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MNP congratulates Doug McLarty on his retirement The partners and team members of MNP would like to congratulate Doug McLarty, FCPA, FCA, CFP, Partner and Business Advisor, on his retirement. Doug has been a trusted advisor to his clients and team members – and given back with exceptional service to the profession and the Ottawa community.

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We will miss Doug’s professionalism and support and wish him all the best.

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Michael Dimitriou, Regional Managing Partner | 613.691.4200 | michael.dimitriou@mnp.ca MNP.ca

Great River Media PO Box 91585, Ottawa, ON K1W 1KO obj.ca TELEPHONE Phone: 613-696-9494 News Fax: No faxes, email editor@obj.ca PUBLISHER Michael Curran, 613-696-9491 publisher@obj.ca PUBLISHER EASTERN ONTARIO BUSINESS JOURNAL Terry Tyo, 613-696-9581 terry@greatriver.ca EDITOR IN CHIEF Anne Howland, 613-696-9480 anne@obj.ca SENIOR WRITER David Sali, 613-696-9481 david@obj.ca WEB COORDINATOR/REPORTER Sarah MacFarlane, 613-696-9492 sarah@obj.ca CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER Lisa Thibodeau, 613-696-9482 lisa@obj.ca CONTENT MARKETING CREATOR AND CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR Paula Clark, 613-696-9495 paula@obj.ca NEWS RELEASES Please e-mail to editor@obj.ca. ADVERTISING SALES General inquiries, 613-696-9494 sales@obj.ca Wendy Baily, 613-696-9483 wbaily@obj.ca Eric Dupuis, 613-696-9485 eric@obj.ca Victoria Stewart, 613-696-9484 victoria@obj.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes, 613-696-9487 creative@greatriver.ca DESIGN DEPARTMENT Celine Paquette, 613-696-9486 celine@greatriver.ca Deborah Ekuma, 613-696-9493 deborah@greatriver.ca FINANCE Cheryl Schunk, 613-696-9490 cheryl@greatriver.ca PRINTED BY Transcontinental Transmag 10807 Rue Mirabeau, Anjou, QC H1J 1T7 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Celebrating entrepreneurship DEFENCE & SECURITY

SUMMER 2022 Vol. 23, NO. 10

PRESIDENT Michael Curran

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Little Italy and the hunt for groceries

CONTENTS 04 Prospectus and Editor’s Note 05 Datebook 06 Up Close: Rob Imbeault has a reason to smile 09 Mark Sutcliffe: Thanks for the memories 12 Profile: Weggon Allen’s life comes into focus 16 Bright Side of Business 21 Defence & Security: Ready to step it up 31 Forty Under 40: Meet the recipients 53 HR Update: Why leaders need rest too 69 Techopia: Getting the grid ready for EV 76 OBJ.social 78 People on the Move

Eastern Ontario communities gear up for a return to traditional fairs and festivals.

All’s fair: Annual rural events set to swing into action BY TOM VAN DUSEN news@obj.ca

here are some 213 rural fairs registered with the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies (OAAS) and all of them – 100 per cent – intend to stage full live shows in 2022 after knuckling under to COVID-19 for the past two years. OAAS general manager Vince Brennan has heard the same message from all members, that they’re anxious to get back in the saddle. This includes several fair boards across Eastern Ontario, five of which are located within Ottawa’s rural reaches: Navan, Richmond, Metcalfe, Carp and the Capital Fair. Among other popular fairs in the region are Renfrew, Perth, Merrickville, Lombardy, Russell, Spencerville, South Mountain, Chesterville, Vankleek Hill and Canada’s oldest farm fair held for 210 years at Williamstown, early headquarters of the North West Company of explorers and fur traders. Like the other fairs, Williamstown promotes agriculture, horticulture, livestock competitions, home crafts, local

entertainment and traditions older than Canada. Several other area fairs are well past the 150-year mark. Not only is return of the fairs a good thing socially and culturally, it’s a huge economic boost in many locations that could use one. In 2019, the last regular season pre-COVID, Brennan said more than 3.4 million people visited Ontario fairs, generating gate receipts of $24.4 million. Brennan says for every dollar received by agricultural societies, $4.54 was injected into the local economy. Society members and associated events have a total economic impact of up to $700 million. Some full- and part-time jobs are provided by societies. In addition, they traditionally spend money locally for supplies, building projects, entertainment and publicity. One benefit enjoyed by the fair boards is that they operate almost entirely with volunteer labour. In 2019, Brennan says, fair volunteers provided 1.4 million hours of service. While OAAS members struggled to retain a profile during the pandemic through virtual presentations and limited

LEFT: Vince Brennan, OAAS general manager, says his members are anxious to be back. ABOVE: John Joynt, Lombardy Fair board director, says new attractions are on the menu this year. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

live events, it was nothing like the real thing, Brennan states, adding that some online components will be retained. While societies had limited expenses in 2020-21 because they didn’t mount fairs, they also had little revenues. Helping them with seed money is the Central Canada Exhibition Association fund, derived from $4 million received from the sale of a site in rural Ottawa south that was once envisioned as the new home of the Ex. It wasn’t to be. After the Ex was booted from Lansdowne Park in 2010 for redevelopment, it was unable to regroup and the board of directors disbanded five years later. Trustees decided when the 140-acre alternate location finally sold that proceeds would be distributed among fairs and other agricultural causes. Among beneficiaries are the OAAS, specific fairs and a $200,000 scholarship fund for youth who’ve been actively involved in their home societies. For weeks now, trustees and former directors have been dropping off

cheques to designated recipients like a team of roving Santa Clauses. With regular patrons having lost the live fair habit during the pandemic, organizers are looking at creative ways of bringing them back. In Spencerville, which went big virtually in 2020-21, the 167th edition Sept. 8 to 11 will feature former favourites such as the Barn of Learning, midway and Saturday parade, as well as top-drawer musical entertainment. More than the tractor and truck pulls, the animals, the baby and pet contests, or even the beer tent, the leading attraction at any fair is the demolition derby, which features reinforced, beater cars ramming each other down to the last man – or woman – standing. The 156th Lombardy Fair July 29 to 31 will hold the usual demo derby but is adding a first-time Monster Truck Show, which cost $20,000 to book. In addition, said fair board director John Joynt, there’ll be an outlay for junker cars for the monsters to roll over as well as extra bleacher seating. Another new event will be professional axe-throwing as the fair board goes all out to sharpen the appetites of regulars and newcomers.

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TECHOPIA

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CO-FOUNDER Mark Sutcliffe

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We welcome opinions about any material published in the Ottawa Business Journal or issues of interest to local businesspeople. Only letters with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number will be considered for publication. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published, but they might be used to verify authenticity. Letters can be e-mailed to editor@obj.ca. Ottawa Business Journal is published by

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PROSPECTUS

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Forty Under 40: Cause for celebration and optimism

It’s not about fit, it’s about diversity

How time flies. I still fondly remember my first Forty Under 40 awards presentation. It was 1999, the second time the awards were presented. A few hundred attendees gathered in the salons of the Civic Centre. I was only three months on the job as editor of OBJ, still trying to wrap my head around the region’s business community. That cohort of recipients included names such as Raman Agarwal, Andrew Foti, Robert Hocking, Jeff Hunt, Lori O’Neill, David Perry, Larry Poirier, Mark Quigg, Jim Roche, Jim Stechyson, Debbie Weinstein and Doug Wotherspoon – people who remain active in business. The gala provided a crash course on the local business scene, heightened my enthusiasm for entrepreneurs and allowed me to start building a great network. Since its humble beginnings, Forty Under 40 has become the most sought-after award for young entrepreneurs in Ottawa. Today it reads like a who’s who of rising business stars and community leaders, giving me (and I hope others) hope that the next generation will carry the torch of entrepreneurship into the future. Besides being humbled by their business accomplishments, I find the diversity of recipients most interesting. That’s true on two fronts. First, the diversity in types of business. From technology to tourism, and from professional services to construction, it’s amazing to see success across so many different sectors of the economy. Second, the diversity in backgrounds. This sometimes means recipients who were born in different

It’s great to see such diversity in Ottawa’s business community. From our Forty Under 40 recipients to other personalities and initiatives outlined in this issue of the Ottawa Business Journal, it’s clear that a multitude of voices is needed to contribute to our collective success. In fact, it’s refreshing to see diversity being talked about so openly in so many different forums. I think we’ve all probably taken the courses on diversity and inclusion, anti-racism and unconscious bias. (I particularly like the concept of unconscious bias, which is something we all have simply by virtue of the fact that we’re human.) Where it’s still difficult, though, is to take the concepts from those courses and apply them to real life. For example, I sit on the board of a non-profit. As our nominating committee started the hunt for new directors this year, we were keen to add more diversity. Great! We were all on the same page. Until we actually started to consider the candidates. Then interesting dynamics emerged. As a first step, we reviewed our committee’s terms of reference. The duties and responsibilities were clearly spelled out — not much to see there, they don’t change greatly from year to year. Until someone suggested that our duties should include actively seeking to increase diversity on the board. Right! Why hadn’t we thought of that before? Better add it in. Then we took a first pass at the 20-some applications we’d received. Oddly, the “preferred” pile seemed to include all the traditional lawyers, accountants and business professionals whom we typically

countries. Other times it means people from different backgrounds, such as education or experience. What unites them is a drive for excellence, a willingness to experiment and a desire to come together. (That was particularly on display during a networking event at the Telfer EMBA facility, where the energy was palpable.) It’s rewarding to think on June 17, OBJ and our partners at the Ottawa Board of Trade will award the 1,000th recipient. In these uncertain times, this is certainly cause for celebration and optimism.

OTTAWA AT THE CROSSROADS Ottawa’s regional economy is full of contradictions. There is evidence of an economic rebound. However, storm clouds are on the horizon. The pandemic is lingering, inflation is spiking and businesses continue to wrestle with supply chain issues. Specific to Ottawa is a question about the future of the downtown core. Plus, a new mayor will be elected in the fall. If you’re feeling uncertain, be sure to put the 2022 Welch LLP Ottawa Business Growth Survey on your summer reading list. With such uncertainty, it helps to look at the data. Get the digital report at www. ottawabusinesssurveyreport.ca.

Michael Curran Publisher

invited onto the board. Candidates with other, more diverse profiles, backgrounds and qualifications languished in a secondary pile. We didn’t seem to know what to make of them. At our committee meeting, spirited discussion ensued. The secondary candidates were interesting, but they weren’t the right fit. But what is fit? It seems to me, the quest for diversity and inclusion is not about fit — quite the opposite. The beauty of diversity is it brings different voices into the fold, different perspectives. Ones that push us out of our comfort zones, that cause awkward conversations, that force us to consider life experiences other than our own. Wasn’t the old boys’ network all about fit? A group of men who shared largely the same views, the same backgrounds, the same prospects in life — they were all remarkably and deliberately uniform. I’m sure it was very comfortable. In the end, our committee will get there but, just like diversity itself, it won’t be easy or obvious. For any organization that wishes to truly represent the community it serves, there is no such thing as fit. Instead, it’s about bringing a mish-mash of voices to the table, allowing them all to be heard and finding the value in their dissonance.

Anne Howland Editor in Chief

JUNE 6

Want to join the conversation about building the future of Ottawa-Gatineau? Here is your chance. The annual City-Building Summit, co-organized by OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade, is back as an in-person conference at the historic Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park. The event is themed “The Future of Ottawa Starts Now.” Mary Rowe, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, will kick off the conference with a keynote that examines what’s happening to Canada’s downtown cores. Next comes a panel discussion on creating a marketing brand for Ottawa. In the afternoon, attendees will receive an update on large city-building projects, including the new Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital, LeBreton Flats, TD Place and Ottawa’s international airport. Tickets are still available at www.ottawabot.ca.

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Before the Mayor’s Breakfast series takes a pause for summer, it will welcome the Chief Justice of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner. Appointed in 2017, he is the 18th person to lead the Supreme Court. Throughout his career as a lawyer and a judge, Chief Justice Wagner has been passionate about access to justice. He was one of the founders of Quebec’s Centre d’accès à l’information juridique, which provides legal information to lawyers, judges and law students. As Chief Justice, he took the court to Winnipeg, Manitoba to hear cases outside of Ottawa for the first time in history. He launched an annual year-in-review report, an overview of the court’s work. He also instituted the court’s plain-language summaries. Visit www.ottawabot.ca to purchase your ticket.

Ottawa’s annual celebration of young entrepreneurs hits a big milestone this year. Forty Under 40 is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The gala is back to an in-person event at the Hilton LacLeamy with an exciting and interactive new format. The 2022 recipients will be feted and attendees will enjoy superb networking, gourmet food stations and multimedia presentations. Tickets are selling fast. Visit www.ottawabot.ca for more information.

AUGUST 23

Ottawa’s Best Networking Golf Tournament returns in late August. The double shotgun tournament will welcome more than 200 golfers to the beautiful 36-hole GreyHawk Golf Club. It will provide business leaders a chance to enjoy a fun-filled day on the links and raise money for Junior Achievement. The tournament includes a lunch, cocktail reception and dinner. Book your foursome now at www.ottawabot.ca.

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UP CLOSE FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ROB IMBEAULT

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He won a Forty Under 40 award in 2010.

He once met the Queen of England at a ceremony at Rideau Hall while in the presence of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

His favourite book is David Epstein’s Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, which makes a strong case for gaining a breadth of experience and skill sets to succeed.

He’s a former board member with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and helped to co-chair its signature white-collar boxing fundraiser, Fight for the Cure, in its second year. There was even a boxing ring in the Assent office.

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Life isn’t about achieving work-life balance, he believes. It’s more about managing the peaks and valleys. “You do have to put your head down and work sometimes for days, weeks (maybe not let it go months). Other times, let your mind wander. That’s when creativity happens.”

Rob Imbeault emerged from dark days to start every morning with a smile BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

f you’ve read Rob Imbeault’s memoir, you’ll know the successful Ottawa entrepreneur overcame both professional and personal challenges to land on top. Imbeault is currently the co-founder of Adapt.ag, a new agritech company launched in January that takes shipping containers and transforms them into solar-powered gourmet mushroom farms, with the goal of advancing access to sustainably grown food. “We can be completely off-grid,” said Imbeault, who also founded his own shipping container manufacturing company to support his fledgling business. But 10 or so years ago, Imbeault’s story was much different. In the business world, his claim to fame relates to Assent Compliance, an Ottawabased supply chain data management company that he co-founded with Jonathan Hughes and Matt Whitteker in 2010. It’s now worth $1.2 billion. Imbeault stepped away from his job at Assent in December 2017 but remains a shareholder. His departure gave him the time he was looking for to be with his young family and to focus on his life-long passion for writing. It’s not necessarily a skill you’d expect from somebody with a background in software engineering and product design. In 2020, he published his first book: a well-written and unflinchingly honest memoir that focuses on his five-yearlong suicidal drug and alcohol binge. His self-destructive years, which started in his late 30s, coincided with the triggering of a repressed childhood memory. Before I Leave You: A Memoir on Suicide, Addiction and Healing delivers a beautiful

message of finding healing through forgiveness. Imbeault credits his editor, Laurie Gough, with helping him to complete his book, which was critically acclaimed and became an Amazon bestseller. Last year, Imbeault published a collection of humorous short essays, I Can’t Believe How Well It’s Going. But his experience at Assent still stands him in good stead. He credits Assent’s CEO, Andrew Waitman, with teaching him everything he’s learned about business. “I got a real-world MBA from working with Andrew and it would be a shame not to use what I’ve learned to solve real-world problems. Although vertical farming has already made leaps and bounds, the industry is still in adolescence. It’s like the early days of the Internet, which is incredibly exciting, plus we can move the needle on food security.” Imbeault’s new venture, Adapt.ag, is about feeding a greater number of people by producing thousands of pounds of produce per container, per month involving thousands of containers. It’s also about people in the industry working together, not against each other, said Imbeault. “We all want to feed people. We’re all a part of this vertical farm industry; we’re all going to the same place. It’s about how to better grow food.” Imbeault is also an investor in Adapt. ag’s sister company, Forage Hyperfoods, a mushroom wellness company based in Carleton Place, which goes to show he’s still very much a “fun-gi” (apologies for the bad pun; maybe it’ll grow on you?). Imbeault is a part-time COO at the startup. He took on the senior executive role voluntarily last fall to help the small company along. Forage Hyperfoods is in the business of sustainably harvesting all-natural Canadian mushrooms from the boreal

forests of Quebec to create easy-to-consume preventative health products. It was started in December 2020 by CEO Jonathan Murray and chief product officer Chanel Murray. “I met the founders and was incredibly impressed,” explained Imbeault, 50, over a round of smoothies at Pure Kitchen in Kanata. His rolled-up dress shirt sleeves reveal arms heavily tattooed with Buddhist representations. “They’ve built a culture of ethics and integrity.” Imbeault’s motivation for investing in mushroom wellness products and vertical farming has less to do with earning another fortune and more to do with finding a “just cause.” He’s dedicated himself to something that’s bigger than himself as an individual, bigger than the company. While the entrepreneur recognizes opportunity with medicinal mushrooms and agtech — both multi-billion-dollar markets — he also sees the health benefits from Forage Hyperfoods products and the solutions that Adapt.ag provides for food sustainability challenges. Also, 2022 Forty Under 40 award recipient and angel investor Shane Currey is an advisor and friend. These days, Imbeault lives a (mostly) plant-based, clean lifestyle. He and his wife, Mira, are actively involved in raising their two daughters, ages five and two. Meditation now forms part of his daily morning routine. So does writing in his gratitude journal, which is the very first thing he does when he wakes up. He likes to start his day by making sure to smile. It’s known to trigger brain chemicals related to positivity. “It all sets a tone for how I will interact with people and challenges,” said the mental health advocate. “There’s a solution for every challenge, we just need the right mindset to tackle it.”

There’s a world of adventure close to home

There’s never been a better time to discover the world-class attractions and can’t miss events right in your backyard. Find out the top things to do this spring and summer in the region inside the current issue of the Eastern Ontario Business Journal. SUMMER 2022

Keeping you informed, connected and inspired

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PHOTO BY JUSTIN VAN LEEUWEN/JVL PHOTOGRAPHY

There’s a solution for every challenge, we just need the right mindset to tackle it.

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SUMMER 2022

Upping Canada’s game in digital adoption

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One of the challenges Canada has long faced in being globally competitive has been the lag in use and adoption of technology by small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government of Canada has had long-standing programs, including SR&ED credits that incentivize research & development, as well as more recent initiatives like the Canada Digital Adoption Program announced in April’s Federal Budget, aimed at addressing this technology gap. Still, what may be more encouraging are new Government of Canada tools and services relying on technology platforms that are helping to make our lives easier. The CBSA ArriveCAN app is one such example. Introduced by necessity during the pandemic to facilitate safe travel, for anyone who has journeyed beyond the Canadian border in the past year, the ArriveCAN app has become an efficient means to expedite the returning arrivals process. As Canadians return to air travel, and pressures on the system to handle capacity continue to increase, the ability to use technology to improve the overall system may be the answer. ArriveCAN is a “Made-inOttawa” solution from CBSA that is now Canada’s top downloaded mobile application – reinforcing that Canadians will quickly accept and utilize technology to improve services they receive from the government.

It is a critical step forward to see the Government of Canada leading in the use of technology to help address Canada’s lag in digital adoption. For our local technology sector, this is encouraging news. Government digital adoption benefits Ottawa’s local tech sector To drive economies of scale, Ottawa-area technology firms have often had to rely on foreign customers to build this scale and expand markets. While our local tech sector has long advocated that the Government of Canada – given their dominant role in our regional economy – should be an early adopter of new technologies, the government has balanced risk, experience and value in public procurement. This approach, while understandable, has not always benefited Ottawabased start-ups and new innovations. The willingness to invest in new technologies and applications like ArriveCAN is an important vote of confidence for Government of Canada technology leaders to move quickly, and by extension, harness Canadian (and Ottawa-based) resources. Opportunity for SME sector to modernize Here’s where Ottawa’s small and medium-sized businesses

beyond the technology sector also now have a role to play. Over the next few years, we are expecting to see far more digital-based service delivery by governments of all sizes. From facilitating the passage of people, goods and services electronically with the Canada Border Services Agency, to integrated tax and benefits programs, to managing and benefiting from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on area farms; businesses that have modernized their operations will be able to take advantage and operate more efficiently using digitallyenabled government services. For SME business owners and managers considering how best to take the next step forward in harnessing technology, the Canada Digital Adoption Program is an easy option. This new program includes a grant of up to $15,000 for companies of 500 employees or less to hire a digital advisor and develop a technology plan, as well as up to $100,000 in an interest free loan from BDC to implement a strategy. Our digital advisors at BDO are already seeing interest from organizations across the country looking to take advantage of the program and

leap ahead. While there’s a direct benefit in being more competitive for businesses taking advantage of the program, it might also make a tangible dent in ensuring Canada is competitive globally. The pandemic was difficult for everyone, but it has also reinforced our need to adapt and be resilient. These may just be some of the ingredients needed to address the long-standing issue of SME technology adoption. And most encouragingly, it’s our local economic anchor – the Government of Canada – who may have recognized this the most. While they’ve long had programs in place to pull SMEs along to adopt new technologies, it is a critical step forward to see the Government of Canada leading in the use of technology to help address Canada’s lag in digital adoption.

