Ottawa Business Journal January 29, 2018

INFLUENCERS

Rideau rising PAGES 24-25

Inside Ottawa’s galas, fundraisers and networking events

Thanks to a more casual vibe, Ottawa’s poshest social club is thriving under new GM > PAGE 5

January 29, 2018 Vol. 21, NO. 7

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INFLUENCERS

Rideau rising

Inside Ottawa’s galas, fundraisers and networking events

Thanks to a more casual vibe, Ottawa’s poshest social club is thriving under new GM > PAGE 5

PAGES 24-25

OBJ.social PAGES 18-21

January 29, 2018 Vol. 21, NO. 7

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Job of a lifetime

Incoming OSEG boss Mark Goudie is ready for the challenge of following in his mentor’s footsteps and taking Lansdowne to the next level. > PAGES 6-7

Power couple

Former bank executive Jeff Darwin has been put in charge of bringing a more entrepreneurial approach to managing the city’s markets. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Married for 35 years, Grant McDonald and Carol Devenny don’t let the fact they’re top executives at rival firms spoil their domestic happiness. > PAGE 15

Bringing a fresh outlook to market New head of the ByWard and Parkdale markets sees bright future for city-owned properties Ottawa Markets executive director Jeff Darwin says new not-for-profit agency has big plans to liven up popular tourist draws > PAGES 12-13

FEBRU RY

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me on

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MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

NETWORKING “It’s the calm; that’s what I love about this place … It’s also nice to come to a place that has a sense of formality to it, because not all millennials need to have beanbag chairs and ripped jeans to feel like they’re part of something.”

– JAMES HANINGTON, 34, WHO JOINED THE RIDEAU CLUB A YEAR AGO

The new general manager of the Rideau Club, Carol-Ann Goering, with member James Hanington. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

‘This is not grey-haired old people falling asleep in wing-backs’ Long known as the exclusive enclave of Ottawa’s upper crust, the 152-year-old Rideau Club is quietly – and successfully – reinventing itself as a more casual gathering spot for men and women of all ages and professions

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familial space where men and women of all ages, ethnicities, professions and interests can connect.

“We used to be very much what we would consider a political club, with a lot of government officials and politicians,” says Carol-Ann Goering, who was hired eight months ago as the new general manager and chief operating officer. “We still have that group, but really we’re looking to be bigger than that, to reflect what Ottawa looks like these days.

“The club is the best place to be from

a business networking perspective, and we are working to ensure that our members represent the leaders in all industries. We are also focusing on the social benefits of belonging, so that members feel the club is the best place to gather socially and a place where they can connect personally and build lifelong relationships.”

The club has recently relaxed its dress code. Casual business attire – even denim – is now acceptable in some areas of the club.

Continued on page 23

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he venerable Rideau Club is looking to shake its reputation as a place for rich, old white men to convene by successfully attracting a growing number of millennials to what’s become the last private social club of its kind in Ottawa.

Not only is the number of people joining on the rise following several years of decline, but nearly half the new

members who’ve joined over the past 18 months have been under the age of 40.

Founded in 1865 – two years ahead of Confederation – the prestigious club has always been regarded as a social hangout for Ottawa’s political and social elite. Its first club president was also our country’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

But times are changing, and so are private members’ clubs that are looking to stick around for the long term. The 152-year-old Rideau Club has been quietly reinventing itself as a relevant,

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Everything just seems to have led me to this job’ Incoming OSEG boss Mark Goudie knows he has big shoes to fill as he prepares to succeed friend and mentor Bernie Ashe as the organization’s next chief executive

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

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ooking back, Mark Goudie can’t help but get the feeling he was destined to do big things at Lansdowne Park.

The 52-year-old officially becomes the new chief executive of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group on May 1, but he’s been a regular fixture at the downtown sports and entertainment venue for decades. His uncle, Howard Darwin, was the original owner of the Ottawa 67’s, and Goudie often attended their games.

Later, as an up-and-coming young executive, Goudie cut his teeth in the sports business with the Ottawa Senators, where his boss was Bernie Ashe – the man he is now about to replace as head of OSEG. “Everything just seems to have led me to this job,” Goudie says with a smile.

“You’ve found your right job when you wake up in the morning before your alarm goes off because you’re excited about getting to work. And that’s kind of where I am here.”

The Carleton University commerce grad has been with OSEG since 2013, when he came on board as a consultant at Ashe’s request after stints as chief financial officer at tech firms including World Heart and Mxi Technologies.

