Ottawa Business Journal February 12, 2018

INFLUENCERS

High hopes for Flats PAGES 22-23

Inside Ottawa’s galas, fundraisers and networking events

Former mayor Jim Durrell says he’d be ‘extremely surprised’ if Senators weren’t in new arena within six seasons > PAGE 4

February 12, 2018 Vol. 21, NO. 8

OBJ.social PAGES 16-19

For daily business news visit obj.ca

Creature comeback Local tourism officials make trek to France to discuss bringing wildly popular 2017 spectacle La Machine back to the capital within the next three to four years. > PAGE 8

Better partners

After leaving the Better Software Company last year, Steve Cody has partnered with friend Bruce Linton to regain control of the firm. > PAGES 12-13

Craig Buckley, who opened the first Kettleman’s store 25 years ago in the Glebe, says his ultimate goal is to have up to 25 locations. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Bagel chain fired up about growth Craig Buckley’s fast-rising Kettleman’s Bagel Company set to launch ambitious expansion ‘If you aren’t growing, you’re dying,’ serial entrepreneur says as business prepares to move beyond Ottawa into Toronto > PAGES 6-7

LOOK TO THE FUTURE Thinking about changing careers or climbing the corporate ladder?

Read OBJ’s Focus on Graduate Management March 26, 2018, to learn more about graduate programs for those looking to further their education

Coming March 26

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Tenant’s bankruptcy spurs modernization of west-end building Following sudden closure of Everest College, Ottawa leasing and property manager got creative to attract and retain tenants

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

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hree years ago, officials at Ottawa’s Merkburn Holdings received the news that no landlord wants to hear: An anchor tenant in one of their office buildings was bankrupt.

Prior to its sudden closure, Everest College occupied an entire floor inside the three-storey office building at 1050 Morrison Dr., located a stone’s throw from the Pinecrest Road-Highway 417 interchange.

“We felt terrible for the students,” says Merkburn managing partner Peter Dooher. “But from a business perspective we looked at it and said, ‘Now we have to get the building leased up.’”

Rather than relying solely on marketing the property’s existing assets, such as convenient location and ample parking, Merkburn retrofitted the building to make it more energy efficient and lower its operating costs.

They correctly calculated that the upgrades would benefit the building’s existing tenants while making the property more attractive to other businesses and organizations looking for commercial space.

The one-time Nortel building is now home to a diverse range of organizations, tech firms and professional service providers who say Merkburn’s flexibility and skilled fit-ups helps them run their operations efficiently.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE As a leasing and property management company, Merkburn Holdings starts working with tenants before they even move in.

In the case of St. John Ambulance, this meant a major renovation of the building’s first floor.

“Merkburn stripped

it down to the studs and rebuilt it in the fashion that we needed,” says Shawn McLaren, the director of operations for the Ottawaarea chapter of St. John Ambulance.

The new space was designed to suit the unique needs of the not-for-profit first aid provider, which uses slightly more than 10,000 square feet at 1050 Morrison Dr. as an administrative office, training centre, community service area and storage warehouse.

For example, to facilitate the unloading of cargo and the stocking of ambulances, Merkburn installed a special exterior door in the building that’s accessible only to St. John staff and volunteers.

What’s more impressive is the timeline for the fit-up: Merkburn was able to deliver the fully renovated space in just eight weeks.

“It’s let us re-establish ourselves as the lead first aid provider in the city,” says McLaren. “We’re very happy – this is the building we wanted from the beginning, and they worked very hard to

PROPERTY UPGRADES Constructed in 1984, the building was originally used by telecom giant Nortel.

Merkburn purchased it in 2005, at which time it underwent a major renovation and was subdivided into a multi-tenant layout.

In addition to the many improvements that have been made to the west-end property, its proximity to the Queensway is also a major draw for tenants. The eastbound on-ramp runs directly past the building’s rear parking lot.

Following the college’s closure, Merkburn gutted much of the building, upgrading its electric baseboard heating to gas and retrofitting the lights to energy make it happen.”

One floor up, tech support firm HostedBizz had a similarly positive experience upon moving into a suite on the building’s second floor, in space formerly occupied by Everest College.

Co-founders Jim Stechyson and Paul Butcher wanted their space to reflect the vibrant energy of the firm, which offers cloud-based IT services to businesses across Canada.

The open-concept office is outfitted with several breakout rooms as well as designated focus areas. The

efficient LEDs. The heating and AC, which was also upgraded, are now operated on a smart system. It adjusts the temperature in different areas of the building based on factors including occupancy and the weather.

“It makes us more competitive in the marketplace,” says Peter Dooher, managing partner at Merkburn Holdings.

The ultimate goal for Merkburn was to lower the building’s operating costs by $2 per square foot. Though it’s been less than a year since the upgrades went in, they’ve already dropped by over a dollar, and are on track to meet the goal in the coming year.

bright space features large glass walls, and is decorated in HostedBizz’s colours: green, white and grey.

Though a third-party designer drafted a concept for their office, once it was handed to Merkburn the property manager was able to implement it to a tee.

“It really was a full turnkey delivery for HostedBizz,”

says Stechyson. “Merkburn removed the burden from having to worry about any of the fit-up coordination.”

Are you considering your next move? Merkburn has many properties available, including units at 1050 Morrison Dr. Head to Merkburn.com for leasing opportunities.

PROFILE ‘I want to feel good about the work I do’ A brush with mortality has given public relations professional Karen Wood a new perspective on life

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

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f you attended Carleton University in the mid ’80s, you were more likely to see Karen Wood socializing in the student association’s Rooster’s Coffeehouse than studying all alone in the library.

That she switched from a bachelor of arts degree in economics to hospitality and tourism management at Ryerson University was the first of many steps Wood took toward becoming a well-known public relations professional in Ottawa.

“I think inherently you end up doing what you’re supposed to do, and I was always the connector,” she says over a lateafternoon glass of white wine inside Joey Restaurant at Lansdowne.

“I’d meet people through my different channels, I’d hold a party and introduce them to each other, and the next thing you know, they’re all friends.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary since Wood launched Knock on Wood, a local company specializing in communications, event management and marketing. She’s primarily worked with the hospitality and entertainment sectors, although it’s her promotion of non-profit organizations that she’s found most satisfying.

One of her biggest challenges to running a business has been not knowing whether she’s selling herself short. She was once asked by her brother how often she wins contracts. Her success rate was 90-plus per cent, she told him. But her smugness was short-lived.

“You’re not charging enough,” he advised.

(courtesy of friend and professional makeup artist Leslie-Anne Barrett) is a woman who’s starting to get her mojo back.

Wood, 52, learned last year she had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. It’s the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

in adults. It was first detected while she was undergoing tests in June for unrelated stomach cramping.

She wasn’t officially diagnosed until September, following a biopsy. That meant she spent her summer of 2017 knowing she

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KAREN WOOD She has twice been a finalist in the entrepreneurial category for Businesswoman of the Year.

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride,” she quips.

She’s an early riser. Contributing factors include her childhood history as a competitive swimmer with pre-sunrise practices.

The best career advice she’s ever received came from Roger Neilson House co-founder Dave Ready. He once told her, when her job in promotions had stalled, to embrace change. She did by starting Knock on Wood in 1998.

One of her first gigs with KOW was to promote the opening of the former Empire Grill restaurant in the ByWard Market.

Wood’s work with charities has included the Snowsuit Fund, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, CHEO, Roger Neilson House, Canadian Museum of Nature, United Way, Max Keeping Foundation, Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa.

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likely had cancer but without any idea of how serious it was.

Once the disease was confirmed, she was referred to the General campus of the Ottawa Hospital. She knew she was in good hands upon learning her hematologist was Dr. Carolyn Faught.

They’d attended Sir Robert Borden High School together.

“She was the smartest girl in my high school,” Wood recalls of the blood specialist who’s as plain-spoken as herself.

Wood continued to work part-time while undergoing chemotherapy, both to support herself and her son, and to stay busy. By her fourth treatment, she learned she was in remission. She completed her sixth and final round of chemotherapy on Jan. 5.

“Throughout my illness, everyone so stepped up,” she says. “Forty people started a meal train and were dropping off meals for me. It was amazing.”

Continued on page 24

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

‘IT’S ALWAYS A STRUGGLE’ “It’s always a struggle – with the PR landscape constantly changing – to know the perfect combination of what the market will bear and what you’re worth.”

For years, Wood had an office and in-house staff on MacLaren Street in Centretown, where she also hosted annual holiday parties that were legendary for their fun. She now operates Knock on Wood as a virtual agency, with a network of communicators, digital strategists and event planners that she calls upon when needed.

Wood has balanced running a business while single-handedly raising her 10-yearold son Ian and, more recently, battling cancer.

The physical effects of her treatment aren’t obvious, but beneath her stylish wig and those natural-looking eyebrows

Knock on Wood founder Karen Wood says her battle with cancer has taught her to appreciate friends and family more. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

REAL ESTATE ‘There’s not going to be any turning back now’ Former mayor Jim Durrell is all too familiar with failed plans to redevelop LeBreton Flats, but he believes this time all the right ingredients are finally in place to revitalize the long-vacant site

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

erhaps better than anyone in the city of Ottawa, Jim Durrell can appreciate many residents’ reluctance to believe there will be an NHL arena at LeBreton Flats until they actually see it with their own eyes.

Durrell, after all, was the capital’s mayor three decades ago when he and then-regional chair Andy Haydon tried to work out an agreement with the National Capital Commission to redevelop the coveted 21-hectare property just west of downtown.

As everyone knows all too well, those efforts failed, and the mostly vacant land remains to many a symbol of how the tentacles of bureaucracy continue to hold back progress in Ottawa.

Not surprisingly, then, Durrell understands the public’s somewhat muted reaction to last month’s news that the NCC has reached an agreement in principle to hand over ownership of the property to the Ottawa Senators-backed RendezVous LeBreton Group, which plans to build a new home for the city’s NHL franchise on the site.

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But the 71-year-old businessman says he’s convinced the multibilliondollar proposal to turn the Flats into a bustling residential, commercial and entertainment mecca is the real deal.