Mike Abbott is the Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Managing Partner for BDO Canada.

PERSPECTIVES

Forty Under 40 celebrates Ottawa’s thriving private sector and the talent that drives it BY MARK SUTCLIFFE news@obj.ca

the Best Ottawa Business awards, we set out to change that image. From the very start, one of our most important criteria was that anyone honoured in the Forty Under 40 was not just exceptional at work, but a leader in the community. One of the things that makes Ottawa special is the generosity of its people, the time and money that people

put into important causes. We wanted to make sure we were not just honouring that commitment, but inspiring it in others. The Forty Under 40 has turned into something special. It’s not just an annual event, but a permanent community of remarkable leaders, some of whom are now in their 60s. (As an aside, almost every year, some veteran of the local business community asks me, “When will you do a Sixty Over 60?”) I’m not quite that age yet, but I’m excited every year to see more examples of a generation of business owners and executives, many years younger than I, who are doing amazing work. Like many things, entrepreneurship is driven by the creative energy of young people. You’re never too old to do anything, including starting a business. But there’s a sweet spot in life when you are less likely to be discouraged by all the reasons not to do something. Ottawa has changed a lot in the past 25 years. Thanks to world-beating companies like Shopify, there are fewer of the questions we faced when the Ottawa Business Journal was young and the Forty Under 40 was a wild and crazy idea. We know there’s a thriving private-sector economy in the nation’s capital. We know we can support professional sports teams and major arts events. And we know there are amazing young people who will lead our community into the future. Congratulations to all the recipients, past and present. And thanks for a quartercentury of great memories.

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Mark Sutcliffe is a co-founder of the Ottawa Business Journal and a chair with TEC Canada.

SUMMER 2022

hen I first proposed the idea of launching a Forty Under 40 program in Ottawa, I was borrowing a concept that had been successful in other North American cities. But, at the time, few people believed Ottawa was a hotbed of young entrepreneurial talent. One person asked me, “Are you sure you can find that many worthy recipients?” Another looked puzzled. “You mean you’re going to pick 40 different people every year?” Now, a quarter of a century later, we’ve honoured not just 40, but 1,000 young entrepreneurs and leaders. Year after year, we’ve selected the best and the brightest, the most innovative and communityminded, the sharpest and most promising. To be honest, it wasn’t always easy. In the early days, before the award was widely known, we searched actively for candidates, encouraging people to put their names forward. But we always found a rich and diverse group of young entrepreneurs and executives who were doing exciting and innovative things in our city. That first year, we profiled the recipients in a special issue of the newspaper. Soon, we were holding a gala dinner to honour the recipients. At the first live event, television host Mike Bullard was the master of ceremonies and Rod Bryden the keynote speaker. I remember him speaking flawlessly and without notes about the journey of the entrepreneur.

One of my early goals was to showcase the strength and depth of our business community. I grew up in a family of public servants, but for some reason I chose a career in the private sector. I was always a bit annoyed when people outside Ottawa assumed the city consisted entirely of civil servants. So, with the Ottawa Business Journal, the Forty Under 40 and eventually

OFFICE REDESIGN

The new Minto office design focuses on culture, creativity and collaboration, and also includes some technical wizardry, such as the mural (above) that doubles as a whiteboard. PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS.

How Minto built a workplace people want to come back to Complete redesign by Ottawa-based real estate company introduces new floorplans, technologies, interactive spaces for hybrid workforce

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

SUMMER 2022

caroline@obj.ca

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fter two years of working remotely, employees of The Minto Group are now headed back to the world of water coolers. What awaits them, though, is a brand new office oasis filled with plants, singing birds and a touchless environment that promotes physical distancing and capacity control while breaking down silos and fostering collaboration. Once it became clear that the pandemic had changed the traditional workplace forever, the Canadian real estate company

started reimagining, as early as November 2020, what its drab downtown Ottawa office space could look like for the future hybrid workplace. Bye-bye cramped cubicles. “We wanted to really make a statement about who we are as a company,” said Michael Waters, CEO of The Minto Group, of the complete office makeover. “If we’re inviting people back, we’re not inviting them back to the same old, same old. We’re making that commitment to them and putting our money where our mouth is.” Minto started its renovations in early July 2021, working through COVID-19, supply-chain disruptions, logistical

challenges and the Freedom Convoy street closures, before reaching substantial completion March 18. Minto, which builds homes and manages multi-residential and commercial properties across the country, as well as in South Carolina and Florida, is based in Ottawa. Its headquarters are at 180 Kent St. in the Minto Place building. Leading the Ottawa office renovation has been JP St-Amand, director of commercial operations at Minto, with a team of his colleagues. Being project manager was like conducting an orchestra, said St-Amand of working with designers,

engineers, contractors, furniture suppliers, painters, signage vendors and others. “It’s like I had all these musicians and they were all excellent at what they do, but bringing 42 different vendors together and trying to have them all play the same tune at the same time was a challenge.” The completely remodeled office space is inspired by Minto’s eco-friendly tree logo. Particularly striking are the 2,500 plants located throughout the two floors. Of that total, 1,100 can be found on the bio wall — also known as the living wall — located at the office entrance. The calming feature is the work of Vancouver-based GSky Plant Systems. The town hall meeting area, which resembles a leafy living room, feels like a sanctuary with its soothing sounds of songbirds. None of the noise carries far due to the installation of stylish ceiling barriers and hanging acoustic panels. Minto’s new office promotes health, wellness, diversity and inclusion. It has designated a private room for yoga, meditation and Muslim religious prayer (equipped with a foot bath). There’s also a separate room for working moms to keep up with their breast milk pumping. As well, the company has added a gender-neutral washroom, on top of its accessible bathroom. Work is still being completed on the 6,300-square-foot outdoor terrace, where staff will be able to gather, hold BBQs and play bocce. “Speaking for myself, it’s a much more

JP St-Amand, project manager of the redesign, flanked by Minto’s Anne Murphy (left) and JoAnn Taylor; Michael Waters, CEO of The Minto Group, and the “living wall.” PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS.

energizing environment,” said Waters. “Suffice to say, we definitely spent more than we originally conceived in the budget, but like every reno, whether you’re renovating a bathroom or a kitchen, you go in with an idea, more ideas come and you start thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if …?’” Staff are returning to much wider hallways and fewer desks that are better spaced out. There’s touchless tech, motion sensors, improved air circulation and UV-light sanitization. On the topic of health and safety, Minto has added a dedicated first aid room. Minto has reduced its total office

footprint in Ottawa from 60,000 square feet to 46,000 square feet, recognizing many of its 300-plus employees at Minto’s 180 Kent Street now have flexible work arrangements. The new space accommodates 85 assigned desks and 119 bookable workstations. “So many of our staff tell us that they love the freedom and flexibility of working remotely, at least some days of the week,” said Waters. Minto has increased its number of boardrooms from 12 to 26, of various sizes. The state-of-the-art spaces are all equipped for video conferencing.

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It’s also added small, quiet areas — including a half-dozen soundproof phone booths — along with rooms conducive to brainstorming sessions. The stunning wallsized landscape of a misty BC evergreen forest isn’t just art; it also doubles as a whiteboard. Minto wanted to create a workplace that could bring people together and focus on culture, collaboration and creativity, said Waters. “JP and the team did, I think, a fantastic job reimagining the space with the thinking of the three Cs in mind.” The new office has been well received

by employees, said JoAnn Taylor, vicepresident of human resources for The Minto Group. “People are loving it because they have the best of both worlds. “We do invest in our employees. The fact that we spent the time, money and effort to redesign the workspace, to make it a better place to come and celebrate and work together, people have been excited and appreciative of everything the company has been doing.” Minto used Calgary-based prefab construction firm DIRTT for the timber frame that adds warmth to the office design. It worked with four different furniture vendors to promote Canadian products as much as possible, said St-Amand. “From a logistics standpoint, if it’s in Canada, we know we can get it here. The only thing we couldn’t get in Canada was the carpet. It sat for several weeks in a port in Belgium because they had a shortage in shipping containers.” Minto’s new office also pays a respectful nod to the company’s nearly 70-year history. It was founded in Ottawa in 1955 by brothers Gilbert, Irving, Lorry and Louis Greenberg. In fact, there’s furniture from the 1950’s on display in the vintage-styled room that’s appropriately called The Roots.

PROFILE

From Guyana to Montreal to Ottawa, life hasn’t always been easy or straightforward for Lenz Studio co-owner Weggon Allen. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON.

Life as an entrepreneur has brought Weggon Allen’s skills into sharp focus SUMMER 2022

BY KEVIN BOURNE

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news@obj.ca

t’s been a long journey for local entrepreneur Weggon Allen. Today, he is the proud co-owner of Lenz Studio, one of Ottawa’s premiere photo and video studios, but many years ago his life was like something out of a Hollywood movie. Born in Guyana, Allen’s first experience with entrepreneurship came at just five years old. After seeing his mother, an

entrepreneur and tradesperson, sell homemade food, he started his own business selling candy, Kool-Aid and his mother’s food to earn extra money. His life would change in 1987 when he immigrated to Canada with his mom and brother at 14 years old. First settling in Montreal, he was bullied at school and begged his parents to move somewhere else. A year later they moved to Ottawa. “Moving to Ottawa was a lifesaver because the culture shock in Montreal was

real,” Allen recalls. “I would have lost my mind there if we stayed.” Adding to the difficult transition was his strained relationship with his father, whom he had only met once before. To escape the pressures he was facing, Allen left home and dropped out of school, sleeping wherever he could. But it was at Ottawa Technical High School that he met two friends who would change the course of his life for years to come. One friend had brothers with connections

to crime who would introduce Allen to the ways of the streets. The other schoolmate would take Allen down a completely different path: music. This friend owned turntables that the friends would use to hone their craft as rappers and dancers. Allen’s love for music and the streets converged when he co-founded the rap group Clarence Gruff. It was also at this time that his knack for entrepreneurship re-emerged. Aside from having a music video on rotation at MuchMusic with the single “Mystery Unsolved” (a rare feat for an Ottawa act at the time), Clarence Gruff was the first Canadian group to self-fund its own music videos instead of seeking funding from VideoFacts. The group also

owned a recording studio and worked with a number of notable Canadian acts, including K-OS and multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning rapper, songwriter and producer BELLY. But just when the members of Clarence Gruff were about to sign a major recording deal with Laface Records in New York, their lives in the streets caught up to them. Sitting in a holding cell behind bars, Allen decided to change his life. Although he put his friends and music behind him, his true about-face would come while volunteering at the Salvation Army. One day while sorting donations, something that would change his life fell down the chute: a poem. It was the final push Allen needed to set him on the right path. “After reading Charles Swindell’s poem ‘Attitude’, I realized that changes are necessary for growth and, in that moment, I got the paradigm shift that would change my life for good,” he explains. In 2000, Allen was invited to become a partner at the upstart hip-hop media platform HipHopCanada, which would become one of Canada’s premiere hip-hop music media outlets. However, after a difference in opinion over the direction of

the company, he would move on. His next venture would come while working at Costco after overhearing a man talking about needing business cards. He offered to design the cards for the man, even though he had no design experience. After teaching himself to use design software, Allen delivered his product to a happy customer. Out of this transaction he founded the print company that eventually became known as Ottawa Print Hub, which would go on to serve some of the biggest companies in the capital, including Bayshore Shopping Centre, Absolute Comedy, Tanger Outlets, Adidas and Booster Juice. But eventually the rigours of the printing business would take their toll on him. “I became a slave to my business. In order to ensure a high level of quality control, I had to be hands-on with every client,” Allen recalls. Meanwhile, Allen’s former partner Neville Francis had opened a new photography studio called Lenz Studio. Seeing that the world was going digital, Allen joined and started getting into video. When Francis was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, Allen took over the daily operation

of the studio and when Francis passed away during the pandemic, Allen inherited the equipment but the space closed. But all wasn’t lost. He then partnered with local photographer and film director Fitch Jean, with whom he had produced a few short films, to reopen Lenz in August 2020 at a new location in the Hunt Club West Business Park. Together, the duo, along with new partner Jelan Maxwell, is slowly building a budding film industry empire with Lenz Studio, Lenz Films and Lenz Creatives, with no signs of stopping. “It’s a very exciting time in the film industry in Ottawa,” Allen explains. “The new film commissioner is going to bring new energy to the city and we’re still optimistic that a soundstage is on the way. We want to position ourselves to serve this growing industry and to be one of the players that helps to support its growth.” In 2019, they launched an education platform called Unilearnal. Their 28 Moments of Canadian Black History educational content is currently being used by 40 schools across Canada, as well as by the private sector. This summer they are launching an experiential learning program for BIPOC youth to teach digital

content creation through filmmaking. Students will create a commercial for a charitable organization. Their latest venture is Lenz Rental, a film production equipment rental service, where they aim to bring the latest in Hollywood film equipment to the capital and surrounding areas in anticipation of the new soundstage. The pair raised an initial round of funding from family and a second round from investors, valuing the company at $3.5 million. They took possession of the new Lenz Rental space in November, just around the corner from the photography and video studio, and have been busy doing repairs. “The bigger picture is for Lenz Studio to have a soundstage where creators can come and create movies or anything they want,” Allen explains. “We’re starting small, but our aspiration is to have something like what Tyler Perry has developed in Atlanta. For Lenz Rental, we see ourselves having rental studios across Canada.” From the streets of Ottawa to the Hunt Club West Business Park, Allen has learned a lot, but it all boils down to one lesson. “Believe in yourself and don’t let little things stop you from achieving your goals.”

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Real estate Broker Danny Dawson ‘building’ a legacy – on both sides of the river

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As Ottawa’s housing market continues to break records, local Broker Danny Dawson has hit a number of his own real estate milestones that are worth celebrating. After having discovered his love of real estate and real estate investing at a fairly young age – purchasing his first home at the age of 20 – Dawson’s career has been on a steady growth trajectory. Earlier this year, Dawson was named one of Royal LePage’s Top 35 Under 35, a national award recognizing the firm’s highest-performing young professionals in the industry. In a similar vein, Dawson also received a Red Diamond Award, which recognizes the top two per cent of Royal LePage Realtors nationally for the sales year. While honoured by the recognition, Dawson says it’s not the accolades that drive him, but his passion for the industry that pushes him to think bigger. “When I first started out, I went to the office every day at 7 a.m., committed to making calls and growing my business,” he says. “Slowly, it all fell into place, but there’s always room to grow.” Today, Dawson works with an expanding team, committed to helping clients navigate the buying and selling process of residential and commercial properties – on both sides of the Ottawa River. In 2021, Dawson acquired his Quebec real estate license, a move he says “was one the biggest jumps” in his career. As a dual-licensed Broker in Ontario and Quebec – a rarity in the real estate world – Dawson says he has a fresh perspective on the market that allows him to offer an unbiased opinion to clients. “At the Dawson Team, we see no provincial border,” says Dawson. “Being an interprovincial Realtor, my team and I are able to service any client that comes our way and guide them through the challenges or fears they may have while relocating.”

(Clockwise from above) Broker Danny Dawson (middle) with his local team. 209 Old Chelsea, Residential and Commercial property in the heart of Old Chelsea village with a double lot. $1.5M. 185 Laurier, unit 1902. Gatineau’s most exclusive penthouse with wrap around balcony, 1,000sqft private terrace. $1.75M

An eye to the future Working in both provinces has also given Dawson a leg-up in the luxury sales market – an area he is eager to pursue. Currently, he has several million-dollarplus listings on the market, including Gatineau’s most exclusive penthouse featuring views of the Ottawa River, Parliament Buildings and the Gatineau Hills, as well as a rare residential/commercial zoned property in the heart of Old Chelsea village. To further broaden his real estate portfolio, Dawson is partnering with a highend custom home builder to develop multimillion-dollar estates on undeveloped lots, with construction slated to begin in 2022. “It’s an interesting business proposition that we don’t see often,” says Dawson.

“The landowner gets more by selling a lot with a home on it, the homebuilder gains an exclusive contract and my team offers that market expertise to help make the sales.” Over the last seven years, Dawson has also become an expert on real estate investing and has proven results converting his own properties into multi-unit investments, using the BRRR (buy-renovate-rent-refinace) strategy to help him grow his personal portfolio – skills he also uses to help clients make informed decisions. As Dawson continues to reach new levels of success in his career – whether through selling homes or his own real estate investment properties – he looks at every experience as an opportunity to hone his craft and learn lessons that help him provide top-tier service to his clients.

TRANSPORTATION

Ottawa’s airport regains altitude as signals point to recovery BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

ttawa’s airport is slowly ascending from a pit of red ink but officials say it “will take some time” for the facility to rebuild its route network and return to full capacity. Ottawa International Airport Authority CEO Mark Laroche urged residents to book tickets if they want to convince airlines to add more routes to the nation’s capital. “We are not satisfied being a feeder to a large hub airport for decades to come,” he said during the annual general meeting. Laroche told the virtual gathering he sees plenty to be encouraged about

as more carriers add Ottawa to their itineraries or re-establish routes that were suspended earlier in the pandemic. Still, Laroche said the airport continues to navigate an uncertain path to the future as key employers like the federal government grapple with what the return to the office will look like. “We cannot disregard the impact these changes (such as hybrid work environments) could have on market demand at YOW,” he said. More than 100 flights a day currently serve Ottawa’s terminal, compared with fewer than 20 at this point a year ago. The airport has already welcomed more

than double the number of international passengers in 2022 than it did last year. The airport CEO noted that many airlines rely on subsidies from various levels of government and local economic development agencies to make certain routes financially viable. “Unfortunately, we do not have access to these types of incentives provided by other levels of government,” Laroche said. He said the airport is floating a plan to partner with the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Tourism to create an “air service development fund” aimed at enticing airlines to add more routes to the capital. While the airport authority paused most

major capital projects last year, work at the terminal is now heating up. Construction has begun on a new taxiway and Laroche said work on the revamped concessions area will start this summer. Meanwhile, he said the airport station on the LRT’s north-south Trillium Line should be completed this spring. However, it will be a while before the new station handles any passengers. The city has said the light-rail extension likely won’t be finished until next summer. Laroche also said Group Germain remains committed to building a 180-room hotel under the Alt banner that will be connected to the airport terminal.

SUMMER 2022

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BRIGHT SIDE OF BUSINESS The Bright Side of Business is an editorial feature focused on sharing positive stories of business success. The column is presented by Star Motors, Ottawa’s original MercedesBenz, Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes Van dealer.

Former Air Force officer helps young Inuit women celebrate their own success BY NICKIE SHOBEIRY news@obj.ca

hen Catherine Priestman makes up her mind to do something, she does it, no holds barred. After serving in the military for 12 years as an Air Force logistics officer, Priestman retired at the age of 29 to start her own consulting company. Before long, that consulting company morphed into a marketing company, CP Business Solutions Inc., now celebrating a decade since its official incorporation. Business got a little bumpy with COVID, but, mid-way through the pandemic, Priestman and her team won a contract to supply the territory of Nunavut with 20,000 medical-grade thermometers. While it was a win for her business, it also meant something more to Priestman, who went to high school in Yellowknife. “I have very tight ties to the North,” she says. “Once you’ve experienced it, it sort of gets into your soul.” With her business thriving, Priestman was able to give back to others. “That’s what fuels me,” she says. Using some of that fuel, Priestman

Catherine Priestman started the CP Qulliq Bursary for young Inuit women. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

launched the Elizabeth Priestman Bursary in 2020 to recognize young Canadian women who are creating a positive impact in their community. The bursary is named after Priestman’s mother, a teacher and champion of women who is “still alive and makes sure I point that out every time I talk about this,” Priestman jokes. “I wanted to recognize her efforts and continue to give to other generations,” she adds. Through the bursary, Priestman and her

team have already supported three young women with $1,000 each for things like tuition or buying a new laptop.

THREE MAIN CRITERIA But, while the bursary got applications from coast to coast, there were no applications from the North. So Priestman launched the CP Qulliq Bursary for Inuit women graduating high school. To ensure the bursary was effective

and culturally sensitive, Priestman’s team set up a separate evaluation and advisory panel. The CP Qulliq Bursary isn’t based on academic or sports achievements. “We’re not looking for the person who has the highest marks or who can jump the highest or who can run the fastest,” Priestman says. “The people who will come out as the eventual recipients are the ones who give back to the community, who make a difference for other people in their lives.” There are three criteria that Priestman asks for: recipients must thank someone who helped shape them into who they are today; pay it forward; and celebrate themselves. “I feel like young women often forget to celebrate the actual accomplishments that they have made as individuals,” Priestman says. Since bursary applications can often be arduous and full of barriers, Priestman says that recipients don’t need to report back on any of the criteria or how they plan to spend the money. Supplemented by donors, the bursary budget is between $500 to $3,000. One donor is Mandy Gosewich, owner of Stunning!, a fashion store in the ByWard Market. The first time Priestman met Gosewich, “I was probably (in the store) for three hours, talking about our lives, buying fabulous clothing,” she says. At the end, Gosewich wrote Priestman a cheque for $1,000. “She said, ‘I’ve never met you before but I can tell that you’re making a difference and I want to help you do that’,” Priestman recalls. She says that businesses have a responsibility to give back where they can. “It doesn’t have to cost you money,” Priestman says. “If you can weave it right into the fabric of your business, that’s where it’s really successful.”

