Capital magazine spring 2018

Capital ADVOCACY. DIALOGUE. CONNECTIONS.

COVENTRY CONNECTIONS’ MARC ANDRE WAY IMPROVING SERVICE BY INNOVATION p. 48

THE GENERATIONAL

CHANGE ISSUE

Plus

SMART MOVE, OTTAWA

A brighter future beckons

FOR TODAY’S EDUCATORS

A learning experience

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! CAPITALMAG.CA

MILLENNIALS In the right place, at the right time PM 43136012

Clockwise from top left: David Coletto, Kate Harrison, Jacob Lazore, Alannah Bird, and Bianca Oran

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF

SPRING 2018

CONTENTS

Capital

SPRING 2018

22

16

24

COVE R: KEVI N BEL ANGER

FEATURES

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16

22

24

Understanding The first step to attracting millennials

Millennials.

Ruling the world, changing the world.

Oil & Gas Industry A Millennial magnet

Hydro Ottawa Modernizing Apps, Services for Technologically Savvy Client Base

BY A LJE K A MMI N G A

C AP I TA L MAG.CA

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

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CONTENTS

Capital

SPRING 2018

26

32

38

FEATURES

26

DEPARTMENTS

42

6 The OCC Perspective

Millennial Tech Skills Give Ottawa entertainment companies critical edge

Capital Context City of Ottawa makes the smart choice: A brighter future beckons

BY J EF F B UCKST EI N

BY JEFF BUC KSTEIN

BY A L J E K A M M I N G A

32

46

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Youthquake The Rising Political Power of Millennials

Age diversity A powerful boost for NCR’s expanding economy

BY DAV I D COL ET TO

BY JEFF BUC KSTEIN

Building the Capital City-Builders Team Up to Transform Ottawa: Great Place to Live, Work, Play, Study & Invest

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On the Cover

CEO View Generational Change Inspires Innovation: Meeting the demands of generational change

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Capital ADVOCACY. DIALOGUE. CONNECTIONS.

TASICO HOSPITALITY GROUP’S FAYEZ THAWER ON TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN CHANGE p. 48

p.48

THE GENERATIONAL

CHANGE ISSUE

Plus

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

p.10 p.38

50

p.16

SMART MOVE, OTTAWA

A brighter future beckons

FOR TODAY’S EDUCATORS

A learning experience

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! CAPITALMAG.CA

MILLENNIALS In the right place, at the right time Clockwise from top left: David Coletto, Kate Harrison, Jacob Lazore, Alannah Bird, and Bianca Oran P M 43136012

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Capital Around Town

4

8 From the Publisher

48

38

BY AL J E K AMMI NG A

IN EVERY ISSUE

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Millennials Leaving Their Mark Modernizing Parliament Hill

For millennials, life is an ongoing education

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF

SPRING 2018

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THE OCC PERSPECTIVE

Multi-Generational Talent Is helping us advance to a World Class Capital

Very few conversations or debates around the Chamber table or at our events and meetings with members don’t include a discussion on talent.

Ian Faris, President and CEO Ottawa Chamber of Commerce MAR K HO LLERON

The attraction, retention, and development of people, and a corresponding reduction in the gaps in our workforce is of paramount concern for our businesses. This is borne out in the results of our Ottawa Business Growth Survey, year over year. Integrally linked to talent, it is the way in which managers, executives, and business owners navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with managing generational change.

As the private sector continues to lead job and wealth creation, organizations have developed an insatiable appetite for new, skilled people, including this important new generational cohort. A number of important factors are at play in terms of addressing talent issues, and we think three are worth exploring. First, is our ability to attract skilled workers to our community, either from within Ontario and Canada but also through our immigration system. Second,

our significant comparative advantage by better branding Ottawa as a destination that embraces generational change through the attraction of more business and leisure tourism and vital external investment in our business community and infrastructure.

Finally, as a community, we need to ensure our strong post-secondary institutions are attracting students in programs that correspond to the development of our workforce.

Ottawa is faced with much opportunity in our metamorphosis from a sleepy government town to a diverse, technology fuelled metropolis. Building on our new multi-sport, commercial, entertainment and shopping complex at Lansdowne; the emergence of a modern Light Rail Transit system going operational this Fall; and new innovations centres being unveiled at our progressive, post-secondary institutions – this momentum is infectious. As a business community, we must continue to grow as we undertake the necessary work of creating a Capital city that will attract and retain the generational workers and entrepreneurs that will foster economic sustainability. Projects like the redevelopment of the now-barren LeBreton Flats; a new central library and hospital campus developments; and a vital transit connection with Gatineau for our integrated economy - are ways that we can advance this work.

The Ottawa Chamber is committed to supporting generational change in our workforce that is well received by our businesses and well integrated into the economic and social fabric of our community. Please join us on this journey.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Capital Who’s that at the door?

Millennials know.

IT’S GENERATION Z, those precocious youngsters eager to

make the world better, smarter, less conflicted and definitely way more accessible. Much like the millennial generation is doing right now.

The thing is – as this edition of Capital magazine makes clear – millennials aren’t fully prepared to open that door to a bunch of newcomers. Not yet, anyway. And certainly not all the way. As much as they’ve done in recent years, millennials believe they still have a lot more to accomplish before handing off the baton – as they eventually will – to a generation as committed and talented as they are.

You need look no further than the people profiled in these pages to see what millennials are capable of. They’re ethnically and culturally diverse, they care about their community, they’re well educated and – perhaps most important of all – they’re actively involved in the life of their community.

Many, it seems, chose (or are in the process of choosing) Ottawa to be their home. Without fail, they mention the city’s amenities and affordability. They talk about how much they love the wide variety of outdoor attractions and the strong and growing hi-tech presence. But if they appreciate Ottawa, it’s clear that Ottawa also appreciates them.

That’s not surprising, given how much millennials contribute socially, economically and politically. Largely as a result of their efforts, Ottawa is now recognized as one of the world’s smartest cities and an acknowledged favourite of the millennial generation.

But the knock on the door won’t stop. And just as baby boomers passed along their values and ideals to the millennial generation, millennials will now be handing down their best qualities to Generation Z. Soon, millennials will answer that knock, just as one day Generation Z will answer the knock – and open the door – for generation-whatever-comes-after-Z. Until then, however, I’m proud to join all of those who contributed to this magazine in celebrating millennials everywhere.

The magazine about doing business in Ottawa, created by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce in partnership with gordongroup.

OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 328 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K2P 0J9 Phone: 613-236-3631 www.ottawachamber.ca President & CEO Ian Faris Director of Communications Kenny Leon PUBLISHER gordongroup 334 Churchill Ave. N, Ottawa, ON K1Z 5B9 Phone: 613-234-8468 info@gordongroup.com Executive Editor Terry McMillan Contributors Alannah Bird Jeff Buckstein

David Coletto Alje Kamminga

Copy Editor Jeff Buckstein Creative Director Leslie Miles Art Director Kelly Read-Lyon SALES For advertising rates and information, please contact: Director of Advertising Sales Stephan Pigeon Phone: 613-234-8468 / 250 spigeon@gordongroup.com

OTTAWA CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP Director of Membership Services, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Chantal Calderone Phone: 613-236-3631 / 120 chantal.calderone@ottawachamber.ca www.capitalmag.ca

ISSN 2371-333X. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of the contents without prior written authorization from the publisher is strictly prohibited. PM 43136012.

Capital is published three times a year: winter, spring, and fall.

Printed in Canada.

MAR K HO LLERON

Robert Chitty, President gordongroup

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Ottawa Commercial Real Estate

Commercial Leasing and Property Management Finding the right space for your business

CAPITAL CONTEXT

Adopting to the Change City of Ottawa makes the smart choice

BY A L J E K A M M I N G A

you encountered a traffic light?

Probably not. I mean, why would you? But the fact is, when you saw that traffic light, you were looking at what might just be the first step in our continuing evolution to a world of smart cities.

Consider one widely accepted definition of a smart city: an urban area that uses different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information to manage assets and resources efficiently.

Like traffic signals.

Nearly a century has passed since traffic signals were

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introduced to North America but for smart cities and wantto-be smart cities, the light has been flashing green ever since.

Today, the smart city revolution is a worldwide movement.

And, says Sheilagh Doherty, the City of Ottawa’s Program Manager, High Economic Impact Programs, Ottawa is ideally positioned to participate in that movement.

“In many ways, we are already a smart city,” she says. “In fact, in 2010 the Intelligent Community Forum identified Ottawa as one of the top seven intelligent communities in the world.”

While that’s clearly encouraging, no city will remain smart if it’s content to rest on its laurels.

To maintain a smart city edge, cities must be constantly proactive. The City of Ottawa, says Doherty, is definitely not taking a wait-and-see approach. If anything, it’s adopted bold and positive steps to enhance its status as a smart city. “Last year, we put together a roadmap – a smart city strategy – designed to make Ottawa an even smarter city than it is today. Called Smart City 2.0, it builds on our smart foundation by ensuring that our investments in

S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE O F THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

technology are embedded in everything we do.”