“I haven’t even a shadow of doubt in my mind,” he says. “I don’t blame people for being a touch cynical wondering if it ever will happen because it’s laid fallow for so long. But it’s on the right track now.”

The NCC and RendezVous LeBreton will spend the next 18 months establishing a master design plan for the lands, and NCC chief executive Mark Kristmanson told reporters last month there are still “challenging” negotiations ahead before a final agreement is reached. But the agency also said once a deal is officially sealed, shovels could be in the ground as early as next year.

Durrell thinks that timeline might be a tad optimistic, but he still envisions the Senators taking to the ice in a state-ofthe-art new arena by the middle of the next decade.

“I would be extremely surprised if our hockey team wasn’t playing in there six seasons from now, and I would hope five seasons from now,” he says.

Asked why he’s so bullish, Durrell points to the track record of lead

Residents look at a model of the RendezVous LeBreton proposal in 2016. FILE PHOTO

RendezVous LeBreton partner John Ruddy and his Trinity Development Group, which has built nearly 30 million square feet of commercial real estate across Canada.

“When you look at somebody like John Ruddy, a very reputable player involved … We now have the people with the ability to get it financed and we have the concurrence for the most part with the city and the NCC. They’ve gone, in my humble estimation, far enough that there’s not going to be any turning back now,” he says.

“I think all of the players involved – the NCC, Trinity Developments, the Senators – they know a lot more than is being discussed (publicly). A lot of work has been done on this behind the scenes to estimate the financing costs, what works, what doesn’t work, how much

money is realistically available to put a project of this magnitude together. If those numbers didn’t work, then frankly one or all of the parties would’ve already bowed out.”

‘I CAN’T IMAGINE IT NOT HAPPENING’ The former politician, who helped lead the drive to bring the Senators back to the NHL and served as the team’s first president, says too much time and money has already been spent on the project to have it fall apart.

“Millions of dollars have been spent already just in getting to this point,” says Durrell, who is now president of a car dealership. “You don’t spend that type of money on just a whim. I can’t imagine it not happening.”

Continued on page 15

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Clearford Water Systems acquires Koester Canada and its Team Aquatic division Complex M&A deal spearheaded by Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall law firm

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he acquisition of another company is often a game-changer for a business, but it can also bring with it a great deal of stress and uncertainty.

For Clearford Water Systems, the decision to acquire Koester Canada and its Team Aquatic division was a great business move.

The acquisition, which was finalized in November, rounds out the water management firm’s service offering. Now, Clearford is able to operate much like a utility provider, constructing its own pipelines while also building and operating all its own waste-water treatment facilities.

Though everything is now flowing smoothly with the company’s new additions, the transaction did not come without its headaches.

“It was quite complex,” says Kevin Loiselle, Clearford’s president and CEO. To navigate the complicated purchase, Clearford called upon the dedicated team of business lawyers at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l. to oversee the entire process.

ensure all public company requirements were met.

The financing of the acquisition was also not cookie cutter.

The acquisition, which was finalized in November, rounds out the water management firm’s service offering.

THE ART OF THE CLOSE In complex M&A transactions such as this one, there is a tendency for the process to leave everyone involved exhausted by the end. As Loiselle puts it, people get “battle weary.”

As a result, it often falls to the legal team to rally both sides and keep the momentum going.

“The end game is closing,” says Gerrior.

“You’ve got to close deals — that’s what makes money for your client.”

As an Ottawa-based business, Clearford was also pleased to be able to work with a local law firm rather than having to go to Toronto to receive top-notch legal services.

“The acquisition is working out well for Clearford,” says Loiselle. “It’s turned out to be a really good decision for us.”

To learn more about how Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l. can assist with your M&A, visit perlaw.ca.

CLEARFORD WATER SYSTEMS Clearford offers a non-traditional water and waste-water management system that is less costly and more envirofriendly than the typical municipal model.

Koester Canada, now called Clearford Koester Canada, designs and builds water and waste-water treatment plants. Clearford Waterworks, formerly Team Aquatic, is the operational division of the company. Its team of highly skilled personnel are trained to maintain and run Clearford’s treatment facilities.

The process uses primary treatment tanks, or biodigesters, in front of its pipe networks, meaning wastewater undergoes primary treatment before it reaches the plant. That leads to a lower volume of liquid only sewage to be transported and allows for the use of much smaller pipes and much smaller treatment plants.

The installation is also less invasive and in many cases can be done with horizontal drilling, which prevents the need to excavate large swaths of road.

The firm also employs leak-proof, plastic piping.

By contrast, traditional treatment systems transport waste-water through massive PVC or concrete pipes that are prone to leakage. While concerns often focus on sewage leaking out, Clearford president and CEO Kevin Loiselle explains that it’s actually more common for groundwater to leak into sewage lines.

In many cases, the concrete pipes that are installed are up to 25 per cent larger than needed to account for the groundwater that will inevitably leak in. This leads to more water having to be both transported and sanitized, making the whole process more costly and much less environmentally friendly.

Learn more at clearford.com.

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“Most times, you pay the money and you buy the company,” says Michael Gerrior, a partner with PerleyRobertson, Hill & McDougall and a member of the firm’s business law group.

“Because of the financing structure Clearford has, you can’t necessarily do that in straight lines.”

Clearford obtained backing from two investors to finance the deal, though one supplied equity while the other offered debt. Ultimately, the interests of these parties and the terms of the investments had to be accommodated in negotiations and the final documentation.

Loiselle credits the team at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall with ensuring the transaction went through, despite the myriad of complications. In particular, Robert Kinghan, a partner at the firm and the head of its business law group, had a huge hand in its success.

“Without that kind of assistance, this deal would have collapsed,” says Loiselle.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

M&A EXPERTISE The transaction was crossborder, with the majority of sellers based in the United States. This adds a layer of complexity as both the buyer and sellers need to be conscientious of tax and corporate laws in the other country.

Clearford Water Systems, is a public company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. As a result, there were specific rules the company had to follow to ensure the details of the negotiation were not made public prior to a definitive agreement being in place.

The company worked closely with legal counsel to

FROM LEFT: MIKE GERRIOR, PARTNER, PRHM; ROB KINGHAN, PARTNER, PRHM; KEVIN LOISELLE, PRESIDENT & CEO, CLEARFORD WATER SYSTEMS INC.

RESTAURANTS

Twenty-five years after opening his first store, Kettleman’s Bagel Company founder Craig Buckley now operates three locations and employs nearly 250 people in Ottawa. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Serial entrepreneur’s bagel chain on the rise Craig Buckley lands new business partner with the aim of taking his Kettleman’s stores to Toronto and beyond in ambitious expansion bid

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

caroline@obj.ca

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ant to know what’s expanding faster than dough in a woodburning oven? Kettleman’s Bagel Company.

Ottawa-based bagel shop owner Craig Buckley has plans to grow his current three locations to a baker’s dozen and beyond within the next three years. He’s looking to enter retail markets in other major cities, including Toronto, through new investment money coming in from a private growth equity firm in Montreal.

“Our ultimate goal is to get to between 20 and 25 restaurants,” says Buckley inside the winterized patio at his 912 Bank St. location in the Glebe.

The patio, which is warm and

cozy with hanging lights and sturdy, indestructible tables, was built three years ago to provide more year-round space for customers. Buckley had seen a similar restaurant addition during one of his regular visits to other cities, and decided to improve upon the borrowed idea.

“You know what they say: ‘Pioneers often end up with arrows in their backs.’”

Buckley, 52, is what you’d call a serial entrepreneur, having run 12 businesses of various kinds. He’s only once ever worked for someone else – at Steinberg supermarket when he was a teenager.

In the 1980s, he studied commerce at Concordia in his hometown of Montreal, followed by economics at McGill.

“I didn’t last a month because I realized that I didn’t want to become a banker, I wanted to become an entrepreneur,” he explains.

“We’ve never had a down year ever.

Even when the Atkins low-carb diet was around, our sales weren’t as high, but we never had a down year.”

– KETTLEMAN’S BAGEL COMPANY FOUNDER CRAIG BUCKLEY

This year marks the 25th anniversary of his bagel shop. It began as just an 11-seat space that had previously served as a Fat Albert’s submarine sandwich joint. The name Kettleman’s refers to the unique boiling or “kettling” process that adds a hard crust to bagels.

Right from the start, there were

customer lineups. That’s because the business sells fresh Montreal-style bagels, hand-rolled by trained bakers and plank-baked in a wood-burning oven, all in plain view of the public. It also stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as is customary with bagel shops in Montreal.

So popular are bagels – which originated in Poland some 400 years ago – that they even have their own national day on Feb. 9.

“Every morning I get up and I’m excited to go to work. I’m never like ‘Uhhh,” sighs the married businessman.

Moreover, he has no interest in ever retiring.

“Everybody dreams of retirement, but then you retire and go, ‘Now what do I do?’”

On any given day, Kettleman’s bakes 6,000 bagels. Its most popular variety?

Sesame. Its best-sold sandwich? The breakfast bagel. Kettleman’s roasts and brines its own meats for its popular sandwiches, while its smoked meats come from Montreal.

“We’ve never had a down year ever.

Ever,” says Buckley. “Even when the Atkins low-carb diet was around, our sales weren’t as high, but we never had a down year.”

Its annual sales the first year surpassed the seven-figure mark and doubled by the time Kettleman’s hit its 20-year milestone. It was around that point that Buckley reached a deal that would see his founding business partner bow out.

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One of Mr. Buckley’s early influences was a book by Peter C. Newman called The Canadian Establishment. It inspired him to go out of his way to meet Canadian billionaire Paul Desmarais Sr., who built one of the country’s biggest fortunes after reviving his family’s fleet of buses in a mining town. For two weeks, the budding entrepreneur would drop by Mr. Desmarais’ Canada Steamship Lines headquarters each day in Montreal and wait for him to exit the building, so that he could introduce himself. The man never appeared.

He found out much later from a friend in the elevator business that Mr. Desmarais had his own private elevator that took him between his underground parked car and his office.

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Ah, but there’s still one other successful businessman on Mr. Buckley’s people-tomeet list: George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada and McDonald’s Russia. A meeting has been arranged for this spring through a mutual friend.

