Chronicle - Summer/Fall 2008

SUMMER/FALL 2008

QUEBEC CITY

•

MONTREAL

•

TORONTO

•

WINNIPEG

2 Pravda Vodka House Captures Communist Kitsch

4 Montreal’s Ruze Communication: Sustainable Marketing from 400 Atlantic Ave.

16 Winnipeg’s Underground Café: hard to find, easy to like

PLUS: • Vistek: industrial strength camera store • Kitchener’s downtown revitalization • Totum Tips: Drink up

12

KING WEST CLOTHIERS

Toronto’s GotStyle Offers Retail for the Urban Male

•

KITCHENER

TORONTO

Vodka, Vodka Everywhere With 76 different varieties of the world’s most popular distilled drink, Pravda Vodka House brings the spirit to life with Czarist-themed décor.

Pravda’s rich and raw interior features a number of comfortable conversation areas, including a mock gulag cell (left).

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET, TORONTO / - When Marx) and the four-foot-high hammer and sickle hanging organizers sought a Toronto venue for the launch of the above the ground floor bar, you’ll find a number of curios new James Bond novel, Devil May Care, this past June, and accents, all of which work to complete the space’s ironic a downtown Russian-themed vodka bar held just the right communist kitsch atmosphere. balance of intrigue and tongue-in-cheek décor to make The long, two-level space lends itself perfectly to lounging, an evening of all things Bond seem like it was being held with more than a dozen comfortable conversation areas. For on a faux-Kremlin film set rather than in a popular something more private, the back of the upper level has a St. Lawrence market area lounge.

VIP area whose heavy red curtains with gold trim can be But then, that’s the idea behind pulled back to reveal a marble mantel, Pravda Vodka House, explains to either side of which are tables and its owner and congenial host assorted seating.

“People associate vodka with Robin Singh.

With some 76 varieties of vodka an image, and that image is “In Toronto, there are a lot of available, Pravda offers tasting menus pretty much Russia.” places whose themes don’t actually with everything from ordinary versions match the interior, but here I just of the drink to limited edition bottles filled it with pretty much anything and further authenticates the experience I could find that was Russian,” he says of the Wellington by offering a number of accompaniments from sturgeon Street East nightspot that has grown popular with the aftercaviar and shrimp platters to the more rudimentary rye bread work crowd for its intriguing interior and dedication to all and pickles (“That’s the Red Army way,” says Singh). things vodka (including gourmet Russian-inspired tapas).

The kitchen offerings have become more elaborate since it “People associate vodka with an image, and that image moved from its original space a few blocks west of its current is pretty much Russia,” says Singh. The martini bar’s rich locale (the old space is now Lucien), and features a twist on and raw interior features dark oak floors, velvet upholstery traditional fare like Beef Stroganoff and veal-stuffed perogies. and chocolate brown leather sofas and arm chairs set against Free appetizers are available most nights and ‘industry exposed brick and heavy fir beam structural accents. night’ on Tuesdays features half-price martinis and hot food But in a themed lounge like this, the dressing is in the till 1:00 am. A DJ spins Wednesday to Saturday, giving the details, so beyond the wealth of communist leader portraits place a mellow vibe, but for more eclectic entertainment, (Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Lenin, Stalin, Chairman Mao and check out the politically incorrect “Midget Martini” nights.

“

Pravdavodkabar.com COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 2

TORONTO

King West Retail Strategy a Matter of Balance

King Street West’s north side features Mini Downtown...

...while the stretch’s south side features restaurants and furniture boutiques.

KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - Retail at King West Central has always been a carefully considered equation that comes from a need to balance services for area office workers with the requirements of the node’s growing residential population. To some degree, this has come to look like a balance between bistros and furniture retailers. Of course that’s not the whole story, but as one of Toronto’s newest nodes, it’s part of the evolution of a neighbourhood.

“You have to remember that Allied [Properties REIT] created a node almost single-handedly in an area that just didn’t exist before,” says Tom Burns, vice president of DTZ Barnicke’s Retail Group, who helped to build the street-front leasing strategy when the area’s historic buildings were first being refurbished in 1997.

UNCOVERING A VIBRANT NEIGHBOURHOOD Back then, the area’s designation as a manufacturing zone had just been lifted and Allied spent considerable effort restoring the brick facades of these former warehouses. “And now it’s a healthy vibrant neighbourhood,” says Burns, who recalls the challenge of finding the area’s first ‘big’ tenant, Rodney’s Oyster House.

“We searched a long time to find the right tenant to set the tone for the neighbourhood, and Rodney’s was having issues with their space on Adelaide East, so we found space for him on King West,” says Burns explaining that Crush Wine Bar came in shortly after, followed by Brassaii.

A plan was drawn up for both sides of this stretch of King Street West to carefully select who would move in and where, helping to ensure each piece of the puzzle filled a niche of sorts.

Having the Mini Downtown dealership open in 2002 served not only to give the neighbourhood some visually arresting

window displays, it also provided a destination shopping experience, drawing people from around the GTA to discover the node’s restaurants and furniture boutiques.

U.S. RETAILERS LOOKING AT CANADIAN MARKETS The recent opening of Design Within Reach is in part an indicator of the U.S. interest in Canadian markets, though much of the attention is drawn to premium malls, where sales per square foot continue to increase much faster than national averages.