Smart City 2.0 identifies three key goals: 1 A Connected City: Create a

city where all residents and businesses are connected in an efficient, affordable, and ubiquitous way.

2 A Smart Economy:

Stimulate economic growth by supporting knowledge-based business expansion and attraction, local entrepreneurs, and smart talent development.

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iSTO CK / FATIDO

REMEMBER THE FIRST time

important for a smart city.

In addition to providing the technological know-how that smart cities rely on, millennials have been change agents for smart urban design, considered by many to be the very foundation for a smart city. As one survey put it, millennials make cities smart by residing where infrastructure planning, technology and human sustainability intersect.

Meanwhile, the City of Ottawa will continue to take the proactive approach it believes is vital to becoming even a smarter city – and to winning the federal challenge. It’s now in the process of consulting a broad selection of community partners and stakeholders for their input.

“Ottawa is fortunate in so many ways,” says Doherty.

“We’re home to approximately 1,750 high-tech companies in areas such as telecommunications, software, life sciences, clean-tech, and wireless technologies. We have a thriving entrepreneurial community. And we have a highly educated workforce with more engineers, scientists and PhDs per capita than any other city in Canada.”

Add the city’s diversity, its history and culture, and its incredible selection of recreational and entertainment venues, and it becomes clear that the City of Ottawa is more than just a smart city. For a growing number of Canadians, it’s also a smart choice.

Alje Kamminga is a former journalist and speechwriter who enjoys bridge, baseball and backgammon.

Take Your 3 An Innovative Government:

JAC KY C HIU/ UNSPL ASH

Develop new and innovative ways to impact the lives of residents and businesses through the creative use of new services.

Recognizing that smart cities contribute to a smarter country, the Government of Canada is lending its support to the country’s growing smart city movement. Late last year, it launched the Smart Cities Challenge, offering a top prize of $50 million to the city that – using a smart city approach – best achieves meaningful outcomes for its residents.

Ottawa is meeting that challenge head-on.

“The Smart Cities Challenge emphasizes applications that harness community input

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and feedback,” says Doherty.

“It wants the public to help identify key challenges and potential solutions.” The city responded to that demand by immediately surveying residents for their thoughts and ideas. The residents responded in turn – nearly 900 of them – by offering ideas and providing feedback.

Government support, coupled with an aggressive approach, are vital for smart cities. But without smart people – connected people, like millennials – it is all but impossible to create and maintain a smart city. Fortunately, millennials like to live in the cities where they work. Unlike baby boomers, they prefer public transportation and urban convenience.

That’s resulted in a rise in population growth in cities,

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BUILDING THE CAPITAL

City-Builders Team Up to Transform Ottawa Great Place to Live, Work, Play, Study & Invest: The Capital Build Task Force

THE BOARD OF THE OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE has

just established a new sub-committee called the Capital Build Task Force, a passionate group of community leaders on a crusade to transform Ottawa into a ‘smart city’ – and most importantly, one that attracts successive generations to live, work, play, study and invest in a thriving, dynamic capital city.

“I have two daughters: one living in New York, and the other in Toronto,” said Doug McLarty, co-chair of the Capital Build Task Force, and a Partner at MNP. “I would love to have them move back to Ottawa, to a city that thrives on innovation, enterprise and an exceptional quality-of-life on both sides of the Ottawa River. Keeping our young people here, and

attracting new ones, are some of the values driving the work of this new task force.”

The Capital Build Task Force has prioritized economic development in the National Capital Region (NCR), among them, the revitalization of what they are calling ‘the upper west side’, including LeBreton Flats and Bayview Yards – and east of Parliament Hill, the

Byward Market.

In addition, to ensure that both sides of the Ottawa River are connected and support each other as one region, the task force will look for ways to re-establish the train across the Prince of Wales Bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau.

The new task force wants to see a federal government campus located in the eastern

Photo, from left to right: Ian Faris, President and CEO, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, Susan St. Amand, President, Sirius Financial Services, Ross Meredith, General Manager, Westin Hotel, Cindy VanBuskirk, Advisor, Economic Development Department, City of Ottawa, Doug McLarty, Partner, MNP, Ruby Williams, Senior Manager, Deloitte LLP, Brian McIntomny, Mann Lawyers, Katherine Cooligan, Managing Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais, Kathryn Hendrick, VP Communications GBA Development and Project Management, Maureen Murphy, Maureen Murphy & Associates, Frank Bilodeau, District VP, Ottawa and West Quebec, Scotiabank, Robert Chitty, Founder and President at gordongroup.

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The Capital Build Task Force is currently comprised of the following city-builders and community leaders: Co-Chair, Doug McLarty, Partner, MNP Co-Chair, Ruby Williams, Senior Manager, Deloitte Brian McIntomny, Mann Lawyers Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College Cindy VanBuskirk, Advisor, Economic Development Department, City of Ottawa Frank Bilodeau, District VP, Ottawa and West Quebec, Scotiabank Jasmine Brown, Executive Director, Orleans BIA Katherine Cooligan, Managing Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais Kevin Ford, CEO, Calian Group Mark Sutcliffe, Broadcaster/Author Maureen Murphy, Maureen Murphy & Associates Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism Michael Curran, Editor, Ottawa Business Journal Mike Reid, Past President, Ottawa Building and Trades Council Ross Meredith, General Manager, Westin Hotel

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Sean Hamilton, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, CBRE Susan St. Amand, President, Sirius Financial Services

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Ottawa suburb of Orléans.

Studies show that over the last decade, every part of the NCR has sustained growth in population, employment and diversity except for the community of Orléans.

“Currently, Orléans exports most of its workforce. During peak hours, Orléans sees a surging outflux of their residents, an estimated 80 per cent exiting to travel to work, versus 20 per cent entering Orléans,” added McLarty. “Orléans is virtually absent on the map of federal employment campuses in Ottawa and Gatineau.”

The Capital Build Task Force has also prioritized the development of the new Civic Hospital Campus, and the growth of health care as a core industry for the region.

“The Ottawa Hospital has seen tremendous growth over the last 20 years as an academic, world-class health care centre that not only saves lives, but also trains and retains the best in the world of clinical science, research and education,” said Susan St. Amand, a task force member and current Chair of the Ottawa Community Foundation.

Once underway, a wide range of public and private sectors will be represented on the task force including banking and finance, hospitality and tourism, law, building and trades, technology, health, real estate, government and municipalities, First Nations, and business improvement associations.

“With all the redevelopment planned for the Ottawa region, we want to be sure the Chamber is working to engage all community leaders, especially the younger generations,” said Ruby Williams, co-chair of the Capital Build Task Force and a Senior Manager with Deloitte LLP. “This task force intends to have a positive impact in the

next 12 to 18 months through a series of activities that firmly back the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, the National Capital Commission, and the public and private sectors who will move these city-building initiatives forward.”

The Capital Build Task Force will host a series of events and initiatives that demonstrate to the region the potency of working as a unified community to back governments in making decisions that improve the quality of life and economic health of a city like Ottawa.

“When the two cities of Ottawa and Gatineau came together to bid on the Amazon headquarters, it brought together the best intentions from all sectors with a common goal to make the National

Capital Region the number one place to live anywhere in the world,” said Frank Bilodeau, member of the task force and a District VP, Ottawa and West Quebec, Scotiabank. “When it comes to transforming the city of Ottawa, we should be saying ‘imagine when, not if.’ ” Some of the many initiatives under consideration by the Capital Build Task Force include expert panels on the impact of an NHL team located in a downtown core; the future and unlimited potential of a modern-day library; the economic and social impact of hosting Canada 150 and the Grey Cup; and how millennials differ from their parents in their perceptions of what constitutes an ideal work place and their community.

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Understanding: The first step to

attracting millennials that does not want to attract millennials – both as producers and as consumers of goods and services.

For most businesses – including smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – employing millennials is an opportunity to diversify their employee base and infuse the organization with creativity and innovation, thus enabling growth and success. That’s because millennials, in general, are well educated, eager to learn new skills and passionate about making a difference. Having grown up in the digital age, their comfort with modern technology is unrivalled. Those qualities make millennials desirable consumers as well as extremely valuable employees.

And there are a lot of them. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians born between 1980 and 2000 – generally considered to be the millennial generation – totals around 12.5 million. That’s approximately 35 per cent of Canada’s total population.

Little wonder that forward-looking companies are doing all they can to attract millennials to their organizations. One way to do this is through technology – and Microsoft can help.

“Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” says Cheri Chevalier, General Manager of the Modern Workplace Cloud Services and Software Division. “We want SMEs to thrive.” When SMEs thrive, Microsoft believes, it has a positive impact on the entire Canadian economy. And a rising economy lifts all businesses.

Our solutions like Office 365 are designed to empower employees to work in the way that enables them to do their best work. Anywhere, at any time and from any device.

Increasingly, those employees are millennials. As of 2016, they were the single

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Teams are transforming, and business norms are challenged by an ambitious, younger generation who have different expectations, work styles and technology needs.

+25%

9,000,000

75%

9 million millennials in Canada born between 1980 and 1998. They make up more than a quarter of the Canadian population and are the single largest generation in the workforce as of 2016.¹ By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce.²

How different are they?

