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Ottawa native Rand Peppler is a highly sought-after talent in southern California, thanks to groundbreaking software > PAGE 3
August 3, 2015 Vol. 18, NO. 19
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Switch in direction A life-changing event led a former nurse to move to Ottawa and embark on a career as an entrepreneur. > PAGE 4
Personal trainers Samantha Armstrong (left) and Jenna Ladd have turned their passion for exercise into a new business, Iron North Fitness. PHOTO BY LOIS SIEGEL
Healthy demand for fitness studios Slim-sized gyms are springing up across the country, and the capital is no exception From yoga studios to CrossFit facilities, boutique gyms are on the rise, and experts say market has never been stronger > PAGES 6-7
Stuck in neutral Faced with dramatic new competition, the taxi industry must adapt or perish, Telfer professor says. > PAGE 8 Canada Post Publications Mail: Agreement No. 41639025
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LMR’s Kevin Cantor can steer you through the complexities of personal injury law
Impending provincial budget will ‘restrict access’ to care for the injured
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eing injured is a stressful experience and for many the road to recovery should include a personal injury lawyer. “I have seen so many people lose their rights because they do not speak to a lawyer,” says Kevin Cantor, a partner at Low Murchison Radnoff LLP who practices exclusively in the area of personal injury law. Motor vehicle accidents make up a large proportion of Cantor’s work, however Cantor’s practice encompasses several areas of personal injury law including accident benefit claims, long-term disability claims, slip and fall accidents and medical malpractice.
“It’s always important to consult a lawyer in these situations.” “It’s always important to consult a lawyer in these situations,” Cantor says, noting that each type of claim comes with its own unique complexities. Personal injury law in Ontario is about to get more complex as proposed changes may affect a person’s ability to obtain the appropriate treatment.
Budget reductions
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The April 2015 provincial budget includes changes to amounts currently available to those injured in car accidents and Cantor says this is cause for some alarm.
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The budget effectively halves coverage available to those with catastrophic injuries. Currently, the limit for medical care and rehabilitation and attendant care is $1 million each. If passed, the budget will set the limit at $1 million for the two combined. Additionally, the standard duration for medical and rehab benefits will be reduced to five years from 10, except for children. Medical and rehab coverage for those with non-catastrophic injuries will be reduced to $65,000 from $86,000.
Kevin Cantor, Personal Injury Lawyer, LMR “From my perspective these changes will reduce victims’ rights and will restrict access to medical and rehabilitative needs,” Cantor says. The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, of which Cantor’s a member, has called these measures a “blank cheque to Ontario auto insurers” and says insurers already grossing large profits will be the only parties to benefit. Navigating these changes and explaining how damages are assessed is part of the service Cantor provides for his clients. He explains that generally damages awarded for pain and suffering can only be obtained where injuries are permanent, serious and substantially interfere with your employment and significantly change the quality and enjoyment of your life. An injured party’s claim for general damages will be subject to a $30,000 deductible under the Insurance Act unless the injuries are valued in excess of $100,000. The deductible does not apply to catastrophic injuries such as significant brain or spinal cord injuries or loss of a limb.
Two rights
Cantor explains that parties seeking compensation for injuries have two sets of rights. One is their potential claim against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, past and future income loss, future care expenses and special out of pocket damages. The other is accident benefits; what you’re entitled to receive from your own insurance company.
“From my perspective these changes will reduce victims’ rights and will restrict access to medical and rehabilitative needs.” Accident benefits include weekly income replacement benefits, rehabilitation benefits such as physiotherapy and attendant care and possibly reimbursement for prescription and nonprescription medication. Under the Statutory Accident Benefit Schedule (SABS), weekly income replacement benefits are calculated at 70% of gross weekly earnings with a weekly cap of $400. Cantor stresses that
consumers can speak to their insurance brokers about purchasing additional coverage to increase the weekly income replacement benefit to $600, $800 or $1,000.
Medical-rehabilitation limits
The maximum amount paid under the current medical-rehabilitation schedule is limited to $50,000 over 10 years. Those limits are much lower for injuries defined as “minor.” Individuals who fall within the Minor Injury Guideline are subject to a limit of $3,500 for all medical and rehabilitation benefits. “Dealing with an injury is stressful – getting financial relief should not be.” For more information, contact Kevin Cantor at kcantor@lmrlawyers.com or 613-696-1303.
TECHNOLOGY Ottawa native’s TV ‘Pilot’ project hits it big in L.A. Algonquin dropout becomes Hollywood tech star thanks to groundbreaking editing software BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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Ottawa native Rand Peppler’s software is now used in hundreds of TV productions. PHOTO SUPPLIED
and Peppler still remembers how, as a young man in Ottawa in the mid-1980s, he felt “inspired” after reading a newspaper article about an entrepreneur who made it big south of the border. Little did the brain behind one of the biggest software innovations in television history know he would also wind up building a hugely successful business in the United States. Mr. Peppler, 51, is the creator of Pilotware, a software package that allows TV producers to quickly and easily sort
through thousands of hours of video footage. The product – so named because Mr. Peppler’s American friends dubbed him “Pilot” – has been used on hundreds of Hollywood productions, from reality shows such as Survivor to talk shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live. Los Angeles is a long way from our nation’s capital, where Mr. Peppler grew up and attended Algonquin College for one year before dropping out to pursue a career as a rock star with a band called the Randypeters. The Randypeters petered out after just two albums. But Mr. Peppler’s short time at Algonquin wasn’t a complete waste. Continued on page 10
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Does your organization have a social conscience? Hydro Ottawa reaps the benefits of giving back
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community. The fact that many of its employees are active volunteers outside of this allotted day is a point of pride for the company.
It’s a day that makes a big difference for children and young adults with physical or developmental disabilities who might otherwise not be able to enjoy a regular fair experience with all the hustle and bustle of a packed fairground. The event takes place at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, and includes live entertainment, carnival games, special facilities, a barbeque lunch, and midway rides with shorter line-ups and reduced speeds. Hydro Ottawa volunteers are on hand to provide traffic control, assist kids on and off rides, run the craft and karaoke tents, and serve lunch.
“It’s part and parcel with who we are,” said Bryce Conrad, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “We are a community-based company, and giving back to our community has been a core value since our inception.”
“We are a community-based company, and giving back to our community has been a core value since our inception.”
