N o v e m b e r | D e c e m b e r 2021
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advocate November | December 2021 www.greaterkwchamber.com
features
Feature
14 New Members of the Chamber Board of Directors
Feature
Joan Fisk
Feature
M&T Printing Group advertising and sales:
Bonnie Frank - bfrank@greaterkwchamber.com Dana Walton - dwalton@greaterkwchamber.com Lisa McDonald - lmcdonald@greaterkwchamber.com
25 Navigating the Unknowns
contributing writers:
Joe Birch
Chris Albinson, Joe Birch, Joan Fisk, Ian McLean, Jenna Petker, Minto Schneider, Art Sinclair, Adam Smith, Tracy Van Kalsbeek
Feature
29 Reopening is Not Recovery for Tourism Minto Schneider Feature
29 A True North Strategy for Waterloo Region Tech
editor:
design and production
17 The More Things Change...
Art Sinclair Heather Hutchings
editor-in-chief:
advertising and copy deadlines:
November 15, 2021 for January-February 2022 January 24, 2022 for March-April 2022 March 15, 2022 for May-June 2022 July 18, 2022 for September-October 2022 September 19, 2022 for November-December 2022 subscription and back issue inquiries:
Chris Albinson
Darlene Jones djones@greaterkwchamber.com
Feature
submission policy:
35 Top Five Ways to Support Our Small Businesses During Recovery Tracy Van Kalsbeek
Proposals and articles are accepted via mail or email c/o Editor - Advocate. Please do not send originals. All contributors articles must be accompanied by a head shot in a jpg file and a 40 word author’s bio. publications permit: #40026716 for permissions and reprint requests
Heather Hutchings - hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com
PRINTED IN CANADA BY:
PUBLICATION OF:
departments Message from the Chair
New Members
4 Business and Government Partnering to Move Forward Adam Smith
10 August 31, 2021 to
Message from the President
12 Event Highlights
5 Serving Waterloo Region During the Pandemic Ian McLean
Events
Advocacy
Member Notables
7 Alberta and Pandemic
Management Lessons for Canada Art Sinclair
Perspective on Health Care
– A Business Imperative Jenna Petker
September 30, 2021
Networking
20 Mark Your Calendar 36 Chamber Members Achieving Success
postmaster address changes c/o
Advocate - Publications Office 80 Queen Street North, PO Box 2367 Kitchener, Ontario N2H 6L4 519.576.5000 The Advocate is a bi-monthly membership benefit publication of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. Advertising content and the views expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not constitute endorsement by the Chamber. The Advocate follows the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (1990), copies are available through the Publisher. The Chamber cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur and has the right to edit material submitted. The Chamber will not accept advertising with competitor comparison claims and has the right to refuse advertising that is deemed to be false, misleading, or inappropriate.
8 Access to Primary Care Printed on recycled paper
advocate November | December 2021
3
message from the chair
Business and Government Partnering to Move Forward The past eighteen months have been highly challenging for Waterloo Region businesses and Chamber members. However, new COVID-19 cases are stabilizing from targeted government restrictions and the prospects are strong for a stable year in 2022 and beyond.
Shop Local programs, funded through the federal government and Ontario Chamber of Commerce, to encourage residents on increasing economic activity across their communities. We are extremely excited over the prospects of this program and the potential for a fast and safe recovery.
Local, provincial and national business organizations have been strong supporters for vaccine verification programs to cut the risks for both employers and employees, creating a safer and welcoming environment for clients and customers, and increasing revenues. These programs can be complex and sometimes challenging to administer, however they collectively provide protection far beyond many alternatives.
I am highly enthusiastic over the potential of Waterloo Region to lead locally, provincially and nationally. I have also witnessed strong commitments to follow government rules and ensure we do not take a turn backwards towards additional lock downs. All these objectives can be achieved through stronger partnerships, alliances and collaboration.
Our Chamber and the Cambridge Chamber initiated a major lobbying campaign to ask that the provincial government supply, as soon as possible, the QR code app to Ontario businesses. The deadline of October 22 was rapidly approaching, and owners and managers wanted to ensure they were properly prepared on time for paperless verification of vaccination status. Above all other factors, businesses and employers must work with all levels of government to ensure we do not return to a fourth round of stay-at-home orders and lock downs. Verifying vaccine status, along with encouraging all residents to receive full two-dose vaccinations, are necessary measures which all Chambers across Ontario strongly support. I am pleased that through the past year the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce has elevated our status to one of Canada’s leading regional business organizations. Our Chamber along with the Cambridge Chamber were the first distributors last April of rapid tests for the workplace and our efforts have been followed by many organizations across Canada. It again shows the tremendous leadership and innovation capabilities that we possess across Waterloo Region. For many years our Chamber has been a leader in national and provincial policy development for the business sector and that status has continued throughout the pandemic. We will continue to advocate for competitive business costs through tax containment, policies to assist employers in talent attraction and retention, and trade enabling infrastructure for a globally competitive regional economy. We all agree that the fastest route to move Waterloo Region business out of the current pandemic is through buying and shopping locally. We know this is particularly relevant for the local food, restaurant, tourism and hospitality sectors. Our Chamber is one of many organizations to recently launch
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The Chamber board and staff are interested in hearing from you on what we collectively can do to assist small and medium businesses. The doors are always open even if the contact is virtual. This is a time when we must support each other, so please remember to do your part to support small business by wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, following the rules at businesses and throughout the community, and of course, shop local.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Smith CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Adam founded My IT Guy in 2004 and has grown the business substantially over the past 16 years. Today, Adam and his team deploy their collective expertise in helping small and medium sized businesses wisely invest in technology solutions that make them more efficient, more productive, and more profitable. Adam is also heavily involved with the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce since 2009, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors, as well as volunteering with and co-hosting the quarterly meetings of 100 Men Who Give a Damn.
message from the president
Serving Waterloo Region During the Pandemic The board and staff of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce have been focused on serving our membership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also stepped up to support the entire community because we are all in this together. Starting in March of 2020, we provided daily email updates to the membership related to federal and provincial announcements on support programs for small business in Waterloo Region and across Canada. The current federal wage and rent subsidy programs have been significantly improved from those early days based primarily on input from individual businesses and business organizations such as our Chamber and other Chambers across Canada.
the digital version of this important initiative going as soon as possible is so critical to businesses. Our consistent message to the federal and provincial levels of government moving into the new year is that we all collectively must utilize every measure possible to prevent another round of costly province wide lockdowns of business. The average small business now owes close to $177,000 that directly originates from pandemic restrictions and closures. For businesses in the hospitality industry the debt load is estimated at $333,174 – almost double the average. Paying down all that debt is likely to be a challenge for these entrepreneurs because they are not yet back to anything resembling full capacity.