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WELCH LLP OTTAWA BUSINESS GROWTH SURVEY

Uncertainty and opportunity lie ahead for Ottawa’s business community Now is the moment to reimagine the city’s future, leaders argue

guarded optimism permeates this year’s results from The Welch LLP Ottawa Business Growth Survey, as local businesses leave the darkest days of the pandemic behind and grapple with skyrocketing inflation, tight labour markets and uncertainty around the future of the downtown core and the outcome of a fall municipal election. Jim McConnery, managing partner at Welch LLP, says that if anything is for certain, it’s that the pre-pandemic status quo is no longer an acceptable operating model. “The business community and organizations in general probably have the confidence that we’ve adapted and we’re operating relatively effectively,” he comments. “Maybe it’s the case that … adaptability and resilience have become almost a core feature of operating effectively in the current business environment.” Survey results show that just over half of respondents saw revenues and net income rise in the past year, while 57 per cent expect the market for their business to improve over the coming year, the most optimistic result since the survey started in 2015. The overall business confidence index rose from the doldrums of 2020 to surpass what it was in 2019, driven by gains in consulting and the hard-hit hospitality and retail sectors.

At the same time, 23 per cent of respondents who completed the survey say their confidence in the local economy has increased. While this is the strongest result since 2017, it perhaps reflects challenges around cost containment and hiring and retaining staff.

Visit www.ottawabusinesssurveyreport.ca to download your copy.

THE BUSINESS CONFIDENCE INDEX 150

120

125

119

114

125

122 103

124

117

122

60 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

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SECTOR SCORE: CONSULTING 136 (+23) / TECHNOLOGY 129 (+2) / HOSPITALITY 118 (+38) CONSTRUCTION 125 (+1) / RETAIL 110 (+20) The business confidence index is a composite calculation based on the responses to several of the questions contained in the Welch LLP Ottawa Business Growth Survey. The scale ranges from zero to 200, with a score of 100 representing a neutral position. A score higher than 100 is positive, while a score lower than 100 is negative.

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EXPERTISE YOU CAN COUNT ON W E LC H L L P. C O M

Read the report

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RETAIL

Optimism reigns for end to Little Italy ‘food desert’ status BY MIA JENSEN news@obj.ca

SUMMER 2022

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hen the now-defunct Canadian supermarket chain Loeb closed its Booth Street location in 2006, Ottawa’s Little Italy neighbourhood was left without a grocery store. Sixteen years later, that gap still remains, raising concerns among city officials and advocates, who’ve taken to labelling the area a “food desert.” Despite a decade and a half with no progress, local representatives see an end in sight for residents hungry for accessible, affordable groceries. Little Italy residents currently rely on dozens of mom-and-pop delis, bakeries

and specialty retailers, according to Lindsay Childerhose, executive director of the Preston Street BIA, which represents businesses in the area. But with rapid residential expansion, including more than 7,000 rental and condo units either built or planned in the area, these small businesses can’t keep up with demand. “We have so much development happening in Little Italy in the next five years,” she said. “We’ve got the Claridge development, the Icon tower, the SoHo and Gladstone Village developments. And the concern really is that there’s no brandname grocer in the area to service the influx of new residents that we’re going to see in the next five years.” The term “food desert” commonly

refers to inner-city areas without walkable access to affordable, high-quality fresh food. According to the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, only 15 per cent of residents in West Centretown, where Little Italy is located, are within a 15-minute walk of the nearest supermarket. That number could change as the population grows. But the expanding residential population may actually solve one of the challenges Little Italy has faced attracting big-name grocers, according to Dave Massine, owner of Loblaw franchise Massine’s Your Independent Grocer on Bank Street. “You look at areas like Carleton Place and Barrhaven, where there is exponential residential growth every year, there are a lot of new grocery competitors opening up,” he said. “In Centretown, there (has been) considerably less residential growth.” The influx in residents, Massine said, may make the area more attractive. But other challenges have kept grocers away, including a lack of retail-zone space, which isn’t readily available in the densely constructed neighbourhood. “You think about everything that would go into creating a 40,000- or 50,000-squarefoot retail space in Centretown, there’s not a lot of spots where you’d pop something like that,” said Massine. One space, however, has garnered plenty of attention: a parking lot at 450 Rochester St., bordered by Preston, Aberdeen, Beech and Booth streets, just a few blocks from the Carling LRT station. The site is the location of a proposed project by developer Arnon Corporation. The two-phase project would include more than 500 housing units and 46,000 square feet of retail space, including a 25,000-square-foot grocery store. The project received easy approval from the city’s planning committee in 2020, but since then, details about the project’s progress have not been forthcoming. Arnon president Gillie Vered said the company’s work on the development is ongoing. “The project continues to move steadily forward, though the timeline is not

definitive,” Vered said in an email in early April. “Arnon is continuing its analysis, market studies and design process.” Vered confirmed that the company was in talks with several grocery retailers, though he did not provide further details. Despite the apparent stall, the development provides some optimism that a name-brand grocery store could be on the horizon for Little Italy. Still, back at the BIA, Childerhose says questions about the project remain. “We’ve heard about a few different prospects, and with those prospects comes concern from residents that whatever the new supermarket is, it will be aimed at a higher-income family bracket, whether it’s a Whole Foods or a Farm Boy,” she said. “We would really like to see new grocers in the area that are accessible and affordable for all residents.” While the neighbourhood awaits updates from Arnon, progress is being made elsewhere.

SIGNIFICANT IMPACT At the end of 2021, what Childerhose calls Little Italy’s “first full-service grocery store” opened at 215 Preston St. Mercato Zacconi, a locally owned Italian market, has already had a significant impact on the neighbourhood’s grocery needs. The store occupies about 60 per cent of the space at Sala San Marco, a banquet and events hall. Owner Tony Zacconi said it was the pandemic that prompted him to venture into the grocery industry. “When COVID hit, it basically decimated the whole hospitality industry,” he said. “So, I figured, I got a big space over here and I’ve got to do something with it.” Zacconi, who is also vice-chair of the Preston Street BIA, said the project came with a steep learning curve and a massive price tag. New equipment alone cost over $1 million. And, as with most grocers, supply chain disruptions and inflation have posed challenges. “Some stuff isn’t available and sometimes prices are through the roof,” Zacconi said. “It’s almost not worth it sometimes, when a head of lettuce costs five dollars.” Mercato Zacconi doesn’t have much competition right now, but Zacconi isn’t too concerned about how a name-brand grocer in the area would affect his business. In fact, he said he hopes to see one soon. “I think there’s room in the market,” he said. “This is a whole different experience. It’s more than just a grocery store.”

CORPORATE SERVICES

Ingenium museums cater to office-shrinking companies with new corporate program BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

ngenium, the Crown corporation that oversees three national museums in Ottawa related to science and innovation, doesn’t need a time machine to see the future of the workplace. “A lot of businesses have reduced their footprint,” said Darcy Ferron, vicepresident of business development for Ingenium’s Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. That’s where Ingenium comes in. It’s launched a new corporate memberships program aimed at companies looking for

physical space in which to bring employees together. “We’re able to offer them an alternative, to use our spaces for these types of purposes,” said Ferron. Corporate partners are given access to the museums’ spaces to hold collaborative meetings, off-site retreats, team-building sessions or industry conferences. As well, the program aims to foster employee wellness and appreciation through such perks as free passes and family membership discounts to the museums. Ingenium is the first cultural institution in the National Capital Region to offer a corporate memberships program, said Ferron, who’s aware of similar programs

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co-founder and chief operating officer in October 2020. Wise said he was “definitely intrigued” when he first learned about Ingenium’s program, recognizing that it could help Kahi attract, hire and retain talented people in a competitive job market. The startup, which currently has about 10 employees, is growing, he said. All but one member of the team live in Ottawa. “It’s not worth investing in the space to go and build boardrooms and things like that from the past because we’re not expecting people to come in for just rudimentary meetings,” Wise said. “But for anything that’s a little more collaborative, where you really want ‘all hands in’, this is really an enticing option.”

2022

SUMMER 2022

A celebration of aesthetically beautiful, functional and healthy workspaces across the National Capital Region.

offered by museums in other Canadian cities. “When you think about it, it’s a pretty affordable option,” said Ferron of Ingenium’s $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 annual packages. The available auditoriums, halls and other spaces are surrounded by unique settings, from live farm animals and iconic aircraft to steam engines that once ruled the railways. The museums also have “a huge advantage” by being able to offer onsite catering through The Urban Element, Ferron added. Chris Wise is co-founder and former CTO of fast-growing technology startup Fullscript. These days, he’s busy revving up a new startup, Kahi Inc., that he joined as

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— SPONSORED CONTENT —

Meet the Ottawa firm modernizing defence intelligence missions worldwide

SUMMER 2022

When CEO Samuel Witherspoon founded IMRSV Data Labs eight years ago, he never imagined he would one day be building technology suited for the defence sector. As a bootstrapped startup, IMRSV started out in the legal industry, designing an AIdriven platform that helped handle information lifecycle management and analysis within law firms. But that would soon change. After reexamining the company’s mission and market realities, IMRSV soon recalibrated toward the defence and public safety space and hasn’t looked back.

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Unifying and accelerating the defence intelligence lifecycle Today, the 30-person team is expanding, landing major deals as a prime contractor with several large defence organizations in Canada and the U.S. That’s largely because IMRSV’s main platform, Anvil Suite, fills a previously unmet need in the defence industry: a single platform enabling the entire intelligence cycle from planning and tasking through data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination. Because these activities are

all managed within a single platform, critical metadata such as original intelligence requirements, origin and restrictions of content flow seamlessly through workflows, providing greater transparency, confidence in data, and accountability to decisionmakers at all levels. IMRSV’s AI-enabled platform, Anvil Suite, accelerates the data transformation and enrichment processes during military operations, enabling analysts and operators to efficiently parse through critical-mission content, including geospatial data, narrative text, structured data, multimedia (audio, imagery, video), and sensor data. With products such as Anvil Crucible — the core collection, case management and intelligence production toolkit — and Anvil Speech — an Android-based voice-to-voice translation solution supporting several languages and dialects — IMRSV’s technology can seamlessly integrate with existing vendor systems due to its open architecture design, making it immensely valuable for real-time intelligencegathering activities and faster deployment. “A human out in the field

IMRSV CEO Samuel Witherspoon and CFO Bennett Brown.

is like a giant sensor walking around,” he explains. “They’re collecting huge amounts of data.” But because of security concerns, not to mention the chaotic, adversarial and dangerous environments defence and intelligence personnel operate in, external network connectivity may not be possible for weeks or months at a time, often leading to orphaned data fragments. That’s why IMRSV deploys Anvil to the edge — even with no connectivity available — so the collection and analysis work can happen wherever its users are. Once users return to base and connectivity is reestablished, Anvil automatically syncs any collected data with the main Anvil “Armoury,” ensuring the preservation, chain of custody and digital evidence management is maintained for all acquired assets. “The goal is to reduce the cognitive burden for all users, so they’re using their mental capacity on more important things, not on moving files around or trying to identify the latest version of a document,” he explains. “It turns intelligence gathering

and analysis into an seamlessly automated pipeline.” Rock-solid data stewardship, even in challenging environments Anvil also ensures that robust metadata is associated with all information collected. This metadata allows defence organizations to locate, understand, and make accurate inferences about their data, while combatting the growing concerns of data supply chain corruption, and intentional data sabotage. Witherspoon says this makes Anvil a unique offering within a defence industry that typically has to cobble together several different products to achieve anything close to the same results. Indeed, IMRSV’s technology has real-world implications in situations where seconds count and lives hang in the balance. ”We designed the Anvil Suite to improve the speed, efficiency and confidence of all processes in the intelligence lifecycle,” he says. “Through the platform we’re trying to do our small part to support the safety and security of Canada and its allies at home and abroad.”

DEFENCE & SECURITY

Cydef arms the little guy in the fight against cyber-crime BY DAVID SALI

david@obj.ca

Paul Hindo, well-known local businessman, launched cybersecurity firm Cydef in 2017

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trailblazer DNA Genotek – listened to de Jesus dissect cyber-tech, the more he liked what he heard. “So I said to him, ‘Look, if you’re that smart, how come you don’t have a company?’” Hindo says, recalling that day six years ago. “He goes, ‘I don’t have money.’ I said, ‘Oh. Money, you don’t have to worry about. We have money. If you have a good idea, we can always commercialize it.’ That’s where the relationship started.” That blind business date blossomed into a flourishing collaboration. Hindo immediately focused on helping de Jesus build a better mousetrap, as it were, in the cybersecurity space. After spending about a year getting the

– saving time and money for clients. Because the basic structure of most software applications is the same no matter who’s using them, Rainville explains, the same approach can be applied to all customers no matter what business they’re in or what they use the applications for. “I can apply the same logic, the same reasoning, to all of the apps in all of my customers,” he says. Cydef provides a dashboard that shows its clients exactly what’s going on with all their applications in real time, flagging potential threats and categorizing them so companies can determine whether a threat needs to be addressed immediately – a widespread malware attack, for example – or whether it’s more innocent, such as an employee inadvertently downloading a virus along with a pirated video game. The Ottawa company is now monitoring more than 10,000 separate devices across the country. Cydef lets customers try its software for free for a month and Hindo says it usually doesn’t take long for those trial runs to prove the system is worth the price of a paid subscription. “In 90 per cent of cases, we find something within the hour that’s been lurking in (customers’) stuff,” he says. Hindo says the firm is on pace to crack the $1-million mark in annual recurring revenues in 2022 and is on a trajectory to generate triple that amount next year as it continues to expand its global footprint. Cydef recently signed deals with distributors in Africa and the Phillipines and is gaining traction in other international markets such as the United Arab Emirates, he adds. “Sometimes Canadian companies have to go outside the country to prove themselves before they come back and say, ‘We’re good,’” Hindo notes with a smile. “We really feel there’s going to be a huge opportunity for us over there.” Up until now, the former vice-president of real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield’s Ottawa office has funded the venture mostly out of his own pocket, with help from friends and family as well as a few well-heeled angel investors. Hindo says another “strategic investor” will soon be topping up Cydef’s coffers as the company pushes closer to its target of being cash-flow positive by the end of next year. “We will grow exponentially – I have no doubt,” Hindo says. “I hope that we can build (Cydef) into an institution that will become one of the biggest names in Ottawa, just like a Shopify. Who knows?”

SUMMER 2022

aul Hindo would probably be the first guy to admit he’s no cybersecurity guru, but he didn’t need a PhD in quantum physics to know that the expert he met at a lunch meeting back in 2016 might hold the key to an industry-leading technology. A serial entrepreneur and well-known Ottawa real estate executive, Hindo had recently invested in a local cyber-defence company and wanted to do more due diligence before pouring additional money into the firm. An industry contact recommended he talk to Tiago de Jesus, a McGill University-educated quantum physicist who was then heading up the National Energy Infrastructure Test Centre at Natural Resources Canada. Over lunch, de Jesus informed Hindo that the technology of the cybersecurity company in question was “nothing more than smoke and mirrors.” The more that Hindo – the founding chair of Kanata-based life sciences

technology ready for market, Hindo and de Jesus launched cybersecurity company Cydef in 2017. Today, the firm has grown to 20 employees and is closing in on 100 customers. Most are small and mediumsized enterprises from an eclectic mix of industries and verticals that includes law firms and other professional service providers, as well as non-profit organizations such as the North Bay Police Service and Saskatoon Public Schools. “A lot of them have a false sense of security and say, ‘I’m a small business – why would I be a target (for cyber attacks)?’” Hindo explains. “You end up doing a lot of awareness.” According to Hindo, their message is resonating with a growing number of customers. The global cybersecurity market is massive – estimates peg its current value at anywhere from US$150 billion to more than US$200 billion annually – but Hindo says most of the big players ignore the smaller businesses that are the lifeblood of the Canadian economy in favour of the “big whales.” Cydef, by contrast, intentionally targets SMEs. While that might not seem like the best path to becoming a billion-dollar unicorn, Cydef’s leadership group believes it’s a strategy that will pay off in the long run. “Obviously, you get one customer with 50,000 licences or 100,000 licences, that changes the game for an organization like us,” Hindo says. “But being able to sell to a five-, 10-, 25-person organization, that’s the bread and butter of Canadian business. If you can serve those effectively … it does become very interesting.” Still, even when you’re in an industry whose products have gone from a nice-tohave to a must-have practically overnight, it can be hard to stand out from the pack. “We’re in a crowded space,” concedes Cydef chief executive Steve Rainville, who joined the firm nearly three years ago after serving in senior consulting and managerial roles at IBM, Deloitte, Rona and CGI. Still, Rainville and his team of engineers feel like they’ve devised the secret recipe for success in the ultra-competitive field of cybersecurity: proprietary software that uses machine learning to determine what’s considered “normal” activity on a variety of applications, from Excel to Zoom. Once that baseline of non-threatening software behaviour has been established, Cydef’s tech can bypass data it already knows isn’t harmful and zero in on identifying anomalies and neutralizing potential threats

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Personalized learning is on the horizon for Canada’s Air Force

SUMMER 2022

Two Canadian companies join forces to make it happen

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You may not know about Canada’s stellar reputation for military training around the world, but veteran Canadian fighter pilot Bill Ryan does. “In UN operations, everybody wants a Canadian,” Ryan said in a recent interview on the Canadian Defense Review podcast. “We don’t just teach people how to do something. We teach them how to think and make decisions.” Ryan is also deputy general manager at SkyAlyne, a partnership forged in 2018 between two Canadian companies ready to train the next generation of Canadian pilots and aircrew. CAE (founded in 1947 as Canadian Aviation Electronics, Ltd) is a worldwide leader in high-tech training and simulation and as a turnkey training system integrator. KF Aerospace (Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd, founded in 1970) is Canada’s largest maintenance repair and overhaul provider with extensive experience in airworthiness and in-service support. Both CAE and KF Aerospace are already training the RCAF through two separate programs. SkyAlyne combines their considerable experience and capabilities for Canada’s next generation aircrew training program.

It’s easy to see why SkyAlyne was the only truly Canadian applicant shortlisted for FAcT: the Future Aircrew Training Program. The partnership brings together a robust Canadian community that can arguably provide some of the best military training in the world. Getting personal with the Royal Canadian Air Force Revolutionizing the way Canada’s next generation of pilots will train is where CAE’s technology comes in. “Personalized learning is our mission,” said Philippe Perey, CAE’s head of technology, defense & security. Traditionally, pilot instructors taught in a classroom while students passively listened. CAE’s tech flips that model on its head, figuratively putting students in the ‘cockpit’ of their own training from day one. Mobile and virtual reality devices deliver materials to students directly so they can learn independently. Meanwhile, sophisticated data analytics track their progress, providing AI-based feedback on their performance. And students can still ask for the instructor’s help when they need it. The data also enables continuous quality improvement

We don’t just teach people how to do something. We teach them how to think and make decisions. by evaluating the program. “If everybody’s failing question 37, maybe it’s not their fault. Maybe it’s how that training was developed,” said Perey. The benefits are clear. Personalized learning creates engaged trainees, reduces the time and cost of moving them through the program, and reduces overall washout rates. “If a student fails at the last mile, it’s literally millions of dollars that’s wasted,” said Perey. This is precisely what the federal government wants. “Canada is very clear they don’t want a static program that stays the same from day one to 25 years later,” said SkyAlyne’s capture manager Abir Kazan. A home-grown solution for Canadians, by Canadians “We want what’s best for the Canadian Air Force,” said Kazan.

“It’s close to our heart.” That’s why SkyAlyne offers more than just cutting-edge tech. They’re committed to diversity. Reaching out to Indigenous communities in Canada is a critical part of their recruitment and partnering efforts. They’re also protecting Canadian investments. “We reap the benefits of what the Canadian government is investing in us for research and development and can now deliver on a Canadian program,” Kazan said. Long-standing relationships with Canadian subcontractors who support SkyAlyne’s work also add significant value. As a whole, says Ryan, SkyAlyne’s value can be summed up in a simple phrase: “Built by Canadians, for Canadians.”

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Connectivity for a competitive edge intelligence agencies as they advance their missions wherever they are – across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. This requires a convergence of connectivity and the cloud experience to deliver a highly

A critical component to ensuring this success and advancing missions is having access to technological infrastructure that is modern, secure and trusted.

Written by Derek Dobson, defence industry lead at Microsoft Canada

SUMMER 2022

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate and driving digital disruption across all industries, defence and intelligence included. Modern defence and intelligence agencies need to keep pace with this technological innovation in order to maintain the agility needed to succeed in an increasingly complex security landscape. A critical component to ensuring this success and advancing missions is having access to technological infrastructure that is modern, secure and trusted. Today, this includes adoption of the cloud. Many defence and intelligence organizations are adopting cloud-first policies and leveraging technology to turn their data into actionable insights. But one unique challenge for defence organizations is that they are often deployed in remote and isolated areas that are cut off from modern infrastructure, but still require these advanced capabilities. Microsoft aims to support defence and

secure and advanced digital experience anywhere in the world. To reach a network that extends beyond earth and into space, we’ve tapped into satellite connectivity, allowing organizations to connect satellites and their ground stations into Microsoft’s Azure cloud solutions. By working with innovative satellite and ground station providers, Microsoft is creating an ecosystem that allows our network to expand while directly connecting to our hyperscale data centers and our edge cloud computing. To deliver on these capabilities, we forged an alliance with leading satellite operator, Telesat, to leverage their advanced satellite network ‘Telesat Lightspeed,’ which delivers secure and reliable broadband connectivity anywhere in the world. This highly innovative global network is composed of 188 state-ofthe-art Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, seamlessly integrated with on-ground data networks. By leveraging this extended lowlatency network, we’re able to distribute cloud-enabled capabilities to the tactical edge to provide defence and intelligence organizations with the technologies they need, wherever they are. Recent experiments in Canada’s Arctic in partnership with the Telesat Lightspeed network, proved that we can deliver these trusted capabilities to the most remote locations. Our demonstration included simulated military capabilities including running a full command control suite, synthetic environmental training and full motion video, simultaneously. These capabilities are mission critical to special operations in Canada and for tactical purposes need to be secure, resilient and covert. By leveraging ubiquitous networks and cloud capabilities we can meet the specific and strategic requirements of Canadian defence organizations. This will ensure that they operate with the most advanced systems allowing them to efficiently analyze and respond in the face of a rapidly changing global defence and security landscape.