- Bryce Conrad
“We’ve been lucky to have Hydro Ottawa come on board and support the program in such a big way these last 10 years,” Bloom said. “Without their volunteers, this day just wouldn’t happen.” Special Needs Day began with a capacity for 500 children and has grown to accommodate more than 1,000 attendees. This year, thanks to an expanded midway, it will be able to accommodate 1,500 children and young adults, including their caregivers. While this “social conscience” is driven, first and foremost, by a desire to give back to the community, Conrad believes it’s also a competitive differentiator,
Special Needs Day is one of many corporate initiatives that the utility encourages its employees to get involved with. Other initiatives include United Way Ottawa’s Community Action Days and work events at Christie Lake Kids to get the camp ready for the season. The utility also funds the camp’s Skills Through Activity and Recreation (STAR) Hockey and Skating Program. “It’s a true advantage for us when recruiting,” added Conrad. “Hydro Ottawa’s employee engagement is extraordinarily high, our turnover rates are in the low single digits. It always helps us get our top picks when hiring. People want to work for a company that proves it cares. ” Hydro Ottawa volunteers bring smiles to children with special needs.
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Hydro Ottawa supports its employees by allowing them to take one paid day off each year to participate in one of its corporate initiatives, or to volunteer with other registered charities in the
For Harley Bloom, General Director of Capital Fair, that kind of support is priceless.
and has the stats to prove it. In its most recent employee engagement survey, approximately 90 percent of employees cited the company’s commitment to the community and corporate citizenship as one of the top three reasons for working at Hydro Ottawa.
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
ach year, Hydro Ottawa hosts a special day at the Capital Fair for hundreds of children and youth with special needs.
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Getting out of the rut Driven by a desire to help others, nurse launches life coaching business BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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year ago, Melissa Jirovec was a registered nurse in Northern Ontario looking forward to her upcoming wedding. Then, in an instant, a single event dramatically changed her career path and her outlook on life. Her fiance Jason was riding a fourwheel all-terrain vehicle when he collided head-on with a friend who was driving a dirt bike. A traumatic brain injury left him with significant weakness on his left side as well as impaired speech and vision. His recovery required a long hospital stay, followed by months of arduous rehabilitation. “The brain is not like any other bone, muscle, anything,” says Ms. Jirovec. “It takes a long period of time to heal, and they can’t give you any kind of indication of what kind of healing you’re going to get.” The couple went ahead with their wedding plans, exchanging vows in the hospital. Then Mr. Jirovec was about to check into a private rehab clinic when they got a call telling them there was a bed available at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. They left their home in Cochrane, an hour northeast of Timmins, and headed to the nation’s capital. For the next several months, Ms. Jirovec was a fulltime caregiver to her husband. But by the end of the year, as he slowly
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began to recover, she knew she would soon need to re-enter the workforce. She also knew it wouldn’t be in the same occupation. “I loved my job, I loved being a nurse,” she says during an interview at the couple’s downtown apartment. “I really struggled with the environment – I really wasn’t expecting it to be so shortstaffed (with such a) lack of resources. I was having a hard time with that. When I decided to change careers, it wasn’t a hard decision to make. I just wanted to take the aspects of the job that I loved and put them into practice.” Ms. Jirovec decided she still wanted to help people, but in a different way. After attending a two-day seminar at the Brookstreet Hotel in February hosted by the Certified Coaches Federation, an organization that trains life coaches, she realized she’d found her calling. “As soon as I was there, I just knew that that’s where I was supposed to be,” she says. “As a coach, you’re kind of helping guide people towards achieving their goals. I really felt like I was meant to be an entrepreneur.” Soon afterward, she launched Out of the Rut, a consulting business devoted to helping women better manage their health and well-being. Backed by $15,000 in funding from Futurpreneur Canada, Ms. Jirovec will start hosting seminars this fall to educate women on techniques for coping with stress, the importance of proper nutrition and sleep as well as ways to boost their self-esteem and maintain a positive mindset.
Proper nutrition is just one area Melissa Jirovec, shown with her husband Jason, covers in her seminars designed to help women take better control of their overall health. PHOTO BY LOIS SIEGEL
Ms. Jirovec says health and wellness, particularly among women, is an oftenoverlooked area in the growing field of personal and executive coaching. “Women just have a lot of things that are pulling at their attention,” she says. “They’re constantly on the go. They’re taking their kids to soccer, they’re trying to be a great housewife, they’re working, they’ve got hobbies. They’ve got all kinds of stuff going on, and a lot of the time, in order to be productive, we don’t take time for ourselves and we don’t time to get enough to get enough sleep, to eat properly, to work out. We want to do those things, but it just seems like extras. I wanted to help women learn to take care of themselves so that they can do all the things that they want to do.”
She says she wants to get comfortable with clients by getting to know them in the workshops first before embarking on one-on-one or small group coaching sessions. “Coaching is very much relationshipbased,” says Ms. Jirovec, 24. “You have to really connect with the person.” Confessing to having “zero business experience” before launching Out of the Rut, she says the last few months have been a crash course in marketing, budgeting and networking. She has also created a website where she regularly blogs about health and wellness issues. “I’ve really taken a step out into left field,” she says with a smile. “It’s been a learning experience, but I love it. I love every minute of it.”
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Welcome to the latest instalment of OBJ’s LaunchPad, a monthly section dedicated to local startups and entrepreneurs. Story ideas and other suggestions can be sent to adam@obj.ca.
CHANGE LOG ROTATING SELFIE STICK FIRM’S FOUNDERS LOOK FOR FUNDING A group of young Ottawa entrepreneurs are looking to capitalize on the popularity of the selfie stick and GoPro cameras. The Spivo Stick, invented by Andre Bellerive and Marc Bjerring, is a simple contraption that locks in a camera or phone and uses a trigger at the hand-held end to flip it around 180 degrees. It’s being marketed to extreme sports enthusiasts, like the founders themselves, who want a greater field of view while filming. The startup raised more than $17,000 in pledges in a recent Kickstarter campaign and is now looking to preorders. The company expects to manufacture and ship the first Spivo Sticks by the winter. FOOD DEALS TAILORED TO LOCATION WITH GEOLOCATOR STARTUP An Ottawa technology startup that uses geo-marketing to tell people about nearby grocery deals has begun rolling out its platform across North America. Zity Media’s new app called FoodZity notifies users of food deals and discounts based on their current location, eliminating the cost and waste associated with traditional paper flyer printing and distribution. “Our priority is to not only to deliver savings, but also to educate consumers on food content, allowing them to make conscious, healthy choices,” founder Alex Shirokov said in a statement. The app will also incorporate allergy risk and food recall notifications. The company plans to expand across the continent by September.