45%

of millennials

prefer instant messaging apps as their workplace collaboration tool, according to research by Bentley University.³

3X higher attrition rates in the workforce, accompanied by unparalleled levels of cross-industry job movement.¹

Millennials lack attachment to institutions and traditions compared to previous generations.⁴

They are more driven by having a purpose than getting a paycheque.⁴

The 4 “Ts” of Motivating Millennials 1

Teamwork. Provide a collaborative, hands-on education

anR environment where they can work with colleagues of S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE O F THE OT TAWA CH A MinBE OF COM M E RCE varying skill levels.

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PRISCILL A DU PREE Z / UNSPL ASH

R

Is your business millennial-friendly?

ARE IS THE Canadian business

research by Bentley University.³

largest generation in the workforce. By 2025, millennials are expected to make up 75 per cent of the workforce. But while that’s a large pool to draw from, the competition for these talented employees is bound to be fierce. To succeed, business owners must know how to attract millennials. Providing the software that enables them to work the way they want – with flexibility, creativity, mobility at the heart – is a critical part of that. But there is more.

It all starts with understanding, says Chevalier. “Millennials have demonstrated that they work differently from other generations. They’re driven by different goals and values. If organizations want to be successful, they must begin by asking themselves if they’re fully prepared to attract and retain these talented individuals.”

To help, Microsoft Canada has created a guide called Sleep Well, Dream Big: Building your millennial advantage. The guide cites what it calls the four Ts – teamwork, transparency, tangible impact and technology – as vital to understanding and motivating millennials. Here’s what it says to SMEs: Teamwork: Millennials are known to be strong collaborators. Given that the best ideas are generated from working amongst diverse groups of people, enabling them to collaborate easily is key.

Transparency: In order to maximize innovation and empower millennials, organizations should create environments where information is fluidly shared. Silos of information can create distrust and slow progress.

Tangible impact: To let millennials know their work makes a difference, employers must show them how their work helps achieve overarching corporate goals and contributes to a larger meaningful goal.

Technology: Millennials need technology to thrive. They want equality, accessibility, and shared consciousness in the workplace.

They want to be able to work where they can do their best and still have access to the tools and information that they need.

“Millennials are changing the workplace for everyone,” says Chevalier. “It is more important than ever for businesses to understand, attract and challenge this exceptionally talented generation.”

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3X higher attrition rates in the workforce, accompanied by unparalleled levels of cross-industry job movement.¹

Millennials lack attachment to institutions and traditions compared to previous generations.⁴

They are more driven by having a purpose than getting a paycheque.⁴

The 4 “Ts” of Motivating Millennials 1

Teamwork. Provide a collaborative, hands-on education in an environment where they can work with colleagues of varying skill levels.

2

Transparency. Provide context and be willing and able to answer their questions. Use email, corporate social channels and collaboration tools to keep information flowing.

3

Tangible impact. Show them how their work supports achieving overarching corporate and citizenship goals.

4

Technology. Your internal tools should be as smooth and seamless as similar consumer-facing technologies.

And while keeping millennials onboard is important, you have as many as 5 generations to manage, each with different communication preferences and work styles.

Traditionalists

Baby Boomers

Generation X

Millennials

Gen-Z

Born before 1945

Born between 1946 and 1964

Born between 1965 and 1979

Born between 1980 and 1998

Born after 1998

Your goal is not to create a millennial-only environment. It’s about empowering everyone on your team to work the way they want.

Learn more about Microsoft 365 Business in this crash course eBook > aka.ms/crash-course

Wondering how millennial-friendly your business is? Take this quiz >

aka.ms/are-you-millennial-friendly

?

Sources: 1. Intercept Group, POME Millennial Study, 2017 2. Brookings Institute, Millennials and the Future of Electric Utilities, July 2014 3. Bentley University, The Millennial Mind Goes to Work, 2014 4. Gallup, How Millennials Want to Work and Live, 2016

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BY A LJE K A MMING A | P H OTOS BY K E V I N BE L A N G E R THA NK YOU TO THE N AC FOR A L LOW I N G US TO US E TH E I R S PACE FOR OUR P H OTO S H OOT.

Millennials.

Ruling the world, changing the world.

he world agrees – millennials are different than the rest of us. For one thing, they are the largest and most educated generation in history, and as at ease with new technology as today’s average 14-year-old. They also have a strong sense of community; rather than address their individual needs, millennials prefer to focus on what we used to refer to as the ‘big picture.’ They are ambitious, they are involved and they are ethnically and culturally diverse.

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Still, others offer different, less flattering, opinions of the millennial generation.

They’re lazy, selfish and feel entitled, these people maintain. And what’s up with all those selfies?

David Coletto is 36, considered by many to be an older millennial. And while most millennials rarely acknowledge that they are members of a very special generation, David has made it his business to inform the world – millennials included – about the impact and potential of Generation Y. A founding partner and the CEO of Abacus Data, an Ottawa-based public opinion and marketing research company, David heads Abacus Data’s Canadian Millennial Research Practice, an organization dedicated to helping clients connect with millennials.

“It shouldn’t surprise anyone that millennials share so many things,” he says. “Most of us were raised by baby boomers that were far more protective of us, coddled us, and instilled a sense of optimism and cando-anything attitude. We are also the first generation to grow up in a world of rapid technological change. It only makes sense that we adopt and adapt more easily and comfortably to new technology.”

Bianca Oran, Kate Harrison, Alannah Bird and Jacob Lazore are also millennials. They, too, share many – probably most – of the qualities ascribed to other millennials. And they share one other thing – a deep and unwavering appreciation for Ottawa, the

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“ IT SHOULDN’T SURPRISE ANYONE THAT MILLENNIALS SHARE SO MANY THINGS.”

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David Coletto, 36

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“ I MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE TO OTTAWA THREE YEARS AGO WHILE STILL LIVING IN PARIS.”

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Bianca Oran, 37

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Alannah Bird, 28

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city in which most of them live and work.

Bianca, 37, is the Development Officer of Strategic Partnerships at the Ottawa Mission Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Mission. The Foundation’s goal is to engage young philanthropists who hope to raise the profile of homelessness in the Ottawa area.

Outside of work, Bianca recently launched the Young Professionals Network (YPN), a group that meets regularly to discuss common issues and challenges.

Bianca describes herself as a city person with an appreciation of the outdoors.

Little wonder then, that she loves the large selection of bike paths and running trails in Ottawa and the National Capital Region.

“I made the decision to move to Ottawa three years ago while still living in Paris,” she says. “I felt it was affordable compared to other big cities, small enough to get around easily and had a great mix of culture, music and nightlife. You just have to seek it out.”

Alannah Bird, 28, left Ottawa for Toronto but, like her fellow millennials, decided that her future would be brighter in Ottawa.

Today, she works for GBA, a development advisory and project management firm. As the firm’s Development Manager, she focuses on financial aspects and financing structures.

In typical millennial fashion, she’s taking a Masters in Real Estate and Infrastructure from Schulich (York University).

“When thinking about coming back to Ottawa, I knew I wanted a city that had both good access to employment opportunities and access to things to do outdoors. Too often, it’s one or the other. But in Ottawa, you get both. And that’s pretty unique.”

Clearly, the City of Ottawa and the surrounding area is an exceptionally attractive destination for millennials. Ottawa, particularly, features most of those qualities that matter most to Canada’s millennials.

It’s relatively affordable – especially when compared to larger cities like Toronto and Montreal. It offers a wide selection of outdoor activities, the nightlife is varied and vibrant, and the high tech-industry – particularly appealing to those raised in technology’s golden age – is booming.

A 2017 article in the Huffington Post described Ottawa this way: Some don’t consider Ottawa a very hip and trendy place to live, but the Byward Market neighbourhood will challenge any notion that Ottawa isn’t cool. Home to extensive campuses for University of Ottawa students and government workers, Ottawa offers an eclectic mix of old-world charm and new urban development.

More than 20 per cent of the housing options were built after 1990, including numerous

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“ MILLENNIALS WANT AND EXPECT TO BE CHALLENGED IN THEIR WORK AND IN THEIR LIVES.”

Kate Harrison, 29

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condo buildings that are perfect for students.

The nightlife has no shortage of options in Canada’s capital city.

But when selecting a city in which to live and work, millennials generally agree that their bottom line is – well, the bottom line.

Because they are often selective about how to make a living, millennials want affordability. And in that area, Ottawa rises to the top.

Just ask Kate Harrison, 29. She sees Ottawa as a great place to raise a family.

A senior consultant at Summa Strategies, she helps clients – many of them millennials – with government relations, communications strategies and public opinion research. Summa is a partner of Abacus Data so Kate is familiar with the unique qualities and the lofty expectations of the millennial generation.

“Millennials want and expect to be challenged in their work and in their lives,” she says. “Ottawa, with its high-tech presence, its outdoor attractions, and its burgeoning arts scene, gives them what they’re looking for.”

Certainly, it gives Kate and her family what they’re looking for. “I’ve been here for 10 years and seen so many changes, all for the better. But just as important is what hasn’t changed – affordability, access to outdoors (Kate snowshoes and runs, among other things) and the history.”