We have constantly asked for clarity and equity of the rules to ensure funding and support programs are delivered in a timely manner for business to help with the costs of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. These successful efforts have been challenging, but we recognize that all levels of government have been required to design, roll out and implement programs in real time with little or no time to plan.
Fully, 76 per cent of businesses surveyed believe it will take them more than a year to pay off the debt that’s piled up because of the pandemic. For hospitality firms, the number jumps to 86 per cent, and most say it will take them longer than two years to get their heads above water. Many fear they will never be able to pay it all off and stay afloat. We will be fighting hard for these and many other businesses so that the post COVID revival is shared by everyone.
As lockdowns and stay-at-home orders took hold, our Chamber actively lobbied the provincial government for extended support under the Ontario Small Business Support Grant initiative. This lobbying continues as many applicants have not received their committed assistance or need continued support as the re-opening of Ontario’s economy slowly occurs.
On a positive note, the Ontario government has been financially supportive of Waterloo Region’s infrastructure and recovery efforts by committing to a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph and expanded GO Transit rail passenger services. We will be in a strong position coming out of COVID-19.
Our Chamber is particularly proud of our efforts to distribute hundreds of thousands of rapid antigen screening tests, free of charge, to small businesses across Waterloo Region. In collaboration with the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, we have supplied these kits and medical grade masks that allow employers to detect asymptomatic presumptive positives and ensure risks are minimized to employees, customers and clients.
• Shop Local • Wear a mask • Social distance when possible • Get vaccinated
Moving forward, our Chamber is working on a Shop Local program. Everyone intuitively knows that supporting local business is an important element for the economic recovery in Waterloo Region. The current Shop Local initiative is funded by the Federal Government through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and encourages consumers in individual communities to shop locally, adhering to public health guidelines to keep our neighbours and communities safe. Along with our continuing advice and input into federal and provincial financial assistance programs for small businesses, we are also active in lobbying the Ontario government on the new and emerging vaccination verification program. Getting
As we work together to get past the 4th wave and back to a new normal, please do your part to support small business.
We will get through this together, because we are stronger together!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian McLean Ian is President and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
advocate November | December 2021
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Access Student
Talent
Connecting small businesses with post-secondary students
Work with students in a variety of ways: co-op work terms field placements capstone projects and more!
Learn how students can help your business! The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce’s Access Student Talent program helps to connect small businesses and not for profit organizations with post-secondary students. We make it easier for small businesses to engage with students by providing resources and connections to our education partners.
In partnership and funded in part by:
www.bher.ca
Our Educational Partners:
Contact Allison Mitchell
Stay Connected Stay Connected
(519) 576-5000 ext. 6056
Access Student Talent Program
amitchell@greaterkwchamber.com greaterkwchamber.com
@AST_GKWCC & @GKWCC www.greaterkwchamber.com
advocacy
Alberta and Pandemic Management Lessons for Canada In September of 2021, the residents of Canada were generally overwhelmed with stories from the federal campaign trail, COVID-19 vaccines, and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have been in post-season contention numerous times across their forty-plus year history. Canada observes federal and provincial votes at a minimum of every four years with over-confident Premiers, Prime Ministers and opposition parties in minority governments occasionally rolling the dice. Justin Trudeau was in many ways fortunate to not be seeking office movers on September 21. Recent events in Alberta have little or no precedent in Canada. Premier Jason Kenney initially apologized for his actions in the early stages of summer, only to retract. Voters and his own party are seriously questioning his leadership like no other incident in Alberta or perhaps Canadian history. On September 15, the Premier declared a public health emergency and indicated the province could run out of intensive care beds and staff within the next ten days. He simultaneously announced his government would initiate a passport system which, like Ontario during most of the summer, had been avoided at all political costs. However in Alberta the program is not a vaccination passport. It is a restriction exemption. The restriction exemption allows businesses to operate without capacity limits and other measures if they secure proof of vaccination or a negative test result for entrance. The policy applies at restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, theatres and fitness facilities among others. The current crisis originated last June when Kenney promised the “best summer ever” as he announced a plan to be the first and most open province in Canada by July 1. Most restrictions were lifted including the ban on indoor social gatherings, mask mandates, and physical distancing requirements. A devastating fourth wave swept Alberta and the province soon faced what National Post writer Matt Gurney termed the most acute healthcare system crisis of any Canadian jurisdiction during this pandemic. The province was in deep, deep trouble. On September 14, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw admitted the lifting of all public health restrictions established the “trajectory” for the explosive fourth wave devastating the health care system. She deeply regretted her role in convincing Albertans the pandemic was over. On that same day, Rick Bell of the Calgary Sun provided a column that connected Kenney’s best summer ever with the worst ICU numbers ever.