Tech Tuesday Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Marshes Golf Club, 320 Terry Fox Dr. Info and registration at wesleyclover.com/ philanthropy/techtuesday Startup Finance Bootcamp Thursday, Aug. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. Kivuto, 151 George St. Info and registration at investottawa.ca/events Launch Some Good Friday, Aug. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to Sunday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. HUB Ottawa, 71 Bank St., 6th Floor Info and registration at ottawa.the-hub.net/ events Starting Your Business Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Invest Ottawa, 80 Aberdeen St. Info and registration at investottawa.ca/events Maker Space North Open House Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Maker Space North, 250 City Centre Ave., Bay 216 Info and registration at eventbrite.ca School Your Startup Pitchfest Tuesday, Aug. 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. My ByWard Office, 78 George St., Suite 204 Info and registration at startupottawa.ca/ events Startup Garage Rally Thursday, Aug. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. uOttawa Desmarais Building, Room 12102, 55 Laurier Ave. E Info and registration at investottawa.ca/events Canadian SaaS Showcase Thursday, Sept. 17 Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St. Info and registration at l-spark.com/events
by Bruce Lazenby, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa
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CENGN, MDCC and the Innovation Centre)
n the fall of 2014, key stakeholders and community leaders from across industry, academia, and public sector organizations convened with Invest Ottawa to discuss a collective vision of the future and how to achieve it. Consensus was that Ottawa should focus on becoming the most innovative city in Canada—where the most talented people in the world would choose to work, play and grow. Factors contributing to the realization of this goal include:
• Increase self-sustaining funding by become less dependent on public money and more plugged into private money
• A post-secondary academic community that has forged dynamic two-way partnerships with local businesses.
We have created a safe city that offers a dynamic and multi-cultural lifestyle for singles and family. And while Ottawa is definitely a place where you want to raise your kids, we also want it to be the kind of city that attracts young, innovative, forward-thinking talent because cool things are happening here; next-generation technologies are developed here and there’s a sense of community that makes them want to stay here.
• A large-scale degree of connectivity, not just via high-speed bandwidth, but with high-speed thinking and acting. • An amazing business ecosystem that collaborates and supports each other`s growth globally, paying forward to new start-up’s, creating larger companies and attracting global companies, and by promoting these successes with a single voice. So how do we evolve into Canada’s innovation leader? We believe it involves five key initiatives: • Supporting recent wins in the Ottawa technology ecosystem (i.e.
• Promoting Ottawa’s success locally and internationally • Attracting more investment capital • Continue to build our world class talent by collaborating with postsecondary institutions
So ask yourself how you can plug into that? Think about what you can do and how you can contribute to make some of these things happen? It could be hiring a co-op. Maybe it’s by reaching out and helping a start-up. Think about investing in a local fund. Maybe you can do more than just one of these things. As a city we are maturing and we can do these thingas. And I’m looking forward to working with you to try and make that happen.
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3D PRINTING STARTUP MAKING MOVES IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA MARKET Local startup 3Dponics, which created the world’s first 3D-printable hydroponics system, has brought Chuck Rifici, the chief financial officer of the Liberal Party of Canada and the co-founder and former CEO of Tweed Marijuana, on board as an adviser. The move came the same day 3Dponics launched a
CALENDAR
Evolving into Canada’s Innovation Leader
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
PRODUCTHUNT HONOURS YEAR’S BEST STARTUPS PopKey, Wipebook and Gymtrack were the big winners at ProductHunt Ottawa’s seasonending awards. PopKey, the top GIF app on the ProductHunt website for nine straight months, won the Best New Product of 2015 award. Wipebook, which landed investment from Arlene Dickinson of CBC’s Dragons’ Den, won Most Successful Product Launch for its reusable notebook. Gymtrack, which has been rolling out its personal fitness tracking tech over the last year, won the Most Industry Disrupting Award.
custom-designed 3D-printable hydroponics system for medical marijuana cultivation. Mr. Rifici said it’s only a matter of time before marijuana is legal throughout Canada and the United States, sparking a boom in DIY hydroponics equipment. Nominations open for Startup Canada Awards Nominations are now being accepted for the second annual Startup Canada Awards. Among the nine awards is the inaugural Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award, named after Startup Canada’s founding chair who died in February after a battle with cancer. Nominations will be accepted until Aug. 15.
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SPORTS & RECREATION Slim-sized gyms finding their niche Local fitness entrepreneurs say their boutique studios can compete with the big boys by offering superior customer service and targeting the right clientele BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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hen personal trainer Jean-Luc Boissonneault opened his first gym in Kanata nine years ago, a boutique fitness studio was a concept almost as novel as a phone that let its users surf the Internet. A decade later, a lot has changed. “Now, I’m seeing studios pop up more and more,” says the 32-year-old entrepreneur, who currently owns four Free Form Fitness outlets across Ottawa. “It’s possible now.”
Although his initial facility was 6,000 square feet, Mr. Boissonneault soon became a leader in the trend toward smaller, more intimate fitness facilities that cater to clients who want more personalized service. Boutique fitness studios are sweeping the continent, opening in compact spaces – many are 1,000 square feet or less – while often focusing on one particular type of activity, such as yoga or cycling. Free Form Fitness offers a mix of personal training and nutritional advice to its 900 members at locations in the ByWard Market, the Glebe, Kanata and Wellington West that average
Samantha Armstrong (left) and Jenna Ladd are thrilled to be entering the fitness business. PHOTO BY LOIS SIEGEL
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about 2,000 square feet. Clients pay about $60 to $70 for a typical one-hour session with a trainer. Apparently, business is booming – Mr. Boissonneault says he plans to open a fifth Free Form Fitness gym early in 2016, although he’s not exactly sure where it will be located. “It’s the personal attention,” he says when asked to explain his success. “The big-box gyms, their strength is they have everything for everyone. We have to align ourselves in a way that they can’t beat us at something else … which is smaller, more personal (service). They’ll never beat me at that game.” Jenna Ladd feels the same way. Together with business partner Samantha Armstrong, the Barrhaven native has just opened Iron North Fitness, a small fourroom studio on Somerset Street West that offers classes in cycling, yoga and running as well as strength-building equipment such as free weights, kettlebells and pullup bars, and massage therapy. “The services we offer, you can find in a (major fitness chain) … but it’s a big, corporate gym experience versus that smaller, local community experience,” says Ms. Ladd, a marathon runner and certified personal trainer. “You meet the owners, you get to know the instructors. Our kids are here, Sam’s dog might come through. You have an intimacy that you don’t get elsewhere.”
“We really rely a lot on referrals. We kind of have no choice but to do a good job or we’re going to go out of business.” – JEAN-LUC BOISSONNEAULT, FOUNDER OF FREE FORM FITNESS
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Located in an 1,800-square-foot former art studio, Iron North Fitness aims to exercise clients’ brains too – its lending library in the lobby features about 15 books with titles such as Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners. The studio will also be offering workshops that go beyond the basics of working out and eating right, including seminars on fitness for new mothers – a subject close to the heart of Ms. Ladd, who recently gave birth to her first child. Workshops will range from $20 to $250. “We want that opportunity to really connect with our neighbourhood and connect with our members and keep things small and intimate,” says the 27-year-old businesswoman.