“I was driving home on the Queensway and heard it on the newscast that Bernie Ashe was the new CEO of OSEG,” he recalls. “I called him right then from my car, and I think within 24 hours we were having a beer and talking about (Goudie joining the organization).”

Soon afterward, he became CFO, adding the chief operating officer’s duties to his job description two years later.

He worked side by side with Ashe for five years, watching his close friend and

mentor navigate the upstart organization through a series of roadblocks that included opposition from some local businesses and residents, construction snafus and negotiations with the city over a defective arena roof – not to mention all the headaches associated with trying to run three sports franchises while finding tenants to fill 400,000 square feet of retail space.

Through it all, Goudie says, he was receiving a master class in leadership from his boss.

“He’s been a mentor to me throughout my career,” he says of Ashe, who is retiring as CEO on April 30. “What I learned from him is calmness – and particularly calmness in adversity. He taught me when people are stressed out, that’s the time for you to be calm and to be resourceful. That’s something that’s served me well through my career. He’s the ultimate definition of what a leader should be.”

Goudie is heading into the top C-suite at a time when OSEG is entering a more mature phase of its existence. What was a team of 12 people when he joined five years ago is now an organization with 125 full-time employees and a total workforce that balloons to 900 parttimers on Redblacks game nights.

‘RUNNING 200 MILES AN HOUR’ “We’ve been running 200 miles an hour for the last five years,” he says. “It’s been one thing after another, getting all of this open and getting the teams established and retail full. It feels like we’re standing at the top of the mountain right now. 2018 gives us an opportunity to kind of take a breath and figure out what we’re doing well and how we’re going to continue to do that.”

Even many of OSEG’s early critics would probably concede it’s doing many things well, but Goudie still faces his share of challenges as he gets ready to replace his good friend and confidant Ashe.

Mark Goudie says he’s ready for the challenge of being OSEG’s next CEO. PHOTO COURTESY OSEG

“It feels like we’re standing at the top of the mountain right now. 2018 gives us an opportunity to kind of take a breath and figure out what we’re doing well and how we’re going to continue to do that.”

– OSEG’S MARK GOUDIE, WHO IS PREPARING FOR HIS NEW ROLE AS CEO

For all its growth, the organization still isn’t profitable. OSEG’s combined net loss in its first two years was $27 million on revenues of $93 million, although Goudie says Lansdowne’s retail component – which is 97 per cent leased – is now actually running a “little ahead” of projections.

“It just took a little longer getting there,” he says.

And while the Redblacks have

surpassed expectations on and off the field, winning a Grey Cup in 2016 while playing to nothing but sellout crowds at 24,000-seat TD Place, OSEG’s other sports properties haven’t matched the CFL franchise’s success.

The United Soccer League’s Fury averaged 5,300 fans in 2017, about the same as the year before. The Ontario Hockey League’s 67’s, meanwhile, have struggled to fill the stands at the adjacent

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10,000-seat arena, averaging just over 4,000 spectators per game.

That’s up about 15 per cent from season, Goudie notes, but he concedes there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

“It’s something that we need to figure out – how to make the 67’s relevant again in Ottawa and capture the imagination of folks,” Goudie says. “That’s important for me as well, given my uncle was one of the founders of the 67’s. It’s near and dear to my heart.”

The stadium and surrounding facilities such as the Aberdeen Pavilion have become a haven for major events such as last year’s Grey Cup and NHL outdoor game, not to mention major concerts.

Lansdowne hosts more than 100 events annually, and Goudie says he one of his top priorities will be figuring out ways to ensure the 40-acre site attracts repeatable events that bring visitors back year after year. Mayor Jim Watson has mused about making last year’s popular Canada Welcomes the World exhibits a regular occurrence, something Goudie says he’s looking at closely.

“We hope to find things – in particular, hopefully annual things – where we can build something that’s going to be back same time every year for decades.”

One thing the organization is not contemplating, he says, is buying the Ottawa Senators from Eugene Melnyk – despite continuing rumours to the contrary.

“We’re flattered that people enjoy what’s happening with the Redblacks and consider us as a potential (owner), but that’s nothing we are pursuing,” Goudie says.

From Goudie’s perspective, it’s all about continuing to build Lansdowne into a premier entertainment and shopping destination.

“We have the capacity and the ability … to do more on site here and to bring things that might not be in Ottawa right now to Ottawa and to Lansdowne,” he says.

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The NCC and RendezVous LeBreton Group have reached a deal in principle to redevelop LeBreton Flats. COURTESY RENDEZVOUS LEBRETON GROUP

NCC-RendezVous LeBreton agreement could see construction start in 2019

BY CRAIG LORD craig@obj.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

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he National Capital Commission and RendezVous LeBreton Group have officially reached an agreement in principle to transfer ownership of LeBreton Flats, opening the path to redevelop the mostly vacant 21-hectare property just west of downtown.