The Premier initially admitted his government was wrong and apologized for the lifted restrictions. However as the nationally televised September 15 news conference continued, Kenney further stated he was not going to apologize for his decision to relax public health restrictions over the summer. Alberta journalist Graham Thomson noted that to say Jason Kenney is in trouble is the equivalent of saying Niagara Falls drips water. It is self-made trouble where the Premier has managed to obliterate his image as a competent leader. Voters will tolerate incompetence from their government as long as their leaders present at least a veneer of competence. Kenney has disintegrated that façade. Veteran CTV analyst Don Martin perhaps best summarized the Alberta predicament on September 24 when he observed that Kenney’s political fate is in the ICU and falling fast. The Premier’s immediate response has been to ask for assistance from the rest of Canada – not the first province to pursue that option. The Globe and Mail editorial board noted that Deena Hinshaw essentially declared the pandemic over. In her judgement, COVID-19 had been reduced to an endemic similar to influenza. On July 1, as only 76 new cases appeared on the provincial roster sheet, long-standing restrictions were terminated and not phased out. There were twice as many COVID-19 hospitalizations in Alberta than Ontario by September 16, despite three times as many people here. On July 1 there were 165 Albertans in hospital which escalated to 954 by September 20 with 216 in ICU. In the early days of summer 2021 when restrictions were dropped in Alberta expectations were rampant that other provinces, including Ontario, would follow. The best decisions are often those that do not proceed. The Calgary Stampede was wide open. Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest operated under restrictions. Who made the best decisions? ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Art Sinclair Art is Vice President Policy and Advocacy for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
advocate November | December 2021
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perspective on health care
Access to Primary Care – A Business Imperative Having access to health care professionals – specifically primary care is critical to the well-being of the residents living in our community. Unfortunately, many locally and across the province, do not have the benefit of being under the care of a family practitioner. And we, like many other communities are competing to attract physicians. The pandemic has created more urgency to this issue as the need for primary care becomes more evident and important. Afterall, a healthy community is a thriving community. The Chamber’s Family Physician Recruitment Program is a community initiative, not only for the welfare of those who already call Kitchener-Waterloo home, but also for the health and prosperity of our business community who are looking to attract the best and the brightest talent to our Region. Access to healthcare is something that many consider before deciding to make the move. Since this critical initiative was launched in 1998, the Chamber, working with community interests, has successfully attracted over 260 family practitioners. We could not have achieved such great results without the support of our partners. With the generous investment and support of our corporate and municipal partners, the Chamber’s Family Physician Recruitment Program has access to participate and attend a number of programs and events throughout the year to attract new family physicians to serve the health care needs of this community. Though in person events have been on pause over the past 20 months, many schools have shifted to online recruitment fairs or have offered interaction with the residents in different ways. This past year we have been busy working with new to practice family physicians as well as established family practitioners from across Ontario and Canada. We have been lucky enough to have a number of physicians relocate from
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WWW.GREATERKWCHAMBER.COM
other parts of the country to join our thriving community this past summer. We also continue to work with several physicians nearing retirement and beginning to think about transitioning out of practice. These physicians are starting the process of looking for prospective physicians to take over their practice. We encourage retiring physicians to start their search well in advance and provide them with the necessary resources to ensure a smooth transition. We also support the local hospitals in their efforts to recruit and retain emergency physicians and specialists. In recent years we opened our Annual Family/Emergency Medicine Event to also include emergency residents and have had great success filling their openings. Our successes and efforts would not be possible if it wasn’t for our generous corporate, municipal and personal sponsors and supporters of this program. On behalf of the Family Physician Recruitment Program, we sincerely thank our partners for their generous and continued support as we strive to eliminate the physician shortage in KitchenerWaterloo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenna Petker Jenna is Physician Recruitment Lead for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
Thank you to our dedicated sponsors for helping the Chamber continue its goal of eliminating the doctor shortage in Waterloo Region.
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
COMMUNITY
Individual Contributors
AL HAYES
IAN MCLEAN
new members
August 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 Bateman Foundation
Charitable, Not For Profit & Community Orgs Sarah Theophilus, Head of Operations & Retail info@batemanfoundation.org batemanfoundation.org Phone: (250) 940-3630
Baxier
Website Design & Development Mansi Baxi, Founder/Brand & Web Designer info@baxier.co baxier.co Phone: (204) 430-2102
BCI Global
Management Training, Development & Auditing Abbas Yousefi, Owner 21 Baynards Lane, Suite B-01 Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9B2 admin@bcicb.com bciglobal.com Phone: (416) 206-0366
Best for Bees Ltd.
Agriculture Research Erica Shelley, Founder 758 Union Street Kitchener, ON N2H 6J1 info@bestforbees.com bestforbees.com Phone: (226) 220-2863
Boardwalk Fries, Burgers and Shakes
Restaurants Mohan Dias, Co-Owner 65 University Avenue East, Unit 13 Waterloo, ON N2J 2V8 mohandias@hotmail.com boardwalkfries.com Phone: (519) 362-5257
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WWW.GREATERKWCHAMBER.COM
Briarfield Gardens Retirement Residence
Retirement Communities & Homes Marjorie Wood, Sales Consultant 1250 Weber Street East Kitchener, ON N2A 4E1 marjorie.wood@reveraliving.com reveraliving.com/en/live-with-us/ontario Phone: (519) 748-4814 Fax: (519) 748-4840
Build or Fix it Contracting
Construction Shannon McPherson, Administrator shannon@buildorfixit.ca buildorfixit.ca Phone: (519) 778-8561
By the Numbers Bookkeeping & Consulting Inc. Bookkeeping Services Lucinda Pierre, Owner 1770 King Street East, Unit 2 Kitchener, ON N2G 2P1 cindy@by-the-numbers.ca by-the-numbers.ca Phone: (519) 743-3998
Caldera Stone Carved Sinks
DCI Properties
Real Estate Investments Ryan Parker, Director of Operations & Finance 4500 Blakie Road, Unit 119/120 London, ON N6L 1G5 rparker@dciproperties.ca dciproperties.ca Phone: (226) 212-4800
Duntrune LLP
Lawyers Matthew Dewar, Partner 22 Frederick Street, Suite 700 Kitchener, ON N2H 6M6 info@duntrune.law duntrune.law Phone: (519) 772-7533
Fabutan Hush Lash Studio Country Park
Spas - Beauty & Health Danielle Kimmel, Franchisee 1450 Block Line Road, Unit 110 Kitchener, ON N2C 0A5 danielle.kimmel@fablifestudios.com fabutan.com Phone: (519) 894-4745
Sinks & Furniture - Custom Josh Storozuk, Owner 15 Martin Street, Unit 1 Kitchener, ON N2G 2X1 contact@calderasinks.com calderasinks.com Phone: (519) 301-8635
Field & Co. Creative
Cure Plus Pharmacy
Fine Lines Signs
Pharmacies Sam Patel, Owner 318 Spruce Street, Unit 106 Waterloo, ON N2L 3M7 truehealthpharm@gmail.com cure-plus-pharmacy.business.site Phone: (519) 208-2700
Graphic Designers Kate Bradfield, CEO Kitchener, ON kate@fieldand.co fieldand.co Phone: (226) 973-4039 Signs Colin Macdougall, Bookkeeper 766 Burlington Street East Hamilton, ON L8L 4K3 colin@finelinessigns.com Phone: (905) 549-2433
new members
Frost Paralegal Services
Macho Movers Inc.
Roynat Inc.
Henson Shaving Co.