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As shocking as this sounds, one of his early entrepreneurial efforts was running his own condom business in Montreal. “I had my grandparents, my parents and all my family packaging them,” he recalls.

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Mr. Buckley’s first business in Ottawa was a Sunny’s Petroleum gas station at the downtown corner of Kent Street and Gladstone Avenue. He worked seven days a week, 16 hours a day. He earned only about $13,500 that year, in 1987, but the experience taught him more about business than school ever did.

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Another idea Mr. Buckley picked up from his travels was to switch from the take-anumber system to giving customers pagers that alert them when their sandwich order is ready.

The signal reaches as far as Irene’s Pub across the road from his Glebe store.

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The business has close to 250 employees and prefers to hire from within. Bakers go through a minimum of six months’ paid training, while it takes about 120 hours of learning before new floor hires are ready.

There’s a sense of pride when Buckley talks about his staff, including one of his managers – a former Syrian refugee who escaped to Canada after being imprisoned for his views against the al-Assad government.

“He’s doing an amazing job,” he says.

Buckley, or “Craig” as he’s known to his staff, likes to empower his employees to come up with ideas and suggestions for improvement. He keeps wages above minimum, with long-time managers earning $50,000 to $60,000 a year.

It’s Buckley’s hope that his investment in new and existing employees will result in them choosing to make a career out of Kettleman’s.

“Even if they don’t stay with us, when they leave we’ve taught them so much, such as discipline, working with others, thinking on their own and dealing with customers.

Whatever they go and do, they’re going to be a much better person.”

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

‘IF YOU AREN’T GROWING, YOU’RE DYING’ “I had to get rid of my partner; he was holding me back,” says Buckley. “If you aren’t growing, you’re dying.”

It was a smart move, because Buckley was then in a position to join forces with a highly accomplished Ottawa businessman.

“It’s one of the best things I ever did,” says Buckley.

Kettleman’s annual sales more than doubled again, but this time it took only four years.

He and his new partner – who would prefer to stay in the background for now – opened a second location at the west-end College Square, near Algonquin College, in September 2016 and a third location in the east-end Train Yards shopping district last July.

Both locations, which have the advantage of ample free parking, are performing “extremely well,” says Buckley.

He’s also hired Amer Wahab, formerly of Five Guys Burgers & Fries, to head operations while he works on the business expansion.

Now, if you think Buckley is rolling in dough – as in the green kind – think again. He cut his income in half while investing millions of dollars into his business. Moreover, the amount of money he spends on property and business taxes, hydro, uniform costs and staff training is absolutely staggering.

Key to the company’s expansion, he says, will be getting well-trained teams together. It’s going to take time, he concedes.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CRAIG BUCKLEY

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The giant mechanical dragon Long Ma or similar creatures could soon be strolling Ottawa’s streets again. PHOTO COURTESY OTTAWA 2017 BUREAU

Carlo Lombard, 238-1818 ext. 230 carlo@obj.ca

City pursuing return visit for La Machine

Victoria Stewart, 238-1818 ext. 226 victoria@obj.ca

Ottawa tourism officials in talks to bring popular spectacle back to capital as early as 2020

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

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ttawans who were captivated last summer by the mechanical creatures of La Machine might not have to wait too long for a return visit if the capital’s tourism boosters have their way.

The man behind Ottawa’s Canada 150 celebrations spent four days in France earlier this month with La Machine’s production company to discuss the possibility of bringing the much-publicized spectacle back to the city as early as two years from now.

“There’s definitely strong interest, strong desire from local stakeholders, political leaders and obviously from the public’s perspective,” said Guy Laflamme, executive director of the Ottawa 2017 Bureau.

“It’s far from being a done deal. We’re pursuing discussions and further exploring possibilities to make it happen.”

About 750,000 people are estimated to have flocked to the city’s downtown core over a four-day span last July to witness the massive fire-breathing dragon-horse,

Long Ma, and the towering mechanical spider Kumo walk the streets of the ByWard Market and square off in choreographed battles.

With a price tag of $4.5 million, La Machine was the most expensive event on the Canada 150 calendar, but Laflamme said its payoff was immense.

“It was the ball out of the park,” he said.

“It was the most successful component of our program, definitely in terms of wide reach, branding impact, marketing impact, economic return on investment.”

The French embassy paid for the bulk of the trip to La Machine’s headquarters in Nantes, France, which Laflamme visited along with representatives from the mayor’s office and Ottawa Tourism.

Laflamme said it will likely be 2020 or 2021 at the earliest before the spectacle returns to the city, in part to build public anticipation and allow time to work out all the logistics.

Ottawa 2017’s chief event planner suggested local tourism officials might want to partner with another North American city to share the estimated $500,000 cost of shipping the giant mechanical creatures

across the Atlantic.

“It would kill the magic and the novelty effect” to bring the event back next year, Laflamme said. “Just in terms of the planning and everything that is required to possibly bring them back, it would be at least a three-, four-year cycle to get everything aligned to be able to move forward.”

He also said the city might want to consider other sites in the downtown core for the staged battle scenes, noting the lawn in front of the Supreme Court of Canada proved to be too cramped for the thousands of spectators who thronged to witness the spectacle.

CHAUDIERE ISLAND Laflamme suggested Chaudiere Island, one of the homes of the new $1.2-billion Zibi residential, retail and commercial mega-project, could be a potential location for the event next time around.

“With the development on the island, that clearly opens up all kinds of new possibilities for additional potential sites,” he said.

Continued on page 11

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes, 238-1818 ext. 253 creative@greatriver.ca ART DEPARTMENT Regan Van Dusen, 238-1818 ext. 254 regan@greatriver.ca Celine Paquette, 238-1818 ext. 252 celine@greatriver.ca FINANCE Jackie Whalen, 238-1818 ext. 250 jackie@greatriver.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS/DISTRIBUTION Patti Moran, 238-1818 ext. 248 subscribe@obj.ca PRINTED BY Transcontinental Qualimax 130 Adrien-Robert, Parc Industriel Richelieu Gatineau, QC J8Y 3S2 NEWS RELEASES Please e-mail to editor@obj.ca.

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Letters can be e-mailed to editor@obj.ca.

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SPOTLIGHT ON RECRUITMENT

TE DA I D

E OY PL

R

Should you use a specialized recruiter to find your next employee?

N CA

EM

What to consider when deciding whether to bring an expert into the hiring process

A

nyone who’s been tasked with hiring a new team member at work knows it is a timeconsuming process.

Draft a job posting. Post it on job boards. Sift through applicants. The list goes on. And even then, you may not end up with the ideal match.

In many cases, companies turn to a recruitment firm for help. The right recruiter can find the strongest candidates available, in a fraction of the time it might take an HR professional or hiring manager to do so.

Stevenson & White is an Ottawa recruitment firm focused on finance, accounting and payroll positions. During its nearly two decades, the firm’s professionals have learned when it makes the most sense for a company to use a recruiter. They understand that their candidates have to be better than the people a company can source on its own.

HIRING SAVVY

CONNECTIONS

In many cases, it takes more than scanning job boards and collecting resumes to find top talent — especially when you’re hiring a financial or accounting professional, who is typically a trusted advisor to a business owner or CEO. Recruitment firms are connected to a deep pool of candidates, including those who are not actively checking job postings. Stevenson & White meets with every new client to understand their workplace culture and their business needs. They also sit down with each candidate to better understand what

I’M LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB. SHOULD I CALL A RECRUITER?

No matter your employment status, contacting a recruitment firm can be the first step on the road to landing your dream job.

Recruitment candidates range from unemployed and looking for work to currently employed but selectively looking for their next career move.

The biggest benefit for a candidate in calling upon a recruiter is time saved. Rather than spending hours preparing and sending cover letters and CVs to an assortment of potential employers, candidates can rest assured knowing they’ll be matched when the right opportunity arises. Some companies also don’t post their own jobs and prefer to work exclusively with a recruiter.

At Stevenson & White, recruiters take the time to meet with each new candidate so they fully understand what the candidate is looking for. This allows the individual to relax, have an open dialogue and place their own needs above those of a potential employer.

Finance. Accounting. Payroll.

they’re looking for. This enables the firm’s recruiters to have greater insight into which candidates will be a fit for a particular company.

“It’s not about sending tons of candidates or tons of resumes, it’s about sending the right ones,” says Anne Stevenson, the founder and managing partner at Stevenson & White.

PROFESSIONALISM

What happens if, despite best efforts, the candidate you choose turns out not to be a good match after spending a few months in your office?

If you hired the person yourself, it means you have to start the process from scratch.

Recruitment firms, however, typically stand by their placements and will find a replacement at no additional cost. Stevenson & White doubles the industry standard, guaranteeing all of its placements for six months.

Recruiters can also help when a company must make confidential staffing changes — a sensitive process requiring discretion.

Stevenson & White can perform a stealth search with a high degree of professionalism, ensuring the name of the client remains confidential. They can also provide confidential interview space at their own office so managers don’t have to bring candidates on-site.

Ultimately, the best way to decide whether to use a recruitment firm is to pick up the phone and speak to a professional about your needs.

09 OBJ.CA

Stevenson & White can help.

Head to stevensonandwhite.com for more information or call 613-225-5417.

Stevenson & White’s team of recruiters. From left: Sharon Lloyd, Anne Stevenson, Matt Stevenson and Tracey Windsor.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Professional recruiters are full-time hiring experts, trained to identify the strongest person for the job amid a sea of potential candidates.

Specialized recruitment firms offer additional value because they have an even deeper understanding of a specific candidate market.

Stevenson & White’s decision to focus solely on finance, accounting and payroll enables the team to have a thorough understanding of the roles their clients are looking to fill. The firm has a strong grasp on credentials and understands a position’s requirements, including the most technical qualifications.

Financial roles are usually vital to a business.

Stevenson & White knows this and therefore moves quickly in locating candidates.

“Usually, there’s urgency to filling the role,” says Matt Stevenson, a partner with the firm. “It can be very detrimental to a company to go without a CFO, bookkeeper or other finance or accounting position for long.”