That neighbourhood just happens to be a hotbed for gyms. Practically right across the street from Iron North Fitness, CrossFit Bytown hosts a full daily slate of sessions devoted to one of the country’s hottest and most intense workout crazes. And just down the road at City Centre, former mixed martial arts fighter Anna Barone operates the 3,000-square-foot Victory Performance Centre. “It’s a labour of love,” says Ms. Barone, 40, a former land development consultant who opened her gym three years ago and caters to customers aged 35 and over. “I’ve done my corporate life. My success is measured through the success of my clients.” The trend toward smaller fitness studios shows no signs of slowing down, says longtime industry observer Stephen Longwell, general manager of Mill Pond Publishing. The southern Ontario company owns a trade magazine called Fitness Business Canada. “Most trainers are entrepreneurial,” he says. “They want to do their own thing, they want to run their own club one day.” And opening a small studio is often the most cost-effective way to do it. While big companies such as GoodLife might shell out $1 million or more to equip their facilities, most boutique gym owners spend far less than half of that amount. Rents and other overhead costs at these studios are also much lower. Mr. Boissonneault, for example, estimates he can set up a Free Form Fitness location for about $200,000 – still a significant investment, but a reasonable one. Ms. Ladd says she and Ms. Armstrong spent about $90,000 converting the former art studio into a fitness facility, with funding from family, private investors and a loan from the Business Development Bank of Canada and Futurpreneur Canada. And most small gyms don’t break the bank on advertising, with word of mouth being their No. 1 vehicle for promotion. “We really rely a lot on referrals,” Mr. Boissonneault says. “We kind of have no choice but to do a good job or we’re going to go out of business.” According to the Boston-based International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, boutique fitness studios are the fastest-growing segment of the gym industry. They constituted more than 20 per cent of fitness facilities in the United States in 2013. Although no one keeps track of similar numbers north of the border, IHRSA spokesperson Meredith Poppler says trends in Canada tend to mirror those in the United States. Industry surveys indicate only about 16 per cent of Canadians belong to a fitness club, Mr. Longwell says, meaning there is still plenty of room for growth. “The more the better as far as we’re concerned,” he says. “One way to do that is by offering more variety in the type of facilities. You need to mix and match.”
COMMENTARY Whether it’s potential drivers unable to obtain plates due to high cost or poor standards for customer service and low satisfaction levels because of long wait times and high prices, there are plenty of shortcomings that the taxi industry has not been able to address in a long time.
Taxi industry spinning its wheels
industry and the government need to adapt to the current times in order to meet the needs and preferences of today’s customers. Existing regulations need to change; they were originally designed to serve narrow interests, and they have outlived their usefulness. The industry needs to adopt less regulation all around, which will In the face of competition from ride-sharing services benefit current taxi companies and drivers as well. Consequently, any new regulations such as Uber, traditional cab companies’ efforts to for companies such as Uber should ensure innovate have stalled, Prof. Umar Ruhi writes consumer protection while not being so restrictive as to impede competition or drive ber and its brawl with the taxi (nearest drivers, trip routes, et cetera), the competition out of business. industry and the government seems useful information (driver ratings, trip Towards achieving such a system, a to be a pulsating topic of discussion fare calculators and the like) and payment participatory approach should be used by among news outlets and on social media functionality (the ability to pay with credit involving cab drivers in the process. They these days. There are strong opinions card through the mobile app). are the best source of information about on both sides, and I’m not quite certain As such, it adheres well to the so-called the opportunities and the challenges of the whether this column presents a balanced “CLIP” – communications, locatability, cab industry. This is a great way to channel perspective on the situation either – I make information and payment processing – their frustration with Uber to formulate new no claims to that effect. framework for designing effective mobile solutions for the industry as a whole. What I would like to do is to present a applications. Protecting the status quo is no longer a case that would hopefully motivate the One could argue that the slow response viable option. The customers have spoken, taxi industry to move more quickly to keep of the taxi industry can probably be and Uber and other similar services are pace with emergent changes, of which attributed to the fact that the industry bound to keep gaining traction since they Uber is just the beginning. has enjoyed a long-standing position of are well-liked and are fast becoming the Events over the past couple of years protection in a coercive monopoly-style transportation option of choice for many have demonstrated the taxi industry’s market structure. The industry is heavily people. In addition to addressing these emphasis on protesting Uber’s foray in the regulated, the barriers to entry have been downstream supply chain issues, the marketplace or invoking legislative action high (through the high cost of taxi plates industry also needs to take a good look at against the company. or medallions), the customers’ bargaining challenges that lie upstream in its supply However, it has been slow to respond to power has been low (due to lack of options) chain – today and in the near future. the new competition by way of innovation and the threat of substitutes has been Today it’s Uber and new drivers who want or improving its service offerings. insignificant – that is, until Uber came to offer services through it, but tomorrow Digital dispatch services such as Uber along to shake up the taxi business. things could get even more challenging. It’s are simple software applications that As a digital service, Uber represents the only a matter time (a few more years?) before efficiently allow passengers to get rides touted benefits of the “sharing economy” driverless cars are on the road, and we can by helping them locate nearby drivers, in that it facilitates the use of underutilized probably expect to see automatic vehicle conveniently order services and arrange for resources – in this case, idle automobiles. dispatch services integrated with these cars. payments, all through their mobile devices. Along the way it has challenged the taxi Could Google or Apple be the next There’s nothing complex or proprietary industry by exposing its inefficiencies on competitors for the taxicab industry? about this technology and no discernible both the supply and demand ends of the Worrisome prospects. It’s high time to reason why taxi companies can’t follow spectrum. Whether it’s potential drivers innovate or be rendered obsolete. suit. unable to obtain plates due to high cost Despite the functional simplicity of its or poor standards for customer service Umar Ruhi is an assistant professor mobile application, Uber has managed to and low satisfaction levels due to long wait at the University of Ottawa’s achieve significant first-mover advantage times and high prices, there are plenty of Telfer School of Management. His by virtue of its core value proposition shortcomings that the industry has not teaching and research interests to customers, based on the elements of been able to address in a long time. include e-business, social media and mobile convenience (a user-friendly interface and The solution in my mind is to adopt a commerce. ubiquitous access), location-based features middle-of-the-road approach whereby the
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Great River Media 250 City Centre Ave., Suite 500 Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6K7 obj.ca PUBLISHER Michael Curran, 238-1818 ext. 228 publisher@obj.ca SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF SALES Don Mersereau, 238-1818 ext. 286 CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Terry Tyo, 238-1818 ext. 268 EDITOR, PRINT CONTENT David Sali, 238-1818 ext. 269 david@greatriver.ca EDITOR, ONLINE CONTENT Tom Pechloff, 238-1818 ext. 291 editor@obj.ca COPY EDITOR Krystle Kung CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes, 238-1818 ext. 253 creative@obj.ca ART DEPARTMENT Jamie Dean, 238-1818 ext. 278 jamie@greatriver.ca Regan VanDusen, 238-1818 ext. 254 regan@obj.ca ADVERTISING SALES Wendy Baily, 238-1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca Alison Stewart, 238-1818 ext. 226 alison@obj.ca Susan Salsbury, 238-1818 ext. 229 ssalsbury@obj.ca MARKETING & SALES CO-ORDINATOR Cristha Sinden, 238-1818 ext. 222 cristha@greatriver.ca INSIDE SALES SUPPORT Marc Nordemann-Keller, 238-1818 ext.259 marc@obj.ca CAREER ADVERTISING & MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING SALES 238-1818 ext. 251 VICE-PRESIDENT OF OTTAWA BUSINESS EVENTS Susan Blain, 238-1818 ext. 232 susan@ottawabusinessevents.ca FINANCE Jackie Whalen, 238-1818 ext. 250 jackie@greatriver.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS/DISTRIBUTION 238-1818 ext. 248 subscribe@obj.ca PRINTED BY Transcontinental Qualimax 130 Adrien-Robert, Parc Industriel Richelieu Gatineau, QC J8Y 3S2
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REAL ESTATE Morguard to build new hotel at 361 Queen
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STAY BIG OR STAY HOME! OTTAWA’SBIGGEST
HOTELSUITES
If you’re coming to Ottawa with your BFFs, you’ll have plenty of room in one of our condo-sized suites instead of a cramped hotel room. The Albert at Bay Suite Hotel is where you’ll find the biggest suites in Ottawa for less than a hotel room! All in the heart of downtown close to everything.
