About Us

Some of the people on the Point Research Team:

Heather Geddie, President and founder of Point Research Inc. has 12 years' experience in the survey research industry. Eight of those years were with Winnipeg's Ipsos Reid, one of the top market research firms in the world. 

There she received extensive training in the complexities of market research and soon joined Ipsos' elite interviewing team known as the Strategic Field Group (SFG). This team specialized in surveys that were beyond the scope of less skilled and experienced interviewers.

Many of the SFG studies targeted corporate executives, heads of government departments, executives of financial institutions, doctors and other medical professionals. These respondents were always difficult to reach, and even greater was the task of convincing them to participate in and complete the survey. Professionalism and salesmanship were essential in this process.

Equally challenging were surveys conducted among vulnerable populations on sensitive issues, and often with a hostile/distressed respondent. It required great skill, empathy and sensitivity to complete these interviews successfully and Heather was among the top interviewers on the SFG team. Her ability to relate effectively both to those in positions of power and to those who are powerless has served her well in her community-based survey endeavours. She is able to bridge the gap between those in need and those who must meet their needs.

In addition to her interview expertise, Heather was often called upon to edit or rewrite survey scripts while at Ipsos, and her innovative interview techniques were frequently incorporated into studies being conducted.

In 2004, Heather took a short leave from Ipsos to work with the research team of Professor Jerry Buckland of the University of Winnipeg, who was conducting a study on the lack of banking and financial services in Winnipeg's North End communities. The study involved door-to-door interviews and the resulting report was entitled: “There Are No Banks Here” - Financial & Insurance Exclusion in Winnipeg’s North End - A Research Report by Jerry Buckland & Bruce Guenther, with Georgi Boichev, Heather Geddie & Maryanne Mutch

Heather was acknowledged in the report for "her tireless effort to survey members of her community." The experience marked the beginning of her interest in community-based survey research.

A Ground-Breaking Survey

It also prepared her for the opportunity to work with the Point Douglas Residents Committee (PDRC) in 2008, as their Community Development Coordinator. During her term, she and her team of volunteers from the community conducted a highly successful survey of North and South Point Douglas.

The Point Douglas survey became well-known in community development circles and has been recognized for the quality and scope of its results, and its importance to the community. It has been fundamental to the plans being made for the community by its leaders and the agencies which support them, providing them with unprecedented access to information from community members, in their own words. Most significantly, it has given hope to a community which had little to hope for.

On the strength of that success, and at the recommendation of community leaders and agencies, Heather established Point Research Inc. to serve and give voice to the inner city.

Giving Back to the Community

One of the goals of Point Research is to train and employ members of inner-city communities as survey interviewers on an ongoing basis. A number of the volunteer interviewers recruited for the Point Douglas survey gained valuable skills and experience, and for one in particular, the survey was a turning point in her life. 

Florence Desjarlais was one of the top survey interviewers of the team of volunteers which conducted the Point Douglas community survey in 2008.  Although Florence was one of the later recruits to the team, she soon surpassed the other interviewers for the number of completed surveys she’d attained.

Her work was consistently strong and her interviews were among the most productive, in terms of quality and depth of response. She had a particular affinity with the respondents, as they seemed to open up to her with their thoughts and feelings. The office often received calls, emails or notes from respondents praising Florence for her work, her manner, and her sensitivity.

One of Florence’s greatest strengths was her ability to go where others feared to tread. Florence completed surveys in rooming houses, gang houses, among the Salvation Army’s long-term residents, and with the elderly/mentally-challenged residents of a dangerous Manitoba Housing complex.

During her years in Winnipeg, Florence has lived the life of many of these people, facing the challenges of poverty, addictions, and despair. Through her accomplishments for herself and her community during her work on the survey, Florence has found renewed hope and self-respect and has earned the respect of her community. Florence is now a key member of the Point Research team, ready to pass on her skills to others.

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William Geddie, a family man who lives in North Point Douglas, was the driving force behind the Organized Sports survey that Point Research conducted for the City of Winnipeg in North and South Point Douglas in December and January of 2009/10.

William once worked for the market research firm, Ipsos-Reid, which prepared him well for the technical aspects of conducting survey interviews, but it is his time spent living and working in the inner city that best prepared him for his work on this survey.

The survey was conducted in extremely cold conditions in the dead of winter and under a very tight time line. In the course of canvassing, William personally knocked on every door in the community and conducted the majority of the interviews. Among the many skills he gained in the course of managing this work, he discovered his true strength ─ his 'people' skills.

In addition to the satisfaction of a job well done, William had the pleasure of meeting many people in his community. He shared information and resources with them, and shared their excitement about the good things happening in his neighbourhood. William is looking forward to his next survey and is a valued member of our team.