TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 C6 timescolonist.com WEB EXTRA: Hollywood loves a bug We list the Top 10 movie ARTSTelephone: 250-380-5346 > E-mail: [email protected] plagues Into the Dragons’ Den Teacher takes her turn at being quizzed by CBC’s business gurus MICHAEL D. REID Behind the Screen [email protected] uring her 20 years as a high school language teacher, Kathryn DaSilva has marked Dand created more quizzes than she cares to remember. And she says she grew frus- trated with having to pore through several books on a single subject to create assignments. Then came the “what if” moment that turned the Fairfield educator into an “accidental entre- preneur,” as she calls herself. “Grammar is grammar, so why not put everything in one place?” DaSilva wondered. It inspired her to collaborate with a former stu- dent to create four software pro- grams for students and teachers of French and Spanish. Thousands of hours and sev- eral years later, her company, eStudent.ca, has wracked up $500,000 in sales to more than 1,200 schools across Canada, the U.S. and U.K. of software that the mother of two created and sells from her basement. “It’s like 50 grammar books together,” she says, referring to one of her collaborative pro- grams with Garry Morse, a shy HANDOUT PHOTOS student she once taught in Grade Victoria teacher Kathryn DaSilva will be seen on CBC-TV on Oct. 6, pitching her classroom software business 11 at Vancouver’s Roberts Educa- to such “dragons” as Boston Pizza and Mr. Lube co-owner Jim Treliving, right. tion Centre, an alternative school for disadvantaged youths. herself and her students. Dianne Bruckner and the five “I went in just thinking, ‘These Morse, whom she describes as “Neither one of us expected dragons. This season they five people are never in the same a quiet genius — “the epitome of this, and people are incredulous,” include marketing guru Arlene room other than this one week a silent” — gave her a note one day. she said. “They say, ‘No, really, Dickinson (Venture Communica- year,’ ” she said. “Getting a It praised her as “the greatest come on who made it?’ ” tions); IT security tycoon Robert chance to talk to just one would French teacher.” He offered to Having taken on a life of its Herjavec; Jim Treliving, real never happen, never mind all write the code if she were willing own, her small business is now estate developer and co-owner of five. I had nothing to lose.” to provide the content for educa- casting DaSilva as a TV personal- Boston Pizza and Mr. Lube; Treliving says watching the tional software. ity. After going to an audition at Kevin O’Leary, founder of The wannabe entrepreneurs reminds “I must have written out Royal Roads University last April Learning Company; and First him of when he made his pitch to 20,000 pages by hand,” she says. on a whim, she was selected to Energy Capital Corp’s W. Brett buy the Boston Pizza chain. “If I had known it would be so present her local business on an Wilson. “Very much so,” he said from much work when I started ...” episode of the CBC-TV show “It was was a bit of a surreal Dallas, Tex. “And they’re more The result was Etudiant and Dragons’ Den that airs Monday experience,” DaSilva recalled. prepared than I was, although I Estudiante, two 20,000-page Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. “You walk in with nothing and had more time than they did.” grammar resources for students She says her husband, a sales they can shoot you out of there in The RCMP officer-turned- and teachers, complete with a executive, and her 11-year-old five minutes or you can stay business tycoon said some of the verb conjugator and 3,000 prac- son and eight-year-old daughter there for an hour and a half.” pitches he sees, where contest- tice exercises. The products put her up to it when they were Admitting she was “super nerv- ants have trouble making the designed for time-strapped watching the show where aspir- ous,” she said it was nerve-wrack- distinction between a great idea teachers — Professeur and Pro- ing entrepreneurs who need ing having to go into the studio and one that is workable, remind fesor — include two 8,000-ques- funding pitch ideas to business without props or charts and him of his days in law enforce- tion “test generators” that can moguls, a.k.a. the “dragons.” If knowing you could be very ment. also be used to create exercises one or more of the dragons quickly interrupted with questions “It’s like the bank robber who on marketing. and homework sheets. agrees to invest the requested from such big-league biz types. plans every detail like crazy, has