In contrast to professional recruiters, most HR professionals only spend a modest portion of their time on hiring. They may also lack expertise in the field they’re hiring in, especially for positions they rarely need to fill. Meanwhile, small companies

often rely on an owner or manager to oversee the hiring of new staff on top of their other responsibilities.

Working with a recruitment firm can help to alleviate these pressures, leaving managers or owners to instead focus on growing the business.

When you have BIG AMBITIONS for your business, you need a SOLID TEAM supporting you.

Your business needs a hipster, a hacker and a hustler

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

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Virtual CFOs, Controllers and Bookkeepers on demand.

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“It was the ball out of the park. It was the most successful component of our program, definitely in terms of wide reach, branding impact, marketing impact, economic return on investment.”

– OTTAWA 2017 BUREAU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GUY LAFLAMME ON LA MACHINE

Continued from page 8 Laflamme is not alone in musing about turning some of the most successful Canada 150 events into more regular occurrences.

Mayor Jim Watson has repeatedly said he’d like to see a revival of last year’s popular Interprovincial Picnic on the Bridge, and other events such as Ottawa Welcomes the World are also prime candidates to return in the near future.

Ottawa Tourism head Michael Crockatt told OBJ late last year the agency recently hired a full-time employee to study the economic impact of events such as La Machine with the aim of determining which ones would be most worth bringing back.

“I would say without a doubt we will be

able to continue some of these (events), either in 2018 or in future years,” he said.

“The costs of some of them are high, but the benefits are enormous. We want informed, smart decisions that are based on data and evidence, and that’s our next step.”

Watson has said funding such spectacles could be a challenge, adding the city and Ottawa Tourism will likely have to seek out private-sector partners to help foot the bill for their return.

The new four per cent hotel tax, which debuted on Jan. 1 to replace a former voluntary levy and is expected to generate up to $12 million a year, could also help offset the costs of hosting such events, officials say.

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Consulting. Coaching. Virtual/Interim Management.

11 OBJ.CA

TECHNOLOGY Cody, Linton expect big things from Better buy Online rental platform acquires Better Software Company in bid to capitalize on ‘synergies’ between two ventures

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

T

wo of the capital’s brightest entrepreneurial stars are now business partners in a pair of ventures they project will each be generating millions of dollars in revenues before the year is out.

Steve Cody and Bruce Linton have joined forces to purchase all

Université d’Ottawa

|

assets and intellectual property in the Better Software Company, a business management platform Cody launched three and a half years ago before leaving last summer to hatch a new online rental marketplace.

That company, Ruckify, is now jointly owned by serial entrepreneur Cody and his good friend and Kanata neighbour Linton, who’s best known for being CEO of medical marijuana powerhouse Canopy Growth.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Readiness and Resilience in the Age of Disruption World’s security experts converge on Ottawa for this inaugural conference

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Join us as we discuss the emerging and exigent threats with many of the world’s pre-eminent physical and cyber security practitioners.

Together we will consider new strategies to address the safety and security challenges of the 21st century.

The conference will also feature a Technology Expo that will showcase new technologies and services in support of readiness and resilience.

Seats are limited

Last month, Ruckify bought the assets of Better Software from VC investors Mistral Venture Partners and Wesley Clover International. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Cody said the acquisition makes sense because each company can feed

customers to the other.

Better Software makes applications that help franchise-based operations better manage their stores, while Ruckify offers an online platform that allows customers to rent items they don’t want to buy.

University of Ottawa

2018 Physical and Cyber Security Conference

12

Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton is a partner in Ruckify, a new online rental startup. FILE PHOTO

Register online at: www.continue.uOttawa.ca/RR

When: February 27, 28, 2018 Where: Ottawa Conference and Event Center TOPICS INCLUDE: • Cyber Crime

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

• Terrorism

• Mr. John Brennan,

• Emergency Management Planning for the Next Disaster • The New Soft Targets – Keeping the Threat in Perspective • Executive Security in the Age of Disruption • State Cyber Ops and Cyber Security • Radicalization and the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon • Crowd Management Public Safety and Security

former Director, Central Intelligence Agency

• Senior government and corporate officials from Canada, US and allied countries

• Subject matter experts from the academic and business communities The complete list of keynote speakers and panelists may be found at our website.

“I’ve done several businesses, and I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of just striking a chord with people.”

– RUCKIFY FOUNDER STEVE CODY

Many of Better Software’s customers own equipment they could rent out on Ruckify when they’re not using it, Cody explains. Meanwhile, a number of people posting items on Ruckify have suggested they might want to eventually launch their own rental businesses, he says – making them natural clients for Better Software.

“It just became obvious that there were a lot of synergies between the two,” Cody says.

The two companies’ applications will be linked through a common interface that will make using them a seamless experience for customers, he says. Better Software might eventually be rebranded as well.

Launched last fall, Ruckify brings renters and owners together in much the same way Kijiji connects buyers and sellers. The company – which now

employs eight people – takes a five per cent cut of all transactions, with a minimum fee of $5 and a maximum of $50. It costs nothing to post items, and Ruckify takes care of all insurance requirements.

The website has been in beta testing since its launch and aims to go live in Ottawa in about another month, Cody says. It already has more than 20,000 items in its catalogue from basketball nets to pizza ovens.

CUSTOMERS ‘GET IT’ “We really want to get it right, because we are the first platform of its kind,” Cody says. “We want to put as much distance between ourselves and anybody that’s going to want to copy us.”

He and Linton – who provided some of the inspiration for Ruckify when he grumbled to his neighbour Cody about

O"

Cody said 18 potential angel investors contacted him after reading the posts, with more than half a dozen already pledging seed capital.

“I don’t think funding will be the issue,” Linton adds.

Cody and Linton say they’ve turned down two offers of venture capital because they want Ruckify to grow at its own pace without facing any pressure from institutional investors. Their belief in the company’s potential is clear when they note they’ve already talked about taking the company public down the road.

“People get it and they really like the brand,” Cody says. “The big thing will be growing the business. I think that comes with creating an awesome product that customers love, and then things will take care of themselves as long as you have a good team.”

Things are looking up at Better Software as well, he says, noting the firm just landed a new customer that could boost its revenues by 20 per cent.

And as for business partners, he says he couldn’t imagine a better one than Linton.

“Both our visions are aligned in terms of building something very, very special,” Cody says.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

BMO

having to shell out $800 for a chainsaw he was likely going to need only once – are bullish on the fledgling firm’s prospects.

Even though the site is still a month away from being available to the general public, Cody says customers are already eager to do business on Ruckify.

“We’re already renting,” he says.

“People are just calling up and asking for stuff.”

Linton, who knows a thing or two about being an early player in a disruptive field, says Ruckify is an idea whose time has come.

“As soon as you describe it to someone, they get it,” he says.

Cody says Ruckify will expand its platform beyond Ottawa once it has amassed $5 million in revenues – a target he fully expects to hit by the end of this year.

“I’ve done several businesses, and I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of just striking a chord with people,” he explains. “But you only kind of know when the rubber hits the road. All signals are very good right now, but it’s all subject to reality.”

If the response to a pair of recent LinkedIn posts about the company is any indication, its future is indeed bright.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

SILVER SPONSORS

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BRONZE SPONSORS Arnon Corporation • Astley Gilbert • Ottawa Firefighters • Stewart Title • Transalta Uniform Developments • Wesley Clover Foundation

“I would be extremely surprised if our hockey team wasn’t playing in there six seasons from now, and I would hope five seasons from now.”

– FORMER MAYOR JIM DURRELL, ON PLANS FOR A NEW NHL ARENA AT LEBRETON FLATS

Continued from page 4 For a glimpse into how the project could reshape the city, he looks west to Edmonton, where the Alberta capital has revitalized its downtown core thanks to a massive residential and commercial redevelopment anchored by Rogers Place, the $600-million new home of the Oilers.

“Like Edmonton, now the momentum is there,” Durrell says. “Success feeds success in business, and having a major entertainment centre downtown just spawns automatic development because it’s a place people want to be.

“You need people living downtown.

People will live downtown when they can work downtown. They’ll live and work downtown if there are places to go and shop and restaurants to eat in and entertainment places. All of those things,

regardless of how times change and transportation changes, all those things make imminent sense.”

Durrell likes to break down largescale development projects into fiveyear segments because they’re easier to envision. He says once an arena is up and running five or six years from now, more condos and shops will inevitably follow.

“It then becomes a snowball as it unfolds. This thing is unfolding nicely right now.”

Ultimately, he adds, the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats will make Ottawa a better place to live, work and play.

“You can attract better people when you have cities that work. And this city has all of the makings of a city that works.

LeBreton Flats coming to fruition will just accentuate that.”

T E L F E R S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T U N I V E R S I T Y O F O T TA W A

2018

POST-BUDGET BREAKFAST The highly-anticipated federal budget will be released in a matter of weeks. What will it mean for business? What will it mean for Canada? What will it mean for Ottawa?

Gain insights on business, tax and economic measures and determine what it means for you.

Stay tuned for more information on this must-attend breakfast.

Watch ottawachamber.ca for event details.

Creating value in any language

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Desmarais Building 55 Laurier Ave East Camille Villeneuve Room (4101)

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Collins Barrow Ottawa LLP Chartered Professional Accountants 301 Moodie Drive, Suite 400 Ottawa, Ontario K2H 9C4 Phone: 613-820-8010 Fax: 613-820-0465

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

CEO OF THE YEAR BREAKFAST

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BUSINESS DINNER

From left, keynote speaker Terry Davis with Marisha Sesto, Gabriel Chapman, Aveen Habib and François Julien at the Telfer School of Management’s 27th annual Toast to Success business dinner organized by the school’s Entrepreneurs’ Club at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Feb. 1.

From left, David Logan and Trevor Kennedy, both partners with accounting firm Logan Katz LLP and graduates of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.

Home Hardware boss offers constructive advice to Ottawa business audience

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management really nailed it this year by bringing the CEO of Home Hardware to speak at the 27th annual Toast to Success dinner organized by its Entrepreneurs’ Club.

More than 200 attendees gathered on Feb. 1 at the Château Laurier, including the dean of the business school, François Julien, club co-presidents Marisha Sesto and Aveen Habib, and the business dinner's project manager, Gabriel Chapman.