Retailers like Sephora, Coach, Abercrombie, Lululemon, Apple, Aeropostal, Aritzia and a few others are encouraged by solid performances to date.

But Burns says there is a new group of retailers just beginning their search for space in Canada that will also help drive sales volumes and keep consumer interest up. Brooks Brothers, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Design Within Reach, Anthropologie, Michael Kors are all making commitments for real estate.

And firms like Design Within Reach look specifically for eclectic buildings in developing neighbourhoods to establish their ‘studios’.

CANADA’S RETAIL SECTOR HEALTHY Unlike the retail market in the United States, retailing in Canada remains healthy, according to Burns. The hot spots are Alberta and Saskatchewan where year over year increases are double digit. The Greater Toronto area is posting increases of 4%, which, according to Statistics Canada, reflects the national average.

With continued growth in sales all retail categories are seeking real estate. From dollar stores to luxury retailers and from fast food to full service restaurants, finding high quality real estate remains a challenge.

3 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

MONTRÉAL

Quand l’écolo l’emporte Experts en marketing responsable et en communication graphique écologique RUE ATLANTIC, MONTRÉAL Lorsque Sophie Seguin travaillait comme experte-conseil en affaires pour aider des entreprises à devenir plus efficaces, elle n’a pas pu s’empêcher de remarquer le gaspillage provoqué par les mauvaises pratiques de certaines entreprises en matière de développement durable. « Certaines entreprises ne disposaient même pas d’un bac bleu, » se souvient-elle. Elle fait remarquer que lorsqu’elle a monté sa propre entreprise de communications, l’un des objectifs fondamentaux du plan de gestion était que l’entreprise devait être carbone neutre.

En fait, les commentaires qu’elle a reçus au sujet de son plan initial ont toujours été positifs, sauf en ce qui concernait les principes de développement durable. Bon nombre de personnes lui ont conseillé ’abandonner complètement le côté « écolo » de ses opérations ou tout au moins de le cacher. C’est ce qu’elle a fait durant les premiers mois, révélant par exemple aux clients seulement après achèvement d’un projet graphique quelconque qu’il avait été imprimé sur du papier Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost ont fait de Ruze l’agence publicitaire la plus écolo de Montréal. recyclé.

C’était il y a trois ans. Depuis lors, entier, des fournisseurs de papier aux services d’hébergement Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost, qui s’est pour sites Web alimentés par énergie éolienne, à adopter des associé à elle il y a un an, ont fait de Ruze Communication pratiques de développement durable. l’agence publicitaire la plus écolo de Montréal. Ils sont La planification d’une campagne publicitaire utilisant des souvent invités à siéger dans des comités avec de grandes pratiques de développement durable est un véritable processus sociétés multinationales pour discuter de stratégies éducatif aussi bien pour le client que pour le client du carboneutres pour des entreprises de services. (Pierre client. Cependant, selon Sophie Seguin, la principale difficulté Provost participe, entre autres, à la mise en œuvre du consiste à dissiper le mythe que la solution écologique entraîne plan de développement durable de Montréal.) des coûts beaucoup plus élevés.

La clientèle de Ruze regroupe bon nombre de PME « Il est vrai que cela coûtait bien cher lorsque nous nous ainsi que plusieurs entités du gouvernement et des sommes lancés en affaires. De nos jours cependant, imprimer organismes sans but lucratif, et sa liste de fournisseurs un projet respectueux de l’environnement coûte en général écologiques s’allonge projet par projet. moins de cinq pour cent de plus, » fait-elle remarquer. Elle « C’est ça le défi à relever. Il y a trois ans, trouver un souligne que la liste des fournisseurs et des produits s’allonge imprimeur utilisant du papier fourni par une entreprise et les prix continuent de chuter au fur et à mesure qu’un forestière certifiée et des encres à base végétale était un plus grand nombre d’entreprises montréalaises adoptent des véritable casse-tête. Nous faisons maintenant affaire avec pratiques respectueuses de l’environnement. plusieurs fournisseurs, » explique Sophie Seguin, en ajoutant ruzecommunication.com qu’il est indispensable d’obliger la chaîne de production en

CHRONIQUE COMMUNAUTAIRE • 4

Montreal Ad Shop Makes Sustainability its Competitive Edge

Nouvelle acquisition : l’édifice Ubisoft à Montréal

RUE ATLANTIC, MONTREAL / - When Sophie Seguin worked as a business consultant advising companies on efficiency, she couldn’t help but notice the inefficiency of some firms’ sustainability practices.

BOULEVARD SAINT-LAURENT, MONTRÉAL – En août dernier, Allied a complété l’acquisition d’un édifice de cinq étages (déjà connu sous le nom de Ubisoft), situé au 5505 boulevard Saint-Laurent à l’angle sud-est du boulevard Saint-Laurent et de l’avenue Saint-Viateur.

Ubisoft Divertissement Inc., un géant des jeux vidéo, est le locataire majeur de cet édifice; il s’agit d’une filiale en propriété exclusive d’Ubisoft Entertainment SA. Basé en France, Ubisoft a été fondé en 1986 par les cinq frères Guillemot. Au début des années 1990, la société a entrepris un programme de développement de jeux à l’interne qui a abouti en 1994 à l’ouverture d’un studio à Montreuil (France) devenu par la suite le siège social de la société. Ubisoft a été introduit en Bourse en 1996 et a poursuivi son expansion mondiale avec l’ouverture de studios à travers le monde, y inclus à Shanghai, à Montréal, au 5505 Saint-Laurent, ainsi qu’à Québec, en 2005, dans un édifice appartenant aussi à Allied Properties REIT.