He advises potential pitchers DaSilva, 41, admits she was amount, they get a percentage Deal or no deal — she can’t everything in place to rob the to know your product, whether it surprised by the word-of-mouth of the company stock. reveal the outcome as she’s bound bank and then maybe three sec- can sell and whether you can popularity of her resources that DaSilva, who still teaches at by a confidentiality agreement — onds after he gets out the door he really make money at it. have prompted accolades from Robertson Education Centre, was DaSilva says getting access to gets a flat tire,” he said. “The great thing is that there educators in schools from Mon- flown in May to Toronto, where such a high level or expertise and One pattern he has noticed is are lot of Canadians who have treal to Nevada — especially she found herself in the “dead connections and gaining exposure an “overvaluation” of a product, great ideas,” he says. “That gives since it was originally created for silence” of a studio with host is reward enough. and too much financial emphasis me a good feeling.” METAL Cancer Bats riding wave of interest in heavy music IN CONCERT I got the teller that I usually worried that everyone was and friends. deal with and she was like, ‘Oh, going to hate Hail Destroyer. “Little things like being able What: Cancer Bats, the Black Lungs you’re home from tour!’ But The band’s extensive tour- to sleep at people’s houses or and Johnny Truant those first few times they were ing had led Cancer Bats to someone making us dinner at a When: Tomorrow, 4:30 p.m. (all ages) just like, ‘Do you deal drugs?’ adopt a much heavier sound show is the hugest deal,” he and 9 p.m. (adult) ‘Noooo . I just have $5,000 than on their noteworthy 2006 says. “If you have a job, it’s not. Where: Element wrapped with scrap paper in a debut, Birthing the Giant, and Whereas for us it’s like, ‘Uh, pouch — it’s totally cool, right?’” Cormier was expecting a bit of we’ve been sleeping in our van, Tickets: $15 at Lyle’s Place, He laughs. Fair enough, a backlash from both fans and can we take a shower here? www.ticketweb.ca, Ditch Records and Cormier’s usual attire — critics. Wow, you have fresh towels?’ the Strathcona hotel black/grey items layered with Instead, the album was her- That’s pretty much what Hail other black/grey items, tattoos alded as a landmark. For Destroyer is all about.” FRANCOIS MARCHAND and punk hairdo — might turn Cormier, writing Hail The old metal guard better For Canwest News Service a few “regulars” off. Destroyer was his own way to watch their backs. With more Musically speaking, though, express the struggles of being and more bands like Cancer Cancer Bats frontman Liam the timing couldn’t be better on the road and feeling like Bats breathing down their Cormier may have been shred- for Cancer Bats to become all PHOTO CREDIT ALL CAPS you’re always escaping from necks, it might not take long ding his lungs out on the road the rage on the “loud” scene. Liam Cormier, left, feared a backlash against Hail Destroyer but normal life. before the final nail is jammed with his metalcore buddies for “It’s definitely a good time it’s been hailed as a landmark for him and Cancer Bats cohorts “You get to a certain age and in their coffins. most of the past two years, but for metal,” Cormier says. “I feel Mike Peters, Scott Middleton and Jaye Schwarzer. you’re either in it or you’re “Have you heard those new he still has to do all the mun- like heavy music is on a high out,” he says. “This is going to Metallica tracks? They’re dane things regular people do right now. The new Slipknot furious, hollering barrage of these reviews,” Cormier be my life at this point. I’m ridiculous,” he laughs. “I don’t — such as patiently wait in line debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. It southern rock, hardcore punk recalls, “we were hanging out probably going to be a ‘death hate them, but it definitely at the bank — when he gets beat out the Game. That’s amaz- and crunchy alternative metal, with the Alexisonfire guys and bro’ forever.” sounds like they’re trying to back home to Toronto. ing. Metal’s back on top.” Hail Destroyer quickly earned they were saying, ‘Well, we’ve Also known for their intense grab at this older sound that “I find it funny when you Cancer Bats caused quite a the band a five-star rating and never gotten a five out of five; live performances, Cancer Bats they had — the Ride the Light- have to interact with people commotion with the release of a cover story from trend-set- we’ve never gotten the cover are now back on the road for ning or Master of Puppets era.