Mamas for Mamas KW
Shefali Jariwala CPA
Paralegals Peggy Frost, Paralegal/Notary Public 22 King Street South, Suite 300 Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 pmmfrost@gmail.com frost-paralegal-services3.webnode.com Phone: (226) 646-4459 Health & Wellness Sean Stokholm, Sales and Affinity Relationships 5 Michael Street, Unit 005 Kitchener, ON N2G 1L7 support@hensonshaving.com hensonshaving.com Phone: (888) 865-9908
Inquerii Tech Corporation Technology Recruitment Adwait Tare, Owner 181 Bay Street, Suite 1800 Toronto, ON M5J 2T9 adwait.tare@inquerii.com Phone: (732) 763-4021
InsideOut Cleaning Services Inc. Cleaning Service-Residential/ Commercial/Industrial Teresa Bradshaw, Owner 100 Campbell Avenue, Unit 1 Kitchener, ON N2H 4X8 info@insideoutcleaning.ca insideoutcleaning.ca Phone: (519) 778-2271
Lola's Skin Studio
Spas - Beauty & Health Lola Todorovic, Master Aesthetician 1546 King Street East Kitchener, ON N2G 2P1 lola@lolaskinstudio.ca lolasskinstudio.ca Phone: (519) 497-4171
Moving & Storage Kelsey Boles, Office Manager 329 Victoria Road North Guelph, ON N1E 5J5 machomoversinc@gmail.com machomovers.ca Phone: (519) 830-4974 Charitable, Not For Profit & Community Orgs Jessica Minicola, Branch Director jessica@mamasformamas.org mamasformamas.org/kw Phone: (519) 608-9974
Michael + Clark Construction
Banks Connor Childs, Senior Associate 115 King Street South, Suite 200 Waterloo, ON N2J 1P2 connor.childs@roynat.com roynat.com Phone: (226) 980-6740 Accountants, CPA-CA Shefali Jariwala, Owner 607 Heritage Drive, Unit 404 Kitchener, ON N2B 3J2 info@sazcpa.ca sazcpa.ca Phone: (587) 223-5734
Contractors - General Nate Fehrman, Founder 137 Glasgow Street, Unit 210 Kitchener, ON N2G 4X8 nate@michaelclark.construction michaelclark.construction Phone: (226) 271-2226
The Lab Street Eats Inc.
OE Hospitality Ltd (DBA ChickFil-A)
The Ripple Effect Education (TREE)
Restaurants Olivia Efford, Owner 225 Fairway Road South, Unit 200 Kitchener, ON N2C 1X2 chickfila.ca Phone: (519) 804-9587
Pizza lã Villa Breslau
Pizza Yasin Celik, Owner/Operator 10 Townsend Drive, Unit 14 Breslau, ON N0B 1M0 pizzalavilla2@gmail.com pizzalavilla.ca/breslau Phone: (519) 213-0090
Restaurants Mike Gatto, Owner/Operator 105 Victoria Street South Kitchener, ON N2G 2B4 thelab.streeteats@gmail.com Phone: (519) 208-4600
Charitable, Not For Profit & Community Orgs Katie Gingerich, Executive Director 140 Westmount Road North Waterloo, ON N2L 3G6 hello@therippleeffecteducation.ca therippleeffecteducation.ca Phone: (226) 242-4322
WaterlooIT Inc
Information Technology Management Larissa Dufresne, President 564 Weber Street North, Unit 1 Waterloo, ON N2L 5C6 info@waterlooit.com waterlooit.com Phone: (519) 208-9880
advocate November | December 2021
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networking
Event Highlights We’re all anxiously awaiting the (safe) return of live events, but until then, we continue to offer educational and engaging virtual events for our members. The Fall kicked off with the announcement of the Federal Election, where we hosted local candidate forums and heard from the Federal Leader of the Green Party. We also celebrated K-W Oktoberfest with some Concordia Club schnitzel, refreshments from Waterloo Brewing, and a discussion around post-pandemic tourism in the Region. We recognized Small Business Week with a Libro Business Around 5 event and wrapped up October with the first Cyber Security event in a 2-part series.
With over 70% of Ontario’s population having received 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the implementation of the vaccine verification passport in select settings, we are certainly getting closer to the return of live events. We continue to follow the guidance and recommendations of Public Health and hope to be able to see you in-person again, very soon. In the meantime, we look forward to speaking with you on Hopin at one of our upcoming events!
As we look forward to the next few months, we’re excited to announce the details for the 15th Annual Inspiring Women Event (Nov 18), Vine & Dine (Nov 29), and the Business Excellence Awards Gala (Feb 10), among many others.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Marsh
Mhari Reid
Carolyn is Events Manager for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
Mhari is Events Coordinator for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
WWW.GREATERKWCHAMBER.COM
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
RBC Dominion Securities Waterloo is hiring new Investment Advisors RBC Dominion Securities in Waterloo is seeking motivated individuals for a fulfilling career in the wealth management industry. If you’re looking for the support you need to build a successful career, RBC Dominion Securities offers several advantages:
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For more details, please contact Vice-President and Branch Manager Mark Hodson at 519-747-7790 or mark.hodson@rbc.com. We value diversity in the workplace, are committed to Employment Equity and will provide reasonable workplace accommodation to applicants with disabilities. RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2017 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 17_90561_001
Apartment buildings and condos can save big by investing in water efficiency. Funding available now! Learn more or apply at regionofwaterloo.ca/conservation 519-575-4400 | Deaf and hard of hearing (TTY): 519-575-4608
advocate November | December 2021
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feature
New Members of the Chamber Board of Directors Gina Hudel, GAICD, GRCP, MSc Such a proud native, Gina Hudel’s email address begins with KWrules! Within our rapidly changing, highly competitive & intensively regulated environment – Gina helps the C-Suite of Fortune 500 companies, small business, and start-ups; as well as associations, charities and non-profit groups achieve mission-critical mandates. She does this via advice through hands-on engagement & as an accredited INED / "Board Director". Gina brings local and global experience ranging from her current KW based role in finance transformation at Sun Life – to past professional postings in Asia, Bermuda and Europe – via former Director mandates with the Jesse’s Foundation for Music and Dance Therapy; KW Counselling; plus Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong – as well as a pro bono advocate and delegate of Canadian Tech and Trade; and Risky Women on trade missions and round tables. A proud supporter of JM Drama, Gina is also a licensed Drone Pilot, with a proven ability to navigate changing winds.
Ajoa Mintah Ajoa Mintah is a professional engineer, turned ice cream entrepreneur and the founder of Four All Ice Cream in Kitchener. A University of Waterloo graduate, Ajoa earned her Chemical Engineering degree in 2001. She spent the next 16 years in various roles, ranging from product development engineering in the automotive industry to technical consulting in the finance industry, before pursuing her dream of becoming a “maker”. Four All Ice Cream, which aims “to bring the joy of ice cream to all regardless of dietary choices and restrictions”, is the culmination of Ajoa’s education, experiences and above all else, her desire to create.