“Some companies didn’t even have blue bins,” she recalls, explaining that when she started her own communications firm, being a carbon neutral company was firmly entrenched into the business plan.

In fact, the feedback she received on her initial plan was always positive, save for that bit about sustainable practices. Many advised her to drop the green aspect of her business altogether or at least to hide it.

For the first few months in business she did, revealing to clients only after a graphic design project had been completed, for example, that it was printed on recycled paper.

That was only three years ago, and since then, Seguin and her colleague, Pierre Provost who joined her a year ago, have made Ruze Montreal’s leading enviro ad agency, often being called upon to sit on committees with large multinationals to discuss carbon-neutral strategies for service enterprises. (Provost, for example, is involved in the application of Montreal’s sustainable development plan.)

Ruze’s client base includes a number of small to medium sized businesses as well as several government and not-for-profit agencies, and its list of green suppliers grows with every new project.

“That’s the challenge. Three years ago, finding a printer with Forestry Certified paper and vegetable based ink was a struggle, but now we have several suppliers,” says Seguin, adding that the key is to push the entire chain of production into adopting sustainable practices, from paper suppliers to wind-powered hosting services for web sites.

Planning an ad initiative using sustainable practices is an education process for clients and the client’s client, but the main challenge, says Seguin, is to dispel the myth that a green solution is an expensive one.

“It’s true that it used to be a lot more expensive when we started, but now, to do a print job in an environmentally friendly way is usually less than five percent more expensive,” she says, adding that as more Montreal firms embrace environmental practices, the list of suppliers and materials continues to grow, while prices drop.

UbiSoft building in Montreal marks gaming giant’s second studio in Allied portfolio

Pierre Provost Vice-président, communication

Sophie Seguin Présidente, directrice artistique

ST. LAURENT BLVD., MONTREAL / – In August, Allied completed the acquisition of 5505 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, a five-storey, Class I office building on the southeast corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Viateur Avenue whose anchor tenant is gaming software giant Ubisoft Divertissement Inc. Based in France, Ubisoft became a publicly traded company in 1996 and continued to expand around the globe, opening studios in places like Shanghai and at 5505 St. Laurent in Montreal, as well as one in Quebec City in 2005, which also happens to be in a building owned by Allied Properties REIT. 5 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

TORONTO

The Industrial Strength Camera Store Toronto’s Vistek grew from studio rentals to a national retailer of high-end and hard-to-find photo and video gear

QUEEN STREET EAST, TORONTO / - When photoWhile sales are still strong on the pro side, Levack says grapher Ron Silverstein began renting studio space and Vistek has a loyal following among the “prosumers” – advising on electronic flash lighting, he was just looking to serious amateurs with skills and needs that border on the earn extra income that stemmed from his profession. The professional. As with most specialty retailers, Vistek’s Buffalo, New York native likely hadn’t conceived that the strength lies in the expertise of its staff. sideline he started in 1976 would grow into a national “They’re virtually all photographers or videographers, so retailer supplying Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary they’re not only knowledgeable, they’re enthusiastic,” says and Edmonton markets with a wide array of the latest Levack, explaining the competitive edge the retailer has over photo, video and digital imaging equipbig box electronics that have entered ment. But that’s exactly what Vistek has the camera market following the become.

While sales are still strong on digital revolution.

For more than 30 years, the Torontothe pro side, Vistek has a And while that change has opened based retailer, now located in the the field to new players, it didn’t loyal following among the historic Dominion Breweries building change Vistek’s essential role as a place “prosumers” – serious amateur on Queen Street East, has been the to buy, rent or learn about the latest photographers with skills go-to spot for pros and avid amateurs advances. Today, as computers become and needs that border on the in search of high-end and hard-to-find as important to photographers as professional. photo and video equipment. And one their lenses and tripods, the retailer glance reveals that Vistek is far more helps foster the link between photo, than just another camera store. video and digital imaging. Vistek offers a full-fledged Mac Occupying some 25,000 square feet at 496 Queen Street department with a wide range of hardware and software, East for the last 18 years, and spread over four floors and even on-site Mac techs. with a staff of 120, Vistek, whose name is derived from the The store continues to sell to working professionals, term ‘visual technology’, grew initially on the quality of its dedicated amateurs, people in search of a thoughtful gift – rental equipment. as well as offer business-to-business solutions ranging from Back in the late 1970s, there weren’t many people renting setting up an in-house studio, to recommending equipment sophisticated photographic lighting gear, and there was a to produce the company newsletter. Its policy of offering shortage of studio space. By 1977, Silverstein was making “best in class” equipment in specific price categories ensures more money from renting out his studio than he was at its customers get relevant buying choices, accompanied by actually shooting. And, answering a growing demand for staff know-how.