Like so many other millennials, Jacob Lazore, 26, is chasing a dream. But his chase is a lot longer than most. It begins every day with a two-hour drive to work from his home on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve. An ironworker with two small children, Jacob is currently working on the restoration of the Parliament Hill buildings.

When asked what it means to be a millennial, he just laughs. “It just never comes up,” he says. “Really, with two small children and a job that requires so much travel, it’s not something I ever think about.” What he does think about is how Ottawa might fit into his future.

“I’ve really grown to like Ottawa,” he says, “and not just because the Senators – my favourite hockey team – are here. If it turns out that the Parliament Hill project provides an opportunity for long-term employment, I think it would be great to raise my daughters here.”

If, as so many people maintain, that millennials occupy their own universe, it appears that for many of them, Ottawa is the centre of that universe.

Alje Kamminga is a former journalist and speechwriter who enjoys bridge, baseball and backgammon.

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“ I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO RAISE MY DAUGHTERS HERE.”

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Jacob Lazore, 26

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OIL & GAS INDUSTRY A MILLENNIAL MAGNET

BY J E FF B U CKST EI N

multiple, but significant changes that should appeal to a tech savvy millennial generation whose presence is growing in the workforce.

“There’s so much happening right now that’s innovative and interesting. As we move into a lower carbon future, this is the place to be,” says Chelsie Klassen, manager, media relations and issues management for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) in Calgary.

Chelsie Klassen Manager, media relations and CAPP’s mandate is to “enable the responsible growth of [the oil issues management, CAPP and natural gas] industry and advocate for economic competitiveness and safe, environmentally and socially responsible performance.”

Klassen describes how new technologies are enabling innovation that should appeal to millennials who are striving for a challenging career.

For example, “being able to drill down into a shale rock formawhat the oil and natural gas industry is doing in Canada have also tion using hydraulic fracturing and taking the gas out but with even modernized. less freshwater – those are technologies that have been evolving over “We have definitely changed the way we communicate. ‘Corporatethe past couple of years for the better,” she says. “Imagine working speak’ is dead. We use two-way platforms to engage back and forth on projects that capture carbon below the surface of the ground, or and to have an open dialogue about energy issues. It’s about tellworking with algae to eat carbon for a cleaner energy future, or using ing the story of possibility. A plan and vision is important, and that’s vehicles that have the same movement as amphibians, so you can go something we will continue to build on,” says Klassen. over top of swampy areas without damage.”

Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is frequently associated with But the oil and natural gas industry also provides opportuwestern Canada, where many large companies have their head offices nity to, and benefits from, the work of other generations. Whereas situated, but the industry is very much a national one, impacting many millennials exhibit a very entrepreneurial spirit coming into Canadians across the country. the industry, the experienced baby boomer generation also displays Klassen’s role provides a deep understanding of the frequency with very specific attributes. They are excellent mentors. Through their which the oil and natural gas industry must intersect with Ottawa, decades of service, they have proven to be very hard working, goal and deal with both the federal government and its agencies, in addioriented and resourceful. tion to other jurisdictions, such as her home province of Alberta.

“They always strive to win,” says Klassen, who sees the genera“I’m a member of an integrated communications team that is tions as very complementary in the way they work well together. responsible for advertising, research, campaigns, corporate communi“Baby boomers come with a solid understanding of where the induscations and corporate outreach. Being CAPP’s voice through the media try has come from, and millennials have new and [providing] responses for any big issues ideas of where it should go into the future,” that could involve policy or regulatory issues she stresses. impacting our industry is my responsibility,” In 2017, across Canada, the oil & One of the things that is very importshe explains. natural gas industry supported 533,000 jobs in the following skills ant to a lot of millennials is community Dealing with the entire oil and gas indusand professions: involvement, and the organizations reptry “you get the umbrella view of all these resented by CAPP do their best to give different regulatory impacts and issues in • Business & Operations Support back to their respective communities the news cycle. It’s most important for our • Engineers through various projects, notes Klassen, team to provide the correct information • Field Workers who cites Suncor, Imperial, Cenovus, Shell, and assessment of relevant issues to media, • Geosciences Professionals ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Encana, BP and and deliver it fast enough so that we can • Marine & Nautical Services Husky as among CAPP’s larger energy proget it into the daily media cycle,” Klassen • Scientists & Environmental Advisors ducer members. emphasizes.

• Operators (Plant, drilling, heavy As younger generation consumers reach equipment) • Trades People adulthood, efforts to reach out and explain Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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the market shifts the millennials bring and is integrating cutting-edge technology to its service offerings, recognizing that this technologically savvy generation is gaining prominence in the way they choose to do business with their service providers.

The Ottawa-based utility launched a new app in 2017 to help its customers access the latest real-time information on power outages, their account balances and more.

The app also includes personalized energy saving tips – generated by an intelligent algorithm that dissects each user’s consumption patterns.

Julie Lupinacci, the utility’s Chief Customer Officer, cites the 2017 World Economic Forum Global Shapers Survey which reported that 78.1 per cent of millennials would be willing to change their lifestyle to protect the environment.

“I oversee the conservation program at Hydro Ottawa, and that’s a really encouraging number for us because millennials are more apt to respond to the conservation queries our app provides if they know how they are going to be protecting the environment by conserving the energy in their homes,” she says.

Hydro Ottawa is also making that data available through smart audio devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo.

“We see smart audio devices really taking off and being a big driver within that millennial group,” says Lupinacci.

Hydro Ottawa has also modernized the way it delivers services today.

“The millennials are now getting to the stage where they own the house, and pay the hydro bill, and they have a different expectation of what service means. That expectation is a little bit more immediate than what people were used to five or ten years ago,” says Lupinacci.

Letters, phone or fax requests for service have largely given way to e-mail or other online sources. For example, Hydro Ottawa has seen a “drastic change in how we support outage management,” notes Lupinacci.

“Millennials don’t think ‘I need to call somebody to notify them that something’s

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happened.’ There’s almost an expectation that, with sensors and home automation platforms that are all connected to your I-phone, we would already know,” she explains.

Furthermore, many customers now want to get an answer to their problem without having to talk to anybody. They want to be able to easily navigate through a website, or social channels, to find an answer.

“We have seen a lot less calls coming in over the years. But there is also a lot less panic happening because we’re using social media to provide some real-time visibility to what’s going on in our service area, and what the cause of that issue might be and the time it’s going to reconnect that service today,” says Lupinacci.

“ We see smart audio devices really taking off and being a big driver within that millennial group.”

Outage management is, in fact, driving some of Hydro Ottawa’s grid modernization projects, including how best to triangulate and identify a location where there is an outage, rather that relying on a phone call to identify a problem, which fewer customers are providing today, she elaborates.

Another example of how Hydro Ottawa’s service is changing is through its ‘move-in, move-out’ service when a customer moves into a new house or apartment. Whereas five years ago the utility was still receiving a high number of paper-based or phone requests for move-in, move-outs, today more and more customers are completing that process online.

“We still provide a phone service [and] if they want to send a paper request in, they can continue to do that,” says Lupinacci, who notes that the older generations, including the baby boomers are also benefiting from the faster online services.

“They’re not necessarily as slow as some might believe to adopt social strategies,” she explains.

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1 West Block Rehabilitation 2 Rick Mercer getting a 765 hoodie 3 Steel beams form the backbone

of the West Block’s courtyard infill

4 West Block’s Mackenzie Tower and East side

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MILLENNIALS LEAVING THEIR MARK ON MODERNIZING PARLIAMENT HILL

BY J EFF B U C KSTE IN

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HE SPECTACULAR MODERNIZATION project

unfolding today on Parliament Hill will serve as a 21st century legacy to the people of Canada, thanks in no small part to the spirited contribution of the millennial generation.

Front and centre today is a massive seven and a half year, $863 million effort to rehabilitate the West Block, Canada’s oldest Parliament building, which dates back to 1859 and is scheduled to reopen later this year as the temporary home for the House of Commons.

Since November 2013, the Ironworkers Local 765 union, headquartered in Metcalfe, has contributed a yeoman effort to this project. More than 100 of its members, including millennials, working for various contractors, have installed some 3,000 tons of steel, while logging 130,000 work hours – all without serious

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2 1 The West Block’s courtyard prior to excavation and wall repairs

lost-time incidents.

“The guys are awfully proud that they worked on that project. They all tell me that when they bring their families downtown, they take them to Parliament Hill and tell them ‘that’s where I’m working,’” says Don Melvin, the president and business agent for Ironworkers Local 765.

Melvin notes that the Ironworkers Local 765 membership has increased from about 260 in 2002 to over 700 members today. The union has, he insists, also appealed to the millennials, who are now roughly between about the ages of 20 to 38.

All of the members in Local 765 approach their job in a similar fashion. “It has always been that the older guys pass along the tricks of the trade and bring the proud history of Ironworkers to the younger generations to get the work done,” says Melvin.

There are about 150 members of his union in the youngest

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generation, and they are appreciative of what belonging to a union can do for their careers. “All of them are happy that they have joined.

They see a good wage, and pension and benefits,” Melvin says.