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DEFENCE & SECURITY

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: David Luxton and Rick Bowes; Krzysztof Ksiazek and James Whitham; Kyle Dowd and Erin Binks; Paul Fortin, Dom Spiers and James Baker . PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

Leaders in defence industry talk procurement, global security BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

pecial guests of an invite-only event hosted by Fortin Consulting Group principal Paul Fortin got a behind-thescenes peek recently at some of the artifacts stashed away in the collection vaults of the Canadian War Museum. The tour was one of the highlights of the Canada Defence Briefing event

that brought the Ottawa defence attaché community and defence industry executives together to demystify the complexities around Canada’s defence procurement programs. “The world is a very different and more dangerous place than it was two months ago, so the timing of this event aligns with the recent announcement that Canada’s federal budget will provide more than $8

billion in new defence spending over five years,” Fortin said in his opening remarks. The funding will spin out new procurements and, hopefully, fast-track some of the capital projects, he said. “Moreover, it will strengthen Canada’s contributions to core alliances and bolster the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces in the defence of Canada, the continent and in support of our allies.” Attendees included well-known

Ottawa firm lands DND funding for system to keep naval personnel safe at sea SUMMER 2022

BY OBJ STAFF

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news@obj.ca

ttawa-based Brash has been awarded almost $200,000 from the Department of National Defence to test and prototype a personnel tracking system on board naval vessels. Through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, Brash received $199,859 to

research, develop and test a proof-ofconcept system of proprietary devices and software that can rapidly locate and identify personnel inside ships at critical moments. The system must also be able to enhance and automate record-keeping and day-to-day activities aboard navy vessels. “We are absolutely honoured to be one of the teams selected for this

challenge,” said Richard Beranek, managing partner at Brash. “We’ve worked on a few innovation challenges from different branches of the Canadian government, but this challenge in particular caught our interest because we could incorporate and modify an internal side project turned startup on a very worthy cause – keeping the members of our armed forces safe.”

Ottawa entrepreneur David Luxton, CEO of KWESST Micro Systems, a technology company in the global defence industry. Attendees got a frank assessment of Canada’s defence policy, along with a global security update, from retired general Rick Hillier. He’s also an advisor to KWESST Micro Systems, which was showcased during the event. Luxton said he’s in agreement with the position of Canada’s former top soldier that Ukraine cannot be allowed to lose in its war with Russia. “Canada must do more to help them stay in the fight,” said Luxton. “It’s great that all this humanitarian aid is going there to help people, but the number-one job is to win the fight.” Attendees included James Baker, cofounder and CEO of Ottawa-based Keynote Search, which sponsored the networking reception. Fortin has recently joined the fast-growing executive search and recruitment firm as a strategic advisor.

Brash plans to modify its asset tracking system-turned-spinoff company, Velavu, to meet the requirements of this innovation challenge, which was titled “We Sea You: Digital Tracking and Accounting on Navy Vessels.” Brash is a product development firm that offers design and engineering services for clients around the world looking to bring a new product or device to market. The IDEaS program funds and accelerates the Canadian defence ecosystem by asking innovators to propose viable solutions to challenges faced by the Canadian Armed Forces.

RESEARCH

New research hub at Carleton sheds light on the experiences of Black entrepreneurs

Gerald Grant, co-director, Black Entrepreneurship Hub. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

BY KEVIN BOURNE news@obj.ca

regional hubs across the country, so research will be generated from the community up. One of our goals at the end of this program is to build capacity in communities to do research.” The team is keen to ensure the research has real benefit to the Black entrepreneurship community and the business community at large. Researchers will look at the barriers Black entrepreneurs face in accessing capital and why, and will be mindful of the regional realities of Black communities, from Vancouver to Toronto to Halifax, including cultural, historical and linguistic differences, with the ultimate goal of creating real change

District Realty is pleased to announce that Michael Morin has been appointed to Director of Commercial Properties.

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Michael can be reached at 613-759-8383 ext. 241 or via email at michaelmorin@districtrealty.com

SUMMER 2022

he Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub is quietly taking shape at Carleton University as it prepares to embark on a multi-stakeholder approach to research that will benefit the Black business community. In May 2021, against a backdrop of growing international conversations surrounding anti-Black racism, the federal government announced a threepronged Black entrepreneurship program to help Black entrepreneurs grow their businesses. The three components were the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, the National Ecosystem Fund and the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. While the loan fund caused some questions and concerns in the Black community, the knowledge hub quietly launched this past January. Following a national competition that saw universities and community partners from Toronto, Quebec, the Maritimes and Western

Canada vie to host the hub, the winning bid came from Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business and its partner, Dream Legacy Foundation. Aside from having a well-regarded geomatics research centre that has worked on similar large-scale national research projects in the past, Carleton put forward a highly collaborative approach in its winning bid. “We put together a coalition of institutions and other supporters across the country,” explains Gerald Grant, co-director and co-academic lead on the project. “We had about 100 community supporters and 13 university partners. That was one of the requirements, so our bid was comprehensive.” Also spearheading the project are executive director Andrea Pierce and co-director and co-academic lead Rick Colborne, both of Carleton University, and Isaac Olowolafe Jr. of the Dream Legacy Foundation. Under the three-year program, the hub will research and map Black entrepreneurship in Canada, including an interactive multimedia map, videos and photos, and a database of Black businesses across all industries. The team will rely on data analytics, interviews and other research methods to gain insights into Black entrepreneurship that go deeper than those typically provided by Statistics Canada. Although a large-scale national qualitative and quantitative project may seem like a big undertaking, the team has partnered with a variety of stakeholders, including academic institutions and community groups that submitted rival proposals. “A lot of the research will be cogenerated from the community,” Grant explains. “We have a network of research institutions that will be working with community partners in what we call

and impact for Black entrepreneurs. “This isn’t about doing research for research’s sake,” Grant adds. “The whole partnership between us and a community organization like Dream Legacy Foundation is to build capacity in the Black community. Research will have to be relevant to Black entrepreneurship issues in the Black community; not just about the Black community, but with and for the Black community … Just having the research isn’t sufficient. The research needs to be mobilized to change things at institutional levels and within the community itself. There should be a net benefit to the Black community of that research. The research is only the first part of that, but driving change and policy at federal, provincial and municipal levels is really important to have an effect.” The hub is currently in the startup phase, hiring new staff and soliciting research proposals from community partners. The end goal is to make the hub self-sustaining by building capacity and research partnerships. For more information about the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, visit bekh.org.

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Ottawa Community Foundation makes philanthropy easier than ever for busy professionals Unique philanthropic offerings help build the ‘soul’ of the community

SUMMER 2022

When Ravinder Tumber came to Ottawa, he had $40 in his pocket. Today, he’s the owner and president of Host India, a restaurant with two thriving locations in the city. “Wherever I am today, it’s all due to the support of the community,” Tumber says. “Now that the business is established, I thought [I] should start giving back to the community.” But it’s easier said than done — as a busy entrepreneur, Tumber struggled to keep on top of his donations. “I’m approached on a day-to-day basis [by] church groups, sports organizations, hospitals, community groups,” Tumber says. And it doesn’t end there: even when he donated, Tumber would find himself swimming in admin tasks, managing more paperwork, and chasing down tax receipts. Then, Tumber’s daughter told him about the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF): a public, charitable organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. After the first meeting with the OCF, he quickly set up the Tumber Family Fund.

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A Charity for Charities The OCF is the charity for charities that connects philanthropic-minded individuals, corporations, and organizations with all charitable causes. Through strategic philanthropy and granting, social infrastructure building, and community

Grant Jameson and Ravinder Tumber outside Host India in Ottawa. Photo by Matt Stewart

leadership, the OCF helps create positive, systemic, and sustainable impact. It offers an efficient, creative, diverse, and inclusive giving experience. After setting up a donoradvised fund at the OCF, Tumber can now centralize all his giving and receive tax receipts from one source. He also has a dedicated fund manager that takes care of all the administrative details. “Not only can I spend more time with my business and with my kids, I can still actively support charitable causes and can pass this legacy of giving on to future generations of my family.” Simple and Efficient Giving The OCF is also a great alternative to setting up and

managing a private foundation. That’s why Grant Jameson, a current OCF board member and a board member of the formerlyprivate Audette Foundation, got involved. Created in the late 1970s by Louis Audette to pay tribute to his late brother, Stuart, who lived with cerebral palsy, the Audette Foundation supports adults living with physical disabilities. Quickly, the board realized they’d run into some sustainability issues. “Who would the directors be when we’re gone?” Jameson says. “We all knew Mr. Audette and his dedication to his late brother. Who was going to carry on that legacy?” That’s where the OCF came in. By transferring its assets to

an OCF donor-advised fund, the Audette Foundation continues its mission while alleviating all administrative and charitable reporting burdens. “The Audette Foundation continues to make an impact, but we no longer have to worry about being a Board of Directors,” Jameson says. “We don’t have to worry about making wise investments for the future; we take advantage of the professional asset management of OCF’s sophisticated investment committee. We know that Mr. Audette’s wishes will be carried on for many, many years to come.” An Easy and Inclusive Platform Since 1987, the OCF has provided an easy and inclusive giving platform for people in the national capital region. The OCF is well-known for its governance and financial stewardship. The Nominating Committee, chaired by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, appoints the OCF’s Board of Directors. “We work with you – individuals, families, or corporations for all charitable causes. The OCF is ready to support your philanthropic journey,” says Grace Xin, the Vice-President of Philanthropic Services at the OCF. “We invite anyone interested to visit our website and contact us to explore the OCF’s unique giving experience.”

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Building greener, more affordable housing starts with research materials and design strategies for completing retrofits and building new homes in ways that prioritize energy conservation and affordability. Many of the students will be part of Carleton’s inaugural cohort of the Building Engineering graduate program launching in September 2022, the only program of its kind in Ontario. Given that energy use in residential and commercial buildings accounts for 22 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in Canada and nearly two-thirds of energy is used for space heating, conserving energy to reduce GHGs is a key priority of the team’s research, alongside addressing challenges such as housing shortages and affordable construction. “Lots of people are on waiting lists for housing,” explains Cruickshank. “Coming up with solutions for quick and affordable retrofits is one way to keep those lists from getting longer by keeping people in their homes during the renovations.” Alongside the shortage of housing is a shortage of construction labour in Canada. Automated and robotic construction have the potential to help alleviate this shortage while making housing more affordable, according to CABER investigator Liam O’Brien.

Liam O’Brien and Cynthia Cruickshank are helping drive sustainability-focused research at Carleton University. Photo by Matt Stewart

“If we build tens or hundreds of homes in a factory, we don’t have all the wasted materials of on-site construction,” says O’Brien. “There is less damage as well because the partially-built homes will be protected from the elements during construction.” The CABER team will use data-driven, machine-learning based methods to assess the energy performance of homes and gather information from thermographic imaging using drones, laser scans, or photogrammetry to identify priority areas for retrofits based on building envelope weaknesses. “There is a huge gap in expertise in building performance,” says O’Brien. “It’s an emerging field somewhere between mechanical and civil engineering and architecture. Students in our programs are being hired before even graduating.” Developing a deep understanding of optimal

building performance is of particular importance as the realities of climate change become more apparent. CABER researchers will use computer modelling to apply future extreme weather scenarios to a wide range of building materials and use that information to develop design strategies that ensure houses stay comfortable for longer periods of time, after power outages and other failures. The CABER facility is equipped to test materials in climatesimulated conditions, ranging from -40°C to 40°C to replicate the scope of the Canadian climate and the potential impacts of climate change on these materials over time. “We are hoping to influence building codes through our research,” explains Cruickshank. “The federal government is very eager to support the development of more highperformance and resilient buildings.”

SUMMER 2022

Imagine your home is losing a substantial amount of heat through an exterior wall. The traditional fix might be opening the wall and adding insulation, but this can be a costly, time consuming and disruptive repair. Thanks to research underway by a multidisciplinary team at Carleton University, there may be faster, cheaper and more effective ways of addressing this issue in the future. For instance, a company could manufacture a new customsized exterior wall offsite and attach it to the existing structure. Optimal materials would be chosen to ensure the resiliency of the building envelope for years to come, maximizing energy efficiency while minimizing repair costs and inconvenience to the occupants. This is just one example of the sustainability-focused research being conducted at the newly opened Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research (CABER) in Ottawa, under the supervision of Cynthia Cruickshank at Carleton University. CABER is the latest addition to Carleton’s Building Performance Research Centre boasting 10 investigators and 60 graduate students. CABER researchers will collaborate with government and industry partners to test innovative

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SUMMER 2022

Elite Accounting is now TAAG: The Andrew Abraham Group Local full-service accounting firm, Elite Accounting, recently announced that it is changing its name to TAAG: The Andrew Abraham Group (“TAAG”). “When I started Elite Accounting from my home 13 years ago, I never could have imagined how quickly and successfully it would grow,” said Ottawa native Andrew Abraham, CEO, and founder of TAAG Corporation. “Our philosophy from day one has been about creating prosperity for our clients – both corporate and individual, and that means quality of life as well as financial independence. That’s why we adopted the motto: Life. Beyond numbers.™ Prosperity is both wealth and the time to enjoy it.” “I grew up in a small business environment here in Ottawa and I learned very quickly that business is very personal. My values – integrity, hard work, innovation, and service – are at the core of everything we do with our clients and in the community. There is nothing more personal than your name. So we decided to use my name in the title of our new organization to reflect our values.” Besides Elite Accounting, TAAG includes a number of other related companies that have evolved from the fullservice accounting practice. In the near future, TAAG will be adding a Multi-Family Office

My values – integrity, hard work, innovation, and service – are at the core of everything we do with our clients and in the community. service, providing financial and business planning to high-net-worth (HNW) families as well as a range of other services including tax planning, the management of intergenerational wealth transfer, and guidance on charitable giving. In total, TAAG will have over 30 employees by the end of July when it moves to its new corporate headquarters at Bank and Cooper Street in Ottawa “We are extremely committed to Ottawa and the downtown core as our home base,” says Abraham. “Ottawa is my home and I want TAAG to be an integral part of the private business development

IMAGE credit: Godzspeed Communications / Studio 20/20.

that is so necessary for this city. There are many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that rely on an active central business district for their prosperity.” In addition to the relocation of its office to Bank Street, TAAG has opened a fullservice office in Arnprior. “This is only the beginning for TAAG,” says an excited Abraham. “We have a

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wonderful team of skilled and diverse professionals, as well as extremely loyal and committed clients. Together we hope to build not only business and individual success, but also a caring and prosperous community.” For more information on TAAG please visit our website www.taag.ca or contact reception@taag.ca.

MANAGEMENT

Proceed with caution: Why adaptive leadership is key to the new world of work HR experts agree that forcing more disruptive change will backfire BY ANNE HOWLAND anne@obj.ca

FORGET THE STATUS QUO

return to work and the defining of a “new normal” need to be led from the top. But, she cautions, leaders must tread carefully. “If you don’t have a believable rationale for disrupting (employees’) world again, you are going to negatively impact productivity, workplace wellness and mental health for your employees, and your ability to attract and retain your existing and future employees,” Brownrigg says. Duxbury proposes a step-by-step approach that is flexible, particularly when dealing with an increasingly diverse workforce. “The only time you need adaptive leadership is when nobody knows the solution,” says Duxbury. She characterizes an adaptive leader as a humble person who admits to not knowing the answers, encourages a collaborative approach, puts the focus on learning and shares the responsibility for the change and its success. “Don’t try to have all the answers

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change from what to what? You can’t go out there and get a book that’ll help you do this because that book has yet to be written.” What complicates things further is that employees and employers are exhausted. “We’re trying to change a workforce filled with people who are tired, grumpy, cranky, and stressed-out and they want answers,” Duxbury explains. “At the other end of the continuum, you have leaders and managers who are also exhausted and they don’t know what the answer is.” What to do? Duxbury argues this is not something that can be sent down the line to the HR department. “This is actually a leadership issue, a big leadership issue … leaders often are very uncomfortable with leading change because they want guaranteed success and they don’t often give the change the time that is needed to actually work.” Karen Brownrigg, founder and CEO of iHR Advisory Services, agrees, saying the

One thing that’s for certain, the status quo is not an option. “A lot of people are not receptive to just more change,” says Duxbury, “but they also don’t want the way it was.” Brownrigg echoes those comments. “It’s really important to place value on your employees’ perspectives around not disrupting their world again, but also not swinging the pendulum too far the other direction and staying stuck because that’s not healthy either.” Instead of thinking only about the logistics of bringing workers back to the office, Brownrigg suggests leaders focus on how best to connect with internal and external stakeholders to advance the business’s goals. “Everybody is focused on the return to work, and I am asking them to really consider their mindset, turn that around and focus more on the relationships, no matter where the people are physically located.” In any case, the work involved in acclimatizing to the post-pandemic office cannot be done off the edge of someone’s desk. “You need to go slow to go fast,” cautions Brownrigg. “You take a heavyhanded approach and you are going to disrupt your operations so severely that you can’t put a price on that.”

SUMMER 2022

he horror stories are out there: the frustrated CEO, anxious to get back to “normal”, mandating employees back to the office and, the next day, finding a pile of resignation letters waiting in the in-box. Not a great place to be in an extremely competitive labour market. The unprecedented changes in the world of work over the past two years have many leaders scratching their heads, wondering what to do next. Two prominent Ottawa HR experts tell OBJ that adapting to the new world of work is an elephant that has to be eaten one bite at a time. “This is a massive disruptive revolutionary change,” says Linda Duxbury, chancellor’s professor in management and strategy at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business. “Not everybody will survive. But the ones that survive will be a lot stronger. “Organizations that have not changed enough over time and haven’t adapted … those organizations needed a big wake-up call, and they’re either going to get it now or they’re not going to be around,” she concludes. This dire prediction comes, in part, because there is no playbook for this magnitude of change, Duxbury says. “Planning is going to be really challenging here because this is the first time many of these businesses have had to do this. So,

yourself,” advises Brownrigg. “This is something that needs to happen organically. It is not a one-and-done thing. This is going to need to be agile, it’s got to be able to change as the needs of employees and stakeholders change.” For offices trying to find the hybrid work sweet spot, HR experts suggest that a series of pilots, accompanied by frequent communication, could be one solution. “You need to have regularly scheduled and frequent check-ins and you want to pilot things. Taking a piloted approach is very important because … we don’t know what this is going to feel like,” Brownrigg says. Instead of relying on traditional strategic planning processes, companies must become learning organizations, Duxbury argues. “You have to do a lot of little pilots with a lot of different groups to learn what works, what doesn’t and how. You have to try 10 things because two will work. And you spend little bits of money on a lot of things initially and the things that don’t work, they didn’t take much time, they didn’t take much energy and they fail quickly.”

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 17TH The most sought-after award for young entrepreneurs will turn 25 in 2022. The awards program highlights the achievement of 40 leaders, all under the age of 40, for business achievement, professional expertise and community building.

OTTAWABOT.ca SUMMER 2022

SPONSORED BY

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Mitchell Carkner 37, CEO DECISIVE GROUP

Seth Richards Alida Burke

26, CO-FOUNDER AND CFO GROWCER

We’re pleased to showcase this year’s recipients (presented in no particular order) and to offer some words of wisdom from Forty Under 40 alumni dating back to 1997.