3 blocks from Parliament Hill
albertatbay.com | 1-800-267-6644
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
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fter 18 months of speculation about what will happen to one of Ottawa’s prime downtown real estate properties, developer Morguard is proposing to build a new 27-storey hotel and 23-storey apartment on the site of the former National Hotel & Suites. In a proposal filed with the city last month, Morguard said it plans to demolish the two conjoined hotel towers that now sit empty on the west side of the 1.85-acre site as well as an existing three-storey apartment building and replace them with two new buildings. The existing 12-storey office tower on the east side of the site will remain but will be upgraded. The proposed new towers at 361 Queen St., which are being designed by WZMH Architects, would share a common podium, entry plaza and access to 348 underground parking spaces. The podium would also include a retail component. The proposed hotel, which would be located on the southwest corner of the site at Queen and Bay streets, would include 303 rooms. The apartment building, which is planned for the northwest portion of the site, would have 250 units. Morguard said the proposal, which must be approved by city council, has been designed to fit the overall tone of the neighbourhood. “Views from the Museum of Civilization, Portage Bridge and Confederation Boulevard have not been compromised,” the report, prepared by FOTENN Consultants, said. The developer said the project would add “a subtle playfulness to Ottawa’s skyline” while injecting new life into the surrounding area. “Overall, the proposed development will extend qualities of the Sparks Street liveliness and will promote an enhanced mixed-use environment that is appropriate to the location and its established community,” the report said. Under current zoning, buildings are restricted to a height of 64 metres on the western portion of the site. Morguard is seeking an amendment to permit a maximum height of 85 metres for the hotel and 78 metres for the condo tower. The 328-room National , which had been a Delta before being rebranded as an independent hotel in 2012, was shut down in late 2013. Morguard’s recent filing with the city does not indicate any affiliation for the proposed new hotel. – OBJ staff
The new Albert at Bay Suites Hotel Logo - November 1
TECHNOLOGY “People were just starting to buy computers and really didn’t know what to do with them. I was kind of in the right place at the right time.” – PILOTWARE CREATOR RAND PEPPLER
Continued from page 3 “I went to Algonquin really not planning on having a career,” he told OBJ during a recent visit to his hometown to celebrate his father’s 90th birthday. “I was playing in the rock band at the time, but we weren’t good enough (that) I could go to my parents and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to quit school and play in this band.’ They would’ve shot me. So really, I went to the cheapest school I could find because I didn’t have the money to spend a lot on it, knowing that I was gonna be dropping out once the band got going. But while I was there – I’m not going to lie – it was the computer tech class, and I really learned a few (things).” In class and out of pure curiosity, Mr. Peppler picked up programming languages such as Fortran, Pascal and BASIC, knowledge that came in handy down the road. “It definitely planted the seeds for how these things work and how to think,” he said.
Mr. Peppler’s short-lived music career also helped paved the way for his future business success. As the band’s financial manager, he used his brother’s computer to keep track of whatever income and expenses there were. Long after the Randypeters faded into obscurity, the spreadsheets and databases he built for the band eventually left a lasting – and lucrative – legacy. “I actually think working on that Apple IIe computer gave me a lot of the skills I was going to need, because it was a little bit more user-interactive and I could program things that were good from a user’s perspective,” Mr. Peppler said. When his then-girlfriend landed a job in Oregon in 1989, he headed south. Six months later, they ventured off to California “on kind of a whim.” The relationship didn’t last, but Mr. Peppler’s love for the West Coast did. After landing a job at a mail order
business in L.A., he developed an automated system to help the company track advertising revenue. “At that time, people were just beginning to put computers to work in the workplace,” he said. “Before that, if you went to work, you just had a desk and a pen and paper. People were just starting to buy computers and really didn’t know what to do with them. I was kind of in the right place at the right time.” Soon, he had a lineup of clients who wanted him to develop similar systems for them. “Americans, if they find something that’s good and works for them, they love to tell other people about it,” Mr. Peppler said. “People would want to refer me to just kind of help me out. When you’re good at something, you almost have like a cheering section for you and they want to see you become successful.” Eventually, he caught the attention of Hollywood producers. In 1996, when the
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Ottawa Conference and Event Centre
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MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
You will learn: How to raise your organizations digital IQ
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makers of a new game show called Debt, hosted by Wink Martindale, were looking for a better way to track questions and answers, they knew where to turn. “That was the beginning of the beginning,” Mr. Peppler said. “When I walked into this game show, I instantly knew, ‘This is where I want to be.’” Soon, he figured out a way to put time codes on VHS tapes, which made scouring through video footage to find highlights far easier and less labour-intensive. By then, the reality show craze, fuelled by Survivor, was starting to take off. “We just rode that wave,” he said. Since then, Pilotware has been used on more shows than Mr. Peppler can remember. (He stopped counting after 500.) His company, which merged with content management producer Atlas Digital in 2009, now employs more than 100 people. Ever the entrepreneur, Mr. Peppler is even thinking of branching out to his native land. He and his business partners are mulling the possibility of opening a production facility in Vancouver fully outfitted with state-of-the-art editing products. “Seeing as I’m a Canadian, I think that would be fantastic,” he said.
THE RE-BIRTH OF THE OTTAWA BREWING INDUSTRY
Paul Meek Co-Owner of Kichesippi Beer Co.
Thursday, September 10, 2015 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Sheraton Ottawa Hotel –150 Albert St., 2nd floor- Rideau Room Individual Tickets: $30.00 + HST (Members) $45.00 + HST (Non-Members)
Karen de Lottinville, CEO of Trillium Dental A highly skilled healthcare professional and business leader
Register online at www.ottawachamber.ca
You will learn: How creating lasting success is more than focusing on the bottom line
SAVE $100 with the Early-Bird Rate until Sept 16
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Learn more about our full speaker lineup online!