Terry Davis, chief executive of the Canadian-owned home-improvement

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chain Home Hardware, was entertaining and engaging as keynote speaker. It was Sesto’s grandfather who got Davis his first job with Home Hardware, in the warehouse. Davis may be head honcho now, but he started off earning $2 an hour in 1970.

Last year, Home Hardware, a cooperative of roughly 1,100 independent hardware stores, sold $6.3 billion worth of hardware and home improvement products across the country.

Home Hardware can be traced back to a side wholesale business occupying 300 square feet of space atop a retail store in

St. Jacobs, a small southwestern Ontario community that still serves as company headquarters.

Its big break came in 1963, when a group of independent hardware store owners – facing stiff competition from the growth of discount chains – agreed they would benefit from an organization that would allow for lower wholesale prices thanks to buying in bulk. A total of 122 dealers committed to the concept and formed a privately owned wholesale company.

"To this day, one of the seven principles of our company is that every

dealer is treated equally," said Davis, who opted for a regular business suit over the company’s trademark bright red jacket.

The dinner crowd heard how the small company's first attempts to roll into the Atlantic provinces were a financial disaster, until a more affordable shipping solution was finally found: Buy fish guts from a plant in Nova Scotia, sell them to mink farmers in Ontario for food, then wash the trucks out thoroughly before transporting the hardware back in those trucks.

“When looking for partners to further your causes, don’t look in the obvious

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places – look in places that aren’t that obvious,” Davis advised. “It worked out for us.”

He also told the room how the company’s initial efforts to market itself on TV in the 1970s flopped. What it did instead to build its brand was buy large quantities of products, such as the Fantastic Lint Brush, that were being peddled on late-night television. As a result, Home Hardware was always the first company mentioned when the ads informed consumers where the product was sold.

“All everybody heard was, 'Available at Home Hardware, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,'” said Davis. “You’ve got to get your brand out there. If it means riding the coattails of others, do it. Just get your name out there in the public consciousness. That’s how you grow.”

Davis also spoke about the benefits of vertical integration, when a company controls the supply chain from manufacturing to end sales. Upon learning that its paint manufacturer, Sherwin-Williams, was going to be opening its own stores, Home Hardware decided to take out the middleman and create its own paint manufacturing facilities.

It’s important, however, to stick to your knitting, Davis added. He warned the

young entrepreneurs against the dangers of diversification, which can help provide alternate sources of revenue.

For example, Home Hardware was able to buy Beaver Lumber from Molson in 2000 because the brewing giant was being tackled by its competition in the beer business and needed to refocus, he said.

“They wanted to get out of the hardware business so badly they lent us the money at zero interest to buy Beaver Lumber from them."

Among the alumni was Brennan Loh, who was just happy to be in town for this year’s dinner. As the director of international markets for Ottawa-based Shopify, he’s often travelling the world with his job. He spent last year living and working in India’s high-tech capital, Bangalore. He was already part of the Shopify team by the time he graduated from the program in 2011.

For him, the evening was about catching up with old friends.

“There’s definitely a nostalgia to it all,” said Loh, a former president of the entrepreneurs’ club and current member of its advisory board.

Loh credits the Telfer School of Management program with creating an environment that helped expose him to an interesting mix of people.

Power-Up

Brennan Loh, a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, with the program’s director of marketing and development, Christian Coulombe.

“As a young adult trying to figure out what it is you want to do professionally, and when those answers aren’t super clear in the early days, you get to meet a lot of other people who feel the same way,” said Loh. “That leads you to trying a whole bunch of different things, such

as starting companies, working at really interesting startups, and networking.”

The dinner, presented by Freedom 55 Financial, included prizes and a silent auction in support of Special Olympics and an after-party in the ByWard Market.

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Meet us at our February 20 Reception

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PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos

by Caroline Phillips

CHARITY EVENT

U of O law students game for mental health fundraiser Law students had so much more fun hitting the ice – rather than the books – for the inaugural Ottawa Law Classic charity hockey game held at University of Ottawa’s Minto Sports Complex.

Organizers were expecting to raise more than $10,000 for the D.I.F.D. (Do It For Daron) youth mental health awareness initiative run through the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.

The rookie event, held on the night of Feb. 3, had students in the common law section of uOttawa’s Faculty of Law face off against students from the civil law section.

It wasn’t exactly – oh, how should I put it – a close game. While the teams seemed relatively well-matched in the first period, the civil law team quickly pulled ahead.

Way ahead. The final score was 8-1.

For the common law team, its biggest asset was its larger physical size.

“But it didn’t matter because they were just so much faster than us,” second-year common law student Jordan Wright told OBJ.social, with fellow co-organizer and teammate Will Roantree, after their team’s crushing defeat.

Helping them to organize the event were fellow law students Sarah Reich and Natalie Tershakowec, along with the help of at least 20 of their friends.

If it seemed as though the players were wearing their heart on their sleeve, it’s because they were. Each hockey jersey from the common law team had a purple heart on the left shoulder. It’s the symbol of the grassroots movement aimed at getting more youth talking openly about mental health, following the surprising

From left, uOttawa law students Jordan Wright and Will Roantree (common law) with their dean, Adam Dodek, Ottawa-Vanier Liberal MP Mona Fortier, and Céline Lévesque, dean of the civil law section, with uOttawa law students Mathieu Boily and Yanick Bélanger (civil law) at the inaugural Ottawa Law Classic held at uOttawa’s Minto Sports Complex on Feb. 3.

November 2010 suicide of 14-year-old Daron Richardson. DIFD was founded

by Richardson’s parents, Stephanie Richardson and Luke Richardson, a former player and assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators and current assistant

coach with the New York Islanders.

The game sold more than 200 tickets and was backed by an impressive list of business sponsors, including SnapClarity, a new app that aims to ease access to mental health therapy for all ages.

NOMINATE ONLINE TODAY!

Visit fortyunder40.ca for more information!

Nominations Close Friday, March 30, 2018

#Ott40

Are you under the age of 40 and a business achiever in Ottawa?

It’s your time to shine!

FORTY UNDER

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Nominations are now open

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for the 2018 Forty Under 40 awards We’re looking for 40 young leaders who exemplify business success, professional expertise, and community giving.

NOMINATE YOUR COLLEAGUE. NOMINATE A CLIENT. NOMINATE YOUR SPOUSE. NOMINATE YOURSELF! (There is no disadvantage to self-nomination; nominees are encouraged to participate in the process) 2018 SPONSORS

FUNDRAISER

From left, 100 Women Who Care members Juliann Castell, Grete Hale, Jenn Campbell and Laura Monette at the Heart & Crown Irish Pub on Preston Street on Feb. 5.

CARING WOMEN STAND UP FOR CHARITIES

19 OBJ.CA

treatment for blood cancer or a stem cell transplant at the Ottawa Hospital. It’s run by a volunteer group of blood cancer survivors, with Stone serving as president.

Major gifts and planned giving officer Tricia Johnson reminded everyone how the Ottawa Food Bank helps more than 38,000 people each month and that, of that number, 14,000 are under the age of 18.

For management consultant Juliann Castell, it’s the “simplicity” of the initiative that first attracted her to 100WWCO. The group has chapters throughout Canada, the United States and beyond.

“It’s grassroots fundraising, and I know how difficult it is to raise money for small organizations,” said Castell, who’s on the 100WWCO steering committee. “Some of the organizations that we’ve highlighted here you’ve likely never heard of before.”

By that, she means a parrot-rescue organization (not every owner can handle “Polly want a cracker” for 70 years, which is about how long parrots can live), a community laundry co-op that provides affordable laundry facilities to low-income residents, and Helping with Furniture, a volunteer-run group that’s particularly good at providing gently used furniture and household goods to refugee families. Those are just a few of the lesser-known causes that have received donations from the women over the years.

Each gathering sees the group nominate, via ballot box, the charities for the next meeting, held four months down the road.

100WWCO members include the legendary Grete Hale, who arrived looking splendid and well. She’s 88 and still driving herself around.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

There’s no charity too small or too obscure for consideration by 100 Women Who Care Ottawa, a group of women who share a common desire to give back and inspire local philanthropy in their community.

The grassroots group was founded nearly four years ago, getting its inspiration from its male counterpart, 100 Men Who Care Ottawa. Its members hold quarterly one-hour meetings that involve socializing without the schmooze and raising money without the costs. All that’s required is that the women give a little, together, to make a positive impact.

Over the course of 100WWCO’s 16 meetings, it has heard from 48 organizations and raised more than $135,000 for the community. The group has yet to reach 100 members, but it’s still hoping to get there.

100WWCO met Monday at its usual haunt, the Heart & Crown in Little Italy, where light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages were provided, courtesy of the Irish pub.

Representatives from three non-profit organizations stood up and gave their spiel on why they were a donationworthy charity. After hearing them out and getting a chance to ask questions, each member decided where they wanted their $100 to go.

OrKidstra, which gives kids in underserved areas of the city an opportunity to learn classical music, had a double advantage; not only was executive director Tina Fedeski accompanied by some charming youth, but they performed beautifully for the room on clarinet and violin.

Evelyn Stone spoke passionately about the Little Angels Blood Cancer Fund. It provides financial support to qualified patients undergoing

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AI firm Zighra calls on Stratford Managers for hard-hitting IP strategy With Stratford’s guidance, Zighra has successfully had two patents granted and has several pending approval

I

n the tech space, most founders are aware of the need to protect their company’s Intellectual Property (IP).

But how far do they need to go? And how do they manage it strategically?

Like other tech founders, Deepak Dutt found himself asking these questions. Dutt is the CEO of Zighra, an Ottawa-based firm specializing in AI-powered authentication tech for mobile devices.

Hoping to implement an IP strategy rather than applying for patents ad hoc, Dutt reached out to Stratford Managers, a management consulting and services firm based in Kanata.

Dutt was connected with Stratford’s David Fraser, Vice President, IP Strategy.

As an experienced entrepreneur, engineer and patent agent, Fraser was quickly able to assess Zighra’s needs and implement a strategy for protecting its IP. Five years down the road, Zighra has successfully filed 15 patents, two of which have been granted, and has several more pending approval.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

IP STRATEGY

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Patents are an invaluable tool for innovators in the tech space because they allow inventors and designers to protect the rights to their creations.