Julien Leclair-Dionne 39, FOUNDER AND CEO HOMEFLUENT REALTY

Cody Sorensen

35, DIRECTOR, M&A WELCH CAPITAL PARTNERS

David Gaylord

29, CEO BUSHBALM SKINCARE

Shannon Ferguson

36, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO FANSAVES

Kevin McMahon

38, PRESIDENT PARK RIVER PROPERTIES

Rohit Gandhi

35, MD LEAD / EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN ROCKET DOCTOR / MONTFORT HOSPITAL

Brenda Kirkwood

39, DIRECTOR OF POSTPLACEMENT INTEGRATION KEYNOTE SEARCH

Corey Ellis

26, CO-FOUNDER, CEO GROWCER

Pierce Ujjainwalla 37, CO-FOUNDER, CEO KNAK

Shawn Berube

39, VICE-PRESIDENT AND PROJECT MANAGER HEIN

Michael Leaver 39, PARTNER KELLY SANTINI LLP

Mathieu St-Denis 39, PARTNER BDO CANADA LLP

Shane Currey

34, PARTNER, FINANCIAL ADVISOR CURREY INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS

Riaz Sidi

37, PRESIDENT SIDI.IO

Jason Wentzell

37, ONCOLOGY PHARMACIST & FOUNDER EXTEND PHARMACY

Carly Holm

36, FOUNDER & CEO HUMANI HR

Jessey Bird

38, VP, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS UNITED WAY EAST ONTARIO

Nadine Mansour

Tal Scher

32, VP, ASSET MANAGEMENT, INVESTOR AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGIONAL GROUP

Christy White

38, CHIEF OF STAFF FULLSCRIPT

Natalie Schuler 39, PARTNER MNP LLP

Karsh Singh

29, PRESIDENT SOUBLIERE CONSTRUCTORS

Conor Cronin

38, PARTNER PERLEY-ROBERTSON, HILL & MCDOUGALL LLP

Darren Burrowes 38, CEO RESPONSIBLE CHOICE

Kayla Isabelle

Solange Tuyishime Keita

Brent Weatherdon

Nadia Allibhai

29, CEO STARTUP CANADA

Laura Townson

Jaiman Chin

Jillian Normand

36, VP, LAND DEVELOPMENT GLENVIEW HOMES

39, PRESIDENT BRIDGEHEAD

39, PRESIDENT AND CEO ELEVATE INTERNATIONAL 35, ASSOCIATE PARTNER EY LAW LLP

Adam Joiner 39, CEO BGC OTTAWA

SUMMER 2022

38, CFO PYTHIAN

36, MANAGER, SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT CLELAND JARDINE ENGINEERING

33, VP AND GROUP HEAD, MANAGEMENT CONSULTING STRATEGYCORP

39, PRESIDENT AND ARCHITECT ROSSMANN ARCHITECTURE INC.

Kate Burnett

Ian Cascagnette

38, COO IVERSOFT

Erik Rossmann

39, VP, MARKETING AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS ROCK NETWORKS

Stacey Bedford 39, CEO BANDZOOGLE

32, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION GASTOPS Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

39, FOUNDER, PRESIDENT WESTVIEW PROJECTS INC.

Pooja Suresh

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Julien Leclair-Dionne 39, FOUNDER AND CEO HOMEFLUENT REALTY Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

ACHIEVEMENT: Founded cloud real estate brokerage that is disrupting the industry OBSTACLE: Scaling up multiple locations and building the team ADVICE: Life is an adventure, take risks, be bold and enjoy life!

Cody Sorensen

35, DIRECTOR, M&A WELCH CAPITAL PARTNERS ACHIEVEMENT: Qualified for the Olympic Games twice OBSTACLE: Transitioning from sports into the business world INFLUENCE: A teammate who emphasized a balance between sports and career

David Gaylord

SUMMER 2022

PRESIDENT PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

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29, CEO BUSHBALM SKINCARE ACHIEVEMENT: Bootstrapped Bushbalm and grew sales 10x during the pandemic OBSTACLE: Managing international supply chain through COVID-19 INFLUENCE: My father, who inspired me to be like him, an entrepreneur

Shannon Ferguson

Rohit Gandhi

36, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO FANSAVES

ACHIEVEMENT: Recruited and retained 100+ generalist and specialist physicians in Ontario OBSTACLE: Find a balance between clinical medicine, research and startup life! ADVICE: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”

ACHIEVEMENT: Digitizing sponsorship for 50+ organizations across North America OBSTACLE: Being a nontechnical co-founder and creating a digital platform from scratch INFLUENCE: My mother, a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry

CMYK c.62 m.19 y.45 k.50

Kevin McMahon

CONGRATULATIONS TO

BRENT WEATHERDON

38, PRESIDENT PARK RIVER PROPERTIES ACHIEVEMENT: Co-founded a real estate investment company with a $750-million pipeline OBSTACLE: Having to step back to achieve my goal of developing real estate ADVICE: Don’t let stubbornness get in the way of a potentially good decision

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

35, MD LEAD / EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN ROCKET DOCTOR / MONTFORT HOSPITAL

Cleland Jardine Engineering applauds Brent Weatherdon on being recognized as a recipient of the Forty Under 40 award. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments, the difference he has made in the community and the excellence he continues to inspire in all of us at Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd.

SUMMER 2022

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Brent Weatherdon 2022 Forty Under 40 recipient

Stacey Bedford

Laura Townson

ACHIEVEMENT:Doubled the company’s active user base while supporting artists OBSTACLE: Establishing a strong company culture spanning five different continents ADVICE:Always do your best to add value

ACHIEVEMENT: Sustaining company culture with a people-first mentality OBSTACLE: Scaling team 4x without compromising value offerings and delivery ADVICE: Align yourself with a company that shares your values, never compromise on them

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

39, CEO BANDZOOGLE

38, COO IVERSOFT

Brenda Kirkwood

39, DIRECTOR OF POSTPLACEMENT INTEGRATION KEYNOTE SEARCH

SUMMER 2022

ACHIEVEMENT: Co-created the industry-leading Post-Placement Integration program OBSTACLE: Reducing failure rate of new hires and creating brand awareness for Keynote ADVICE: Work hard and have fun along the way

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Always be genuine, treat people with respect and stay in touch regularly with your network. — ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Corey Ellis

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

ACHIEVEMENT: Founded a startup that helps launch dozens of yearround farms across Canada OBSTACLE: Launched the company while in full-time school INFLUENCE: High school accounting teacher inspired me to enroll in a business competition

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Your task now shifts to becoming the beacon of light that guides the way for the next generation to surpass your achievements.

26, CO-FOUNDER, CEO GROWCER

SUMMER 2022

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— SPONSORED CONTENT —

SUMMER 2022

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Hands-on experience is the key to an entrepreneurial mindset

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Telfer Executive MBA candidates tell us why You may not think a farm in the Congo and recovering addicts here in Ottawa could have anything in common, but Telfer Executive MBA candidates Eddie Ukety and Laura Novitsky may beg to differ. With the world finally reopening after a two-year pandemic hiatus, Ukety, who is currently a systems consultant with ADVA and Novitsky, a project manager with Providence Care, just returned from a one-week trip to Silicon Valley to tackle the second of their six consulting projects within the Telfer Executive MBA curriculum. Hands-on experience like this is what drew Ukety and Novitsky to Telfer Executive MBA when they were looking for a graduate program. Halfway through their studies, they already have checked this off their list of achievements. Slaying in Silicon Valley The knowledge they acquired in the first half of their Innovation and Entrepreneurship course is how they survived being thrown into the ‘deep end’ of the disruptive landscape of Silicon Valley. Ukety’s team was tasked with advising a tech company on the next phase of their business development. “We were able to take all those tools from class and apply them directly to our client,” said Ukety, “Our client was really happy that we pointed him in a new direction.” Novitsky’s team helped a Japanese company conduct market research for expansion into North America. “We highlighted aspects of their prospective market expansion that were not initially on their radar,” said Novitsky. “In July, our client will actually be visiting the city/region that we recommended they expand into - they plan to implement our recommendations.”

Strong results for an initial foray into the entrepreneurial landscape. This kind of hands-on experience builds more than skills. It also fosters an entrepreneurial mindset. The Silicon Valley experience forces students to embrace innovation and collaboration because around every corner there is a new opportunity. Ukety, Novisky and their team members are returning home with an innovative mindset and their new connections in the Valley. Entrepreneurial roots inspire the seeds of innovation for their next project What Ukety and Novitsky learned from joining the Telfer Executive MBA community will now help two non-profits at opposite ends of the globe create a better world. Ukety is already using his consulting skills with his company to conduct a competitive analysis as the scope of his next project. Next he plans to focus on his global mindset by advising a non-profit in the Congo called Cemadef, which incidentally was spearheaded by his mother. The entrepreneurial connection is also in Novitsky’s DNA, who is following in her father’s footsteps. This summer, she’s helping a new Ottawa non-profit whose mission is to support recovering addicts with personal training and functional fitness classes in a recovery community. She’ll provide market validation and scalability as a part of her next Executive MBA project. No one can innovate alone Ukety says the value of being immersed in an entrepreneurial culture was “something I completely underestimated before I started this program.”

(Top) Eddie Ukety at Google’s Silicon Valley office. (Above) Laura Novitsky at LinkedIn in Silicon Valley

That’s why when you ask about their projects, Telfer Executive MBA students are quick to tell you about the amazing people on their team. “There’s that breadth of knowledge. A gentleman on my team in his mid-late 50s has 40+ years in the navy,” said Novitsky. “There’s not just professional experience, there’s life experience. It’s about knowing how to lead.” In spite of the students’ diverse backgrounds, their entrepreneurial mindset brings them together. That could be why entrepreneurs create communities, it’s who they are. They need to create.

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

SUMMER 2022

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Pierce Ujjainwalla

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

37, CO-FOUNDER, CEO KNAK

You are honoured with the Forty Under 40 award for a reason — never forget why.

ACHIEVEMENT: Founded a SaaS marketing services company with tens of thousands of users OBSTACLE: Bootstrapped the company from my basement INFLUENCE: Executive coach for teaching the characteristics of a successful leader

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Shawn Berube

39, VICE-PRESIDENT AND PROJECT MANAGER HEIN

SUMMER 2022

ACHIEVEMENT: Maintaining the career path I envisioned at HEIN 15 years ago OBSTACLE: The unpredictability that businesses can face at any point ADVICE: Understand the power of the “Rock, Pebble, Sand” analogy

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Michael Leaver

39, PARTNER KELLY SANTINI LLP ACHIEVEMENT: Becoming a partner at Kelly Santini LLP INFLUENCE: My parents who have spent their lives supporting me ADVICE: Live in the moment

Mathieu St-Denis

Natalie Schuler

ACHIEVEMENT: Becoming a partner with BDO Canada OBSTACLE: Losing my mother at a young age INFLUENCE: A colleague who taught me about the practice and industry

ACHIEVEMENT: Leading an industry segment and achieving 400 per cent revenue growth OBSTACLE: Joining a firm that was new to Ottawa and establishing itself in the marketplace INFLUENCE: My parents taught me the value of hard work and determination

39, PARTNER BDO CANADA LLP

39, PARTNER MNP LLP

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Congratulations Natalie! MNP Partner and Business Advisor recognized as one of Ottawa’s rising stars

Natalie Schuler, CPA, CA 613.691.4218 | natalie.schuler@mnp.ca MNP.ca

SUMMER 2022

We’re proud to celebrate our very own Natalie Schuler, and the local founders, entrepreneurs, and executives named to this year’s Forty Under 40. It’s not easy to stand out in a city known for ambition and innovation — but your tireless commitment shines through.

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Mitchell Carkner

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

37, CEO DECISIVE GROUP ACHIEVEMENT: CEO in IT infrastructure and cybersecurity INFLUENCE: My parents ADVICE: It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Seth Richards

39, FOUNDER, PRESIDENT WESTVIEW PROJECTS INC. ACHIEVEMENT: Founded a construction company that employs 35 people OBSTACLE: Keeping construction sites operational throughout the pandemic INFLUENCE: My grandfather who was an entrepreneur and community leader

Jaiman Chin

SUMMER 2022

33, VP AND GROUP HEAD, MANAGEMENT CONSULTING STRATEGYCORP

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ACHIEVEMENT: Helped lead company to record growth and revenue OBSTACLE: Building a portfolio of new services and clients while navigating the pandemic INFLUENCE: My father’s work ethic, commitment to quality and investment in people

Celebrate and share the recognition with those that helped to get you there. — ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Alida Burke

26, CO-FOUNDER AND CFO GROWCER ACHIEVEMENT: Founded a 40-person startup that grows 1 million servings of fresh produce OBSTACLE: Bootstrapping a startup through the uncertainty of COVID-19 ADVICE: Try new opportunities that challenge you and step out of your comfort zone

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Unionized subcontractor for Gypsum, Metal studs and acoustic. www.Soubliereconstructors.ca

Soubliere family will like to take this opportunity to congrats our President "Karsh Singh" for being nominated for the FortyUnder40. We are extremely proud and we look forward to the future.

SUMMER 2022

Karsh Singh President

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Make your corecipients friends and collaborators, these people are all rising stars just like you.

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Shane Currey

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

34, PARTNER, FINANCIAL ADVISOR CURREY INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS ACHIEVEMENT: Growing the family business and investing in several Canadian startups OBSTACLE: The market crash and volatility of 2020 INFLUENCE: My father, who inspired me to enter the family business

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37, ONCOLOGY PHARMACIST & FOUNDER EXTEND PHARMACY COMPANY: Improves the cancer medication experience ACHIEVEMENT: Founded an innovative cancer-care focused pharmacy OBSTACLE: Entering the competitive pharmacy practice market

Riaz Sidi

Carly Holm

ACHIEVEMENT: Bootstrapped Sidi.io, grew revenue by 433 per cent and headcount by 11x OBSTACLE: Rapid growth has required forward thinking and leadership development INFLUENCE: Stephane Le Gal who identified and harnessed my potential

ACHIEVEMENT: Grew business to 14 full-time women employees OBSTACLE: Navigated having a newborn and growing the business during the pandemic ADVICE: You can achieve more than you think!

37, PRESIDENT SIDI.IO

Jason Wentzell

36, FOUNDER & CEO HUMANI HR

Jessey Bird

ACHIEVEMENT: Engaging the community to support vulnerable people during difficult times OBSTACLE: Being a leader during a pandemic INFLUENCE: My parents’ unshakable love and support

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

When one door closes, look for another door rather than trying at all costs to reopen the existing door.

38, VP, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS UNITED WAY EAST ONTARIO

Congratulations, Pierce!

We are thrilled to have our CEO recognized as a Forty Under 40 recipient. It’s a testament to our team’s commitment to collaboration, growth, and our customers as we empower marketers to be more creative. SUMMER 2022

Want to be a part of the team? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions at knak.com/careers.

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Nadine Mansour

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

39, VP, MARKETING AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS ROCK NETWORKS COMPANY: End-to-end communications systems integrator with wireless and broadband solutions ACHIEVEMENT: Established brand awareness in rural communities ADVICE: You don’t have to have it all figured out, just keep trying, things will fall into place

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— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Kayla Isabelle

Brent Weatherdon

ACHIEVEMENT: Sustained and scaled a national non-profit OBSTACLE: Managing the pandemic as a first-time non-profit leader and entrepreneur INFLUENCE: My dad, who’s an inventor, business leader and always looking for a new venture

ACHIEVEMENT: Managing a new special projects department with 500+ projects a year OBSTACLE: Managing the growth of this new department INFLUENCE: My father’s entrepreneurial and leadership qualities

29, CEO STARTUP CANADA

Explain with passion your Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

36, MANAGER, SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT CLELAND JARDINE ENGINEERING

Jillian Normand

Pooja Suresh

ACHIEVEMENT: Becoming vice-president of land development at Glenview OBSTACLE: Building trust and rapport with community stakeholders INFLUENCE: My mother’s open-mindedness and encouragement, my father’s determination and wisdom

ACHIEVEMENT: Establishing the research organization at Gastops and building the team OBSTACLE: Earning customers’ trust in our research and technological capabilities INFLUENCE: My parents and grandparents’ unwavering motivation to leverage every opportunity

36, VP, LAND DEVELOPMENT GLENVIEW HOMES

32, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION GASTOPS Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Smart. Diligent. Compassionate. Honest. Effective. Personable. Calming. Engaging. Reliable.

Michael Leaver, Partner, Business Group

Michael goes the extra mile to ensure that clients get what they need.

Client testimonials for Michael SUMMER 2022

Congratulations Michael Leaver on being selected for the Ottawa Business Journal Top Forty Under 40.

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Erik Rossmann

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

39, PRESIDENT AND ARCHITECT ROSSMANN ARCHITECTURE INC. ACHIEVEMENT: Launched and scaled a firm with $5.4 million in revenue in Ontario and Quebec OBSTACLE: Learning how to work with OCD INFLUENCE: My Uncle Gert, who was an architect

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Tal Scher

SUMMER 2022

32, VP, ASSET MANAGEMENT, INVESTOR AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGIONAL GROUP

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Sometimes turning down a promotion or a new opportunity is a good thing to do.

ACHIEVEMENT: Being promoted to VP of asset management, investor and government relations OBSTACLE: Restructuring the business model in the property management division INFLUENCE: My parents’ ongoing support, guidance and wisdom

Christy White

38, CHIEF OF STAFF FULLSCRIPT ACHIEVEMENT: Navigating four financings and M&A transactions within a four-year period OBSTACLE: Pivoting to remote strategy alignment and communication INFLUENCE: Kyle Braatz and being embedded in the excitement and challenges of growth

Ian Cascagnette 38, CFO PYTHIAN

38, PARTNER PERLEY-ROBERTSON, HILL & MCDOUGALL LLP OBSTACLE: Impostor syndrome INFLUENCE: I’ve been influenced by my great colleagues at PerleyRobertson ADVICE: Listen to your parents and teachers, they know more than you!

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

ACHIEVEMENT: Separating the company into a services business and a software business OBSTACLE: Managing a prerevenue software business inside a larger services business BIGGEST INFLUENCE: My mom’s analytical mind and my dad’s outgoing personality

Conor Cronin

SUMMER 2022

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PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT DE WIT

Karsh Singh

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

29, PRESIDENT SOUBLIERE CONSTRUCTORS ACHIEVEMENT: Scaling a small business, adding employees and growing revenue OBSTACLE: Adapting to the language, jargon and construction methods in Canada Influence: My original employer, who saw the potential in me

— ALUMNI BEST ADVICE

Darren Burrowes

Kate Burnett

ACHIEVEMENT: Founded a company that gets hundreds of thousands of people home safely OBSTACLE: Creating, developing and marketing an entirely new service from the ground up INFLUENCE: My parents, who set an example of teamwork, communication appreciation

ACHIEVEMENT: Significantly improving Bridgehead’s bottom line results OBSTACLE: Leading Bridgehead through the pandemic INFLUENCE: My loving parents, who constantly reinforced that I was uniquely intelligent

SUMMER 2022

38, CEO RESPONSIBLE CHOICE

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Things that matter the most must never be at the mercy of things that matter the least.

39, PRESIDENT BRIDGEHEAD

Solange Tuyishime Keita

Adam Joiner

ACHIEVEMENT: Scaling Elevate Conference by uniting 10,000+ leaders across Canada and beyond OBSTACLE: Growing the organization despite a lack of funding and limited sponsorship INFLUENCE: Rima Aristocrat for being my first champion

ACHIEVEMENT: Worked in every role in the organization, from coat check to CEO OBSTACLE: Fundraising to ensure the sustainability of our programs INFLUENCE: My wife and family inspire and support me every day

39, PRESIDENT AND CEO ELEVATE INTERNATIONAL

39, CEO BGC OTTAWA

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Nadia Allibhai

35, ASSOCIATE PARTNER EY LAW LLP

Everyday heroes

We can be heroes... Just for one day

Join us at the premiere networking event of the season on Thursday, September, 8th 2022, at 7:45 a.m. and be an everyday hero at BGC Ottawa's Morning Social event. Connect with other business leaders at this important long-running community event that positively impacts young lives.

Presented by

SUMMER 2022

ACHIEVEMENT: Scaling EY Law’s business immigration practice in Ottawa INFLUENCE: My parents’ entrepreneurial spirit, passion, resilience, love and support ADVICE: Find your purpose and align your goals with it

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bgcottawa.org

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Full service retail florist

Family owned since 1996. Ottawa’s most award winning florist. Serving Ottawa and surrounding area for 26 years.

Wedding Corporate Event decor rentals Outdoor and Indoor Planter design and maintenance Wholesale service

By Bunches Direct www.bunchesdirect.ca

Unique Gift Delivery

SUMMER 2022

By Givopoly www.givopoly.com

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www.ottawaflowers.com 613-737-5555

Ottawa’s Investment Property Design & Build Experts High quality. Fair price. Always on-budget. Since 1956, OakWood has been providing a specialized Design & Build service to help homeowners and real estate investors generate ongoing lease or rental income from various property strategies in the Ottawa market.

Voted Ottawa’s Best Home Renovation & Design Company every year since 2008

SUMMER 2022

Our clients are attracted to the long-term security of owning something tangible that can increase in value over time. We help them leverage their current equity to obtain financing for development projects, find land for future development, and invest in custom-designed investment properties. From modifying existing single-family homes to building a customized multi-floor rental property, our team of experts will work with you to find a solution that is right for your financial goals and investment level.

OakWood.ca | 613.236.8001

3D Design • Kitchens • Renovations • Custom Homes • Commercial • Investment Properties • Financing

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— SPONSORED CONTENT —

Mark MacAulay, Salus Executive Director (second from left) with Salus tenants at the Canadian Tulip Festival.