European lighting gear, he turned part of his studio into a More than thirty years later, Vistek’s track record demonBalcar equipment showroom. strates there is always a market for something no one else “He basically had lighting equipment nobody else had,” has – whether it’s equipment, expertise, or passion. explains Cam Levack, creative director at Vistek. vistek.ca

“

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 6

Centre Financier Desjardins consolidates offices to find synergy in vibrant Basse Ville NOUVO ST. ROCH, QUEBEC / - Since 2005, the Centre financier aux entreprises Desjardins de Québec has operated two separate offices – one on Grande Allée and the other in Nouvo St. Roch – but come September, the 58 employees will be brought together into one building on Boulevard Charest Est.

NOUVO ST-ROCH, QUÉBEC / - Depuis 2005, le Centre financier aux entreprises Desjardins de Québec occupe deux bureaux distincts – un sur la Grande-Allée et l’autre dans le Nouvo St-Roch. En septembre, cependant, les 58 employés se retrouveront dans un seul édifice du boulevard Charest Est. Le Centre financier Desjardins compte sur le nouveau bureau, qui totalisera 9 000 pieds carrés sur deux étages au 390, boulevard Charest Est, pour créer de la synergie entre les divers directeurs de comptes qui fournissent des services à un vaste éventail d’entreprises clientes.

Les employés du centre, qui fournissent des services dans divers domaines comme l’immobilier et la construction, le commerce de détail et de gros, la fabrication, les marchés émergents et les entreprises de service, connaissent à fond le milieu des affaires local et ils disposent de compétences approfondies pour répondre aux besoins de leurs clients, explique Jacques Hallé, directeur du centre.

Dans le monde des affaires, la vitesse et l’information vont de pair, fait-il remarquer. Pour cette raison, le regroupement de son équipe dans un seul endroit vise en partie à faciliter le partage de l’information. « Quand l’information circule rapidement, l’expertise peut circuler rapidement, » explique-t-il, en ajoutant que son bureau compte quelque 4 000 entreprises clientes et gère un actif d’une valeur de 1,4 milliard de dollars.

La gestion de deux bureaux dans deux emplacements différents devenait lourde et l’équipe de Desjardins apprécie le look corporatif de l’édifice du boulevard Charest Est qui est facilement accessible à partir des autoroutes de la région. « Le centre fournit ses services au marché de la ville de Québec, mais nous avons aussi de nombreux clients dans le Québec Métropolitain et en régions, » fait savoir M. Hallé, qui explique que ses directeurs de comptes consacrent une grande partie de leur temps à rendre visite aux clients.

L’idée de consolider les bureaux revêt encore une plus grande importance pour avoir un endroit où tous les membres de l’équipe peuvent apprendre à mieux se connaître.

Ce qui compte encore plus, c’est le quartier lui-même, où l’on trouve des entreprises de haute technologie comme le développeur de logiciels Ubisoft, des restaurants, des boutiques, des entreprises de services et une vie palpitante avec laquelle un centre financier peut s’identifier.

The Centre financier Desjardins expects the new locale, some 9,000 square feet spread over two floors at 390 Boulevard Charest Est, will create synergy between the various account reps that service a very broad range of client businesses.

Offering consultation in areas such as real estate and construction, retail, wholesale trade, manufacturing, emerging markets and service businesses, the centre’s team members have in depth knowledge of the local business community and bring a wide range of expertise to bear on their client’s needs, says the centre’s director, Jacques Hallé.

In business, speed and information are closely linked, he says, so getting his group together into a single space is in part designed to keep the information flowing in this office, which handles some 4,000 businesses as clients and manages 1.4 billion in assets.

En septembre, tous les 58 employés du Centre financier Desjardins se retrouveront dans un seul édifice au Nouvo St-Roch.

desjardins.com 7 • ÉTÉ/AUTOMNE 2008

QUÉBEC

Consolidation des bureaux du Centre financier aux entreprises Desjardins dans la basse-ville

WINNIPEG

Green Standards Winnipeg’s BPC has been establishing building industry energy efficiency standards for over 25 years. Now with the construction industry seeing green, it’s poised for growth.

The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC and the Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, two buildings that incorporated BPC’s quality assurance program for air barriers.

A BPC instructor runs training for a foam insulation installer in Boston, MA.

EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Let’s say you want to get some spray foam installed onto the ceiling of your home’s garage and you call the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association to get a referral.

That’s when the phone rings in an office at 250 McDermot Ave. in Winnipeg’s Exchange District where a team of 11 at Building Professionals Consortium (BPC) work for a number of building and trade related organizations. It will also ring there if you call the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute Contractor’s Division – Manitoba chapter, the National Air Barrier Association, even the Air Barrier Association of America.

But providing industry support services for construction trade associations is just a small part of what BPC does. Its main area of service focuses on developing and implementing quality assurance programs, certification and training for the building energy efficiency industry.

“For energy efficiency to work, you need a good product and it needs to be installed properly,” says BPC vice president Ryan Dalgleish.

“If you don’t have those two factors working together, you just won’t get the efficiency you’re looking for,” he says.

So if the contractor who comes to spray foam your home’s garage is member of the trade association (CUFCA), chances are he will be using tools and techniques learned in training

provided by BPC and working to a specific quality assurance guideline that has been developed by the BPC team.

Almost 60 percent of its work is with U.S.-based clients because unlike Canada, energy efficiency is just starting to become a national priority and adopted in state building codes.

BPC also works with a number of manufacturers helping companies like Dow and BBA Fiberweb (manufacturer of Typar house wrap) develop training manuals for the proper installation of their building performance products.