“It’s recognition from the various governments saying, ‘You’re the first one to have done this,’” explains Fraser.

Like many startups, Zighra spent the bulk of its time on R&D when it was founded nine years ago. As Dutt explains, the team was generating a great deal of IP, but not filing patents on any of it.

“We wanted to have more of a strategy,” says Dutt. With Stratford’s help, Zighra now has a methodical approach to filing patents.

Each country has its own governing body for IP, meaning inventors need to be strategic in where they file.

Typically, it’s important to file in markets where the product will be manufactured and sold. Businesses must also consider where their competition is located in terms of R&D, manufacturing and sales.

The process for filing can be costly as a result of fees, labour and time. Stratford helps Zighra be selective in what countries it files in; often, the firm files in the United States before applying anywhere else.

Tech firms must also be conscious of the type of patents they are filing.

As a new firm, Zighra often found itself haphazardly applying for a single patent and then quickly moving onto the next one.

Inventors have the option to keep a patent open, so they can return to it later and file patents for future iterations of a product as it evolves over time.

“You don’t think about keeping it open,” says Dutt. “This is a common mistake that we see in the industry.”

Under Fraser’s guidance, Zighra is now more strategic in the applications it submits and generally keeps them open under an extended patent family.

smartphone manufacturers are now trying employees, Zighra’s patents serve as a to come up with their own spin on the great equalizer in discussions with larger authentication technology. As a result, many corporations. companies are working to build AI chips “It lends us credibility,” says Fraser. into their phones.

And though Zighra’s patents are useful “That makes our patent very valuable,” in staking the firm’s claim to its own says Dutt. As more startups crop up in technology, both Dutt and Fraser are Zighra’s industry, the firm’s patents serve conscious of leaning on them too heavily. as a great differentiator.

“You don’t want to be known as a troll,” “Authentication security, it’s a space explains Dutt. “That’s the last thing we where patents become very important,” he want.”

Break Through the Barriers to Growth adds.

Zighra’s first patent was granted in April As a seasoned IP veteran, Fraser knows 2017 and the next one followed in October.

DEFENDING ZIGHRA’S TECH how challenging it can be for startups Around the same time, Apple released the With two patents under its belt and more to allot time and attention to protecting iPhone X, the first of its smartphones to in the works, Zighra now commonly calls their work in the early stages. Between feature facial recognition technology. on Stratford to help defend the company’s developing the product and trying to close For Zighra, the timing couldn’t have existing inventions. sales, it’s easy to let IP strategies slip worked out better, as many competing As a relatively small company, with 10 through the cracks.

“You’re not patent experts, and you don’t really have time for it anyway,” says Fraser.

LANGUAGE AS AN OBSTACLE “We take that worry off your hands.”

Consulting.

Coaching.

Virtual/Interim Management.

Though patents have become essential to Zighra’s business, the company faces a unique challenge when applying to protect its IP. Stratford Managers specializes in helping businesses accelerate performance and achieve The firm’s tech, which is integrated into We’re mobiletrusted devices,advisors is powered an bench strength for many of Ottawa’s leading scale. andby expert Learn more about how Stratford artificial intelligence that reads the user’s movements.

It learns an individual’s companies. Take the first step to the next level. www.stratfordmanagers.com/scale Managers can take your IP strategy to the mannerisms, which then enables the AI to determine whether a device is being next level at StratfordManagers.com. used by its owner or not.

Sales | Marketing | Finance | Human Resources | Operations | Intellectual Property | IT Since it’s impossible to patent human activity, writing an application that properly captured the technology’s methods was difficult.

“The language becomes very important,” says Deepak Dutt, Zighra’s CEO. “We had to find a different way to explain the same thing in a more computational way.”

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21 OBJ.CA

grow at a compounded annual rate of 9.3 per cent over the next seven years, climbing to a value of US$6 billion by 2025.

It’s not that there aren’t incumbents in this space – the startup has a list of 14 alternatives right on its site, daring you to compare – but Slenke’s combination of services helps it stand out. Its software combines task management and time tracking with a communication platform like Slack or Yammer, which Warraich says is the kind of simplified solution Boast Technologies was after.

“We didn’t want to pay for three different software (packages) to pretty much do the same thing: project management,” he says.

The most important thing Slenke offers, though, is full end-to-end encryption of files sent and uploaded through the software.

Warraich says firms are often hesitant to send files over messengers such as Slack without this extra layer of security.

“Encryption is becoming PRODUCT: Integrated project more and management software with more a end-to-end file encryption requirement for organizations KEY PLAYERS: CEO Hamza bigger than a Warraich, Adam Batson, few people,” he Ben Donaldson says. “We were FUNDING: Bootstrapped one of the first ones to actually do that.”

Warraich says the main way Slenke has gotten into so many countries around the world has been the ease of demonstrating the software. Users can sign up for the service with just an email address, which saves potential clients the hassle of booking a demo and doesn’t exhaust the direct sales resources that are, frankly, in short supply at Slenke.

As the firm’s solution spreads, its developers are not only refining the software, but learning from its users. Warraich says Ben Donaldson (left), alongside Adam Batson (centre) and Hamza Warraich, the team behind Slenke.

Photo by Mark Holleron the next evolution of Slenke will draw on these patterns of productivity and help users integrate best practices based on the data it’s garnered.

CONNECTING TECH IN OTTAWA

Slenke

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Startups to Watch: Project struggles? Slenke plays the taskmaster

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22

W

hen you break it down, running a company is really about one thing: collaboration. Sure, there’s money, technology and incorporated legal entities, but what makes it all run is a bunch of people coming together to do one thing (eventually, many things) well.

The best companies in the world know how to focus up and get shit done, is what I’m saying. That’s why it’s so hard. If every team in the world could manage projects better, today’s top earners wouldn’t be nearly as impressive.

It’s a pain Hamza Warraich knows well. He started his first company, Boast Technologies, in 2012, when he was just 18 years old. Back then, the Ottawa-

based startup was your standard software development firm, mocking up websites or applications for various clients.

As the company grew, the workload across multiple clients put a heavy strain on the team, Warraich tells Techopia.

“We were really frustrated by project management.”

You’re an intelligent reader, I can tell, so I won’t make you guess what happened next: Warraich and his team solved this problem for themselves, and in doing so, developed a solution that they soon realized could help companies like them.

“We had no plans to take it to market,” Warraich says. “Since then, we’ve made quite a bit of progress.”

Stronger together

When Warraich and co. decided in 2014 to develop the Slenke platform, they immediately stopped all of their other services to focus on their own software. For an entirely bootstrapped startup, that led to some dry days.

“When there’s no money coming in,

by Craig Lord you have to somehow use your willpower to get through the period,” Warraich says.

The resolute entrepreneur says he would Getting it done freelance some work on the side just to keep Slenke, the name chosen both for the project cash flowing in and keeping the lights on in management software and the company the firm’s small office. itself after rebranding in 2016, now has “We did whatever we had to do to keep customers on nearly every continent in the the company alive.” world.

That’s not to say they did it alone.

The startup has just three employees at Warraich says the firm received support the moment, but its CEO Warraich – who from Invest Ottawa in its infancy, and was named one of Ottawa’s up-and-coming mentions Klipfolio founder Allan Wille entrepreneurs by the Globe and Mail in and former Fusebill CEO Steve Adams as 2013 – says things have been picking up reliable mentors. for the young team in recent months. Since Like most startups, then, collaboration September, Slenke has onboarded more has been a reliable fount for Slenke. What than 100 users through its SaaS model. makes the promising Ottawa firm different is According to a 2017 report from that it’s not satisfied playing well with others Transparency Market Research, the global – it’s seeing a market in helping others project management market is expected to collaborate better, too.

Ottawa-made viral hit ‘Bendy’ heading to mobile and console gaming

Recap

Techopia Live brings Ottawa’s hottest startups and coolest

TECHOPIA LIVE tech execs to your screen every week. The live tech show

airs at 12:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays on Techopia’s Facebook and Twitter channels. If you miss it, videos and recaps will always be available on obj.ca/techopia.

by Craig Lord

A

Terri Storey is putting two decades of mental health experience into an accessible mobile app. Photo by Carlo Lombard

Snapclarity raises $1.5 million to put mental health back in patients’ hands

by Craig Lord

A

often come at the wrong time to be of use to someone in crisis.

Snapclarity is also targeting the enterprise space, as Storey believes that standard benefits packages do not cater to today’s employee needs. The pitch is a common one: the happier your workforce is, the more productive they’ll be.

“Insurance is ready to be disrupted. They need to start offering us plans that make sense,” Storey said.

Getting Snapclarity off the ground has been a multi-year project for the entrepreneur, who was previously named Ottawa Businesswoman of the Year by the Women’s Business Network.

While building out the idea, Storey says she had to learn how to be the CEO of a tech company.

Communicating her design to a team of developers was new to her, for example, and she found her original visions for the application changed often based on client feedback.

“It’s not always about my vision. At the beginning, definitely it was, but you pivot,” she told Techopia Live.

“What you learn and what people want is very different from what your intuition could be. So we keep our ears very close to what the user experience should be about.”

23 OBJ.CA

n Ottawa entrepreneur is putting nearly two decades of mental health experience into a mobile application with the goal of making treatment more accessible.

Snapclarity, launched by Terrace Wellness founder Terri Storey, raised $1.5 million late last year and is coming soon to both Apple and Android devices.

Storey recently joined Techopia Live to talk about how running a clinic exposed her to the numerous shortcomings in our collective approach to mental wellness. For example, patients were waiting up to 18 months to receive services, they couldn’t easily share their medical histories with new care providers and when they did finally receive treatment, it wasn’t tailored to their specific needs.

“We saw lots of barriers to care,” she told Techopia Live.

Snapclarity hopes to remove those barriers with a mobile app. After signing up, users take a 15-minute mental health assessment and are immediately given a game plan for better wellness and are connected to an accredited therapist. For $150 each month, patients have unlimited text messages with their care provider and access to video chat sessions.