SUMMER 2022

Finding independence, recovery and a life filled with hope

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For more than 40 years, Ottawa Salus has been providing supportive housing and mental health services to adults living with severe and persistent mental illness in our community. Salus’ core conviction is that a home is a critical step to a successful life. “People living with mental illness face a lot of stigma and barriers including very low income, substance use challenges, physical health issues, and gender and sexual discrimination, and for many, their Salus apartment may be the first home they have known in years,” says Mark MacAulay, executive director of Salus. “This home means the start of a new life and renewed hope.” Salus provides a bridge between being in the hospital or shelter system and living independently. While Salus owns and operates 14 buildings across the city, the organization is more than just a landlord. In addition to living with a serious mental illness, many clients have been dependent on the shelter system, have a history of chronic homelessness or are at risk of becoming

Salus is committed to challenging the status quo, focusing on collaboration, partnerships and philanthropy to help solve a real social issue. homeless. This supportive housing model of care is effective in making housing a reality for so many people because of the crucial mental health support that frontline staff provide to clients. Lindsay Taub, chair of the Philanthropy Committee and board member at Salus encourages our community to consider

the impact they can have on our most marginalized population. “Salus is changing people’s lives, giving people hope, and the stability that they need.” Salus offers various mental health services including case management, community development, recreation, rehabilitation and occupational therapy. “Our clinical services are designed to provide the level of support a client needs based on where they are in their recovery, while keeping them stabilized in their home,” says MacAulay. Recovery from mental illness is not linear. Salus’ responsibility is to help build connections between clients and community partners, and empower clients to develop life skills and resiliency to better cope with and adapt to life’s challenges on their journey to wellness and independence. Building a sense of community within each building is vital for clients, many of whom have no support system. “The staff are my heroes and every day I have such respect for what they do, and for our clients, who are working hard to get better,” says Camille Therriault-Power, chair of Ottawa Salus’ Board of Directors. The demand continues to grow. Salus has more than 500 people on their waitlist, which means people are waiting up to five years for housing, and three years for case management. “The sector is underfunded and while our local, provincial and federal governments are making efforts towards this, we know that we need more, our waitlists show that,” says MacAulay. “Salus is committed to challenging the status quo, focusing on collaboration, partnerships and philanthropy to help solve a real social issue.” Although some clients have been with Salus for years, the hope is for them to find independence and a connection in their community, to move beyond Salus. “Housing is a human right,” says MacAulay. “We have a responsibility. Every day it’s our mission to find a solution, to work with our community partners, our government, and our larger community, to find that solution.”

LEADERSHIP // CULTURE // REWARD + RECOGNITION // STRATEGY // RECRUITMENT // PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT // LEGAL MATTERS

‘Leadership fatigue’ takes a toll BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

Kathryn Tremblay, co-founder and CEO, Altis Recruitment and excelHR

Tharie Ouellette, controller, Altis Recruitment

ZOOM-FREE PERIODS Ouellette has since taken two family vacations and has become more intentional with her time by setting Zoom-free periods during the week. She’s also striving to elevate others on her team by reorganizing work to help them grow in their roles. “I don’t have to solve all the problems,” says Ouellette, who manages a team of about 10 employees in areas related to accounting and payroll. Tremblay makes it her practice to check in on her team members by asking precise

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out of the pandemic feeling not necessarily burned out, but definitely depleted. “Like everyone else, leaders might be running on empty at home and at work. While the leader is supporting their team members’ mental health, who is supporting the leader?” Tharie Ouellette, a controller with Altis Recruitment, became overwhelmed while working from home earlier in the pandemic when she had to juggle her full-time job with caring for three young children. Pandemic restrictions prevented her from hiring professional caregivers or relying on outside family to help her. “I hit a wall,” she acknowledges. “The list of things I had to do got longer and longer. I could never get to the bottom of it. “I love the work I do and have a high capacity to take on more responsibility, but that’s what led to those feelings of exhaustion. I realized I needed to get better at setting priorities in each part of my life. “I discussed with my leadership team how full my plate was and got help on reorganizing and prioritizing my accountabilities.” Those discussions, she says, made all the difference.

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rying to be a leader in the workplace when you’re exhausted is like running uphill on an empty stomach. With ankle weights on. In the pouring rain. In other words, it’s really hard. Moreover, it’s bad for business. According to the 2021 People Management Report by The Predictive Index, 73 per cent of respondents with burned-out leaders were also burned out. It’s one of the factors driving employees to quit. “If leaders are just showing up kind of flat, with nothing left in them to be generative, to create strategy, to solve problems, that flatness is going to permeate the organization and it won’t be high-performing, either,” says Kathryn Tremblay, co-founder and CEO of Ottawabased Altis Recruitment and excelHR. “For an organization to be highperforming and for a team to be highperforming, they need a leader who is energized and at their best. “It’s a little bit like in a family home,” she continues. “I have a sign that my kids gave me that says, ‘If mom ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’.” Tremblay has seen a rise of what she calls “leadership fatigue” in the workplace due to the added pressure and scrutiny that managers have faced during the pandemic, whether struggling with employee and talent gap issues, trying to help workers deal with depression and anxiety, or helping staff navigate the future of the workplace. “All fingers point back to the leader.” Tremblay believes leaders are coming

questions to determine how they’re doing. “Instead of saying, ‘How are you?’, which is so generic because Canadians always say, ‘fine’, replace it with questions like, ‘How’s your emotional health on a scale from one to 10? How are you juggling work-life integration? Is there a task that is becoming too much for you?’,” Tremblay says. “It’s about being more specific with the ask.” Ouellette sank to a five during the pandemic. “I’m now a 10 on 10. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my leaders and mentors at work and the support at home, as well.” Tremblay says it’s important to look at long-term solutions and not just temporary fixes when it comes to addressing leadership fatigue. Sure, a day of pampering is nice but learning to turn phones and computers off in order to go for longer walks in nature are things that are going to rejuvenate the mind consistently, she explains. “It’s the intentionality around taking personal space to live our dreams, so we don’t end up at the end not having done anything for ourselves because it’s been all work and family.” Leaders still need to find the proper balance and boundaries between work and non-work, says Tremblay, who suggests that night owls use the delayed delivery option when sending non-emergency messages to colleagues. Nobody needs to get dinged with messages as they’re getting ready for bed. “Otherwise, they can’t sleep because they’re spending time thinking about the thing that is on their mind.” Some leaders avoid taking vacations — or work during their holidays — because time away only creates a heavier workload before and after the trip. What would help, says Tremblay, is better succession planning, which involves developing new leaders. “As leaders, I feel that we don’t practice what we preach. We say to honour your mental health, to turn your computer off, but setting boundaries is a lot harder than it looks.”

Ask the Expert

Elinor Whitmore Lead Trainer, Stitt Feld Handy Group

How to deal with difficult people at work What are some best practices for dealing with employees who do not want to return to the workplace? Many employers and employees struggled with the transition to working from home, not knowing that there would be an equal, or even greater, struggle when it came time to return to the office. When dealing with an employee who is reluctant to return to work, you must first determine whether they are asking for an accommodation to which they may be legally entitled or whether it is a request. If it is a request, the best advice is to treat the discussion as a negotiation and try to identify the interests of both sides. That means trying to understand exactly why the employee would prefer to work from home and/or is concerned about returning to the office and being clear as to why you think it would be best for them to work from the office. You may have a policy that requires them to return, but helping the employee to understand the ”why” behind the policy may help them to buy-in.

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Once you understand the interests of both sides, try to come up with a solution that meets those interests and maintains the positive relationship required to have a workplace that functions well.

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What other advice is there to handle this negotiation most effectively? First and foremost, it is important to listen well. Roger Fisher, former director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, used to say that one of the most important skills for a negotiator was the ability to listen well. He said: “If you are going to change someone’s mind, you need to know where it is, first.” Listening well allows you to understand how the other person sees the situation which, in turn, allows you to respond in the most effective way. Listening well also demonstrates respect and helps to build relationships. Listening well is the foundation for a successful negotiated solution.

Contact information:

negotiate.ca 1.800.318.9741 contact@adr.ca

Op-ed: The incredible lightness of self-awareness and creativity BY KAREN BROWNRIGG news@obj.ca

don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking about how nice it would be to go back to a little isolation. I know, I know. I hear you saying … after what we’ve all just been through? How can you say that? Seriously, though. We seem to have gone from COVID isolation to joyfully tiptoeing through Ottawa tulips without processing the dramatic change that transition has had on our creative process. It makes me think about a sensory isolation tank I was in once. I tried it quite a few years back when I was travelling. It was a very stressful period in my life and I had been reading about the overall health benefits of being “weightless” in a tank floating in salt water and just letting your mind clear. The research about isolation tanks demonstrated a direct and positive impact on mood, concentration, focus, athletic performance and, most interestingly, the ability to be more creative. Back then, an isolation tank seemed like the perfect way to dump the distractions and see my life through a different lens. So, when I saw this spa treatment where a small group of people wearing bathing suits goes into a cave-like rock formation filled with salt water to find their zen, I thought, why not? Can’t be all that bad, right? Well, here I was floating away in the complete darkness, feeling like my mind had finally stopped racing, when, suddenly,

Karen Brownrigg, certified HR expert, founder and CEO, iHR Advisory Services

my zen was shattered. A fellow isolation tank floater’s toenail scratched down the side of my left leg. Whoa! Rude awakening! Just before the toenail struck, however, I realized something. It was the first time in years that I had given myself permission to tune out all my senses and just stop. To some degree, the past two years of periodic and painful isolation forced us to just succumb to the isolation and change our mindset. It’s not like we had a choice. We realized a lot about ourselves and saw our lives through a different lens. In fact, as an HR expert, I hear stories from employees all the time about how they are more in tune with how situations and people make them feel. Employees are simply not willing to transact their health for their work any longer. How they feel at the beginning and end of every day has a direct impact on their happiness. That means the workplace is having a direct influence on the life decisions employees are making today and, trust me,

that will impact whether employers can keep those employees or attract more. If your workplace is draining your employees with sensory overload, you are walking the treacherous tightrope of asking your employees to transact their health for their work. The constant connection to technology gives us the perception that we are productive and more connected but, in fact, it’s draining our creative energy. I don’t know about you, but hearing the ping of a text when I’m out for a walk with my dog or playing a round of golf is the equivalent of that toenail scratch. It shocks the creative zen right out of me.

TIME TO DAYDREAM On the flip side, perhaps your workplace has caught on to the importance of offering employees ways to disconnect and recharge their minds. If so, I am quite certain your workplace outperforms others when it comes to creative problem-solving and employee retention. Remember all the daydreaming you did as a teenager? What positive impact did those teenage daydreams have on the incredible human you are today? You simply can’t put a price on the investment in yourself. Hey, what’s the worst that can happen with a little isolation? Maybe the occasional toenail scratch or two. Think of all the possibilities that lie ahead if you take the time to disconnect outside of work hours and look at things through a more relaxed and undistracted lens.

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Clearing the air on Ontario’s ‘disconnecting from work’ policies employees must have a written policy that addresses the issue of disconnecting from work.” That’s a very important difference from the popular understanding of the Bill 27 changes to the Employment Standards Act, which many people believe will fully protect all employees from having to engage with employers after hours in any circumstances. Under the new provision, disconnecting from work specifically includes not engaging in work-related communications, such as emails, telephone calls, video calls or sending/ reviewing other messages.

Unpacking the policy So if the Bill is not about the right to disconnect, how will the newly required policies be worded? Because the nature of work is so varied, employers will need to tailor the policies to the nature of their business and to employee job duties. “Employers should consider what is reasonably required for communicating with employees outside of work hours and their expectations regarding whether employees should look at those communications and respond,” explained Delorme. To that extent, employers with different types of positions and responsibilities may need to have more than one policy, or different requirements for different positions in the workplace under one policy. Some of the nuances required in the policies could address questions such as: Is it

important for the employee to be on the lookout for employer communications and respond right away? Are there certain coworkers with whom an employee has to communicate outside of work hours (e.g., a supervisor) and others with whom they don’t? What are the expectations, if any, for employees to use technology such as voicemail messages or out-of-office notifications to advise others about when they will respond? In the big picture, the policies can not only help to ensure that employees know what is expected of them and thereby prevent conflict and misunderstandings, but “can also provide employers with a chance to evaluate what their expectations are with their business and their workplace culture,” noted Delorme. At present, the policies and their effects remain new territory for all involved. That means that for now, communication is key. “Communicating clearly with employees about the policy, including the employer’s commitment to it, is one way to convey that the employer is taking the policy seriously,” said Delorme. “Over time, an employer will probably have to show by its actions that it is adhering to the policy as well.” “If and when an employer decides to make changes to the policy, that has to be clearly communicated to employees as well.” Still have questions about your company’s disconnecting from work policy? Reach out to Céline Delorme or any other lawyer at Emond Harnden today to ensure your team understands the applicable requirements and meets the June 2 deadline: ehlaw.ca/

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With the June 2 deadline narrowly behind us for employers in Ontario to have a ‘disconnecting from work’ policy, lawyers like Céline Delorme of Ottawa’s Emond Harnden law firm are still helping businesses clarify what this new requirement actually means. “It’s very important for employers and employees to understand that the policies will not create a ‘right to disconnect’ for employees, even though a lot of people have been using that term,” said Delorme, a partner at the local firm. “The requirement is only that an employer with 25 or more

In other words, disconnecting implies freedom from the performance of work – however, the new policies will not necessarily guarantee that freedom. “The provision requires an employer to make a policy that addresses the issue of reasonably disconnecting,” Delorme points out, “but it does not actually prohibit an employer from communicating with employees outside of work hours, period.” Delorme and her colleagues at Emond Harnden – a boutique employer-side labour and employment law firm – regularly consult with public and private sector clients on the evolving nature of employee relations, a complex subject now that the pandemic has markedly increased the prevalence of working from home.

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: G I G T A E R G WHAT A BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

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ey, can you “gig” it? You’d better, because more and more workers in Canada are making a living doing independent consulting or temporary work as part of the growing gig economy. The temporary employment industry is nothing new. During tough economic times, such as the tech bust of 2001 and the global financial crisis of 2008, hiring project-based workers became a way for companies to lower their overhead and maintain hiring flexibility, says Sari Cantor, a partner at staffing and recruiting agency Recruiting in Motion Ottawa. At the same time, the contractor was able to keep working, as well as earn more money than before, she adds. Contractors typically charge more, pay less in taxes and can deduct their expenses. Canada’s gig economy has been re-energized by the pandemic. It now represents more than one in 10 Canadian adults, with more than one in three Canadian businesses employing gig workers, according to Payments Canada in a report it released in 2021. “Our workforce has changed,” says Cantor. “Many companies are coming out of COVID with new projects, new initiatives, new programs that are driving their business and don’t see what they’re working on necessarily as a long-term thing.” Because Canada’s unemployment rate is so low, there’s always work available for freelance

Why temporary work is a growing trend

Sari Cantor, partner, Recruiting in Motion Ottawa

workers, she adds. “They can command good dollars because the supply and demand for talent has really shifted. “In my 25 years of recruiting in Ottawa, I have never seen a labour market like this,” she says. “As long as the unemployment rate stays really low, it’s a great market for gig employees and job-seekers right now.” Driving the trend, in part, is workers’ desire for more work-life balance and flexibility, Cantor continues. “Post-COVID, our workforce has changed, people don’t

feel tied. The days of being in a career forever are over.” Julie Lavergne worked for 16 years at Canadian Bank Note Company, most recently as vice-president of organizational development, before deciding to step away from her full-time permanent job this past April to go out on her own. “I wanted to be able to exercise my creativity more; I wanted to have a bit more flexibility — not just with my time, but also doing different types of work,” says Lavergne, who sees her future career as working collaboratively with people whose values align with her own. Lavergne is taking some time off before she starts later this spring as an independent contractor. “There are a lot of different things in the pipeline,” she says of her opportunities to work in career coaching, leadership training and organizational development. Contract work allows people to work at times and places that are most convenient to them.

“There’s flexibility, accountability and self-ownership, but there’s always a trade-off,” says Cantor. “From an employee perspective, it’s the stability, it’s the security, it’s the benefits, it’s the financial compensation over a long period of time that becomes the draw.” Yet, some permanent full-time employees change companies as often as temporary workers, she notes. “If the average lifespan of somebody in a career job right now is one to two years, how is that any different than a consultant on a long-term contract?” It’s important for the culture of a company to explain to employees why they’re bringing in new workers, so that existing employees don’t feel threatened by the temporary hires, says Cantor. “Having clearly defined roles as to what the expectations are and why they’re bringing in this person will help diminish some of the strife that may exist when people feel uncertain.” Gig workers remain an important part of the workforce and should be part of any creative hiring strategy, Cantor believes. “My message to HR people is to be as flexible and agile as possible to get access to the best talent possible — and not just the most available talent or the best candidate in your face right now or the best person who will go to your office five days a week.”

Kanata North risks losing high-tech talent if golf course razed for homes: KNBA BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

“Do not screw this up.” It was the mantra of the evening, spoken repeatedly by tech entrepreneur Terry Matthews and echoed by others during a 90-minute presentation recently at the Hub350 RBCx Finance Quarter to discuss the importance of keeping developers away from the Kanata Golf and Country Club and surrounding green spaces. ClubLink wants to fill in its 18-hole golf course with 1,500 homes through a partnership with Minto Communities and Richcraft Homes. The case is currently slogging its way through the court system. Speak Up for Greenspace, hosted by the Kanata Greenspace Protection Coalition

and Kanata North Business Association (KNBA), emphasized the need for Kanata to remain an attractive place for high-tech workers to live and work. “We’re in a war for talent these days,” KNBA president Jamie Petten said of the more than 1,200 job vacancies in the Kanata North technology park. “The stakes could not be higher and the market only continues to be increasingly competitive.” There are 550 tech companies in the park, employing close to 33,000 people. About 50 per cent of the workers live in the Kanata North area. Losing the golf course to developers, the audience heard, will harm the future growth of the tech park, which is on the cusp of the “next big things”, including

5G technologies and AI-driven software development. “Do not let ClubLink develop this golf

course,” Matthews implored. “Please don’t do that. That is a gross error and it affects the future growth.”

Plan your business event in Kingston, conveniently located with everything you need just steps away.

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visitkingston.ca/businessevents

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Did you accept Visa or Mastercard credit cards between March 23, 2001 and September 2, 2021? If so, apply now to receive money from class action settlements WHAT IS A CLASS ACTION? A class action is a lawsuit filed by one person on behalf of a large group of people with the same legal claims.

WHAT IS THIS CLASS ACTION ABOUT?

If you are a large merchant (your average yearly revenue is over $20 million), you are eligible to receive $250 for each year that you accepted Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Large merchants must provide proof that they had at least one agreement with an acquirer (also known as a payment processor) since March 23, 2001. To be eligible to receive more than $250 per year, large merchants must provide documents showing credit card sales volume or payment of interchange fees. Large merchant claims made with documentary proof will be paid proportionally relative to the value of all approved large merchant claims.

Class actions were started in Canada claiming certain banks and Visa and Mastercard conspired to set higher interchange fees and to impose rules restricting merchants’ ability to surcharge or refuse higher cost Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Interchange fees are charges that merchants have to pay in order to accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Visit www.creditcardsettlements.ca for more information.

Settlements totaling CDN$131 million in net compensation were HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM reached with Capital One, Citigroup, Bank of America, Desjardins, TO GET A PAYMENT? National Bank, Visa, Mastercard, CIBC, Royal Bank, Bank of Montreal, TD Bank, and Bank of Nova Scotia. The settlements Claims can be submitted online at www.creditcardsettlements.ca. have received court approval. The settlements are a compromise of If you do not have internet access, call the Claims Administrator at disputed claims and are not admissions of liability. 1 (877) 283-6548.

CAN I RECEIVE MONEY?

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO MAKE A CLAIM?

You are eligible to receive money if you accepted Visa or Mastercard Claims must be made no later than September 30, 2022. credit cards between March 23, 2001 and September 2, 2021.

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I GET?

WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY?

Accurate processing takes time. Depending on the number of claims The settlement funds (plus any costs awards and accrued interest filed, it could be up to one year before you receive compensation. and less approved fees and expenses) are available for distribution Please check www.creditcardsettlements.ca for regular updates. to eligible claimants. Subject to further orders from the courts:

CAN I APPLY A SURCHARGE?

In addition to money, the class actions also secured the ability for merchants to apply a surcharge when accepting credit cards. The rules affecting surcharging are set to change in October 2022. You cannot impose surcharges before October 2022. For details of how and when you can implement surcharges, check for updates on If you are a medium merchant (your average yearly revenue is www.creditcardsettlements.ca. $5 million to $20 million), you are eligible to receive $250 for each WHO ARE THE LAWYERS? year that you accepted Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Medium merchants must provide proof that they had at least one agreement You are represented by: Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP with an acquirer (also known as a payment processor) since (Vancouver, BC), Branch MacMaster LLP (Vancouver, BC) and March 23, 2001. Consumer Law Group (Montréal, QC).

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If you are a small merchant (your average yearly revenue is under $5 million), you are eligible to receive $30 for each year that you accepted Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Small merchants do not need to provide any documents proving payment of interchange fees.