As well as having contributed to a project that will leave its mark on Canadian architectural history.

“We put in all the reinforcing rebar in the concrete. After that, the structural guys came in and did a lot of work shoring up the massive stones that make up the West Block,” Melvin explains.

The ironworkers also literally did a lot of the heavy lifting for this project, as they were instrumental in efforts to lift an existing floor in the West Block using a shoring system to stabilize it. They also installed a large skylight between heritage stones that couldn’t be removed without causing damage. And they positioned a temporary bridge between the West Block building and the Visitors Centre, while working in very tight quarters.

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2 W orkers re-install a heritage window overlooking the West Block’s courtyard, which will become the interim House of Commons Chamber 3 A worker measures an area of the roof of the West Block’s Mackenzie Tower to be covered by a piece of copper

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This complex rehabilitation project also necessitated the replacement of electrical, mechanical and life-safety systems. Asbestos was removed. Information technology and multimedia capacity was installed. Some 44,000 cubic metres of bedrock had to be dynamited to hollow out a large area, which required the installation of 920 metric tonnes of reinforcing steel and large stud rails.

“The biggest part of the job was constructing the atrium that’s right in the middle of the West Block,” recalls Melvin.

On the exterior of the West Block, workers have replaced windows and the roof, refurbished the exterior masonry, as well as sculptural elements and, with the participation of Local 765, rehabilitated the building’s decorative ironwork. With the Ottawa Valley situated in one of the most earthquake prone zones in Canada, the building also underwent a seismic and structural reinforcement to be able to survive a potentially serious earthquake.

Opening is scheduled for the Fall 2018 session of Parliament, while the Centre Block is itself refurbished. Various support functions for the House of Commons, including four committee rooms, along with offices for the Prime Minister, House officers and political party leaders and its whips, will also abode in the new West Block.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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1 The atrium of the building under construction 2 West Block topping off local 765

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YOU THQUAKE The Rising Political Power of Millennials

BY DAV I D CO L ET TO, PhD

iSTO CK / FR ANCK REPORTE R

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ILLENNIALS ARE ALL the rage

today. You can’t turn on the TV, open a magazine, or browse a news website without someone writing about my generation. And it’s understandable given the impact we are having on pretty much everything.

Consider this comparison. In 2006, the top five most valued publicly traded companies in the world were ExxonMobil, GE, Microsoft, Citigroup, and British Petroleum.

Today they are Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook. While technological change has affected everyone, regardless of their generation, the rapid rise of brands like Google, Amazon, and Facebook occurred in large measure due to the corresponding emergence of millennials as North America

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and Europe’s largest consumer group.

But beyond the disruption in the consumer market, a story less often told is the impact this generation is having on politics and public affairs in countries around the world, including Canada.

More millennials are now eligible to vote in Canada than baby boomers.

Justin Trudeau is the oldest of the three major party leaders. And youth engagement in politics is on the rise. We are experiencing a youthquake right before our eyes.

Ask most people about youth political participation and they will say young people don’t vote.

But in the 2015 Canadian federal election, youth voter turnout skyrocketed by 20 percentage points, and because the Liberals

captured the largest share of these new voters, millennials helped turn what looked like a fragile Liberal minority government into a stable Liberal majority government.

It’s no wonder that Prime Minister Trudeau appointed himself Minister of Youth following the election: young people were critical to his win.

The same story is repeating itself in other democracies around the world. In the UK, thanks to a slight increase in youth voter turnout along with the most lopsided generational vote in British history, Theresa May’s hopes for a substantial majority government were shattered by the millions of young Brits who voted for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party, leaving the Conservative Prime Minister with an unstable minority.

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Based on the 2016 Census: There are 368,032 millennials in the Ottawa-Gatineau region representing 28% of the population.

This is slightly higher than the national average.

Compared to other major cities:

Toronto: 32% Metro Vancouver: 29% Calgary: 32% Edmonton:34% Montreal: 32% COURTESY OF ABACUS DATA

Ottawa is a Millennial Hotspot Steady job market with an above average income of $88,310 Boasts a thriving cultural scene Ranks sixth for the highest percentage of Canadians with bachelor’s degree or above Ottawa is one of the youngest cities in Canada, with nearly half its population under 35 Ranks 16th out of 85 cities for life satisfaction INFORMATION COURTESY OF P OINT2HOMES.COM

In Italy, young voters swarmed the polls and made the country’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement the largest party in its parliament. And we can’t forget that American millennials were decisive in Barack Obama’s rise, critical to Bernie Sanders’ movement, and the defeat of Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump.

Because of the size of the cohort - there are about 9.5 million of us in Canada, we have the power to shift markets, pick winners and losers, and disrupt the status quo.

My advice to all organizations advocating for policy change with government decision makers at all levels is simple: don’t ignore the awakening of youth political engagement and the millions of millennials behind it. Embrace them, understand them, and find a way to align your issues with the concerns and broader values of this group.

Who are the Millennials?

Born between 1980 and 2000 and raised around the turn of the millennium, millennials or members of Generation Y are different from other generations for two primary reasons: how we were raised and the role of technology in our lives.

The starting point is our parents. Most millennials are the children of baby boomers. This simple fact explains so much of the way we think and behave. We were raised to believe we are special, and the world is ours for the taking. We grew up in a world of positive-reinforcement, helicopter parenting, and constant feedback.

Millennials are also digital natives. We grew up with technology and have made it a central part of our lives. To the 94% of millennials who own a smart phone, that device is our most trusted assistant. It’s our bank, our travel agent, our newspaper, our telephone, our music player, and our weather person. That device lets us watch the video content we crave, order food, and gets us from one place to the next.

And to the 85% of Canadian millennials who check Facebook at least once a day, social media is how we stay connected, find out what’s happening in the world, and increasingly the way we learn about and connect with brands.

The combination of social media and mobile technology has also created a perfect-storm of connectivity that changes the way millennials consume and process media and news content; source credibility is being steadily overtaken and trumped by interesting content of a diverse variety and range.

Should I stay or should I go A millennial’s view of Ottawa

BY A L A N N A H BI R D

Us wacky, unpredictable millennials.

What do we want and what can Ottawa do to keep us around?

The fact is, it’s easier than ever to travel and live away from your hometown, so it’s not enough anymore to be a city that offers good employment and a consistent supply of housing. If you’re trying to attract millennials, know that you’re competing with pretty much every city in the world. With the evolving definition of a workplace, and a growing ability to work remotely, I don’t think this reality is going anywhere, anytime soon.

I’m not sure millennials are all that different from past generations; we’re still chasing the ‘American Dream’ -- it just looks a little different than the white picket-fenced home, the fancy car and the big green barbeque that gets used on Saturdays.

Instead we’re deliberately chasing a life filled with experiences and purpose. This can mean different things to different millennials, but at the end of the day, very few of us are willing to sacrifice a good, balanced quality of life, for more conventional ways of measuring success.

I am currently working on a master’s program in real estate and infrastructure, which has opened my eyes to the impact millennials are having on cities.

We are noticing staggering numbers of companies relocating their offices back into downtowns from the suburbs, as a way of attracting the next generation work force.

Retaining employees is harder than ever, and all signs point to the fact that it is because again, millennials are not willing to sacrifice their quality of life; there are simply fewer people willing to enter into the daily grind. The challenge becomes more acute if we couple this trend with the fact that the workforce is aging and it is millennials who will be there to fill these roles.

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want to spend less on housing so they can keep their lives flexible. Instead of taking a traditional house design and crunching it into a smaller space, developers need to plan and build homes that reflect a more space conscious design concept.

I live in a 124-square foot tiny house that I love with all my heart. Every single inch of space was made functional in order to make the house work. There’s a couch with hidden storage space, a desk that folds up, and a martini drawer under the staircase – since it is all about prioritizing.

As landscapes change in how we all consume products and services in a city, we must look to renewed reasons for people to interact in retail and commercial spaces. Why go out when you can get whatever you want, food included, delivered to your door? It’s simple, we are seeking experiences and connection – a space should be a conversation starter.

Alannah’s 124 square foot Tiny Home currently located in Carp

Possibly the most important feature in a city these days is access to activities and adventure. I think every city has the ability to offer something unique, whether it’s access to the outdoors, a vibrant arts and culture scene, an exciting nightlife, lively sports games, or all of the above. Ottawa has all of these ingredients, and yet for many in the city these amenities, opportunities and lifestyles are hard to access.

PHOTO S COURTESY OF AL ANNAH BIRD

So what’s to be done to animate our City and to cultivate a desirable place to live for the next generation? We need to bring people together in livable, dense, urban spaces that provide for flexibility and liberate us from our commute times.

So how does one attract and retain a new, high expectation, millennial employee?

It has proven to be challenging. We also know that losing a senior employee can cost the equivalent of two years of their salary. Now let’s extrapolate that over an entire company, where a growing number of employees are millennials, and it’s not hard to see why employers are offering the moon to recruit and keep good talent.

doing, continue to learn, and they want to collaborate with coworkers they’d consider friends. If, every now and then, they can accomplish all of that on their laptops while working remotely out of a hostel in a surf town… all the better! This trend is translating into flexible work schedules and a rapid adoption of co-working spaces, where companies of all shapes and sizes can come together to innovate.