Storey says the on-demand mobile approach is a strong alternative to regular therapy sessions, which

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

local indie studio will soon find its popular characters on mobile app stores and mainstream consoles thanks to some key partnerships and the viral success of its games.

Bendy and the Ink Machine began as a side project for Ottawa’s Mike Mood, who created the game with his partner, an artist known as theMeatly. The PC game was a viral hit, with YouTube personalities streaming themselves playing the game, and it racked up millions of views.

‘Bendy’ is the Bendy – a sinisterly cute title character of fellow – and his friends have proven themselves endearing theMeatly Games’ characters, with fan enthusiasm break-out hit for official merchandise prompting deals that brought clothing and collectibles to the shelves of retail chain Hot Topic.

This past week, the studio unveiled two more major announcements: Bendy and the Ink Machine will soon be available on all major consoles, and a spinoff mobile game is coming as well.

Hitting the mainstream console market is a rare feat for an Ottawa studio. Mood says it was made possible through a partnership with Rooster Teeth Games, a studio he’s been a fan of himself for more than a decade.

Mood says he’s been working with the company’s head publisher David Eddings for the past seven months on a deal that would bring Bendy to Microsoft’s Xbox One, Sony’s PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch.

With the game expected to hit shelves before the end of the year, he says it’s hard to believe his side project has come this far.

“We’re extremely excited about this opportunity to bring Bendy onto consoles, as developers this is quite surreal having our game in both digital and physical form. Seeing our game on the shelves will be a dream come true for us all,” Mood said in an email to Techopia.

It’s a local team-up bringing Bendy to the mobile market. A spinoff game, Bendy in Nightmare Run, is being developed by fellow Ottawa studio Karman Interactive.

The collaboration comes from a personal place for Mood, who got his start in game development by working as a contractor with Karman three years ago.

“I worked with them for two years, and I learned almost everything I know from those guys. It’s been an amazing experience to go from basically being employed

by Karman Interactive to running my own company with theMeatly and now hiring Karman to make a game for us,” Mood said in a video posted to Twitter.

The main Bendy story remains under development, with chapter four in the pipeline. The mobile game is set to hit iOS and Android app stores sometime before the next chapter release.

“Work is always going to be really important to me, but I make time for people now. Life’s fast and work makes it seem even faster.”

Thank you for sharing your insights in 2017 on how to make Ottawa the most innovative city and BEST PLACE to do business.

– KNOCK ON WOOD FOUNDER KAREN WOOD ON HOW HER LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

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.

Continued from page 3 Having a brush with mortality has caused Wood to think deeply about what’s most meaningful: friends and family. “Live for the moment” is a tired cliché, yet the message remains inescapable.

“Work is always going to be really important to me, but I make time for people now,” she says. “Life’s fast and work makes it seem even faster. It’s about making the time to talk to your mother, to talk to your friends, and to talk to those people who came out of the woodwork to help me.

“Call it whatever you want; carpe diem it is. I’m a person who very often reflects on missed opportunities, things I woulda, coulda, shoulda done better in the past, or thinking about the future. How many times do I accidentally write the next week’s date

Download your FREE Digital copy at www.ottawabusinessgrowthreport.ca

FOR SALE OR RENT

Building is condominiumized allowing for custom sizing for rent or sale.

FLOOR SIZE Ground floor: ............9,916.5 sq.ft.

Second floor: ............9,916.5 sq.ft.

Entire Building: .........19,833 sq.ft.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Retail & office space available

OBJ.CA

24

down? I’m always thinking ahead because I’m a (professional) planner.

“It’s very hard to be in the moment.”

She’s currently the marketing director for the Canadian Tulip Festival, the new Garden Promenade and the awardwinning Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival. She’s also consulting for the Canadian Garden Council and will produce her fourth annual Broadway for Bruyère Gala in September.

From now on, she says, she plans to apply her renewed passion for life equally to her career.

“I want to feel good about the work I do, I want to work for clients who really appreciate me and I want to earn a good living so that I can have work-life balance, to be with my son and the people who care about me,” Wood says.

1179 Hunt Club Road Building A “The information set out herein, including, without limitation, any projections, images, opinions, assumptions and estimates obtained from third parties (the “Information”) has not been verified by CANTOR REALTY CORP., and CANTOR REALTY CORP. does not represent, warrant or guarantee the accuracy, correctness and completeness of the Information. CANTOR REALTY CORP. does not accept or assume any responsibility or liability, direct or consequential, for the Information or the recipient’s reliance upon the Information. The recipient of the Information should take such steps as the recipient may deem necessary to verify the Information prior to placing any reliance upon the Information. The Information may change and any property described in the Information may be withdrawn from the market at any time without notice or obligation to the recipient from CANTOR REALTY CORP.”

Condo fees est.: ........ $2.00 / sq. ft.

Property Taxes est.: ... $8.00 / sq. ft.

SALE PRICE Ground floor: ............... $370 / sq.ft.

Second floor: ............... $265 / sq.ft.

Possession date: Immediately

*Photo has been altered

For more information, please call David Cantor - Broker of Record Tel.: 613-762-8911 david@cantorrealty.com www.cantorrealty.com

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17 18 19

Company/Address/ Volume No. of local Phone/Fax/Web brewed (litres) employees Beau’s All Natural 6,000,000 160 Brewing Co. 10 Terry Fox Dr. Vankleek Hill, ON K0B 1R0 613-678-2799 beaus.ca 600,000 19 Kichesippi Beer Co.* 866 Campbell Ave. Ottawa, ON K2A 2C5 613-728-7845 kbeer.ca 550,000 23 Perth Brewery 121 Dufferin St. Perth, ON K7H 3A5 613-264-1087 perthbrewery.ca 500,000 10 Broadhead Brewing 81 Auriga Dr. Ottawa, ON K2E 7Y5 613-695-9444 broadheadbeer.com 330,000 4 Lowertown Brewery* 73 York St. Ottawa, ON K1N 5T2 613-722-1454 lowertownbrewery.ca Beyond the Pale 300,000 18 Brewing Co.* 106-250 City Centre Ave. Ottawa, ON K1R 6K7 613-695-2991 beyondthepale.ca 250,000 8 Cassel Brewery* 715C Principale St. Casselman, ON K0A 1M0 613-369-4394 casselbrewery.ca 160,000 14 Tooth and Nail Brewing Co. 3 Irving Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Y 1Z2 613-695-4677 toothandnailbeer.com 150,000 70 Brasseurs Du Temps* 170 Montcalm St. Gatineau, QC J8X 2M2 819-205-4999 / 819-205-1079 brasseursdutemps.com 140,000 8 Calabogie Brewing* 12612 Lanark Rd. Calabogie, ON K0J 1H0 1-613-752-2739 calabogiebrewingco.ca 125,000 7 Nita Beer 17-190 Colonnade Rd. Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5 613-668-2337 nitabeer.com Microbrasserie120,000 35 Bistro Gainsbourg* 9 Aubry St. Gatineau, QC J8X 2H1 819-777-3700 gainsbourg.ca 100,000 2 Rurban Brewing* 416 Cumberland St. Cornwall, ON K6J 5C4 613-360-0661 rurbanbrewing.com 90,000 4 Stalwart Brewing 10 High St. Carleton Place, ON K7C 4S2 613-253-2307 stalwartbrewing.ca

LARGEST CRAFT BREWERIES (RANKED BY NO. OF LITRES BREWED IN MOST RECENT FISCAL YEAR)

Year established in Ottawa area 2006

Key local executive(s) Brands and specialties Steve Beauchesne, Lugtread; Wild Oats series; Farm Table CEO series; Gruit series; Tom Green beer

Heller Highwater; 1855, Wuchak Series; Cheshire Cat Pilsner

Points of sale LCBO; The Beer Store; grocery chains

Company description Certified benefit corporation for social and environmental performance; all ingredients are certified organic.

Brewery retail store; pubs and restaurants; LCBO; grocery chains; Beer Store

Family-owned business focused on professional, quality service and products from staff, beer and overall customer experience.

2010

Paul Meek president and owner

1993

Jeremy Steeves Terry Steeves Cathy Brown co-owners

2011

Josh Laroque Jamie White co-founders

Backbone Standard; Longshot White; Grind- LCBO; The Beer Store; lostone Amber; Wildcard Pale Ale; Underdog cal pubs and restaurants; grocery stores Pale Ale; Dark Horse Stout; Bodacious Blueberry Blonde

2014

David Morphy Todd Brown

Lowertown Lager; Lowertown Pale Ale; Lowertown Dark Lager; Lowertown IPA; Lowertown Red Fife; assorted seasonal brews

On-site restaurant

Brew pub; craft beer; comfort food

2012

Rob McIsaac Shane Clark Al Clark co-owners

Pink Fuzz; Rye Guy; The Darkness; Aromatherapy; Saison Tropicale; Party Animal; Mullet

Brewery retail stores; LCBO; Ottawa area licencees

Specializes in full-flavoured ales. Distribution is currently focused on the Ottawa area, with plans to start expanding elsewhere in the province in 2017.

121 Craft Lager; Euro Pilsner; Bonfire Black LCBO; The Beer Store; lo- Family-run business for over 23 years, Lager; Hopside IPA; Calypso IPA; Oh Canada cal pubs and restaurants 12,000-sq.-ft. open retail tasting bar; free tours and tastings Maple; Honey Lager; Easy Amber Ale; Last Duel Lager

2012

Mario Bourgeois Golden Rail Honey Brown Ale; Caboose IPA; Grocery stores; restauBenjamin Bercier White Fog Belgian Wheat Beer; Station Craft rants; LCBO Lager co-owners

2015

Matthew Tweedy brewmaster

Tenacity Pale Ale; Bravado American Pale Ale; Vim & Vigor Pilsner; Valor Saison; Fortitude Stout; Rabble Rouser India Pale Ale; seasonal and vintage products

DIY brewery focused on session ales and occasionally concept seasonals. Provides brewery tours and tastings and attends local festivals and events

Franco-Ontarien brewery producing year-round and seasonal beers. Exhibits at more than 80 events and festivals per year; on-site tours and tastings

Brewery

Neighbourhood brewery.