Corporate Tables of 8 with Signage $210 + HST (Members) $315 + HST (Non-Members)
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International horsepower
Ottawa Tourism, Shaw Centre team up to woo Europe
W
hen it comes to global destinations with the capacity and prestige to host major international conferences, Ottawa hasn’t been a household name. This changed when the Shaw Centre opened for business.
The Shaw Centre has even been recognized by the International Association of Convention Centres as one of the top three meeting venues in the world for its customer service, facility excellence and environmental sustainability (it’s LEED Gold Certified).
Ottawa Tourism is working shoulder-toshoulder with the Shaw Centre and other local partners, to lever this impressive asset, along with all that makes Canada’s Capital Region an appealing destination. “We have a lot to offer international meetings and events planners as Canada’s capital and it’s time to spread the good word,” said Lesley Mackay, Director of Convention Sales at Ottawa Tourism. “Ottawa has a reputation overseas as a ‘clean, green and safe’ destination. Many Europeans have family in Canada and understand our culture.” The challenge is to parlay that reputation as a tourism destination to the international conference market, to drive new economic activity for the region’s economy. With its vertical market strategy, Ottawa Tourism is targeting
organizations and events that already have some kind of Ottawa presence, or align with local strengths in high tech, public administration and academic research.
Feet on the ground
From local hoteliers, to the Ottawa International Airport Authority, city hall and beyond, it’s vital for Ottawa to demonstrate to the world a united front, said Nina Kressler, President and CEO of the Shaw Centre.
That’s because competition can be fierce between cities bidding for hosting rights, substantial planning is required for a major international conference, and the opportunity to bid to host a signature event may only come along every few years.
“What international audiences want to see is that all our local stakeholders are joined at the hip and working as a collective to ensure a superior customer experience,” she said. “Our message is simple – if you come to Ottawa, we will work together to ensure you have the best event you have ever had.”
“These are relationships that can take years to build and bear fruit,” said Mackay.
Ottawa Tourism and The Shaw Centre make regular visits to London, Paris and Brussels, to meet with potential customers and educate them on all Ottawa has to offer. It is a team effort to brand Ottawa and Canada as a whole with the support of Destination Canada (formerly, the Canadian Tourism Commission).
For more information, contact Lesley Mackay at LMackay@ ottawatourism.ca, or call 613-237-5150, ext. 122.
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
With 192,000 sq. ft. of usable space, a multipurpose hall that can seat 6,260 people theatre-style or 4,600 banquet style, and a 19,032 sq. ft. ballroom with impressive views of the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill, the Shaw Centre qualifies as “world-class” in every sense of the word.
But just because you’ve built it, doesn’t mean they’ll come.
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CONNECTING TECH IN OTTAWA
THE DIGITAL DESTINATION FOR ALL THINGS TECH IN OTTAWA-GATINEAU TECHOPIA is a new media project that aggregates, shares and creates noteworthy content about the technology and startup community. Like its icon, the microprocessor chip, TECHOPIA aims to be the CPU for all things tech in Ottawa-Gatineau. It’s about amplifying the voices of local tech executives and entrepreneurs to create a more connected and informed community.
‘THE KIDS ARE RIGHT’ Ottawa’s new cybersecurity society, Venus, aims to make the capital a “global leader” in the fastgrowing sector with initiatives that include a university-based accelerator program
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
T
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he capital’s new cybersecurity society has ramped up plans to turn Canada into a “global leader” in the sector, not even two years after the initial idea was hatched. Carleton University professor and business guru Tony Bailetti came up with the idea for a holistic ecosystem that would “beef up the cybersecurity startup in Canada,” in an academic paper he published in the summer of 2013, a year after an auditor’s report noted the federal government’s “limited progress” in addressing cyber threats over the last decade. Within only a few months, Mr. Bailetti’s vision took shape with the Venus Cybersecurity Corp. Over the last year, the non-profit business centre has quickly established a presence with the
addition of six initial startups, master’slevel courses in cybersecurity, a brand new accelerator program and initiatives to solidify Canada’s cybersecurity sector and turn it into an international hub for future growth. “Right now, we (Canada) have been pretty passive players. We just take whatever we get and that’s it. And I’d like to change that,” says Mr. Bailetti. “The idea was that we would do something that no organization on its own, whether government or industry, could do on their own.” Backed by a number of major public- and private-sector sponsors, Venus has “lofty” goals
HOW TO CONNECT WITH TECHOPIA
to build Canada’s intellectual and industrial capacity to become leaders in cybersecurity. One of the organization’s lead projects involves a partnership with Telus that will assess the needs of Canada’s roughly 3,800 municipal governments and lobby for provincial legislation that would enforce standardized levels of security that each municipality would have to meet based on its needs. “That’ll help drive growth,” says Jeffrey Tracey, Venus’s director of business development. “These ventures, the companies we’re trying to develop … we want them to be able to sell their
technologies into these organizations.” The Lead to Win Cyber accelerator is a recent addition to the ecosystem that will bring in a new pool of security solutions. Launched this March, the program will provide mentorship and seed funding to startups deemed capable of growing to $1 million in revenues in three years, just like with Mr. Bailetti’s
techopia.ca @techopiaOTT facebook.com/techopiaOTT editor@techopia.ca
Right now we (Canada) have been pretty passive players. We just take whatever we get and that’s it. And I’d like to change that. TONY BAILETTI, PROFESSOR AND BUSINESS GURU, CARLETON UNIVERSITY original Lead to Win program. Mr. Tracey says LTW Cyber expects to take on up to a dozen new companies per year and to eventually expand to seven accelerators across Canada. Venus has also been developing relationships with other cybersecurity accelerators around the world in order to form a global network. Mr. Tracey says it could offer a soft landing for outside companies to expand into Canada, and vice versa. Meanwhile, the six inaugural Venus startups have been developing their technology at the organization’s Orleans facility for months. Managers of those startups say the initiative has helped them grow their business from within a central hub of resources and connections. Sem Ponnambalam, chief operating officer of Xahive,
says her company has been expanding its scope at a rate that wouldn’t have been possible without it. The nineperson startup, incorporated in October 2013, develops a secure communication platform for sensitive data and works with clients such as health networks and legal offices. “I think it would take us a lot longer (to grow), for sure, and in terms of going global, I don’t think that would be happening any time soon,” says Ms. Ponnambalam. “Definitely being in the centre of an accelerator that’s focused on security gave us a lot of exposure,” says Sherif Koussa, CEO of SecurifyLabs, a year-old, three-person startup that develops security for opensource software. Mr. Bailetti says the idea is to have a “cluster of technology ventures” that work together and complement each other. SecurifyLabs, for example, has partnered with another startup called Vör Security to codevelop a new software security solution. Over at Carleton, a theoretical and educational component underscores Venus’s business development efforts. There’s the Venus Institute, a think-tank that looks to refine the definition of cybersecurity and Canada’s role in the sector, and several master’s-level courses on the topic. Venus will also be part of the Bayview Yards innovation complex due to open by mid2016, says Mr. Tracey. There, the organization plans to work with Communications Security Establishment Canada to establish a global resource centre that will lead a coalition of about 35 countries in cybersecurity monitoring efforts. “This is a global problem,” says Mr. Tracey. “It doesn’t really matter whether it’s Canada or Timbuktu. So we’re suddenly finding that we’re reaching out globally faster than expected.” When it comes to fixing that problem, there’s a “major disconnect between the old talent and the new talent,” Mr. Bailetti says. The young businesspeople he teaches and mentors don’t like the scare tactics of the traditional cybersecurity approach, he says. Instead, they seek to make the Internet more productive and creative, and to do so without having to trade in privacy to get security. “And you know what?” he says. “The kids are right.” – OBJ staff
Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall We get it done in Ottawa’s high-tech sector Get to Market. Grow your Market. Reach new Markets. Intellectual Property • Mergers & Acquisitions • Securities • Tax • Immigration
A local team with global expertise, delivering the results you need, when you need them. • 6,000+ patent applications filed • 3,400+ active trade-mark applications, registrations • IP portfolios in 40+ countries • Billions of dollars in M&A deals closed • Billions more in financings with VC, PE investors • IPOs on the TSX, NASDAQ, TSXV Read our insights on business law for technology companies at any stage of growth on OBJ’s Expert Blogs. Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP is proud to partner with the Ottawa Business Journal and Techopia.