Millennials don’t want to live in the same type of cities as previous generations, and urban planning needs to reflect that, both at City Hall and within the development community. The good news is that all of this is possible, and in fact it is more expensive (financially and environmentally) to build and maintain sprawling suburban neighbourhoods that require labyrinths of roadways and that lack comprehensive transit or places for community to gather.

We need not be afraid to take risks and try things that make Ottawa an authentic and bold place to live.

Not only are companies moving downtown, they are also trying to make the work day as enjoyable and productive as possible.

Millennials want to believe in what they’re

When looking for a home, millennials care more about quality than quantity. As house prices become more unaffordable in Ottawa, and everywhere, millennials

Millennials want to be part of something.

They are not here to punch the clock. They want the ability to look back on life and say, “I did that right.”

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Don’t ignore the awakening of youth political engagement and the millions of millennials behind it.

We have moved from a world where people actively sought out news and information to a passive one, where the information we consume is delivered to pre-curated news feeds, isolated from people, perspectives, and ideas outside of our networks.

So, what does this mean for how you engage the public and design your advocacy strategies with government?

Here are a few tips: 1 Recognize that millennials are a pow-

erful force who are reshaping political life at all levels of government.

2 Learn and understand what we care

about and what priorities are shaping our thinking. The top issues for millennials in Canada are affordable housing, jobs, affordability of post-secondary education, and healthcare. We are insecure about our future, and a growing number feel that our generation won’t be as well off as the ones that came before us.

3 Tell your story in an authentic and

engaging way. To bring millennials along, you need to have a compelling story that is emotional, connects with our priorities, and calls us to action.

Remember, we don’t just do something because it’s what we should do or because it’s always been done a certain way. We need to be asked.

Businesses and organizations that succeed over the next decades will be the ones who embraced change and best understood my generation. In the next few years, Amazon could become the first trillion-dollar company, Netflix viewership may dwarf all Canadian TV networks combined, and we will likely see autonomous cars on the road.

What is far more certain is that millennials will dominate our politics for the next 30 years in the same way their parents, the boomers, did for the past 30.

David Coletto is a millennial, and CEO of Abacus Data, a data-based strategy firm based in Ottawa and Toronto.

Abacus Data is Canada’s only research firm focused on helping organizations respond to the unprecedented threat of generational change and technological disruption.

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A century-old firm with a contemporary outlook: Welch LLP Although the chartered professional accounting firm is 100 years old, the foundation of Welch LLP’s culture is anything but old-fashioned. Welch’s secret to remaining relevant in the minds of the largest working demographic has been to maintain its family oriented values while simultaneously adapting and changing as necessary. This approach has been the driving force behind the attraction and retention of a workforce of forward-thinking millennials.

One of the major changes the firm is in the midst of implementing is the shift to a flexible work environment that allows employees at all levels to work flexible hours and gives them an opportunity to work remotely, when required. With this added flexibility, employees are able to provide service at hours that are most convenient to clients, as well as find balance between their work and home lives, resulting in higher morale and productivity – wins for the individuals as well as for the firm at large.

Welch has embraced a culture of inclusivity. It appointed the firm’s first female partner, Betty Wilson, in 1970. Gender-equity remains a priority for Welch, with women represented in all aspects of the business, and with the firm actively fostering strong female mentors through the Women in Leadership Committee.

Millennials are recognized for their socially minded values and seeking out meaningful opportunities to give back to their communities. Luckily for Welch, community involvement has been a cornerstone of our company culture and an on-going priority throughout the decades. Welch employees are active volunteers in the Ottawa community and surrounding areas, and the firm chooses a charity of choice every few years through popular vote, as an opportunity to make significant donations through fundraising and awareness campaigns. Over the past two years, this program has raised $55,000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation through the Grand Casino.

Welch’s culture is one of adaptability and change for the better. The firm is dedicated to fostering a creative, collaborative, and rewarding environment that allows staff to reach their maximum potential by focusing on both personal and career development.

Welch LLP has been recognized as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers for 2018 because of this open-minded approach to business. It is because of this openmindedness that we are able to attract and retain our millennial staff members, who are a key component to the overall success of the firm.

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C A P ITAL S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE OF THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

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OU’RE IN YOUR teens, about to graduate from high

school, thinking more and more – every day now, it seems – about your future. You’re not alone. Every year, thousands of Canadian high school students, just like you, prepare to make one of the most important decisions of their lives – what do I do after I graduate?

Go to university and a lot of doors open. Opt for a community college or vocational school and you also have a number of promising options to secure a lucrative and rewarding career. Forego all further education and enter the workforce now? Well, good luck with that.

Experts say you’ll struggle to survive in a world that, more than ever, values advanced education and technological skills and know-how.

If the university option seems promising, be warned that course selection will likely determine how well you do in the job market.

Workopolis, generally considered Canada’s leading career web site, says those who choose science, technology, engineering or mathematics are virtually assured of finding steady employment over the next decade.

Of course, for the vast majority of millennials, education, at least in the traditional sense, is now in their rear view mirrors. But while they are the most educated generation in history, many millennials – slightly more than half, according to a recent survey – say they would pursue a different education path if given the opportunity.

Many said they might forego a degree to do something else.

But a bit of second-guessing doesn’t mean their interest in the education system has waned.

For one thing, millennials now represent a large and growing percentage of the teaching workforce. And, perhaps more importantly, millennials are starting to have children of their own who have already begun or will soon begin their own formal education.

Not surprisingly then, millennials have some strong feelings about the role education has played in their lives and should play in the lives of their children. When asked, they have expressed the belief that access to quality education is the most important factor to getting ahead in life. Most emphasized the need for creativity and flexibility in selecting the right school and the right education path. An equal number support more online learning options. Tuition-free, of course. And almost all want an approach that addresses the unique needs of the next generation – their children.

So are Canadian learning institutions ready for Generation Z, the most common description for the post-millennial generation? Not entirely says a 2015 study conducted by Universities Canada. It found that that less than half of Canadian universities were prepared to meet the needs of increasingly tech-savvy students. Fortunately, that study was conducted in 2015, leaving universities a bit of wiggle room before the bulk of Generation Z students (those born in the mid1990s to the early 2000s) knock on their doors.

When it comes to being prepared for what’s coming, Ottawa’s Algonquin College gives itself a passing grade. Claude Brulé, the Senior Vice-President Academic at Algonquin College, says the programs it offers are relevant. “Algonquin pays great attention to technological changes in the workforce. We’ve established a program advisory committee made up of industry experts and hiring managers for each program of study to ensure that we are aware of technology trends in the many sectors represented by our programming.”

FOR MILLENNIALS, LIFE IS AN ONGOING

EDUCATION

BY AL J E K AMMI NG A

FAUSTIN TUYAM BA ZE / UNSPL ASH

“ Millennials have some strong feelings about the role education has played in their lives and should play in the lives of their children.”

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Students should be willing to change direction. If students aren’t sure about the path they’ve chosen, they should be prepared to change it. Chances are, they’ll benefit from the experience.

There’s no such thing as a dumb question.

Simply put, there are no right or wrong questions. All questions have merit.

Now is the time to be curious. School is more than just acquiring the skills needed to land a good job. It’s about building a foundation for a lifetime of continuous learning.

Students should ask questions and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Alje Kamminga is a former journalist and speechwriter who enjoys bridge, baseball and backgammon.

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Build the City You Want To Live In Choose Training in the Trades

Redevelopment plans for the downtown core of Ottawa will bring an unprecedented number of new training opportunities and jobs for the emerging workforce of young people, according to the president of the Building and Trades Council representing eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

“Over the course of the LeBreton redevelopment project alone, there will be over 154,000 jobs for Quebec and Ontario workers,” said John Bourke, president of the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Building and Trades Council.

“This redevelopment is the largest initiative of its kind in modern day Ottawa and Gatineau. There will be jobs for planners, designers, engineers and trades specialists.

An additional 12,000 jobs will be created through the suppliers of materials such as steel, concrete, wood, glass and more,” he added.

The Council president noted that the LeBreton Flats Redevelopment project will create work opportunities in the skilled trades and other areas in the larger Ottawa/Outaouais economy for First Nations, women in the trades, and other under-represented groups.

These opportunities are part of larger federal and provincial strategies to support apprenticeship training to meet projected labour market needs.

The Building and Trades Council is working alongside local Algonquin First Nations leaders and organizations to provide training through Algonquin College and apprenticeship programs within the trades themselves, and to create employment opportunities once training is completed.

“It is our hope that the next generation of the Algonquin First Nations workforce will choose careers as tradespeople in the wide array of fields associated with building and construction,” added Bourke. “The 20-year LeBreton redevelopment represents a $4 billion-dollar project that will generate an estimated 22,000-man years of work or 44,000,000 hours of direct construction labour.”

According to Statistics Canada, ten per cent of Canadians are employed in construction, with each construction job producing seven supplementary jobs in other industries, ranging from manufacturing and distribution, to hospitality and financial services. The Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Building and Trades Council estimates that in Ottawa and the Outaouais, the LeBreton Flats project will generate close to 154,000 jobs over the 20-year multi-phase construction schedule.