La Trappe a Fromage; Broue Ha Ha; selected IGA and Metro locations in Gatineau

Beers brewed on-site. Contemporary craft beers, traditional beers, stouts, brown ales, pale ales and ambers.

2009

Et La Lumière Fut; Allumante; Carpe Diem; Alain Geoffroy Dominique Gosselin Diable Au Corps; La Nuit des temps; Bouillon de la Chaudiere Marc Godin owners

2014

Local pubs and restauFront Pork; Black Donald; Bogie; Double Mike Wagner president and gen- Bogie; Grassy Bay; Brown Cow; Blond Bomb- rants; retail store at brewery shell; KMP Ale; Whistling Paddy eral manager

Onsite pub; outdoor patio; brewery tours; specializing in barrel-aged beers

2015

Andy Nita Bridget Carey

Ten 12 Blonde Ale; 5 Fingers Brown Ale; Mr Brown Has Gone Coconuts; OPA Balanced OPA; Perfectum Stout; seasonal and experimental offerings

Local pubs and restaurants; LCBO; The Beer Store; grocery stores; online

Passionate about beer, life, and making the most of them both.

2013

René Lessard

Côte Ouest IPA; Double IPA; Orange Tie Wrap Saison Session

Chelsea Pub; Broue Ha Ha; Veux-tu une bière; on-site bottle sales; kegs sales at Les Fou Brac’s

Bistro restaurant and microbrewery featuring a selection of microbrewery beers on tap

2013

Andy Rorabeck Karen Rorabeck

Stops and Goes; Palatine Pale; Johnstown’s Best Bitter; Alestake and Evergreen IPA; Welcher’s Hop Juice Double IPA; Penumbra Black IPA

Selected local pubs and restaurants in Cornwall and Ottawa

Independent, family-owned small-batch brewery using all-natural ingredients; beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized

2015

Adam Newlands Edwin McKinley Nathan Corey

Full-flavoured ales: Dr. Feelgood IPA; Big Papa pale ale; Bad Moon rye stout; The Zigzagger IPA; The Bachelor double IPA, Space Dragon black IPA; Dos Jefes grapefruit-vanilla IPA; Thriller chocolate imperial porter

On-site retail store and tap room; restaurants and bars in Carleton Place area, Ottawa and Valley and down to Kingston and Rideau lakes LCBO; The Beer Store; grocery stores; local pubs and restaurants

Formed by former restaurant co-workers; brewing a balanced and full-flavoured beer.

A company that believes you should “earn your beer” by playing outside, getting shit done and having fun.

Local pubs and restaurants, brewery retail store; LCBO

Small local brewery focused on producing quality beers and working with other small businesses in the community.

Whiprsnapr Brewing* 106-14 Bexley Pl. Ottawa, ON K2H 8W2 613-281-9882 whiprsnaprbrewingco.com Covered Bridge Brewing 6-119 Iber Rd. Ottawa, ON K2S 1E7 613-915-2337 coveredbridgebrewing.com Waller St. Brewing 14 Waller St. Ottawa, ON K1N 9C4 613-860-1515 wallerst.ca Brown Van Brewing Corp.* Ottawa, ON 613-316-5245 brownvanbrewing.com

80,000

7

2014

Ian McMartin owner

65,000

4

2013

John vanDyk president

Root of Evil Pre-prohibition Lager; Carolanne Irish Blond; Inukshuk Canadian IPA; OK Lah Ginger Coriander Cream Ale; Black Sunshine Black Lager; Slingr Maple Cream Ale Dirty Blond; Amber Rose; Eternally Hoptimistic; MSB: Double Double

38,000

8

2015

Marc-André Chainey George Bush

Moonlight Porter; Juice Joint Sour; Blind Pig Bottle Shop and Tap IPA; Tiger Milk; Bootleg Blonde; Speakeasy Room; local restaurants and pubs Red; Wild Zymology Series

25,000

2

2016

Paul Braunovan president Erica Braunovan vice-president

Clock Tower Brew Pub* 575 Bank St. Ottawa, ON K1S 5L7 613-238-7849 clocktower.ca

24,000

100

1996

David Morphy owner

Brown Van Brewing Kolsch Style Ale

Kölsch; Raspberry Wheat; ESB; Clocktower Red; Bytown Brown; Oyster Stout; The Pumpkin; Session IPA; Criek; Vienna Spring Ale

A neighbourhood brewery and speakeasy located in the basement of a heritage building in the heart of downtown Ottawa, offering a private and immersive craft beer experience.

Owned and operated by husband and wife LCBO; grocery stores; team Paul & Erica Braunovan. Brown Van local pubs and restaurants including Craft Beer Kolsch won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, March Market and all Heart & 2017.

Crown locations The Whalesbone; Murray Neighbourhood pubs serving local Street Charcuterie; Elm- patrons. dale Oyster House; LCBO; The Beer Store; Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park (Ottawa Champions baseball games)

WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 2018 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 February 7, 2018. © 2018 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 attempt to gather information of relevance to the Ottawa market.

Research by Patti Moran. Please send questions and comments to research@obj.ca.

FOR THE RECORD People on the move

Soloway Wright welcomed Sybil Johnson-Abbott as a partner in the firm. Johnson-Abbott is a member of the firm’s real estate and development and commercial leasing law groups.

Avenai welcomed three new partners to its leadership ranks: Christine Hamilton, Samme Doshen and Marcus Davies. Together, they bring decades of experience consulting to the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, helping clients plan and execute business changes.

CMLS Financial announced that Sachin Anand joined the firm as vice-president of real estate finance. Anand brings nine years of direct real estate lending expertise from RBC and CIBC in Ottawa and three years of experience as an investment banker in New York and London.

Contracts The following contains information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms.

EllisDon Corp.

2680 Queensview Dr. Description: Main entrance/ colonnade glazing and roof replacement Buyer: National Gallery of Canada $8,975,000 Équipement Gatineau Inc. 190 Airport Blvd.

Description: Repair and overhaul Buyer: DND $6,780,000

Aviscar Inc. 345 Slater St. Description: Passenger motor vehicles – rental Buyer: PWGSC $1,500,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car Canada Ltd. 2300 Stevenage Dr. Description: Passenger motor vehicles – rental Buyer: PWGSC $1,500,000 Regional Elevator 1519 Startop Rd. Description: Upgrades to elevators E8, E10 and E11 Buyer: National Gallery of Canada $718,231

Canada $467,917 Anthony, MacAuley & Associates (Victoria) Inc. 275 Slater St. Description: ADP software maintenance – other than microcomputer Buyer: Western Economic Diversification Canada $360,000 Johnson Controls Canada LP 30 Edgewater St. Description: Chiller maintenance Buyer: Privy Council Office $352,094

TPG Rechnology Consulting Ltd. 887 Richmond Rd. Description: SA Tier 2 – DBA Buyer: Canada Border Services Agency $1,966,426

Com-Net Inc. 1001 Thomas Spratt Pl. Description: IT related relocation services Buyer: Health Canada $500,000

MaxSys Staffing & Consulting Inc. 173 Dalhousie St. Description: Software engineer and technical project support Buyer: DND $348,176

Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2625 Queensview Dr. Description: Environmental professional support Buyer: PWGSC $1,740,000

Nisha Technologies Inc. 2150 Thurston Dr. Description: Panasonic CF20s for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Buyer: Shared Services

MindBridge Analytics Inc. 515 Legget Dr. Description: Economics (R&D) Buyer: PWGSC $323,565

Hats off Solace Cloud has been recognized with the Best Innovation in Communications Development award as part of the 2018 DEVIES, a development technology awards competition. Solace Cloud was selected as a winning product based on its recognition by the developer community and innovative position in the communications sector.

Chubb Edwards 8 Hearst Way Description: Fire alarm system maintenance (building related) Buyer: PWGSC $321,262

Canada $240,432

BP&M Government IM & IT Consulting Inc. 275 Slater St. Description: Multiple resource team – level 3 Buyer: Industry Canada $298,992 FreeBalance Inc. 411 Legget Dr. Description: ADP software Buyer: Veterans Affairs Canada $262,591 Carleton Electric Ltd. 22D Jamie Ave. Description: Electrical service Buyer: National Research Council Canada $256,340 Regional Elevator 1519 Startop Rd. Description: ITT Elevator Maintenance Buyer: National Gallery of

Advanced Business Interiors Inc. 2355 St. Laurent Blvd.

Description: Rotary office chairs Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $240,305 Nitam Solutions Inc. (General stream) 1125 Newmarket St. Description: Product category 5 – Dual monitor arms Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $205,236 DEW Engineering and Development ULC 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Description: Military (R&D) Buyer: PWGSC $195,341 S.i. Systems Ltd. 170 Laurier Ave. W. Description: A.7 Programmer/analyst (C++ Developer) – level 2 Buyer: Industry Canada $186,037

Carleton University Seeks New Board Members Carleton University’s Board of Governors is seeking community-at-large members to serve on the Board.

Carleton is an independent, collegial university dedicated to the advancement of learning through disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching, study and research, the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and the betterment of its community. Situated on unceded Algonquin territory beside the historic Rideau Canal, an official UNESCO World Heritage Site, Carleton has become a leading university recognized for its leadership in teaching, research and community engagement with over 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students and approximately 2,000 faculty and staff.

The call for members of the Board occurs when the terms of current Governors expire.

Governors are recruited based upon a skills matrix and their demonstrated ability, experience and skill sets. The university seeks individuals to contribute to a wellrounded and diverse Board capable of fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities. This year, we are particularly seeking candidates with backgrounds in financial acumen, legal expertise, technology, and higher education.

Carleton University is strongly committed to fostering diversity within its community as a source of excellence, cultural enrichment and social strength.

We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our university including, but not limited to, women; visible minorities; First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; persons with disabilities; and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expressions.

Applications are invited from Canadian citizens. Applicants are encouraged to submit a resumé and application form to Amanda Goth, University Secretary, Board of Governors at: amanda.goth@carleton. ca. The application form and detailed information about the nominating process are posted on the Board’s website: carleton. ca/community-at-large-rep.

The deadline for applications is: March 1, 2018.

carleton.ca

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