A family-owned firm, BPC started in the 1980s when Laverne Dalgleish, Ryan’s father, parlayed his experience as a home builder/renovator to become an energy efficiency consultant. Partnering with son Ryan and family friend Peter Stafford, the senior Dalgleish launched BPC into quality assurance and education.

The team, along with some 30 instructors and consultants, has been establishing building industry energy efficiency standards for over 25 years now and with green building drawing more attention, BPC is poised for growth.

The company is in the process of becoming a certification body by the Standards Council of Canada, and if that goes through, it will be the only firm in the country accredited to certify individuals specifically for energy efficiency, administering tests and validating a candidate’s skill and knowledge.

bpc.ca

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 8

KITCHENER

Allied’s new Kitchener building an early sign of area revitalization WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, KITCHENER / Sold out warehouse-to-condo conversions, a high-tech university campus under completion and a rising demand for funky brick-and-beam office and retail space are what you’d expect to see in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but it’s happening in Kitchener.

The southwestern Ontario city of 200,000 is currently undergoing an extensive revitalization of its downtown core. Shifting, as many cities in the region did, from an industrial base to a knowledge economy hollowed out the downtown as companies and workers gravitated to the suburbs.

But the city has launched a number of initiatives to infuse the downtown with live, work and play areas in an effort to draw a critical mass back to the centre. One such initiative is the development of the warehouse district.

WAREHOUSE CONVERSION ‘UNIQUE’ A few blocks from city hall and from the current $100-million Centre Block initiative, a condos, parking, retail, hotel and courtyard project intended to kickstart further revitalization, the warehouse district is repurposing historic buildings into funky office environments. One already completed conversion, a century-old former wooden seat factory at 72 Victoria Street South, was acquired by Allied Properties REIT earlier this year.

“We don’t really have many buildings like that here,” says Darren Shaw, a broker with DTZ Barnicke in Kitchener.

72 Victoria Street South, originally renovated in 1999, houses eight tenants.

“There are very few brick and beam office opportunities in the local market. That’s why it’s always done well from a leasing perspective. It’s pretty unique to the downtown area.”

Eight tenants fill the 90,000-square-foot, four-storey building, whose brick and beam environment was renovated in 1999, drawing design and advertising firms, engineers, consultants and a large software firm, Peer Group, as tenants.

U OF W CAMPUS, CONDO LOFTS AND TANNERY PROJECT CREATING BUZZ Another Toronto firm has purchased the nearby 5.6-acre site on which sits the former Lang Tannery, once the largest in the British Empire. It currently houses a few dozen small artisanal businesses in a warren of connected buildings, and the $30-million redevelopment plan for the Tannery District project calls for more retail, restaurant and office with completion scheduled for 2009.

Bootmaker Kaufman’s old factory, also in the district, has been converted to lofts and all of its 270 units, from studios to three-bedroom units, have sold out.

Adding a residential component to the area is likely to affect the demand for further amenities, but perhaps one of the largest projects to do so is the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy’s $147 million Downtown Health Sciences Centre, which opened its doors early this year.

The 120,000-square-foot mini campus is also home to a satellite medical school affiliated with McMaster University and is expected to stimulate residential growth in the city’s core as well as produce spin-off activities such as the creation of supporting businesses, the development of housing, as well as businesses focused on fitness and leisure activities.

9 • SUMMER/FALL 2007

WINNIPEG

Watercolour artist feeds creativity through teaching and painting tours EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Fourteen years ago, Leona Brown was just looking for a sunny, quiet place to work on her painting. It wasn’t hard to peg 70 Arthur as a likely location. It had a long association with the artistic community and the old sunlit warehouse spaces were divided into eclectic shapes that seemed to jibe with the sensibilities of the tenants.

She’s since occupied a few spaces in the building, but the 1,000 square feet she currently has is just the right size for her, not only to display the large scale collections of abstract watercolour landscapes for which she has come to be known, but also to teach classes and run her painting tours business.

SOAKING UP THE ATMOSPHERE “You really get to see the culture and meet the people because you’re sitting in one place all morning painting and soaking up the atmosphere,” she says, accounting for the popularity of the sold out tours that run to locales in Greece and Spain.

Participants paint every morning and Brown estimates about half return home with several pieces ready to frame while the other half come back with solid beginnings for larger works. Brown, who has been running these trips for 11 years now, doesn’t paint major pieces on location. Except for her outdoor demonstrations, she’s too busy teaching.

She looks to the time between teaching and travelling to develop her creative interests and finish her instructional book about working with watercolours on experimental surfaces.

EXPLORING NEW MEDIA “I like experimenting with different surfaces and combining media,” she says, explaining that

some of her work is initially mistaken for oil or acrylic because it’s on a canvas primed with gesso to give it texture.

Another favourite material is Tyvek, the vapour barrier paper used in residential construction whose fibers can be seen when the surface is painted, giving it a marbling effect.

She is also experimenting with large-scale mixed media collage, tearing some old paintings into pieces that are reused in a new work.

Brown had always had an artistic bent, but only began painting seriously when her children were young (watercolours were easier to clean up, she says).

A PASSION THAT PAYS Her husband worked for various transportation companies so the family moved around a fair bit, living throughout Canada, and even for a year in China.

All the while, Brown felt her need to paint grow, so when the family returned to Winnipeg, she took up studio space to commit more time to her art.