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feature
The More Things Change…… Change is inevitable. Change during the past year and a half has been at times, at breakneck speed. In fact, the minute one thing was accepted as the “new normal” the next minute we were all sent scrambling in an attempt to ascertain how to deal with the “new, new normal”. For many of us, it has been a struggle to keep pace. Work, school, lockdown, family, friends, where to go, what to do, who to listen to. A cacophony of opinions contradicted daily, hurled at us via a myriad of sources. Lives were uprooted. We had to adapt, encompass, stop, start and of course, that pandemic buzzword “pivot”. The one thing that remained the same was need. The need in our community was there before COVID and it is more prevalent now. The pandemic took small fissures and created large fault lines. Raising and dispersing the funds required to narrow the fault lines, lessen the gaps and provide support where needed, became critical. The need had grown exponentially overnight. Another fact remains, our government cannot provide all the support services and programs required to give everyone a chance at living their best lives. Without the funds United Way Waterloo Region Communities (UWWRC) raises and disperses to local agencies and programs, some would not be able to continue. It is a sad yet unavoidable truth that we must turn to our friends, family, local businesses, and corporations for help. United Way is second only to the Government in terms of funding that provides this support. In a country as wealthy as Canada, this should not have to be the case. The pandemic did provide a sharper lens to the disparities and social inequities in our respective communities. But ultimately it has not changed much in terms of the money required to ensure these support services are there for those who need them now and will continue to need them post-pandemic. There was additional federal support to the non-profit sector during the pandemic. The government entrusted United Way’s across Canada to disperse these funds because they acknowledged that locally, no one had a better ear to the ground regarding critical and emerging needs. United Way also quickly moved with the rapid changes at the outset of the pandemic and formed a funders group in order to increase impact and created specific targeted funds related to COVID and the new gaps it created. We also overhauled our funding model to include quarterly funding that allows for agile
and repeated funds, including those needed operationally throughout the year. We asked and listened to our donors who requested more choice in where their donations had impact and created the UWWRC Shopping Cart. Our updated funding model and funding through the pandemic allowed many local agencies to adapt and change where they had to. Carizon Family and Community Services agreed that without this funding the gap may have been insurmountable. “It is clear that without this funding, our already overwhelmed emergency departments and police services would have been further stretched responding to the growing mental health crisis in our community. We were able to serve many individuals through this funding that were managing multiple losses such as: loss of normalcy as a result of the pandemic; loss of loved ones as a result of illness; and loss of employment. These additional funds enabled our organization to ensure that loss of employment and ability to pay did not deter individuals from receiving the counselling support they required.” UWWRC will continue to use the new models and approaches that we implemented during this time of change but ultimately realize the need remains the same, and without our generous donors the gaps and fissure may continue to morph into fault lines. You can help as we all try to recover and rebuild a stronger Waterloo Region together. Donate at www.uwaywrc.ca
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joan Fisk, CEO United Way Waterloo Region Communities Since joining the organization in 2017, Joan steered the integration of United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area and United Way Cambridge & North Dumfries. Under Joan’s leadership, UWWRC has continued to be the second largest funding organization outside of government while driving community change and collaboration.
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1 5 TH A N N U A L
INSPIRING WOMXN EVENT
FORGING A PATH FORWARD
SPEAKERS
The Inspiring Womxn Event is designed to motivate, inspire, connect, and celebrate womxn in business, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership. Join us as we hear from leading Canadian women who will provide insight into their experiences, and share how they are forging a path forward – both personally, and professionally. The event also provides an opportunity to network and build relationship with other like-minded professionals who share the same desire for growth, leadership, and betterment.
Full Speaker Lineup
Coming Soon!
Hon. Lisa Raitt
Vice-Chair, Global Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets
Thursday, November 18, 2021 from 8:00am to 12:30pm VIRTUAL EVENT Hosted on Hopin TICKETS $75 VIP TICKET $125
Full Speaker Lineup
(includes meal, gift bag, and exclusive VIP offers and content)
Coming Soon!
EXHIBITOR $225 (includes 2 tickets) *Prices subject to HST. No refunds.
Full Speaker Lineup
Coming Soon!
5 1 9 · 74 9 · 6 0 5 2 F O R T I C K E TS & D E TA I L S • G R E AT E R KWC H A M B E R .CO M
GOLD SPONSOR & ACTIVITY SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSORS
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Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.
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events
Mark Your Calendar Thurs. November 18th
Tues. November 23rd
15th Annual Inspiring Womxn Event
YNCU Chamber Young Professionals: 60 in 60 – Leadership Edition
8:00am – 12:00pm Location: Virtual Event (Hopin) Tickets: $75 • VIP Tickets: $120 • Exhibitors: $225 The Inspiring Womxn Event is designed to motivate, connect, and celebrate womxn in business, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership. The 15th Annual Event will be nothing short of amazing in a virtual format, with incredible keynote presentations. This year’s event will focus on Forging a Path Forward. Gold & Activity Sponsor:
4:30-6:00pm Location: Virtual Event (Hopin) Members: $10 • Future Members: $20 Hear from 6 business leaders in Waterloo Region while they share a total of 60 of their best leadership lessons, in 60 minutes. If you aspire to be a better leader, and encourage those around you to be one too, then this event is for you. Title Sponsor:
Gold Sponsor:
Mon. November 29th
Bronze Sponsors:
Vine & Dine 6:00pm – 9:00pm Location: Virtual Event (Hopin) Tickets: $100 Cook alongside some of the Region's top Chefs as they guide you through your dish preparation (including dessert), using the ingredients provided to you. Enjoy live entertainment, learn from a sommelier, and bid on auction items! This event helps shine a spotlight on the culinary talent in the Region, while helping raise funds for the Chamber's Healthcare Initiatives, including Physician Recruitment.
Supporting Sponsor:
Platinum Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
Gold Sponsor: Silver Sponsor: Bronze Sponsor: Design Sponsor:
Design Sponsor:
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Mark Your Calendar Thurs. December 2nd
Wed. December 1st
Libro Business Around 5: Holiday Edition
Immigration Forum
4:00-5:30pm Location: Virtual Event (Hopin) Members: Complimentary • Future Members: $10 • Exhibitors: $75 It’s that time of year to come together and be merry! Join us for our special holiday edition of Libro Business Around 5! Make connections, enjoy some entertainment, and wear your favourite holiday attire!
8:30am – 10:30am Location: Virtual Event (Hopin) Tickets: $20 Let’s work together to create a better community for everyone. Join us as we have open dialogue and panel discussions around Immigration, Community Welcoming and Economic Development Post-Pandemic
Title Sponsor:
Title Sponsor:
Gold Sponsor:
Every Wednesday
Supporting Sponsor:
Manulife Business Success Series
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1:00pm-2:00pm Location: Virtual Event (Zoom) Members: Complimentary The Manulife Business Success Series is a free weekly event that explores timely topics and resources for businesses, giving your organization tools it needs to thrive. Sessions are hosted live every Wednesday at 1:00pm, and a recording of each session is made available online, to watch on-demand. Title Sponsor: Platinum Sponsor:
advocate November | December 2021
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The Giddy family have been providing personalized and caring services in Fergus & Elora since 1981 and are devoted to providing their compassionate services to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Whether your wishes are traditional or modern, a memorial service or celebration of life, we offer a diverse range of services that are personally tailored to suit your needs. If you have any questions regarding burial or cremation services, please call or feel free to stop in – we are always available.
