops can be grown in Canada, and to help teach how best to do it. We are leading the effort to create the garden at the beginning of the new millenium. Our TikaFair for the elderly, which visits selected Senior's Lodges regularly in Canada's capital, brings our products to their residences. Those seniors who have trouble getting out to shop can get the personal and gift items they need. The service is most appreciated in bad weather, whether in summer storms or in winter's cold. Ottawa's Community Shops seldom lack for volunteers amongst the city's generous and kind-hearted populus. These folks need from time to time help in learning how best to manage and operate these special shops. Veratika Canada is proud to be able to offer instruction and help to make these essential facilities become most efficient and effective.

What our clients say about us...

Hannah is Veratika Canada's Mascot, a Bichon Frisee published in Ottawa Centertown's local press!

She is polling our many clients to get candid opinions for you. Check back soon...

Our Resumes

Vera Hrebacka, CEO. Henry Jones, CTO.

Vera was the founded of 'Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique', which operated on Ottawa's prestigious Elgin Street until 1998. Vera is a graduate of Ottawa's Carleton University with a BA and graduate work in Women's Studies -- girls... she understands! Vera worked in Ottawa's political circles for many years, as an executive assistant and confidante to our best civic politicians. She also served the people as the President of Community Legal Services of Ottawa/Carleton for five years, overseeing a staff of 10 professionals and a million dollar annual budget. She has also experienced the federal Public Service, in an executive capacity in Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, a granting agency responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Vera was born in Ottawa in 1958, of Czech descent. Her dream is to become the first successful virtual Canadian home-based web business offering supreme relaxation and comfort necessities specifically for the too-busy women of the world, handmade in Canada by our very best artisans. We all know in our hearts... SHE WILL SUCCEED! Henry (nickname Hank) spent thirty years working as an oceanographer for Canada, from 1967 to 1997. Since 1978, he has also dabbled in the entrepreneurial world, operating a small family business delivering environmental products and services, Cobjon Enterprises Inc. Today the business specializes in helping Canadian's grow hardshell nut crops and nut trees profitably in this near-polar country. Its six Associates, including Alcon Welding, develop, manufacture and sell worldwide specialized equipment suited to small scale hardshell tree nut crops production, as well as offering consulting support. In 1998, he met Vera as she was winding down Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique. The idea of converting to the virtual Veratika Canada Boutique was born. Henry on the other hand was born in Ulster, UK in 1942, emigrated with his parents and sister Jane to Canada in 1947, and has lived most of his life in the Ottawa area. He has lived in the USA twice, for four years in the sixties and two years in the seventies, both to go to university. He has a BSc in Mathematics from George Washington University 1967 , and a (almost) PhD Biological Oceanography from Texas A&M 1972. What business skills he has are learned from books. He is interested in applying business models for both retail (Veratika) and Consultant/Manufacturer (Cobjon).

All prices in Canadian Dollars - To convert Canadian Dollars to your local currency, please use the Currency Converter as a guide, or contact your bank for exact rates.

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URL: veratika.com
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Valid through 2001

Highlights of our community Accomplishments
We conceived the idea of The Nuttree™ Garden, a public citizen's garden dominated by nut trees and shrubs. The garden will be in the centre of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, in the shadow of the national Parliament. Its goal is to show Canadians and visitors that nut crops can be grown in Canada, and to help teach how best to do it. We are leading the effort to create the garden at the beginning of the new millenium.	Our TikaFair for the elderly, which visits selected Senior's Lodges regularly in Canada's capital, brings our products to their residences. Those seniors who have trouble getting out to shop can get the personal and gift items they need. The service is most appreciated in bad weather, whether in summer storms or in winter's cold.	Ottawa's Community Shops seldom lack for volunteers amongst the city's generous and kind-hearted populus. These folks need from time to time help in learning how best to manage and operate these special shops. Veratika Canada is proud to be able to offer instruction and help to make these essential facilities become most efficient and effective.

Our Resumes
Vera Hrebacka, CEO.	Henry Jones, CTO.
Vera was the founded of 'Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique', which operated on Ottawa's prestigious Elgin Street until 1998. Vera is a graduate of Ottawa's Carleton University with a BA and graduate work in Women's Studies -- girls... she understands! Vera worked in Ottawa's political circles for many years, as an executive assistant and confidante to our best civic politicians. She also served the people as the President of Community Legal Services of Ottawa/Carleton for five years, overseeing a staff of 10 professionals and a million dollar annual budget. She has also experienced the federal Public Service, in an executive capacity in Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, a granting agency responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Vera was born in Ottawa in 1958, of Czech descent. Her dream is to become the first successful virtual Canadian home-based web business offering supreme relaxation and comfort necessities specifically for the too-busy women of the world, handmade in Canada by our very best artisans. We all know in our hearts... SHE WILL SUCCEED!	Henry (nickname Hank) spent thirty years working as an oceanographer for Canada, from 1967 to 1997. Since 1978, he has also dabbled in the entrepreneurial world, operating a small family business delivering environmental products and services, Cobjon Enterprises Inc. Today the business specializes in helping Canadian's grow hardshell nut crops and nut trees profitably in this near-polar country. Its six Associates, including Alcon Welding, develop, manufacture and sell worldwide specialized equipment suited to small scale hardshell tree nut crops production, as well as offering consulting support. In 1998, he met Vera as she was winding down Vera's Gift Gallery and Boutique. The idea of converting to the virtual Veratika Canada Boutique was born. Henry on the other hand was born in Ulster, UK in 1942, emigrated with his parents and sister Jane to Canada in 1947, and has lived most of his life in the Ottawa area. He has lived in the USA twice, for four years in the sixties and two years in the seventies, both to go to university. He has a BSc in Mathematics from George Washington University 1967 , and a (almost) PhD Biological Oceanography from Texas A&M 1972. What business skills he has are learned from books. He is interested in applying business models for both retail (Veratika) and Consultant/Manufacturer (Cobjon).