OBJ.CA

Questions? Visit www.creditcardsettlements.ca, Email info@CreditCardSettlements.ca or call 1 (877) 283-6548

All’s fair: Annual rural events set to swing into action BY TOM VAN DUSEN news@obj.ca

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LEFT: Vince Brennan, OAAS general manager, says his members are anxious to be back. ABOVE: John Joynt, Lombardy Fair board director, says new attractions are on the menu this year. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

EASTERN ONTARIO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Rural residents greet influx of homebuyers with mixed emotions BY CANDICE VETTER news@obj.ca

SUMMER 2022

OBJ.CA

s the exodus of city dwellers to rural areas intensifies, residents in towns such as Embrun and Limoges are cautiously observing the impacts on their small communities. “Once more folks could work from home, buy out here for a lot less than what they sold their house on Alta Vista for, plus realize all the amenities and schools are here … it’s a pretty easy sell,” says Remax realtor Joanne Clemens. “Usually it was the busy spring market and busy fall market. When COVID began, no one wanted anyone through their house, so (they) delayed listing. So when that first spring market began and the buyers were out aplenty, the supply was tight. Hence the insane sellers’ market that started then and has continued on and off ever since.” The national census published earlier this year showed that the population of Embrun grew by nearly 25 per cent to 8,680 between 2016 and 2021, while nearby Russell expanded by 22 per cent to 6,135. On the list of Eastern Ontario cities with at least 1,000 people, they ranked first and third in growth. Their pace of expansion was more than double that recorded by Ottawa, which was the fastest-growing among the country’s largest cities. Frank Nieuwkoop owns Valecraft Homes, which started a subdivision in Embrun about 10 years ago. He says it’s a very good market. “Although construction costs are similar in the city, it could be $150,000 to $200,000 less in land cost here. Embrun is still growing — there’s a new plaza, major food chains and you’ll see more growth continue due to affordability and attracting more services,” he says, adding Valecraft recently purchased more lots for a 10-year supply of land. But while city dwellers keen to stretch their legs and their budgets set their sights

New residential and commercial developments are springing up in traditionally rural regions east of Ottawa. PHOTO CANDICE VETTER

on communities east of Ottawa, existing residents have their own concerns. “Folks move out here because the cost of living in the city is ridiculous,” reads one comment on social media from an Embrun resident. “They can get way more bang for their city buck buying in a small town. Then, inevitably, the city follows them. The small town becomes more and more unaffordable because the market is booming. The city amenities begin to appear and multiply and eventually the town becomes another extension of the city they left. It’s a vicious cycle.” The figures bear this out. According to the Ottawa Real Estate Association, the average residential resale price last year in Embrun was $626,500, up 107 per cent from 2016. In Russell, prices averaged $650,000 — up 91 per cent. David Coletto, founding partner and CEO of Abacus Data, believes a “perfect

storm” of circumstances means more millennials are migrating from urban areas to greener pastures, with one of the driving factors being a lack of affordable housing. Coletto spoke to members of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association at a breakfast social in March. “If you have two children and are making $200,000 a year in a household, odds are you don’t want to live in a 900-square-foot condo in downtown Ottawa ... and so you’re looking to go farther out and that’s what we’re seeing in the data going forward,” Coletto observes. While growth has its benefits, some Russell Township residents are concerned with balancing housing and commercial projects with agricultural and environmental impacts. In a recent survey, Eco East, a grassroots non-profit that originally sprang up in 2010 to oppose a mega-landfill project, found

51 per cent of respondents said preventing urban sprawl was a top environmental concern, while 73 per cent cited deforestation and loss of natural habitats. “With unprecedented growth, protecting agricultural lands and natural spaces is essential,” Eco East president Lisa Deacon says. “Development continues in the direction of single-detached homes on small lots favouring distance from greenspace and amenities and clustered multi-national big-box commercial options. “Eco East recommends designing community hubs, which are dense, walkable and feature ample community space, including gardens and parks, in already established town limits. Reviving main streets, including locally owned small businesses, is a key component of this vision,” Deacon adds. The citizens committee in Limoges did approach large grocery businesses about building there, but were told the catchment area was not large enough. A new system to bring water from Cheney to Limoges is also being commissioned, meaning the town’s growth can continue. However, infrastructure expansions are expensive and planning is complicated, with numerous players involved. Stacey Murphy proposed a splash pad for Russell. “The growth and interest in Russell has been great and I think the township is really at a major transition point,” she says. “Unfortunately, I have witnessed that the township itself does not seem to have the resources nor the knowledge and understanding of what this growth means for community development, particularly on the parks and recreation side.” Rural townships often have small budgets but large geographical areas. Additional development produces more traffic, for example, which shortens infrastructure lifetimes. This year’s budget for Russell Township includes $2 million for paving on only about 16 kilometres out of over 190 kilometres of paved roads. Jonathan Bourgon, executive director of infrastructure, said another $2.4 million for other roadwork is budgeted, plus major investments in sidewalks and bridges. Russell Township Mayor Pierre Leroux acknowledges potential issues, but is enthusiastic about the changes. “With growth comes growing pains … however, we have the resources and the infrastructure in place to meet these challenges.”

EASTERN ONTARIO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fun, award-winning app gets visitors out to see the sights in South Dundas BY CANDICE VETTER news@obj.ca

uring people back to the region’s tourism attractions needn’t be a tedious task. The Municipality of South Dundas proved this earlier this year when its new tourism app took top honours in the social media/app marketing category at the Economic Development Association of Canada (EDAC) virtual awards ceremony. The “Tourism Pursuit App” functions much like a game and can be downloaded for free at SouthDundas.com. To use it, open the app, go to the chosen location and find the sign with a QR code. Next, open the scanner that is part of the app

and scan the code to obtain a badge. A visitor who gets 20 badges receives a virtual golden coin. “It’s really cool, very innovative, but fun,” says South Dundas economic development officer Rob Hunter. At some locations, users may be prompted to play a mini-game, such as a fishing game near the water. “We wanted people to visit our tourism locations, to do it safely and have fun,” adds Hunter. “In COVID, people were down, feeling isolated, and this was something to do to get out of their homes.” This year’s version of the app leads to 25 locations in South Dundas. “We’ve got the Seaway Locks at Iroquois, Upper Canada

Village, a local winery, Dentz Orchard, Smyth’s Apples, Upper Canada Creamery, public beaches and other places featured on the app,” Hunter explains. The app is easy to use and works with Google Play and Apple. The idea for the app came from the township’s tourism advisory committee. “We thought it would be cool to do because people are doing tourism using cell phones instead of going to traditional outlets to gather pamphlets and maps,” Hunter says. The committee noted that a smartphone is what most people use for tourism now. “So we were looking for something fun and educational and a way

to get people around the municipality in a safe manner.” The municipality decided to approach St. Lawrence College, where Hunter is a board member. He called the president and CEO of the college, Glenn Vollebregt, who connected him to game programming professor James Dupuis. Dupuis and seven students looked at various ways to connect tourists to the region. “I have to say part of our value-added college is experiential learning and that’s part of why we’re excited about this,” says Vollebregt. “This was a perfect opportunity to take what (students) learned in their studies and create a real-world application.”

STUFF Made and Built In Eastern Ontario

Stuff Made and Built in Eastern Ontario explores the opportunities in the manufacturing and building industries in the region. Read the 2021-2022 digital edition at www.stuffmadeandbuilt.ca and find out what is manufactured and built in Eastern Ontario, who’s making it, and what kinds of careers are available. BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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FROM ONE MUNICIPALITY TO ANOTHER,

THE PRESCOTT AND RUSSELL REGION WELCOMES YOU! TOWN OF HAWKESBURY

TOWNSHIP OF NTAGENET ALFRED AND PLA OF ND CITY ROCKLA NCE E R A

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MONTREAL

OTTAWA

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CMY

TOWNSHIP OF CHAMPLAIN

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THE NATION MUNICIPALITY

MUNICIPALITY OF CASSELMAN

Come visit our various attractions, stay for our culture and diversity, work in our bilingual environment, and invest in our growing opportunities. Prescott and Russell is a welcoming region!

Growing Opportunities

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EASTERN ONTARIO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Organic grass-fed dairy a growing niche despite traditional practices BY HEDDY SOROUR news@obj.ca

SUMMER 2022

OBJ.CA

rganic grass-fed dairy farms, once a trend, are now filling a robust niche market that’s seeing a steady increase in demand. However, traditional industry practices and regulations are slowing growth and causing consumer confusion. “Every single grocery chain today has an organic section, so it’s hard to call organic food a niche anymore when the biggest food purveyors are carrying a full line,” says Brendan Grant, vice-president at the National Farmers Union (NFU) of Ontario. NFU Ontario has seen a huge growth in farms adopting organic farm practices, not only because of environmental concerns, but for agronomic reasons as well. The change is being driven by farmers feeling the bite of higher prices for agrochemicals and fertilizers. This year alone, farmers are facing up to a 200-per-cent increase in input costs, according to NFU Ontario. Where dairy is concerned, “organic” means the cows are raised organically and are fed grass, forage or feed. “Grass-fed” cows are only fed grass or forage, but don’t have to adhere to other organic farming practices. Organic grass-fed means the cows are raised organically and are only fed grass or forage. “There is definitely a growing market for organic grass-fed dairy products. All the big companies now have an organic division. They’ve all seen that opportunity,” says Kathy Groenewegen, co-owner of Limestone Organic Dairy in Frontenac County, west of Ottawa. However, the regulatory climate and the composition of the dairy industry are slowing the growth of organic grassfed dairy when compared to the organic farming community at large. Because of this, organic grass-fed dairy is a philosophy born out of environmental awareness and concerns over food security.

“We were really worried about food, we didn’t want to use chemicals. We wanted to protect the water table. We didn’t want to support the multinationals that use fossil fuels to make fertilizer, so for us reducing our environmental footprint was important,” says Groenewegen. For many small producers, it’s a more rewarding farming experience. “The average milk cow on a conventional farm has a life expectancy of three to five years because they get pushed really hard for volume, while we will take less milk per day from our cows but more milk over their 20-year lifespan,” says Ellen Biedmond of Biedmond Upper Canada Creamery, an organic grass-fed creamery in Iroquois, South Dundas. Dairy farms are heavily regulated through supply management. The Canadian milk supply management committee (CMSMC) is chaired by the Canadian Dairy Commission, a Crown corporation. The CMSMC allocates milk volumes by province. The Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) then sets prices according to CMSMC policy and allocates Ontario’s share of the fluid and industrial milk production among

quota holders, or dairy farmers. The strict quota system means some organic grass-fed milk ends up in the conventional milk stream. “We need DFO, we need the quota system to stay in place. If we didn’t have DFO and the quota system, we’d be dumping milk all the time,” explains Biedmond. At the same time, nutritional labels required by Canadian law require a minimum of information, making it confusing for the consumer. “There is a difference in the nutritional value of our milk, though it doesn’t show on the label,” explains Biedmond. “It’s when you get into the nitty gritty of the composition that the differences start to appear. “We have our milk regularly tested and we know that our milk contains a one-toone ratio of Omega 6 and Omega 3. That might vary a little over the course of the seasons, but generally our milk is balanced. Commercial milk has a six-to-one ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3.” The same applies to yogurt and cheese. “As important as food labelling is to help people choose wisely, there are a lot

of hidden factors that go into the labelling,” Biedmond notes. And not all additives are equal. In the 1950s, it was believed that synthetic nutrients were just as valuable as natural nutrients. A lot more research is needed in this area, says Grant. “A tomato that’s grown hydroponically is getting all the basic nutrients it needs to grow, but an organic tomato is picking up all the micronutrients and minerals in the soil, so when you cut into it, it has a complex flavour that’s quite different,” says Grant. The same logic can be applied to organic grass-fed dairy farming, where cows graze on a wide variety of plants throughout the spring, summer and fall. It’s common sense, Grant argues. More natural nutrients result in a better taste, so it’s likely that also translates to better nutrition, he says. However there is, as yet, no science to back up that claim. “That’s the biggest hurdle, we are on our own because of that conventional farming bias that permeates our governments,” says Grant. Still, organic grass-fed creameries are increasing in number and popularity, albeit slowly. Statistics Canada does not break out organic and organic grass-fed separately, but notes that dairy farms reporting certified or transitional organic production increased by 4.1 per cent between 2011 and 2016. The DFO began certifying organic grass-fed milk in 2018 and describes it as a small niche market within the organic milk pool that has seen steady demand since its inception. DFO notes that annual production of organic grass-fed milk for 2021 was 1.6 million litres in Ontario. To put that in perspective, Canada’s total milk production runs at about 93.51 million hectolitres (a hectolitre is equal to 100 litres), according to Agriculture Canada. Total organic milk production was 1.44 million hectolitres in 2019-2020.

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expect to meet our country’s growing need for housing,” Collier said. “It is critical we take steps towards diversifying the skilled trades.” Chris Taggart, president of Tamarack Homes, said Collier has a natural leadership ability that makes her the ideal person for president of the KHBA. “She’s very passionate about the house-building business and she understands it very well,” he said, adding, “She didn’t learn from us, we’re learning from her.” Even with her skill set, Collier said she has faced many barriers on her journey. “Women experience their gender as a barrier, in and of itself, and particularly motherhood, due to the perceived inability or desirability to be as dedicated or as present as our male colleagues,” Collier explained. “This, of course, is fallacious, but nonetheless I would posit that this is a barrier which faces women in every single industry on earth.”

GAINING CONFIDENCE

Breaking down walls and building doors for women in the construction industry BY JULIEN BERNIER news@obj.ca

SUMMER 2022

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acqueline Collier recently became the second woman to head up the Kingston Home Builders Association (KHBA) since the group’s inception in 1954. She already knows what one of her priorities will be. “With proper safety equipment, I am not afraid to shout from the rooftop that women are welcome, wanted and needed in construction,” said Collier, sales and marketing manager for Tamarack Homes in Kingston. “It’s a message I will be sending loud and clear throughout my tenure as KHBA president.”

Christine Hollywood was the first woman president of the KHBA, holding the position from 2019 to 2020. Collier has spent around 20 years in the construction industry. “The reason it’s so meaningful to me is that it represents that we — the collective we — are heading in the right direction,” she said. “I want future generations of women to hold these positions normally, equally, and without the need to be the first or second in these important roles.” Now that she has walked through “this door”, Collier wants to reach as many people as possible with her platform. She said that she, together with other talented and welcoming women in the industry,

are opening doors for themselves and their peers. “They are framing and installing the doors, as well,” Collier said. “Women have gotten in and created change in the culture and spaces — beautiful, respectful and inclusive spaces — for all. Getting this message across is very important.” The skilled trades industry is currently dominated by men. According to Statistics Canada, males make up about 93 per cent of the workforce in the trades in Canada and in Ontario. BuildForce Canada estimates that 116,000 skilled trades workers are needed across the country to keep pace with growth in coming years. “We cannot continue this way and

Gender barriers are not the only hurdles she has faced. “I always feel like, maybe it shouldn’t be me,” she said. “This is something that’s a struggle for most women and it’s a really unfortunate one because we shouldn’t feel this way. But I’m forcing myself to gain extra confidence because I represent, now, the Kingston home builders.” One of the ways Collier hopes to entice a more diverse crowd into the skilled trades comes through her role on the Skills Advance Ontario construction project advisory committee. SkillsAdvance Ontario is a pilot project intended to support workforce development in key growth sectors. Before employees can seek employment, they need basic training. Collier points to the Eastern Ontario Colleges Consortium. “They have created basic starter construction programs. I know they are making one specifically for women in construction.” Collier also chairs the City of Kingston’s Housing and Homelessness advisory committee, as well as Habitat for Humanity Kingston Limestone Region. She is vice-president of the board with Big Brothers Big Sisters Kingston and with BGC Boys & Girls Club Southeast. She is co-chair of Kingston’s Kids First.

Live, work, play, invest in Renfrew County Living in the Ottawa Valley is the life-changing opportunity you’ve been looking for. Live and work in an inspirational environment with a limitless backyard at a very affordable cost of living. Commercial real estate and manufacturing investors will find growing municipalities, rapidly expanding multi-lane highways and a broad range of properties and business opportunities.

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Come for a visit to see and experience what Renfrew County has to offer for you. There are many great opportunities to start, buy or invest in new businesses, careers and in your quality of life. Find out more at InvestRenfrewCounty.com

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Recent investments include Rogers 5G Network expansion into the region and MetaLigna’s — a manufacturer specializing in CFS modular construction of cottages and tiny homes, mobile medical units and community housing — recent purchase and expansion of a manufacturing facility.

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Choosing to locate our new manufacturing facility in Renfrew County was an easy choice, offering great value for such a large facility, a skilled local workforce and all easily close and accessible to supply chains and routes.

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ttawa business leaders and citizens have an incredible opportunity this year to shape the future of our community with both a provincial and municipal election. The last two years have clearly demonstrated the value of radical collaboration, clear communication, and evidencebased decision making. We also know that community health and economic growth are completely intertwined. The bottom line is that we are all connected. As the voice of business

and advocate for economic development, we are calling on all candidates to support a pro-growth agenda to build our city, and our future for the next generation. Ottawa has many assets that provide a strong foundation for addressing big opportunities like infrastructure, affordable housing, future skills development, reimagining our downtown, and supporting the heart of our community – local small businesses. The defining factor will be how we

Maximize Your Membership Mondays at 1:30 pm | Virtual work together to realize our full potential. It starts with you. The voting public must elect leaders ready to make innovative and strategic investments for an inclusive and sustainable community. Now is the time to be bold and create an environment that leverages the ingenuity and success of business to drive community health and prosperity. Stronger together. Sueling Ching, President and CEO, Ottawa Board of Trade

Members and Future Members CAPITAL Magazine June 16 | Location TBC Summer 2022 Launch Forty Under 40 June 17 | Casino Lac-Leamy 5 Connections at 5: Speed Networking June 22 | Head Office Ottawa Mayor’s Breakfast June 23 | Ottawa City Hall Keynote: The Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner,

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

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Merry Maids of Ottawa

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Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kanata

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Confederation M&A Group

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August 23 | GreyHawk Golf Club

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‘A big challenge for the grid’: BluWave-ai steers EV users away from peak charging times DAVID SALI

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usage in particular neighbourhoods and predict when owners of electric cars are most likely to charge their vehicles. The cloud-based platform will automatically trigger vehicles to recharge when power usage is typically at its lowest, easing pressure on the grid and saving consumers money. Meanwhile, users who don’t opt in to the software can download an app that will alert them when it’s the most cost-effective time to plug in their rides. In addition, BluWave is partnering with B.C.-based cleantech startup Moment Energy – which converts old EV batteries into sustainable energy-storage systems – to devise better ways of storing power in EV batteries and transferring that energy from cars to the grid when demand for

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rising Ottawa cleantech firm that’s testing technology aimed at preventing electric vehicles from overloading power grids is hoping to fast-track its growth with the help of millions of dollars in fresh capital. BluWave-ai has landed $4.5 million in new funding from a group of Canadian venture capitalists and is close to finalizing an additional $5.5-million raise from a consortium of private and corporate investors, founder and CEO Devashish Paul recently told Techopia. The cash influx comes as BluWave is gearing up to launch a two-year, $4.8-million pilot project that will see Ottawa Hydro use the cleantech startup’s

platform to help steer drivers of electric vehicles toward off-peak charging times in an effort to limit the strain on the utility’s infrastructure. “If you’re the likes of Hydro Ottawa, how are you going to deal with everybody buying a Hyundai Kona or a Tesla or a Volkswagen ID.4 and everyone comes home from work and starts charging them just as everyone’s turning on their stoves and ovens and all of that?” Paul said, citing several popular EV models. “It becomes a big challenge for the grid. Even if 25 per cent of homes get to EV penetration, the whole grid will become congested.” BluWave’s new subscription-based software system, dubbed EV Everywhere, uses artificial intelligence to track power

electricity is peaking. The Ottawa firm will also be teaming up with another local partner, Invest Ottawa, to put the software through its paces at Area X.O, an autonomous vehicle test track on Woodroffe Avenue that’s equipped with EV charging systems and other infrastructure. “(EV) manufacturers are taking care of where to put (the energy),” Paul said. “Now, how do you put it there at the right time? That’s what the EV Everywhere project is all about.” BluWave and Hydro Ottawa are funding half the cost of the project, while the provincially backed Independent Electricity System Operator is covering the rest. Another provincial agency, the Ontario Energy Board, is providing regulatory support. With the federal government accelerating its drive to dramatically increase the number of electric cars on Canadian roads, Paul believes BluWave is poised for big things ahead. The firm is expecting to nearly double its headcount from 30 to 55 as it ramps up the program over the next couple of years. While only five per cent of new vehicles sold in Canada today are electric, EV sales jumped 60 per cent in 2021 compared with the previous year, Statistics Canada says. Their share of the new car market is expected to rise steadily over the next few years as the feds roll out more incentives. The feds are also funding more EV charging stations as they push to increase the number of stations across Canada from the current 15,000 to more than 50,000. For utilities like Hydro Ottawa that are grappling with the issue of how to manage the expected surge in demand for power that will follow, BluWave’s platform has come along at exactly the right time. “With BluWave-ai EV Everywhere technology, we will be in a position to more accurately predict EV loads, plan capacity upgrades across our community, and strengthen our system to meet the energy needs of our customers,” Guillaume Paradis, Hydro Ottawa’s chief electricity distribution officer of operations, said in a statement. Meanwhile, BluWave continues to land more customers such as taxi fleets, airlines and other consumers of electric power. Last fall, Dubai Taxi signed on to use BluWave’s AI technology to help it anticipate demand and ensure that its growing roster of electric cabs is fully charged and ready to go when customers call.

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Techopia Briefs Clearford Water Systems restructures debt Clearford Water Systems says it’s looking to restructure its mounting debt in a bid to stave off bankruptcy after racking up an accumulated deficit of more than $90 million. In a news release, the embattled Ottawa cleantech firm said it intends to make a proposal to its creditors under the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The move effectively gives Clearford 30 days to lay out a plan for repaying its debts as it tries to keep its head above water.

Intouch Insight hopes deal opens door to new markets Ottawa’s Intouch Insight is looking to keep the sales gains coming after announcing it’s landed a multimillion-dollar deal with a major U.S. tech consulting firm. Intouch makes software that helps clients track customer satisfaction as well as collect data on issues such as employee health and safety concerns. The company

said it’s signed a contract to provide “geolocation data-capture services” across the U.S. to the NASDAQ-100 customer, which it declined to name. Intouch said the contract is worth $7 million over an initial five-month term.