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Canada's Innovation Corridor Business Council Four years ago Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade between Waterloo Region and Toronto formed the Canada's Innovation Corridor Business Council with representation from Brampton, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Halton Hills, Hamilton, Milton and Mississauga. The original mandate was to optimize economic opportunities within the growing Innovation Corridor and lobby for appropriate infrastructure support most notably improved passenger rail service. The group was also active in the establishment of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, the recipient of funding under the Super Cluster Innovation Fund to support the integration of Canadian advanced manufacturing and IT resources. The work of the Business Council is strongly supported by many business and institutional partners and we thank them for making the Waterloo Region-Toronto Corridor a premier location for investment, research, and job creation.
Thanks to the Greater KW Chamber partners that sponsor our efforts on this important initiative.
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Find your path forward with confidence. We understand the issues that affect your business. Our advisors can help you make the right decisions to manage today’s issues and take advantage of tomorrow’s opportunities. To learn more, visit grantthornton.ca
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Navigating the Unknowns When I joined the Kitchener Rangers as the incoming Chief Operating Officer officially on June 1, 2020, I was filled with so many emotions and came armed to the organization with a wide variety of skills and experiences. Unfortunately, much like many leaders across the community and across various business sectors, I had no experience in navigating through a global pandemic. I was starting my ‘dream job’ and preparing for the hardest season in the history of the organization.
Leading in the ‘New Normal’ A high functioning, successful team requires collaboration amongst the team members. Throughout the past 15 months, we knew that collaboration would be very critical for our recovery. There was never a bad idea, thought or concept during any staff meeting we held. Every staff member was encouraged to participate and innovate in all areas of our operation even if their job responsibilities were not related to another team member’s day to day role. As a leader, I will never have all the answers and rely heavily upon our collective team to overcome many challenges, and this was never more required than the past 15 months. As an organization we have continued to emphasize the importance of mental health and wellbeing of our entire organization. With so many changes that occurred in the world it is very important that the environment within our organization is inclusive, supportive, and positive every single day. We used the down time to be provided virtual education on Mental Health and Black Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) in order to be advocates and agents of change coming out of the pandemic. As we continue to move forward, as an organization, I feel we must continue to focus on creating highly collaborative teams within a healthy, inclusive, diverse, and positive working environment.
Getting People Back to Normal The Kitchener Rangers have continued to place a strong emphasis on safety of our players, fans, directors, staff, billets, parents, and partners. To get us back to the Aud on Friday nights to cheer on our players, we have committed to adhering to all public health protocol on a daily basis. We welcomed the Chamber Check program and continue to utilize this daily to keep our staff and players safe.
Additionally, the OHL Head Office showed great leadership by implementing the OHL Vaccination Policy which requires all members of the OHL Community, including spectators, to provide proof of double vaccination during any OHL event. We have done our best to try to provide as much leadership as we can in support of wearing masks, getting your shots which in return will lead us to a normal Friday night at the Aud!
The Rangers & The Community When our season was first announced that it would not start on time in September 2020, we immediately shifted our focus to find ways on how we can help within the Region of Waterloo. What platforms can we provide to community partners to communicate positive messages? How can we use Rangers Reach to drive awareness and raise important dollars for organizations such as Waterloo Region Foodbank, Habitat for Humanity, KidsAbility, Canadian Mental Health Association, Cystic Fibrosis Research to name a few. Providing a sense of normal through virtual means was important to our fans, players and staff. In closing the year was nothing I anticipated but it was incredibly rewarding because of the accomplishments and the support we could provide to so many within the community and Waterloo Region. We cannot wait for our first game where we can welcome back a sold out crowd in a safe, fun and amazing experience at the Aud on a Friday night! Let’s Go Rangers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Birch The native of Corunna, Ontario, Rangers alumnus, and graduate of Western University has spent 12 years working at the OHL – most recently as the Vice President of Development. Joe has played a significant role in developing the national player recruitment & education strategies for the Canadian Hockey League. Joe has been recognized twice by Hockey News as Top 100 People of Power and Influence. advocate November | December 2021
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Helping Us Make Our Vision Possible A special Thank You to each of these Chamber Sponsors.
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If your organization would like to support the Chamber through a partnership program, please contact Heather at hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com
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Reopening is Not Recovery for Tourism The past 18 months have been the most challenging period from a business perspective that most of us will ever experience. Rather than focusing on the hardships faced by the tourism industry, I prefer to look at what we have learned and how we have adapted to tourism’s new reality. Our mandate at Explore Waterloo Region is to attract visitors to this area. We promote our community as an attractive travel destination, and showcase it as a dynamic place to live and work. Bringing tourists into Waterloo Region strengthens our community’s economic position and provides opportunities for businesses and the people who live here. This all changed for us in March 2020. Our organization had to pivot from marketing to visitors outside of our region, to focusing on local travel. ‘Staycations’ and ‘discovering your own back yard’ became our mantra as we began to focus on locals who were looking for things to do safely. We encouraged people to support local, and created campaigns to encourage them to do so. We contacted our local radio stations and worked with all of them on a campaign aimed at encouraging residents to support local restaurants and attractions. We arranged interviews with tourism business owners, filmed cooking segments with local chefs and generally promoted all there was to do in our region. We worked with local artists to create the Art Fresco Picnic Table project. The project involved 37 artists who created 50 picnic tables that were distributed to restaurant patios across Waterloo Region. Not only did this provide work for many artists, but it also shone a spotlight on our restaurants as we promoted the project. Where we used to work with media and influencers from target markets such as the GTA, the pandemic caused us to pivot and begin working with local influencers. They quickly became local ambassadors, visiting our restaurants and attractions and sharing their experiences in blogs, on our social media, and with their own followers. They also took to the local trails and waterways of our region to walk,
cycle, horseback ride, canoe and kayak, and shared their experiences in our wide open spaces. The silver lining to travel restrictions during the pandemic was that we developed this trusted stable of local ambassadors that we will continue to use to promote the Region. We hope we will see more people highlighting all the things there are to do in Waterloo Region to their friends, relatives, and to people from outside of our region as travel gradually begins to open up. We’re also looking for additional local ambassadors to support local businesses by taking part in our Hometown Advantage program. This program encourages people who are involved in planning meetings and conferences, sporting events, boards and committees, or are member of an association, to encourage these groups to bring their events to Waterloo Region. Every meeting or event that happens in our region brings guests to our hotels, meeting facilities, or sporting venues. It means more visitors to our restaurants, shops and attractions. And it means more support as we begin our pandemic recovery. We look forward to more influencers working with us to bring events home to Waterloo Region. As we head into fall and winter, things are beginning to look up. We are starting to see the return of festivals and events, meetings and sport tournaments. While reopening is not recovery, we are optimistic for a better year as we leave 2021 behind and move into 2022 and a brighter time for our region.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Minto Schneider Minto is the CEO of Explore Waterloo Region, the destination organization for Waterloo Region. Minto currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
advocate November | December 2021
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Show your employees and your customers that you’re making COVID safety a top priority. Book a visit with a COVID-19 Safe Ambassador today.