“What you see in the LeBreton redevelopment is a city and nation-defining project that will change Ottawa and Gatineau for the better,” added Bourke. “This plan will not only create thousands of local construction jobs, but it will generate billions in tax revenue for all levels of government. The LeBreton Flats development, and other projects in the downtown core, will contribute to a healthy construction industry, which in turn ensures the health of our economy, the training of the next generation of trades people, and widespread prosperity,” he asserted.

S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE OF THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

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SHIH-WEI / i STOC K

Faculty members are as up-to-date as the courses they teach, says Brulé. “They have opportunities to remain current through applied research activities as well as professional development.” Finally, he says, “Algonquin is a digital College and our students work with educational technologies from the moment they step through our doors using their own information technology devices to access services, access their course material and e-texts and participate in classes that are a mix of face-to-face and online delivery.”

Like many schools, Algonquin College also stays in touch with key employers – and former students – to ensure what they’re offering is up-to-date and relevant. “This is critical for the success of our learners,” says Brulé.

“We have partnerships with some of the most technologically advanced companies and organizations, such as Siemens Canada and Shopify. That allows us to shape our courses accordingly.”

He says the college also follows up with all of its alumni to make sure they are on the path to lifelong success. “I’m happy to say that the most recent Key Performance Indicator (KPI) survey data, from 2016, showed that Algonquin College was number one for graduate satisfaction among large Ontario colleges.”

Naturally, business leaders have some thoughts on what today’s students should be thinking about. In a recent Maclean’s article, business leaders – as well as students and academics – were asked what advice they would offer those about to begin their first year of university. Their suggestions might just as easily apply to those entering Algonquin College or a vocational school.

A few examples:

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imitri Sigounas, the Portfolio Manager, Eastern Canada for Evripos Janitorial Services Ltd., understands what it is to be marginalized. He is a third generation business owner. Founded by his grandfather 45 years ago, Evripos was the dream of a Greek immigrant who landed in Canada and found that the only work available was in low-level labour. He made a place for himself, a home for his family and an opportunity for many other marginalized people.

“It is part of our core values,” says Dimitri, “we hire from all walks of life, what counts is ability, everyone is unique and brings something to the table.”

Joël Dazé, a job developer with Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care Inc. (PPRC), met Louise Lemay the Manager and ACSO for Evripos through a client who had found employment with the company. The two began a partnership that has benefited many job seekers. PPRC provides vocational services to persons with disabilities who are

seeking employment and they work with employers to find suitable talent to fill their hiring needs.

“It is a source of dedicated employees who are eager to work and appreciate the opportunity,” says Louise. “PPRC is always meticulous in screening and security. They ensure the applicants they bring are suitable.

We currently have three people hired from PPRC and we are considering more. They are seldom sick, they are reliable and always eager to help.”

Doug Rea is a client with PPRC and he is one of the former job seekers who now works with Evripos. Doug has been there for over one year and loves his work. “It is like family here, I work with people from all over, there are many languages, many cultures and the management is approachable for our needs or concerns.

If you want multi-cultural, work here”, he laughs, “I am trying to learn Spanish.”

Dimitri highlights the relationship with PPRC is a good partnership;

“ We have similar values, you know how they say don’t judge a book by its cover, well we believe in the content. It allows us access to an under appreciated talent pool and makes our hiring easier.”

“ We find that the candidates from PPRC bring that something extra, the desire to work, the interaction with the customers and the tenants. It is an attitude towards work we don’t necessarily see from the rest of the population.”

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C A P ITAL S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE O F THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

MILLENNIAL

BY J E FF B UCKST EI N

TECH SKILLS Give Ottawa entertainment companies critical edge

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

WILLIAM BAYREUTHER / UNSPL ASH

T

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HE RENOWNED EXPERTISE

and technological prowess of the National Capital Region’s workforce, particularly the advanced digital skills of its up-and-coming youngest generation, have been instrumental in helping two local companies make their mark in the entertainment industry.

About 55 per cent of employees working for The Mob Entertainment, a four-year old independent movie production company, are millennials, and they “come with a base technological savvy that you probably wouldn’t have found back in the 1990s and early 2000s,” says co-founder Andrew Erin.

Millennials have brought enthusiasm and valuable new ideas. But all staffers need to exhibit a positive, open-minded attitude and energy to succeed, which is vital in a movie-making business being driven by technological change that is opening up new opportunities for smaller production companies, Erin stresses.

“The world is really much more diverse now, which is changing the way we make stuff,” he says, noting that Mob Entertainment, which employs up to

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80 people when in production, has taken an early adapter approach to ground-breaking technologies.

For example, the company recently wrapped up filming a romantic movie in Cumberland about a wedding at an ice hotel using two special cameras called the Ursa Mini Pro by Black Magic Design. These cameras are capable of doing things that bigger, much more expensive cameras can do for only a fraction of the price, and many millennials can adapt their experience to such technology.

“The visual language of cinema and story telling is a lot more prominent than it used to be. The whole world’s been cracked open, and someone in their living room can be creating content by using their cellphone or related equipment, and then broadcasting it onto multiple platforms,” Erin explains.

“So when it comes to hopping from there to film and [working] with these cameras, there’s a familiarity,” he adds.

But having a complement of staff at different ages can also pay dividends, particularly in the hierarchical structure of a movie production company where each department has a head, who is in turn responsible for hiring his or her own staff.

“I think the baby boomers have passed down the structure. Structure is what makes a film set efficient, and I think it’s really good for millennials to get into that, because a lot of them were not raised in the same sort of structure that we were in Generation X, or the baby boomers even more,” says Erin, who is 45.

Erin, an Ottawa native who has also lived and worked in Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver, praises Ottawa as an excellent venue for he and his wife Fay to raise their two young daughters, as well for its professional opportunities in making movies.

“Ottawa is very unique in that it’s got a lot of really quaint looking small towns that surround the city, and the city itself has a very European feel. But the downtown core can also feel like Toronto or New York or any of the major cities,” he says.

You.i TV is another success story. The Kanata-based firm provides its customers in

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the media and entertainment industry, including Turner, Fox, and Warner Brothers amongst others, with a multi-screen video-app platform, designed to centralize and streamline the process of building apps for all kinds of devices, including phones, tablets, gaming consoles and smart TVs. “The nice thing about our product is our customers are able to attract all age groups - from boomers through to millennials. With amazing immersive content where they want, how they want, and when they want it, users are now having even greater affinity for their brands,” says chief

Five Lifestyle Choices in the NCR (Millennials) Sharing houses with a few others in urban areas that are close to transit to save money.

Enjoying life experiences rather than physical things.

Careers that are fulfilling and challenging – rather than doing something because they feel the need to.

Staying with their families for longer periods of time, and starting their families much later than previous generations.

Environmentally conscious and more likely to combat stress with healthy alternatives.

S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE OF THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

executive officer Jason Flick, who was also a co-founder of the company in 2008.

A good example of this is with FilmStruck from Turner, a You.i customer, he says.

FilmStruck’s demographic targets mature consumers that are often interested in classic movies. FilmStruck is a movie streaming service with an extensive back catalog. This video app makes access easier for the consumer – for example, they don’t need to find it through their cable package. They are also able to dig deep into the content to obtain a lot of additional information and comments about actors and directors, Flick explains.

The vast majority of You.i TV’s 170 employees are located in Ottawa, with a handful scattered in field offices in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

About 45 per cent of employees are under the age of 35, with 26 per cent between the ages of 35 and 44, another 24 per cent between 45 and 64, and the remaining five per cent 65 and older, says Heather Tyrie, vice-president of employee experience.

Having a mix of all different age groups working together provides collaborative benefits, says Tyrie, who notes that “younger people coming into the workforce offer a fresh perspective, a different way of looking at things.”

“The older generations, of course, bring an historical view, and draw on experience in those discussions,” she adds.

Generational change is also having a major impact on recruitment.

“Like users today, our prospective new employees are also much more hands on about selecting a company to work for.

They’re not saying ‘I’ve got a degree in X. I’m just going to my first company.’ They’re way more interested in ‘Who are you? What do you stand for? Does it align with my beliefs?’” notes Flick.

Moreover, people of all ages today do a lot of research before joining a company. They check out sites like Glassdoor and read unfiltered company reviews from current and ex-employees, and people who have been for interviews, says Tyrie.

“We welcome all the feedback – both positive and negative - as it allows us to view our company through the eyes of others, and make adjustments if we need to. We believe that it is really important for people who are thinking about joining You.i TV to find out as much as they can, so that they can make an accurate assessment of whether the culture is the right fit for them,” she elaborates.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

C AP ITALM AG .C A

SAULO M OHANA / UNSPL ASH

“ Like users today, our prospective new employees are also much more hands on about selecting a company to work for. They’re not saying ‘I’ve got a degree in X. I’m just going to my first company.’ They’re way more interested in ‘Who are you? What do you stand for?

Does it align with my beliefs?’”