Shopify signs deal to buy logistics company Shopify upped the ante in its fight against Amazon.com Inc. with a US$2.1-billion deal to buy logistics company Deliverr Inc. The deal will see Shopify pay about 80 per cent of the purchase price in cash and 20 per cent in shares for the San Francisco fulfilment technology company, which ships over a million orders per month across the U.S. The transaction, which is still subject to regulatory approvals, will help Shopify deepen its inventory capabilities, broaden its storage and freight services, and tap into a network of warehouses and couriers Deliverr has built.

i-Sight CEO exits case management software firm An Ottawa company that helps some of the world’s biggest brands identify, investigate and prevent corporate malfeasance is banking on a major investment from a U.S. private equity firm to extend its reach into new global markets. Case management software provider i-Sight announced that Resurgens Technology Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm that specializes in scaling up software enterprises, is adding the Ottawa company to its portfolio. Under the agreement, i-Sight cofounder and chief executive Joe Gerard will leave the company and be replaced by David McNeill, a 30-year tech veteran.

Telesat downsizing Lightspeed satellite project Telesat is scaling back its multibilliondollar low-Earth-orbit satellite network in the wake of supply chain disruptions and soaring inflation, the company said. Dan Goldberg, chief executive of the Ottawa-based firm, told analysts that Telesat now plans to deliver 188 LEO satellites plus 10 backups aimed at

delivering high-speed internet service to customers not well-served by existing infrastructure – down from the company’s previous target of 298 satellites. Telesat’s longtime CEO said the company has been “bitten” by supply chain bottlenecks that have delayed construction and driven up the cost of the state-of-the-art system, which is designed to orbit about 1,300 kilometres above the Earth.

C-COM Satellite Systems lands US$2.65M order C-COM Satellite Systems has received a big boost in the form of a multimillion-dollar order. The Ottawa firm said one of its resellers has ordered US$2.65 million worth of its iNetVu vehicle-mounted satellite systems. C-COM said the first batch of the devices has already been delivered, with the remainder scheduled to ship in the second and third quarters of its fiscal 2022 year. “The ability for C-COM to rapidly deliver a large number of antennas, despite worldwide supply chain issues, is validated by large orders like these,” president and CEO Leslie Klein said in a statement.

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post-secondary institutions to enable more innovation and commercialization. Having access to leading-edge research capabilities and expertise, as well as a pool of talented students, makes the 5G world their oyster.

Ottawa has the right ingredients to be the next innovation story Talent and innovative thinking from post-secondary institutions like uOttawa is the secret sauce the connected car and autonomous cluster in the park as well as the new Smart Connected Vehicles Innovation Centre. That approach is the secret to their success. Let’s use one of the cutting-edge technologies they’re working on as a metaphor to show how their innovation will help lead Ottawa into the future. 5G: Real-time communication 5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks. It gives mobile networks better connectivity (meaning more bandwidth, stronger connection and faster downloads). What 5G users get is real-time communication, which makes innovations like autonomous vehicles and smart classrooms possible. Collaboration in the park also operates in real-time, enabling critical partnerships between industry, academia and venture capital. Multinational brands such as Ericsson, Nokia and Telus are leaders in 5G and are actively engaged with

SUMMER 2022

Ottawa is poised to be the next big tech innovation story, but several players have to collaborate to make it happen. Fortunately for us, Ottawa’s local universities and colleges are stepping up to play their part. A key player is the University of Ottawa’s associate vice-president of innovation, partnerships and entrepreneurship, Guy Levesque, who’s known for being a forward-thinking innovator. In 2018, under Levesque’s leadership, uOttawa opened a satellite campus in Kanata North, moving forward with the university’s vision to be an academic anchor and a valuable contributor to the thriving ecosystem in Canada’s largest technology park – currently home to over 545 companies. In Kanata North, students and researchers collaborate with industry and venture capital partners in what they call the Kanata North 5G innovation zone. There, engineering students work on leading-edge 5G, IoT, autonomous vehicle and cybersecurity projects - all to support

What does this mean for Ottawa? If you thought Ottawa was just a boring government town, think again. Ottawa has a bigger percentage of people working in tech than Silicon Valley at nearly 12 per cent of the population. As 5G development grows with the right people in the room, Ottawa’s tech hub can lead the way for Canada’s economy to be one of the first that benefits from the commercialization of 5G, thanks to ongoing projects such as the uOttawa Cyber Hub and the Smart Connected Vehicles Innovation Centre. The potential benefits for the Canadian economy is why every Kanata North company needs the talent of the next generation. To be the best, you need to hire the best. None of this could happen without the foresight of post-secondary institutions and innovative leaders like Levesque. Their everyday efforts encourage connecting the dots, engaging others in the right conversations, and leveraging connections as well as networks – all to develop productive partnerships and enable innovation. “Making innovation happen requires convergence, alignment and the orchestration of many players and efforts. It is notoriously messy, but highly rewarding,” said Levesque. “Governments and industry need to lean on post-secondary institutions to do some of that heavy lifting, such as accessing skilled talent and leading-edge research capability, in order to bring our depth of innovative thinking to solving complex issues.” And this is just the beginning. With Ottawa’s rich pool of university-trained talent at the table, the time for tech innovation in Ottawa is now. To find out how your company can partner with the University of Ottawa, reach out to Guy Levesque at glevesq4@uottawa.ca.

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Giatec Scientific co-founders Rouhollah Alizadeh (left) and Pouria Ghods hope to revolutionize the concrete industry. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Giatec Scientific partners with German giant on R&D, financing deal DAVID SALI

david@obj.ca

SUMMER 2022

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n Ottawa cleantech company that’s on a mission to make concrete more environmentally friendly is hoping a cash infusion from a European building materials powerhouse will cement its status as the global leader in its field. Giatec Scientific announced that German multinational HeidelbergCement, the world’s second-largest cement manufacturer, has made a “minor strategic investment” in the local firm. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Giatec co-founder and CEO Pouria Ghods says the new partnership will give his company the financial heft to create

a platform that’s even better at helping concrete manufacturers produce higherquality building materials while doing less harm to the planet. Concrete manufacturing currently accounts for about eight per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. “It will enable us to have the best-in-class AI-based software to reduce the carbon footprint of this industry,” Ghods explains. Founded in 2010, Giatec specializes in developing wireless sensors that use artificial intelligence to measure the quality and consistency of concrete during the construction process and beyond. The company’s devices are now deployed on job sites in more than 80 countries. Giatec appeared on OBJ’s list of fastest-growing companies in 2018, and

it finished in the top 100 on Canadian Business magazine’s prestigious Growth List in 2020, with five-year revenue growth of nearly 1,400 per cent. After pandemic-related headwinds held it back for a couple of years, Giatec is on track to exceed its goal of 25 per cent yearover-year revenue growth in 2022, Ghods says. Now at 91 employees, the firm received more than $5 million in federal funding last summer to help it scale up. But Ghods says in order to keep growing, Giatec required another source of capital and found the ideal partner in Heidelberg, which operates in nearly 60 countries and runs more than 1,500 ready-made concrete production sites around the world. While the extra funding will no doubt

boost Giatec’s R&D efforts, Ghods says the new deal is as much about data as it is about dollars. Heidelberg was founded in the 1870s, meaning the Ottawa firm’s software engineers now have access to a treasure trove of information dating back nearly a century and a half – including what materials have gone into its cement, how the recipes have evolved over time and how those changes have affected the quality of the resulting concrete. One of Giatec’s recent innovations is a web-based dashboard called SmartMix that uses AI algorithms to help concrete producers calculate the ideal amount of cement and chemical additives in their mixes in an effort to cut down on material costs and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, Giatec is now using machine learning technology to figure out how to minimize concrete’s cement content by swapping in materials with a lower carbon footprint such as slag, a waste byproduct of iron smelting, while maintaining its strength and durability. Giatec’s researchers plan to use Heidelberg’s data to make the firm’s patented AI even smarter as they continue to refine the software. “I believe we are a major step closer to revolutionizing the concrete industry in a sustainable manner,” Ghods says. “AI without data is meaningless. They have a gold mine there. Our job is to extract it.” He also hopes joining forces with one of the best-known names in the business will help convince more customers in the traditionally risk-averse construction industry to make the leap and sign on to Giatec’s platform. “Adoption is not happening very fast,” Ghods says. “That’s part of the problem. Having a big player with a big footprint internationally, we believe that will help us to accelerate the adoption of solutions we already have and also new ones we are going to offer to the market.” The CEO is already pondering how his company will celebrate hitting the 100-employee mark, a milestone it expects to achieve by the end of its fiscal year in July. Even though Giatec is now casting its hiring net abroad in an effort to land skilled talent in today’s tight market, Ghods says the firm is committed to growing its operations in the nation’s capital. “We are proud to keep it Canadian and in Ottawa and hopefully we can make (it) a big success,” he says.

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OBJ.social is supported by the generous patronage of Mark Motors and Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties. STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

OBJ.SOCIAL AWARDS

One for the books: 2022 Politics and the Pen

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Joe Clark, Maureen McTeer, Catherine Clark, Chad Schella; Allan Thompson, Jean Chrétien; Jennifer Madigan, Jennifer Stewart, Jenna Sudds; Sharon Johnston, David Johnston, Joyce Napier; Evan Solomon, John Ivison, Catherine McKenna, Rodger Cuzner, François-Philippe Champagne; Marci Ien, Seamus O’Regan. PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

Pity poor Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota, who had the job of getting a roomful of social butterflies to hush up during this year’s Politics and the Pen dinner. The gala is the largest fundraiser for the Writers’ Trust of Canada, a charitable organization that advances, nurtures and celebrates Canadian writers and writing. The event raised more than $300,000 this year, culminating with the awarding of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing to Joanna Chiu, senior journalist for the Toronto Star and author of China Unbound: A New World Disorder. Elizabeth Gray-Smith, co-founder of GSD&Co, co-chaired this year’s Politics and the Pen with Patrick Kennedy,

principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. Also finalists for the literary prize were Mike Blanchfield, international affairs writer for The Canadian Press, and Fen Osler Hampson, Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University, for The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War; Stephen Poloz, former governor of the Bank of Canada, for The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future; Geoffrey Stevens, former managing editor of Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail, for Flora!: A Woman in a Man’s World; and Jody Wilson-Raybould, former justice minister and attorney general, for “Indian” in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power.

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Thomas d’Aquino honoured for getting philanthropy down to an art Art collectors, philanthropists and long-time donors of the National Gallery of Canada came together to honour Thomas d’Aquino, a man who’s helped raise tens of millions of dollars for the national art institution. The business leader has devoted his time, energy and money into building the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) Foundation into what it is today. His involvement spanned a quarter of a century, to include 18 years as board chair, beginning in 2002. NGC Foundation board chair Ann Bowman compared d’Aquino’s contributions to taking a startup organization and helping it to thrive. “He brought both vision and incredible entrepreneurial enthusiasm and kickstarted a number of new fundraising initiatives,” said Bowman, vice-chair of the

enterprise strategic client group of RBC Wealth Management. D’Aquino founded the NGC Foundation’s Distinguished Patrons community of philanthropists, who have contributed at least $100,000 to the gallery. It has grown to include nearly 100 families. The highly connected businessman also helped to facilitate and secure the unprecedented gift of $10 million made by Scotiabank to support the gallery’s new photography institute. D’Aquino is the chair and chief executive of Intercounsel, a private venture development and strategic consulting company. He’s also former long-time CEO of the Business Council of Canada (formerly known as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives).

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Michael Audain, Thomas d’Aquino and Michael Adams; John Mierins, Shannon Day-Newman and Don Newman; Sasha Suda. PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

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Doug McLarty has always enjoyed the people behind the numbers

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As Doug McLarty gets ready to retire from MNP LLP, what he’ll remember most about his four-decade-long career as a chartered accountant in Ottawa is not the ways he helped his clients minimize inheritance tax, it will be the people he’s met and the relationships he’s built. McLarty, 69, has been with the firm since 2014, when he merged his former professional practice with MNP, a national accounting, tax and business consulting firm. MNP wanted to make a jumpstart into the Ottawa market and saw McLarty & Co. as the perfect fit. Today, MNP has a team of 300 in the region, including offices in Kingston, Cornwall, Brockville, Hawkesbury and Gatineau. McLarty has decided to step down from his partnership at the end May. “I think the timing’s right,” he said in an interview from the firm’s Carling Avenue eighth-floor office, which offers views that stretch all the way to the Ottawa River. He plans to continue doing succession planning, board work and angel investing. He’ll also work on his golf game at the prestigious Royal Ottawa Golf Club, where he’s a long-time member and former board treasurer. His wife, Lynn Honsberger, who’s on the board of governors at Carleton University, recently took up golf. McLarty didn’t grow up dreaming of numbers and spreadsheets. He’s an outgoing sort and natural raconteur who’s lived most of his life in Ottawa. He moved here as a boy when his father, Donald, a former Second World War pilot and lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Air Force,

became president of Canada’s Spartan Air Services. McLarty played football, first with his St. Patrick’s High School team, followed by the Ottawa Sooners, and finally with the Ravens at Carleton University, where he studied commerce (teammates included well-known real estate developer John Ruddy). McLarty says he pursued his CA designation after university because it seemed like a smart move. By his late twenties, he had opened his own accounting firm in Ottawa, teaming up with tax wiz Jim McIntyre. They had no money and no clients but that didn’t stop them from buying an old building at 360 Bronson Ave., near Somerset Street West, to run their business, McIntyre & McLarty. The deal would never have gone through if former Conservative cabinet minister Robert Layton, father of former NDP leader Jack Layton, hadn’t loaned them $27,000. They paid him right back. Among their clients were Jack Layton, Dalton McGuinty, Jim Watson, John Baird and Peter MacKay. “We had the whole political spectrum. It was wonderful,” said McLarty, who had a knack for business development and marketing. He was still in his 40s when he received the highest mark of distinction for a chartered professional accountant: the Fellows designation by CPA Ontario. Only about three per cent of CPAs have been named Fellows. McIntrye & McLarty was successful but eventually ran its course after 21 years, when the two parted ways, dissolving the firm. It was time for

Lynn Honsberger and Doug McLarty are planning to do more golfing when McLarty retires as partner from MNP LLP at the end of this month. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

McLarty to start over. Fortunately, he had a strong enough client base that he didn’t have to build from scratch. He also had his chartered accountant wife, Honsberger, to help him develop his vision for the future. It involved adding integrated succession planning and wealth management. She was “critical” to the firm’s success, said McLarty. They also created marketing segmentation strategies that allowed them to focus on specific clientele groups, such as car dealerships and physicians. McLarty credits his career success to strong teamwork. “My strength has always been to have a vision and to see where we need to get to and to see the pieces, but I would never have been successful if I hadn’t been able to attract people around me who had all the skills.” Accounting is one of those jobs that allow professionals to work with both numbers and people. “I love talking to people and I really enjoy understanding people; I’ve always been that way,” said McLarty, who co-founded the Ottawa Networking Group (which was exactly what it sounds like). “When you’re helping someone with a service, if they’re comfortable and you develop a trust, then your relationship is much

more helpful.” It’s advice he’s shared with the younger accountants in his office. “It’s all about trust. It’s all about listening to the clients. “Some of the most satisfying moments in my career have been when people come up to me 10, 15, 20 years later and say, ‘You know that advice that you gave me and my family that day? Well, we actually did it and it worked out really well’.” McLarty has been involved with numerous boards over the years, including the Ottawa Board of Trade, Bayview Yards Innovation Centre and Hydro Ottawa. At the young age of 42, he was hospital board chair at the Riverside (now a campus of The Ottawa Hospital). He’s currently on the board of the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario. “It’s such a positive experience,” said McLarty of having the opportunity to work with “really interesting people.” Just doing well in a job doesn’t meet McLarty’s definition of success. It also needs to apply to home life and community work. “You’ve got to have balance. I think I’ve accomplished that in my career and it means that we’ve had pretty happy times.” — Caroline Phillips

FOR THE RECORD

development with clients in architecture, design, engineering and real estate. The Ottawa job market is hot, especially in the construction sector, Cross acknowledged. “It’s as if every post on LinkedIn is about somebody switching jobs.” The timing felt right to make a move says Cross, who’s now an empty-nester. Her children are ages 22 and 20, while her stepchildren are 23 and 19. “There’s no way I’d have had this kind of bandwidth five years ago.” She put considerable thought and planning into deciding what she wanted to do next. “I really, really wanted to find the right spot for me because I didn’t want to just make another change. I’m not just making lateral moves; I’m not just leaving one job for the same job.” For Cross, it was about rethinking her career and her life and then finding a company that fit with her new vision. Figuring out the next move, she said, “made it a lot easier to get rid of the noise. There are so many opportunities out there that you can just be like, ‘That’s interesting

Jennifer Cross welcomes the chance to reimagine the office space BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

OTHER MOVES Lennard Commercial Realty continues its industry expansion in Ottawa by bringing on like-minded established professionals. It recently recruited office leasing specialist Paul Cook as a new partner. Cook was a vice-president with CBRE in Ottawa, having spent 18 years there. Earlier this year, as previously reported in People on the Move, Lennard recruited CBRE Ottawa office co-founder Ian Shackell as a partner and his son, Matt Shackell, who’s now VP. Lennard, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, is planning to grow further within the next couple of months.

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Kandas Miller has joined Colonnade BridgePort as its director of residential real estate. The full-service real estate investment company is expecting Miller to be instrumental in growing its residential property management business. Miller, who grew up in Ottawa, was vice-president at a local property management company, with a focus on residential assets, prior to joining Colonnade BridgePort. She has experience working in all areas of residential property management, including leasing, portfolio management and business development. The Royal Ottawa Foundation has recruited Ann Symington from the

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CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) Foundation to become its new vice-president of philanthropy and partnerships. The charitable arm of The Royal has also hired Shaundra Mitchener as its manager of community partnerships and events. Michener worked for nearly 14 years for the Ottawa Senators Foundation. Christa Dickenson is leaving Telefilm Canada to become CPAC’s new president and CEO, effective Sept. 12. She worked at CPAC earlier in her career before going on to spend 16 years at Rogers and, later, serve as president and CEO of Interactive Ontario. She’s been the CEO and executive director at Telefilm since 2018.

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SUMMER 2022

The times they are a-changin’ for office design. Increasingly, companies are looking to adopt hybrid office models, ones that allow employees to rotate in and out of work environments that have been reconfigured for shared spaces. Jennifer Cross, through her new role with MARANT Construction, is now helping clients reconceptualize what their offices could look like. “I just think this is such an interesting time in business and in our personal lives as we reimagine what working means to us,” said Cross, 49, in an interview to discuss becoming the new business development manager in Ottawa for the commercial interior office construction firm. “I find that conversation just so fascinating.” Cross, who was born and raised in Perth, Ont., started out studying political science at Carleton University before realizing what she really wanted to do: interior design. She got her diploma at Sheridan College. “I love the industry,” said Cross, a former Forty Under 40 business award recipient. “I’m very interested in how design shapes our life, how the spaces that we live in change us, and how they can either help or hinder, how they can inspire us, how they shape who we are.” The Gen Xer has survived the fallout from the dot-com bubble burst and global

financial crisis. When she was starting out, there were very few professional female role models in her life. When she gave birth to her first child, she was back to business 10 days later. “My whole career has sort of been fighting for a place at the table and juggling children.” Most recently, Cross was director of residential developments at Flux Lighting. Before that, she was with Ottawa-based marketing agency TRUEdotDESIGN, working as director of strategy and business

and that’s interesting’ but if you have core values about what’s really important to you about your career, it’s very quick to dismiss what’s not going to work for you. “I want to add value somewhere and be valued.” Cross, who’s ambitious and careerdriven, credits her business coach with helping her to reach her goals. “My role with MARANT came together like magic. I was just so clear about what I wanted, what I was looking for. As soon as we met for an interview process, we all knew it was the right fit for them and for me. It’s like nothing I ever experienced before.” The website for Toronto-based MARANT features headshots of every individual who works at the company, from its president to its general labourers, plus a tiny tidbit about each one. “There’s definitely this powerful mission that everybody’s working together to accomplish something and they value their team first. For me, that’s just a critical thing that you want to be part of,” said Cross, who started her new job in late April.

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SUMMER 2022

SOLD

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St. Claire Gardens $2,295,000 . Nancy O’Dea

Westboro Penthouse $2,180,000 . Jane Davis

Pineglen Waterfront $1,789,000 . John King

Lindenlea

Owl Rafting & 20+ Acres $7,500,000 . Chad Clost

Greystone Village Penthouse $1,850,000 . Sarah Hunter

ByWard Market $649,900 . Angela Brough

Rockcliffe Park Contact for Details . Deb Cherry

$1,195,000* . Mary Jane McKendry

Engel & Völkers Ottawa Central Phone +1 613-422-8688 292 Somerset Street West . Ottawa . K2P 0J6 Learn more at ottawacentral.evrealestate.com ©2022 Engel & Völkers Ottawa Central, Brokerage. Each brokerage independently owned & operated. *Listed at. John King, Deb Cherry, Sarah Hunter, & Chad Clost, Brokers. Nancy O’Dea, Jane Davis, Mary Jane McKendry & Angela Brough, Sales Representatives.