Lorraine Mastersmith, Partner Robert Kinghan, Partner, Head of the Business Law Group
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
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THE LIST Company/ Address/Phone/Fax/Web
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10 11 12 13 14 15
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(Ranked by number of employees) No. of local employees
No. of local offices
Key local executives(s)
Year established in Ottawa Key services offered
BrokerLink 160 16 John Baizana, regional 1991 Property and casualty insurance brokerage specializing in auto, home and 806 Greenbank Rd. branch manager, Ottawa business insurance. Ottawa, ON K2J 1A2 613-825-5575/613-825-5624 brokerlink.ca Cowan Insurance Group 130 1 Bob Proulx, vice1927 Helps employers meet group benefit, health and disability management, pension 700-1420 Blair Pl. president of benefits and and retirement requirements by providing consulting and administrative services. Ottawa, ON K1J 9L8 corporate sales Also provides insurance for businesses, organizations and individuals. 613-741-3313/613-842-4206 cowangroup.ca Rhodes & Williams Ltd. 69 1 Trent Young, president 1935 Business; auto; home; tenant; condo; marine; bond facilities; technology 1050 Morrison Dr. insurance; trucking; contractors; construction; retirement homes; group; life; Ottawa, ON K2H 8K7 disability; RRSP; estate planning 613-226-6590/613-723-6445 rhodeswilliams.com Mantha Insurance Brokers Ltd. 45 1 Fernand G. Mantha, 1964 Auto; home; commercial; motorcycles; boats; financial services. Licensed in 295 Montreal Rd. principal Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa, ON K1L 6B8 613-746-1450/613-746-7304 manthainsurance.com Oegema, Nicholson & Associates 45 5 Bart T. Oegema, president 1961 Complete insurance services 1451 Woodroffe Ave. Ottawa, ON K2G 1W1 613-224-1455/613-224-4181 ona.ca Smith, Petrie, Carr & Scott Insurance 42 1 Brian Scott, president 1969 Personal; commercial; surety; life and group benefits. Brokers Ltd. Robert Petrie, executive 600-359 Kent St. vice-president Ottawa, ON K2P 0R6 613-237-2871/613-237-1179 spcs-ins.com Halpenny Insurance Group of Cos. 40 1 Nicholas Leadbetter, 1912 Commercial, home and auto insurance; employee benefits consulting; employer 100-1550 Laperriere Ave. president GRRSP/pension plans; keyman and buy/sell funding; executive compensation Ottawa, ON K1Z 7T2 plans; estate and financial planning; business loan and mortgage insurance; life, 613-722-7626/613-722-5382 disability halpenny.com Bradley's Commercial Insurance Ltd. 38 2 Ross W. Bradley, 1956 Provides business insurance solutions for local, national and international 1456 Stittsville Main, PO Box 1234 president accounts. Specialities include construction and bonding, manufacturing, high Stittsville, ON K2S 1B3 Shannon Ray, partner tech, professional liability, directors and officers, retail, realty and transportation. 613-836-2473/613-831-1672 bradleysinsurance.com Assurances Palladium Insurance 35 2 Sylvie Forget Swim 1971 Home; auto; commercial; life, group benefits; legacy 2712 St Joseph Blvd. / 1823 Richardson Side Tim Snelling Rd. Monique Oliver Ottawa, ON K1C 1G5 / K0A 1L0 Greg Strahl 613-824-0441/613-824-7344 Cory Villeneuve, partners palladiuminsurance.ca Scrivens Insurance and Investment 31 2 Peter Scrivens 1930 Commercial insurance products; contract bonding; risk management services; Solutions Michael Scrivens personal home, auto and yacht insurance; financial and estate planning; 270 MacLaren St. Ole Jensen investment services; life insurance and group benefit plans Ottawa, ON K2P 0M3 Shawn Ryan, partners 613-236-9101/613-236-0856 scrivens.ca Tanner Insurance Service Ltd. 28 1 Steven A. Tanner, 1922 Commercial insurance; home and auto insurance; boat and yacht insurance 200-2435 Holly Lane president specialists; group auto and home insurance Ottawa, ON K1V 7P2 613-232-5704/613-232-6486 tannerinsurance.com Gifford Associates - Insurance Brokers 26 1 Jim Mahood, president 1948 Commercial insurance and surety; home and auto insurance; group insurance 346 Moodie Dr. Terry Markell Ottawa, ON K2H 8G3 Tim Tokrud, partners 613-596-9101/613-596-6808 giffordassociates.ca Currey Insurance Agencies 23 1 Michael D. Currey, 1953 Insurance: life, disability, critical illness and long-term care. Financial/retirement 304-1729 Bank St. president and owner and investment planning; segregated/mutual funds; GICs; bonds; property and Ottawa, ON K1V 7Z5 casualty insurance business 613-733-3312/613-733-8271 curreyinsurance.com Capcorp Financial Corp. 18 1 Jim Hamilton, president 1981 Employee benefits consulting; group retirement savings plans; financial planning 1050 Morrison Dr., 3rd Floor Robert Houle for business owners and their businesses; life, disability and critical illness Ottawa, ON K2H 8K7 Andy Noseworthy, viceinsurance; individual investment management; private health services plan 613-226-1964/613-226-8402 presidents capcorp.ca La Turquoise International 15 2 Tammy Robinson, 1968 Home, automobile, recreational vehicle, travel insurance, personal and 1150 Cyrville Rd. organizational commercial insurance; life and financial services; bonds; commercial properties Ottawa, ON K1J 7S9 development director insurance; general liability; surety bonds; commercial vehicles; group; 613-789-4140/613-789-1717 agricultural; liability laturquoise.ca Craig Hamilton Insurance Brokers 12 1 Gary Craig, president 1974 Personal and commercial automobile; homeowner, condo and tenant; business 210-1673 Carling Ave. property and liability insurance; retirement and estate planning; mutual funds; Ottawa, ON K2A 1C4 life and disability 613-722-6549/613-729-0043 Binks Insurance Brokers Ltd. 11 1 Harry S. Stuart Binks, 1918 Specializes in directors' and officers' liability; automobile and power sports 100B-2625 Queensview Dr. president dealerships; manufacturers; non-profit organizations; defence industries; Ottawa, ON K2B 8K2 contractors and property management firms; Binks Financial; Binks Personal 613-226-1350/613-226-7029 binks.ca McVey Insurance Service Ltd. 10 1 Barry W. McVey, 1961 Home; auto; tenant; farm; marine; commercial and business insurance 8028 Victoria St. president Metcalfe, ON K0A 2P0 613-821-2524/613-821-3993 O. B. Villeneuve Insurance Brokers Ltd. 10 1 Paul Sheldon, principal 1908 Auto; recreational vehicles including aircraft and boats; home, apartment, condo, 370 Churchill Ave. seasonal and rental dwellings; life and disability; RRSP; tax shelters; business Ottawa, ON K1Z 5C2 insurance; contractor's liability. 