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Age diversity A powerful boost for NCR’s expanding economy

BY J E FF B U CKST EI N

D

IVERSITY, INCLUDING THE

presence of a multi-generational workforce, provides businesses with significant advantages in a competitive global economy. Invest Ottawa, the lead economic development agency for the City of Ottawa, whose mandate is to help spark the growth and success of local entrepreneurs and firms in the National Capital Region, is keenly aware of the synergies and values that people of all ages working together can provide.

“Diversity and inclusion is a major area of emphasis for Invest Ottawa,” says Sonya Shorey, the firm’s vice-president of marketing and communications. “Together with our community, we strive to help create an even stronger, more integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem with future-ready companies led by female and male founders with a rich mix of attributes, backgrounds and experiences. Diverse perspectives are invaluable. They can open up new opportunities, drive discovery, innovation and new business models that propel us forward. ” Millennials bring ambition, energy, and a desire to advance humanity and the well-being of the planet as they build their enterprises. Moreover, consumers are becoming savvier, focused on whether their purchases are being directed to a social cause that they care about.

But they often lack experience, and so the help of seasoned entrepreneurs who have

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already run one or more businesses, provides immense benefits. For example, they assist with vital questions such as “When are you ready to start raising capital? How do you prepare? How do you pitch for financing?

How do you read the investor?” says Shorey.

“Having millennials, who are young and excited and very aspirational in many cases, work side by side with baby boomers and others who have been there and done that and are in a position to provide them with the benefits of all their learning, expertise and experience – it is a powerful mix,” Shorey stresses.

“There’s a lot of on-the-spot mentorship that happens here between the baby boomers, Generation Xers and the millennials,” she notes proudly, elaborating that members of Generation X, who are currently between about 39 and 52 years of age, provide a valuable combination of youthful enthusiasm, age and experience.

As Invest Ottawa looks to the future, including what its leaders view as a thriving local economy, it views the younger generations, who have increasingly grown up almost exclusively within a digital world, as a major catalyst in producing the new technologies that will be required as the pace of change continues to accelerate, says Shorey.

She cites the four major local post secondary institutions, including Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, Algonquin College and La Cite, as “outstanding producers of incredible talent in areas of disruptive technology,” which is defined as a technology that displaces an established technology and shakes up an industry.

Millennials are also good at applying such disruptive technologies in novel ways designed to address global problems and challenges, says Shorey.

She cites the example of a start-up

S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE OF THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

Sonya Shorey, vice-president of marketing and communications, Invest Ottawa

company that emerged from the University of Ottawa, and which is currently supported

by Invest Ottawa, led by two students who created a shipping container containing a novel hydroponic system inside that enables the growth of fruits and vegetables in any climate, no matter how harsh.

But Invest Ottawa is also keenly aware of sharp challenges on the path ahead, particularly the global competition to recruit, and then retain, the best and the brightest minds.

“One of the drivers for our strategic plan is to address some of those hurdles to work together with our ecosystem to make it as lucrative as possible, and to keep talent here, and to attract new talent in,” stresses Shorey.

Invest Ottawa envisions Ottawa as a “future-ready” city capable of applying new technologies in a global technology hub, thereby increasing the NCR’s competitiveness, while also strengthening the local investment climate. The region offers key opportunity areas for skilled entrepreneurs and employees – among them, autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, and smart cities technologies. Building autonomous vehicles, for example, requires a unique combination of hardware and software, including sensors, that local entrepreneurs are trained for and skilled at, she notes.

“I think millennials will play a very key role in helping us fulfill that vision, together with Generation Xers, baby boomers – everyone working together. Everyone has a unique value along with expertise and perspectives to contribute. Getting back to our focus on diversity and inclusion, the more perspectives we have, the stronger we’ll be and the better we’ll perform,” Shorey stresses.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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Generational Change Inspires Innovation Meeting the demands of generational change

GENERATIONAL CHANGE, COUPLED with the impact of

newer technologies, is having a major impact on many Ottawa businesses.

“Technology driven change is here. We can’t ignore it. We have to learn continually how to harness and use it to improve the overall experience of not only our guests, but also our employees,” says Fayez Thawer, managing director of Tasico Hospitality Group.

Tasico owns and manages three hotel properties, including two Days’ Inn and a Best Western, in Ottawa.

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The company, with close to 400 employees, also owns and manages two hotels in Ajax, Ont., and another in the U.S., in Cincinnati, along with a convention centre and three restaurants.

“The days of putting a picture of a steak on a social media site are gone. You have to find ways of keeping your existing and new customers interested and engaged,” Thawer stresses.

Tasico is also conscious of the impact generational change has had on the hospitality industry, which must cater to a wide customer base and multiple

“ Technology driven change is here.

We can’t ignore it.

We have to learn continually how to harness and use it to improve the overall experience of not only our guests, but also our employees.”

Fayez Thawer

S PRI NG 2018 | THE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE OF THE OT TAWA CH A M BE R OF COM M E RCE

generations – including ‘millennials,’ who are roughly 38 and younger; ‘Generation X,’ from ages 39 to 53; ‘baby boomers,’ from ages 54 to 72; and more senior Canadians, often referred to as ‘Traditionalists.’

For example, while the millennial generation is known for being very tech savvy, members of Generation X have a reputation for being very value driven.

Baby boomers appreciate the perks they receive through promotions such as loyalty programs, says Thawer.

Those who are tech savvy will often walk into a hotel and

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KE VIN BEL ANGER

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

KE VIN BEL ANGER

Marc Andre Way

not converse in person, having already checked into their room on their handheld device.

Management will send a welcoming text. Guests can also use an online app to request room service or receive details about where to attend the next day’s business meeting.

But other guests, particularly those who are older, are apt to do things more traditionally, by checking in and requesting services personally by talking to staff.

“You have to make sure you’re covering all these bases,” Thawer stresses.

Kelly Sample, managing partner of the law firm Kelly Santini LLP, says her profession must also serve multi-generational clients.

“We can still deliver services the old way, completely paper based, with meetings and phone calls, and regular mail. Or we can communicate using e-mail and other technologies,” says Sample, who notes that even

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some older clients are becoming more comfortable working with technology.

She explains that her office is careful in balancing ease of client communications with professional obligations, including the need to preserve client confidentiality.

Kelly Santini has just under 100 employees, including about 35 who are lawyers. About 35 per cent of its staff is in the millennial age range, another 30 per cent are Generation X, and 35 per cent are baby boomers, Sample says.

“I think the biggest shift that’s happening right now is there’s a real emphasis on diversity in our recruiting. We’ve defined our diversity policy very broadly.

That would include gender, sexuality, race, culture, and religion,” she explains.

“We believe that the more diverse our pool of lawyers and employees is, the better our service will be and the better we will understand our clients’

needs. Our client base is certainly very diverse,” says Sample.

One of the biggest challenges for the next generation of lawyers and clients is going to be building a very strong personal relationship that will endure for decades, as the most senior generation of lawyers who are still practicing were excellent at cultivating, says Sample.

“With technology, where you see your client less, and with the information that clients have at the click of a button, younger lawyers are still going to have to make it a priority to build the relationship [with] trust, so that the clients keep coming back,” she stresses.

Tasico is also conscious of generational change with respect to its employees. For example, Thawer notes that senior management has changed from having a traditional semi-annual or annual review to provide more constant feedback to staff – in large part because the millennial generation prefers that type of communication.

In executive meetings, “we’ll bring in some of our up-and-coming managers who we feel will, one day, fit at the executive level. They’ll listen to the discussions, hear the plans.

We create this level of transparency and inclusiveness,” he says.

“Millennials love to share their opinions, and they’ll give you some very unique insights,” says Thawer. “You have to care enough to listen. If you’re able to do that, eventually those millennials will become the leaders of your business.”

Marc Andre Way, chief

executive officer of Coventry Connections Inc., a dispatch service provider to 19 taxi fleets in southern Ontario, including Capital Taxi, Blue Line Taxi, and West-Way Taxi in Ottawa, says he has few millennials among his 160 staff.

“Attracting millennials has always been a challenge. It’s not the type of work that seems to excite them,” says Way, who notes that many younger workers, in particular, seek flexibility in their work hours and location.

“We don’t work like that.

We’re on shifts. We’re on schedules. There are quotas to meet [of] so many calls an hour, within that particular eight hour shift. It’s more like a fine tuned manufacturing line. Our environment is very rigid,” he explains.

Coventry has, however, innovated to better serve its customers of all ages, and provide them with more options when it comes to booking a taxi, including the development of a new app.

By making the hailing and reservation of taxis as simple as possible without having to speak to a person in the call centre, improving its service time by assigning the closest vehicle, and trying to make this whole process seamless to the end users, Coventry is employing strategies both to attract tech-savvy millennial customers and to compete against online competitors.

In adapting for the future, “our present focus is on technologies and how to use them to better our services,” Way says.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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As a boutique labour and employment law firm, Emond Harnden has represented the interests of management in both official languages since 1987.

Emond Harnden est un cabinet d'avocats en droit du travail et de l’emploi qui représente exclusivement les intérêts des employeurs, dans les deux langues officielles, depuis 1987.

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