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A True North Strategy for Waterloo Region Tech There’s no better place on the planet to build a technology company than Waterloo Region. It’s one of the reasons I returned to Canada to join Communitech after 20 years in Silicon Valley. Waterloo Region has a stellar combination of qualities: a heritage of innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration; three world-class post-secondary institutions; and a quality of life and sense of community second to none. As Canadians, we also possess a rare and well-earned asset: trust. The world trusts us as ethical global citizens, as reliable international partners and as the makers of quality products and services. Trust is a natural part of our brand. For years, Canada – and Communitech in particular – has been a vocal champion of “tech for good.” In combination with our other attributes, trust is how Canada will overtake the United States and China on innovation. As Communitech looks forward to its 25th birthday in 2022, we’ve taken a step back to assess where we’ve come from and where we need to go. The result is our True North Strategy. Communitech was started by founders for founders. As we go forward, we will double down on our mandate to help founders start, grow and succeed. We’ll do this through a renewed focus on talent, market access and capital efficiency. We’ll work with partners in business, education and government to provide the kind of collaborative support that’s needed to win on the world stage. We’ll also join our founders in thinking big. One of our True North goals is to help Canadian entrepreneurs build 14 more billion-dollar-revenue companies by 2030, an achievement that will solidify Canada’s position as the largest tech ecosystem in North America.
blazing stars that continue to emerge from Waterloo Region – innovators like D2L, ApplyBoard, Faire, Magnet Forensics, Vidyard, eSentire, Intellijoint, The Canadian Shield, Auvik and so many others. In addition, global leaders like Google, Shopify and Arctic Wolf Networks have chosen to operate here because of the rich ecosystem of talent, support and collaboration. Our True North Strategy is rooted in what Communitech and Waterloo Region do best. We’ll be leveraging the region’s existing strengths in sectors where trust is critical, from applied ethical AI to fintech, cybersecurity, health care, sustainability and smart cities. We’ll plug them into the talent, capital and markets they need to reach a billion dollars in annual revenue. Communitech will be a supercharger for our very best tech founders. Together, we’ll build a giant flywheel to harness their momentum and propel them farther. At the same time, we remain committed to the local community. Opportunity and prosperity go hand in hand with responsibility. There are societal challenges that need addressing – improved health care and housing, to name just two. We look forward to working with our partners to apply the extraordinary power of innovation to address our community’s most urgent needs. Those of you who’ve heard me speak know that I’m fond of Canada’s Own the Podium Olympic strategy. The architect of that plan, 1976 silver-medal speedskater Cathy Priestner, spoke recently at the Communitech AGM. It’s amazing what you can achieve when the whole country gets behind you,” she said. I couldn’t agree more. This is Canada’s moment. We’re True North strong. Let’s go for gold.
Sound ambitious? I hope so. We all need goals and aspirations – they’re what move us forward and keep us fresh. In the case of Canada and Waterloo Region, our goals and aspirations are grounded in a rock-solid track record. Consider this: Canada is already home to the second-largest tech ecosystem in the world. It’s also the fastest-growing by a magnitude of four. Waterloo Region is a major hub in that tech ecosystem and a key player in the Waterloo RegionToronto Corridor. Our legacy of tech innovation goes back decades, from the first spinoffs out of the University of Waterloo to global success stories like OpenText, BlackBerry and the many other
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Albinson Chris Albinson is the President and CEO of Communitech. A graduate of Western University’s Ivey Business School, he recently returned to Canada following a successful 20-year career in Silicon Valley’s venture capital industry.
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advertorial
Asked and Answered with Lerners LLP Don’t Delay – Early Notice of Injuries on Another’s Property is the Law!
“
It has always been This recent prudent to provide early change in notice to a property owner or business if the law puts you have been injured an increased on their property. Early onus on an notice allows evidence to be preserved and injured party to witnesses contacted. act quickly to It can also sometimes preserve their result in a more favourable opportunity legal rights for a case to be resolved, should an injured party have to proceed with a legal claim against a property owner or business for the injuries they have sustained. With the recent passing of Ontario legislation however, early notice of personal injuries sustained on another’s property is not only prudent, it is the law.
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Bill 118, the Act to amend the Occupiers’ Liability Act, now provides that injured parties have to provide notice to a property owner or occupier of slip and fall accidents on snow or ice within 60 days. Previously, the period had been two years, which aligned with the requirement under the Ontario Limitations Act that provides a party has two years by which to sue for personal injuries sustained on another’s property.
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This recent change in the law puts an increased onus on an injured party to act quickly to preserve their legal rights, despite the fact that their focus may be on their health and rehabilitation in the days and weeks following an injury. The competing view however is that private property owners and businesses need timely notice of claims in order to ensure that evidence is preserved, including possible surveillance footage. While 60 days’ notice is a dramatic new requirement for injured parties who have slipped and fallen on snow and ice on private property, it is still a longer notice period than the 10 days’ notice required when having fallen on snow and ice on municipal property. If you have sustained personal injuries on the property of another individual or business, do not delay in contacting a personal injury lawyer for advice.
Shauna K. Powell Shauna Powell is a partner at Lerners whose practice focuses on plaintiff personal injury, health law, professional regulation, and privacy matters. 519.640.6367 skpowell@lerners.ca
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Top Five Ways to Support Our Small Businesses During Recovery When the pandemic hit, communities around the country and here at home in Waterloo Region, rallied to help small businesses by purchasing gift cards, shopping online, buying takeout and delivery once a week, launching “shop local” initiatives and starting fundraising campaigns. Now that vaccinations rates have greatly increased and the province has added new vaccination programs and scaled back on capacity restrictions, our small businesses still need continued support. When we shop local, statistics have shown that more money is put back into our community. Every dollar spent locally helps businesses get through this challenging time, so that we keep the vibrancy and uniqueness of our communities alive. As our small businesses slowly recover from the biggest fight of their lives, here are some ways we can all continue to support them:
4. LET’S GET DIGITAL Subscribe to newsletters, attend their virtual events or workshops, add local products to gift registries and write positive Google reviews about your favourite small businesses. If you have a particularly enjoyable visit or purchase, create a post and be sure to tag the business. 5. BE KIND AND PATIENT We are all tired of lineups and waiting and our patience is wearing thin. Did you know that since the lockdown lifted, there has been a labour shortage as businesses sprinted to get out and hire staff – all at the same time? The struggle is real and some businesses haven’t even been able to open for regular hours because they can’t find good people – not to mention that the ones working are getting burned out. Small businesses have been through many ups and downs as they continue to navigate the new normal – all while striving to do what they’re most passionate about – and that’s serving you! Please remember to be patient and kind.