When her husband Murray decided to stop working and semi retire, she began to teach painting, drawing on her previous career as a teacher.

“Frankly, it was through my determination not to work at Tim Horton’s that I could make this passion of mine actually pay,” she recalls, “and once I started teaching more, it made me realize it was all quite viable.”

More than that, her passion seems to be contagious. While some of her students are retirees eager to learn or nurture a budding interest in art, more than half are now selling their work, and six former students are now renting studio space at 70 Arthur.

Brown with a work in progress.

From her studio, Brown paints, hosts classes and runs her international painting tours.

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 10

Changes, a 48x60 watercolour

INCOMING! AutoCAD developer and furniture retailer join the St. Lawrence Market Area of Allied portfolio TORONTO / - A seven-storey Class I brick building on King Street East is among the recent acquisitions to come into the Allied Properties REIT portfolio this summer.

Near the intersection of Jarvis and King, and located on the north side a block away from George Brown College, 204, 210 and 214 King Street East feature a variety of tenants, the largest of which is AutoDesk, a California-based world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. (Since its introduction of AutoCAD in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.)

Retailer InDesign occupies a two-storey showroom further east at the 214 King Street East address. It carries a mix of modern and contemporary furniture including sofas, chairs and tables.

King West’s Calphalon Culinary Center offers learning, inspiration and some serious sampling KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - The Calphalon Culinary Center at 425 King Street West offers a variety of themed cooking classes to enjoy, from hands-on learning to delicious demonstrations.

For hands-on classes, you’ll get all you need to create a gastronomic masterpiece as a chef walks you through the recipes and techniques.

Working from your own cooking station, classes such as Wok & Roll, teach you to create healthy and flavourful Asian inspired dishes like Chili Hoisin Beef Stir Fry with Cellophane Noodles and Crispy Chicken with Eggplant Stir Fry. And of course, you get to eat what you make If you’d rather sit back, relax and enjoying some sampling, check out a demonstration class where you can watch a chef in action. The Tuscan Table class features Gorgonzola and Porcini Fusilli, and Pine Nut-Crusted Halibut while the Tropical Luau shows a sampling of island hospitality with Braised Short Ribs and Mahi Mahi in Banana Leaves.

Also, watch for the fall’s popular lunchtime demo Top 5 Kitchen Secrets where you can learn how to salvage a hollandaise sauce and how to sear meats for taste and flavour. (There’s a $20 fee, but you also get a $20 store credit at the Calphalon Shop.)

Cooking classes start at $70. For more information, visit www.CalphalonCulinaryCenter.com

11 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

TORONTO

FROM WARDROBE TO WAXING GotStyle simplifies fashion for Toronto’s urban male professional KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - If the abundance of extreme makeover shows, the launch of Men’s Vogue and the rise of the term ‘metrosexual’ haven’t clued you in to the need for proper fitting men’s fashions, a visit to GotStyle on King Street West will.

Launched in 2005 by Melissa Austria and Seamus Clarke (and now under the sole ownership of Austria), the menswear store is designed to simplify the clothes shopping experience for men seeking to update not only their wardrobe, but their look - hairstylists work onsite and spa services available include back waxing and an anti-hangover facial treatment, as well as a range of massages.

arranged on racks that are colour-coordinated.

“The idea is that you can put an outfit together just from one rack,” says Austria, a veteran of the fashion business who worked on the wholesale side for brands like Clairborne, Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole.

Finding something stylish here is easy, and you don’t have to be model thin to shop in the store. Sizes run to XXL, there are shirts with 18-inch necks, and pants with 40-inch waists.

“The difference is that we offer a modern fit,” says Austria, “so it’s not the boxy or baggy cut that larger guys are used to wearing. A modern cut gives you shape and actually makes you look trimmer.”

While Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew aim for the CEOs, Austria says her store “The difference is that we offer serves the up-and-coming guys who want a modern fit, so it’s not the boxy to look great, but don’t have the salary to or baggy cut that larger guys spend $2,500 on a suit.

“

ONE FLIGHT UP Located on the second floor of an office building, GotStyle’s space isn’t ideal for attracting walk-by traffic, but given the media attention the store are used to wearing. A modern has received since opening, the TOP-NOTCH TAILORING The miscon5,000-square-foot showroom has cut gives you shape and actually ception, she says, is that made-to-measure become something of a destination makes you look trimmer.” suits are expensive, but GotStyle’s tailored shopping experience. numbers start at $800, are made of Designed by club impresario Italian cloth and sewn locally under the Marc Kiryacou, the space’s exposed walls and columns are watchful eye of Joa Cavalicanti, who worked at Harry Rosen’s, gallery white, decorated with original art, lit with warehouse and before that was a tailor on Martin Scorcese movies like windows and peppered with flat screen TVs and leather The Aviator and Gangs of New York. furniture. But beyond the boy’s club aesthetic, the store’s While the store doesn’t lack for ironic T-shirts with retro appeal to men lies in its organization.