613-722-7222/613-722-2766 obvins.com Crain & Schooley 7 3 John M. McCavour, 1953 Employee benefits and pensions; retirement strategies; RRSP; special risk 570-1600 Carling Ave. senior vice-president insurance; risk management consulting; group home and auto insurance Ottawa, ON K1Z 1G3 613-722-3444/613-722-3800 crainschooley.on.ca WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 2015 survey. Using data from previous years. Should your company be on this list? If so, please send details to research@obj.ca. This list is current as of August 3, 2015 by Ottawa Business Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced by any method in whole or in part without written permission by Ottawa Business Journal. While every attempt is made to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the list, omissions and errors sometimes occur. Please send any corrections or additions by e-mail to research@obj.ca. OBJ lists are primarily compiled using information provided voluntarily by the organizations named. Some firms that may qualify for the list are not included because the company either failed to respond to requests for information by press time, because the company declined to take part in the survey or because of space constraints. Categories are drawn up in an attempt to gather information of relevance to the Ottawa market. Research by Patti Moran. Please send questions and comments to research@obj.ca.
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Largest insurance brokers
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FOR THE RECORD Hats off
This data is part of the Ottawa Business Growth Survey. Conducted by Abacus Data and made possible by Welch LLP, the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal, the survey gathered input from hundreds of local businesses. A free 36-page report can be downloaded at www.ottawabusinessgrowthreport.ca.
Ryan Jones, a sales representative with Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty, was selected as the only Canadian recipient of a 30 Under 30 international trend-setters award representing the future of real estate at Coldwell Banker.
Busy entrepreneurs like to have fun, too, especially in Ottawa’s glorious summer. One festival above all others really shines...
Senior UX architect Mitch Brisebois was named most prolific global inventor for Dell’s Software division at Dell’s annual patent awards gala. This is the second year in a row that Mr. Brisebois has been named the division’s most prolific inventor.
Contracts The following contains information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms. BluMetric Environmental Inc. 3108 Carp Rd. Description: Safety requirement services for NRCan’s facilities across Canada Buyer: Natural Resources Canada $1,695,000 Wolseley Canada Inc. 2495 Lancaster Rd. Description: Miscellaneous plumbing supplies Buyer: PWGSC $900,000 S.i. Systems Ltd. 170 Laurier Ave. W. Description: Business analysts Buyer: RCMP $679,627 Kongsberg Gallium Ltd. 411 Legget Dr. Description: Communications network software Buyer: PWGSC $668,874
DEW Engineering and Development ULC 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Description: Spare parts Buyer: DND $629,465
Lar-Mex Inc. 5509 Canotek Rd. Description: Chiller system sound reduction/modifications Buyer: PWGSC $439,900
Nortrax Canada Inc. 189 Cardevco Rd. Description: Landfill compactor Buyer: DND $611,819
The AIM Group Inc. 130 Albert St. Description: Project manager for real property Buyer: PWGSC $420,000
whatIf? Technologies Inc. 338 Somerset St. Description: Information retrieval services, database Buyer: Transport Canada $560,762 Ottawa Smalltalk Institute 417 Hilson Ave. Description: Communications network software Buyer: PWGSC $520,026 M&P Tactical Operational Support Services Inc. 120 Iber Rd. Description: Single port air purifying respirators Buyer: DND $495,116
DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. 700 Palladium Dr. Description: Parts kit, electronic equipment Buyer: DND $394,000 Direct Energy Business Services Ltd. 2935 Conroy Rd. Description: Building automation control systems Buyer: PWGSC $355,833 DEW Engineering and Development ULC 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Description: Water heater spares Buyer: DND $308,606
37% 9% 6% 21% 2% 8% 13% 7% 2%
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SUMMER FESTIVAL OR EVENT?
RBC BLUESFEST
OTTAWA MARATHON FOLK FESTIVAL TAMARACK RACE WEEKEND
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MUSIC & BEYOND
Professional Development IT PAYS TO KNOW
Mark your calendar for payroll education! Marty S., CPM - Member, Ontario Region
Improve compliance and reduce the risk of audits and penalties with help from Professional Development seminars from the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA).
Best Practices of Employee Benefits - Sept 24 Payroll Administration in Quebec - Oct 22-23 Special Payments & Completing the ROE - Oct 30
Learn more at payroll.ca. Become a CPA member and get preferred rates on seminars.
Stay Current Stay Compliant
MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015
CPA offers seminars for all levels from beginner to advanced. On a variety of topics covering Learning Payroll, Taxable Benefits, Employment Standards, Pensions and more.
Upcoming Seminars in Ottawa:
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Ottawa Office: 2275 Stevenage Dr., Bay 2, Ottawa, ON K1G 3W1 Phone: 613-248-8887 | Fax: 613-248-8881
Toronto Office: 11 Kelfield St. Toronto, ON M9W 5A1 Phone: 416-663-7976 | Fax: 416-663-3650
Yo u r To t a l R e s t o r a t i o n R e s o u r c e www.brookrestoration.ca