1. CHEAP ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION You’ve already been putting small, local businesses at the forefront of your mind — they need you to keep making them a part of your shopping list. Although large retailers like Amazon or Walmart offer speed and convenience, ask yourself, “can I purchase this from a small business instead?” Often, small businesses offer unique products, a more personal experience and superior customer service when compared to huge corporations. 2. HYPER-LOCAL Business Improvement Areas are a great resource for finding local, small businesses to support cool pop up enterprises, eye-catching art projects, vibrant markets and other interesting community events. Check out www.uptownwaterloobia.com – as an example. As part of their pandemic recovery plans, small businesses are working hard to adhere to safety guidelines and keep their customers and staff as safe as possible. 3. PSST….PASS IT ON Word-of-mouth advertising is the best! Tell your family, friends and co-workers about your favourite #shoplocal businesses – the products you bought and the services you experienced. And, don’t forget to post about it to your hundreds (or thousands!) of social media followers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracy Van Kalsbeek Tracy joined the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA) as Executive Director in April 2018 after three and a half years as Executive Director at the Stratford Perth Community Foundation. She is also a Board member and Chair of the Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation.
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member notables
Member Notables Twenty Years of Exceptional Research at CIGI The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo recently marked their 20th anniversary of research and expert analysis for global policy making. The organization’s initial focus on international relations and the global economy, which led to their role in providing groundwork for the creation of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, has since evolved into addressing issues at the intersection of technology and global governance. Catherine Thompson of the Waterloo Region Record wrote that CIGI was created in 2001 in response to growing evidence that new ideas were needed to address a host of global problems from climate change to financial crises. Exceptional work has subsequently proceeded here in Waterloo Region. The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce congratulates CIGI on this milestone achievement and anticipates continued partnerships on future events and programs.
A Successful Event for Hospice Waterloo Region The Annual Hike & Bike for Hospice Waterloo Region returned on September 19, 2021. Virtual participation also occurred from August 23. A news release from the organization indicated the ninth annual Hike in 2021 is expected to break previous revenue records. Preliminary results estimate the $60,000 target will be achieved and surpassed. The 2021 event shows that sponsors continued to provide support and that participating hikers and bikers worked harder than ever to gather pledges. “This is certainly a year that we will never forget,” said Judy Nairn, Hospice Executive Director. “The success of this year’s hike is proof once again that our incredible, vibrant community is dedicated to hospice care. We are very grateful, and pledge to continue our collective mission to provide hospice care and services for anyone who needs them – across our Region, and at no cost to the client or family.”
Cowan Foundation Invests in Rural Healthcare The Cowan Foundation recently announced the donation of $800,000 to the County of Brant for a community Health Hub with scheduled completion in the fall of 2021. Located in Paris, the facility will be approximately 41,365 square feet and attract family physicians with a variety of healthcare and social services. Consistent with the promotion of a healthy community, the building will incorporate many sustainable design features such as solar panels and energy efficient fixtures. Brant County Mayor David Bailey noted in a Cowan Foundation media release that having access to quality healthcare and social services is critical as they continue to meet the growing needs of people in the community. To recognize this contribution, the building will be renamed the Cowan Community Health Hub.
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Member Notables One Hundred Years of BDO Services This year marks 100 years that BDO Canada has been in the business of people helping people achieve their dreams. To celebrate the milestone, BDO Canada has been inviting clients, partners, employees and stakeholders to look back at the firm’s accomplishments while looking ahead to future achievements. What started as a small office in Winnipeg run by one entrepreneur grew to be a marketleading solution provider with significant presence across the country. Over the past century, BDO has taken a client-centric approach to helping business owners find their solutions. None of this would be possible without the strong relationships that have been built over the past decades between BDO and their clients. The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate BDO on this significant milestone and extends our thanks for their on-going support of our organization and community.
Township of Wilmot Appoints New Chief Administrative Officer The Township of Wilmot recently announced the appointment of Sharon Chambers as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) effective October 12, 2021. She will be assuming the role from interim CAO Sandy Jackson, who is returning to her position as Director of Parks, Facilities and Recreation Services. Prior to her Wilmot appointment, Ms. Chambers served in a similar capacity at the municipalities of Kincardine, North Huron and South Bruce. “We are extremely grateful to have Sharon assume this role at a critical time for our municipality” said Wilmot Mayor Les Armstrong in a September 1, 2021 Township news release. “Her senior leadership experience over the past several years in the municipal sector will provide a strong foundation to be a transformational leader for our Township.”
New Alliance to Ensure Autonomous Vehicle Safety Engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo are partnering with the federal government and Magna International to ensure the safety and security of autonomous vehicles. A $1.6 million project lead by UW engineering professor Sebastian Fischmeister will develop theories, methods and tools to produce complex automotive software for connected and automated vehicles. Automotive parts and mobile technology company Magna and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada are each contributing $600,000 over five years while the University will provide $400,000. Magna is also contributing a test vehicle. The results of research by university faculty are expected to enable engineers at Magna to develop new features and products that improve safety and security, as well as enabling the re-use of developed software to shorten construction of more complex products. advocate November | December 2021
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LEXUS IS 2021
THE ALL NEW 2021 LEXUS IS CUTTING EDGE. NEVER CORNERS. The new 2021 Lexus IS writes the next chapter of luxury sports sedans. Developed on the highly demanding Shimoyama Test Track, the IS features a more rigid chassis, sport-tuned suspension, wider stance and precision handling. Available in two naturally aspirated V6 AWD models, and a turbo RWD model, the IS inspires confidence by forging a closer bond between driver and machine. And with a new multimedia system with an available 10.3-inch touchscreen and next generation Lexus Safety System + 2.5, the IS is as innovative as it is thrilling. • Bold, refreshed exterior styling emphasizes the athletic nature of the Lexus IS with its newly designed spindle grille and wider lower stance
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• New Dynamic Handling Package on Lexus IS 350 with Adaptive Variable Suspension, carbon-fibre spoiler and 19" forged BBS wheels 3131 King Street East, Kitchener, ON heffnerlexus.ca