NHL logos and gadget accessories like cool Zippos and chunky watches, the bulk of its sales go to the smart casual PRE-ORGANIZED OUTFITS FOR EASY SHOPPING wearer, trying to complete a jeans and blazer look that is Suits and more formal attire occupy a back-of-house space both professional and contemporary. while casual clothing takes up the bulk of the front, and is

FROM T-SHIRTS TO TIGER OF SWEDEN From $30 T-shirts to $1,250 suits, the store tries hard to keep you dressed in something the guy at the other end of the bar is not likely to be wearing. Brands like Tiger of Sweden, Junk Deluxe, Gsus, Sand, Ted Baker and Haight & Ashbury figure prominently, but the made-to-measure department is where Austria is seeing a lot of growth.

To that end, GotStyle has come up with a business starter kit that features two made-to-measure suits, four shirts and four ties all for $2,500.

“If you get a great fitting suit, you’ll feel better in it. No question,” says Austria.

Gsmen.com

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 12

TIPS

How much water should I drink when I exercise?

With summer workouts in full swing and the fall marathon season upon us, it seems a good idea to tackle the topic of hydration. Drink too much before an activity and you can feel bloated and cramp up. Drink too little and you’ll lose energy and risk dehydration. Drink too much after an activity and you can risk hyponatremia, where the blood’s plasma becomes diluted bringing on headaches, nausea and vomiting.

HEALTH / SANTÉ

TOTUM

So what’s the right amount?

Of course individuals perspire at different rates and therefore have different hydration requirements, but a good rule of thumb, says Cara MacMullin, a naturopathic doctor at Totum Life Science on King West, is to drink 1.5 to two litres a day.

“The key is to make sure you’re hydrated before you start exercising,” she says, adding that you should step up fluid intake a couple of hours before you begin your activity.

“Endurance events and longer competitions are when you should consider electrolyte and carbohydrate replacement,” says MacMullin, but if you’re planning an average workout after work, just make sure you’re drinking water throughout the day.

WATER BY THE NUMBERS 1 to 2: the average person’s sweat rate per hour.

2: the number of cups of water you should drink two to three hours before you start a half-hour of physical activity.

60: the percentage of your body weight that is water.

60: the duration in minutes of an activity that will require you replace spent carbohydrates and electrolytes with a sports drink.

150 to 200: the amount in milliliters of fluid you should take in every 10 to 15 minutes for an activity that lasts more than 40 minutes.

200: the amount in milliliters of orange juice that you can add to a liter of water to make a homemade sports drink.

Formal attire and onsite spa services and haircuts (above) can be found at the back-of-house while casual clothes fill the front.

CALCULATING HOW MUCH WATER YOU NEED EACH DAY Hydration requirements will change with each individual, so Dr. MacMullin suggests using this formulation as a starting point. You’ll likely adjust it based on your body’s needs and weather conditions, but essentially it’s a simple matter of dividing your body weight (in pounds) by two. The solution is equal to the number of ounces of water you will need daily.

So if your weight is 130, you’ll need 65 ounces of water, or approximately 8 eight-ounce glasses.

totum.ca 13 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

MONTRÉAL

Montreal’s Oceanwide One of the largest software firms in the insurance and logistics field CITE MULTIMEDIA / - The longest cargo ship in the world today is the container vessel Emma Mærsk. If this 1,300-foot-long behemoth were set on its stern next to the CN Tower, its bow would reach the tower’s main observation level.

Depending on cargo weights, a ship like this could carry from 13,500 to 15,200 containers (most small ships carry less than 3,000), and the total value of cargo per voyage could easily reach several hundred million dollars.

Keeping track not only of the world’s estimated six million containers on the move at any given time, but also of the insurance policies that surround these, used to be a paper-based system. It was something Montreal’s Oceanwide sought to address.

L’informatique au service du transport des marchandises CITÉ MULTIMÉDIA, MONTRÉAL – C’est en 1996 qu’Oceanwide relevait le défi de développer des logiciels adaptables à la gestion du transport des marchandises par route, par air ou par mer, y compris, bien entendu, les questions touchant les assurances et les douanes.

En effet, l’objectif de cette entreprise était de remédier, au moyen du développement d’applications Web, à la mauvaise utilisation des ressources dans le transport et la gestion du fret international.

Oceanwide fournit des applications de gestion fondées sur le modèle du logiciel-service (SaaS), une application étant hébergée comme service fourni à des clients par le truchement d’Internet. Les solutions de la société sont utilisées par les plus importants courtiers d’assurances et certaines sociétés d’assurance et de gestion du fret maritime. La société fournit aussi ses services à des centaines d’entreprises de transport international et de courtiers en douane pour la gestion du transport et des exigences de déclaration en douane.

Qu’il s’agisse d’assurance, de transport ou de douane, Oceanwide accorde une importance prépondérante à la fourniture de plateformes collaboratives qui peuvent être entièrement intégrées dans les systèmes informatiques de ses clients et de ses partenaires.

INTERNET AND INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT Taking its name from its roots in the shipping industry, though it works in all manner of transportation, Oceanwide was started in 1996 to address inefficiencies in the movement and management of international freight through the development of Internet-based applications.

Now it’s one of the largest privately held software companies in the insurance and logistics field, with offices in Miami and Belgium.

“We actually started with the idea of trying to displace small magazines publishing the sailing schedules of ships around the world,” recalls David Berger, an executive vice president and one of the firms’ founders, who along with CEO Mitchell Wasserman and CFO Mark Adessky, set about trying to create an online portal for freight forwarders.

They didn’t make much money from that initiative, but in the process of developing an e-commerce application in the international ocean freight arena, they connected with insurance companies and their initial target market of freight forwarders and became more involved in that industry.

SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE Oceanwide now delivers enterprise applications on a Software as a Service (SaaS) basis, where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers over the Internet. The firm’s solutions are used by the world’s largest insurance brokers and underwriters for the management of cargo and marine insurance. It also services hundreds of international freight forwarders and customs brokers for transportation management and customs entry filing.

Whether it’s insurance, shipping or customs, Oceanwide maintains an emphasis on delivering collaborative platforms that can be deeply integrated into the IT systems of customers and partners.

Oceanwide.com COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 14

TORONTO

Luminato’s Light Bright 10-Day Toronto Arts Fest’s Venues Rack up Record Attendances QUEEN STREET EAST, TORONTO / - By mid June, the crew at the Luminato offices at the Queen Richmond Centre breathed a sigh of relief as Toronto’s newest arts festival wrapped up ten days of theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts and design.

With the participation of 215 international artists and some 1,400 local artists, the second annual Luminato festival, which featured events and installations at 41 different venues, was declared a resounding success by its CEO Janice Price, who explained that the 10-day art-a-thon’s balance, breadth and depth met with its stated goals of collaboration, diversity and accessibility.

Yonge and Dundas Square a proved a popular public venue where nightly dance workshops and live music kept crowds thoroughly entertained while the Nathan Philips Square’s Funk Fest lit up the first Saturday’s daytime programming.

Sales for ticketed events were up 11 percent from last year and the Distillery District reported its highest ever attendance numbers on the Saturday it hosted its gourmet street food program.

Meanwhile, Harbourfront Centre’s attendance that same day equaled its annual Canada Day figures, and the iconic

Photo installation Mille Femmes at Toronto’s Brookfield Place.

Galleria at Brookfield Place hosted busloads of visitors to the exhibition of Pierre Maraval’s Toronto’s Mille Femmes, a photo installation of 1,000 artistic, creative and inspiring women from Toronto and their protégés who embody the passion and heritage of the city. Given the numerous requests from the public for additional opportunity to see it, organizers held it over for an extra week. Luminato is scheduled next year for June 5th to the 14th.

luminato.com

EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY Using everyday moments to comfort, play with, and teach your child will open a world of possibilities for you both.

425 Adelaide St. W., 6th Floor Toronto, ON M5V 3C1 Tel.: (416) 977-1222 Toll Free: 1-877-583-5437 (KIDS) General inquiries: mail@investinkids.ca Donations: donate@investinkids.ca Invest in Kids® is a trademark of Invest in Kids Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All rights reserved. © Invest in Kids, 2007. Charitable registration no. 88988 5521 RR0001

15 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

WINNIPEG

Underground Café: Winnipeg’s ‘Secret’ Restaurant

EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - It’s one of series of murals depicting fantastic scenes that mix weird those well-known local secrets. If you go to the basement of whimsy with images of pop culture and some of the lunch 70 Arthur Street, open the silver door at the bottom of the spot’s more popular dishes. staircase, you’ll find the best veggie burger in Winnipeg.

Painted by local set artist Romolo Fantini who worked on While it can be a little hard to find, the Exchange the walls after hours in exchange for tea and beer, images District’s Underground Café is not much of a secret to the feature things like Spiderman chasing winged chili peppers downtown office population, to which it has been serving over the café’s best-known Sun Burger, Salvador Dali eating comfort food with a twist from its eclectic basement locale a plate of melting food, and Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard since the late 1990s. sharing space with hooka-smoking toads.

“I think being hard to find has The space used to feature regular live helped,” says current owner Wendy jazz guitar and piano performances and “I think being hard to Cohen. “When people find us, I was once a venue for the Fringe festival, think it makes them feel special, like but these days, its Sun Burger, a sesame, find has helped. When they’re in on a secret.” sunflower, rice and egg patty on a toasted people find us, I think it bagel with lime-dill sauce is what draws The truth is this secret restaurant makes them feel special, diners in from a five-block radius. has been around since 1994 when the original owner, Rory Boyce, decided The spicy tuna melt is another popular like they’re in on a secret.” to offer local musicians and artists a choice, says Cohen, and of course there’s place to hang out and some decent the Wendy, an egg salad sandwich with dill food to go with it. pickles and sharp cheddar. (“I figured if Ruben could have a sandwich, so can I,” she says.)

“In the early 1990’s there were a lot of rehearsal spaces and art studios around here,” says Cohen, who at the time was Breakfast is a relatively simple affair with variations on the one of the restaurant’s first employees. egg, cheese and tomato on a bagel sandwich (add bacon, chicken, pickles or sausage), and a full selection of specialty While the customer base has shifted somewhat with the coffees. The Underground also offers catering services. And café’s reputation having expanded to nearby Portage and if you’re bringing a large group in midday, be sure to call Main’s bank towers, the bohemian atmosphere has not left ahead and reserve. Between noon and 2 pm, things get pretty the space. busy. Seems the Underground Café is not a very well kept Orange vinyl chairs and Corian-topped tables with an secret. eclectic selection of intimate lighting offer seating for some 50 diners while the wall are decorated with an elaborate

“

FSC L OGO HERE

www.alliedpropertiesreit.com COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • SUMMER/FALL 2008 • 16

Send your company info, events and story ideas to news@alliedpropertiesreit.com