NCC chief executive Mark Kristmanson called LeBreton Flats “one of the last great development opportunities” in Ottawa after the agency approved the terms of a preliminary agreement on Jan. 25.

He said the project’s potential to revitalize the vacant swath of land “kept (the NCC) at the table” during more than 40 meetings and 120 hours of talks with RendezVous LeBreton, though he noted there are still “challenging” negotiations ahead before a final deal is sealed.

Once a full agreement is in place, the NCC said, shovels could be in the ground as early as next year.

The NCC selected the Ottawa Senators-backed group as its preferred

proponent in 2016. Speaking to reporters after last week’s meeting, Kristmanson said the board approved the agreement in principle with a “strong majority vote.”

Included in that agreement is a centrally located home for the Senators.

An 18,000-seat NHL arena, community centre and a Sensplex with two ice pads are major components in the first phase of the project, which is slated to be fully completed in 2032. Construction of the second phase will stretch into 2036, while plans for a third phase have been scrapped.

‘STILL MANY HURDLES’ The NCC said both sides have agreed on “fair market value” for the property, but the final price tag will be determined only after the costs of cleaning up contaminated soil – which could run into the millions of dollars – have been established.

Kristmanson praised Senators president Tom Anselmi for his role in the negotiations, later thanking team owner Eugene Melnyk and project partner John Ruddy of Trinity Development Group as well.

Melnyk said he brought Anselmi into

the president’s role last year specifically to spearhead the team’s quest for a downtown arena. Anselmi has a history as a builder, overseeing the construction of the Air Canada Centre and BMO Field in Toronto during his time with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

“I am thrilled to be one step closer to bringing Ottawa Senators fans a more enjoyable fan experience,” Melnyk in a news release on Jan. 25.

“Though there are still many hurdles to overcome, today we have moved closer to realizing a vision for LeBreton Flats – creating a place of pride for Ottawa residents, the Ottawa Senators hockey team and visitors.”

Mayor Jim Watson also attended a media scrum. Calling it a great day for the city, he said he heartily approved of moving ahead with the RendezVous LeBreton plan.

“If I had a vote, I would’ve voted proudly for this one,” he told reporters.

The two groups will spend the next 18 months establishing a master design plan for the lands.

The agreement also requires federal approvals before the project can move forward.

Wendy Baily, 238-1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca Carlo Lombard, 238-1818 ext. 230 carlo@obj.ca Victoria Stewart, 238-1818 ext. 226 victoria@obj.ca 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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TOURISM Expansion boosts Brookstreet Hotel meeting space

BY BRIER DODGE Special to OBJ

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he Brookstreet Hotel’s new 20,000-square-foot expansion is officially open for business.

With 11,000 square feet in additional meeting space, plus the foyer area, Brookstreet now has 30,000 square feet in total meeting space.

It’s allowing the hotel to market to larger clients, said Brookstreet marketing manager Sharon Ravnas.

“Before this expansion, our biggest problem was we just weren’t big enough,” Ravnas said.

Previously, the Brookstreet’s one large ballroom with a 300-person capacity presented limitations for some larger conferences. The new space was added to the back of the property towards the

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golf course, and includes a new ballroom Mr. Bob Pickard, Principal, Mr. Nik Nanos, Chairman, with a capacity of 500 people as well as Signal Leadership Nanos Research Group of Communication Companies a smaller ballroom that can fit 120, and several small meeting rooms.

Register online at General manager Nyle Kelly Thursday, December 14,12, 2017 Thursday, December 14, 2017 Thursday, December 14,2018 2017 www.ottawachamber.ca Monday, February anticipates a 12 per cent increase in 7:00 am-9:00 amam-9:00 7:00 am-9:00 am am EventEvent Sponsors: Event Sponsors: Sponsors: banquet revenue this year and a similarShaw7:00 Sponsors 7:00 a.m.

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By Drive growth in staff numbers because of theRoomShaw Shaw Centre 55 Colonel By Drive 214 Room Room 214 214 new space, which cost $12 million. The Room 214 first three months of 2018, compared Individual Tickets: Individual Tickets: with the first three months of 2017, show Individual Tickets: Individual Tickets: $35.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $35.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) a 22 per cent increase in conference and $35.00$35.00 HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) + HST+(Ottawa Chamber Members) $50.00 + HST (Non-Members) $50.00 + HST (Non-Members meeting bookings for the hotel.

HST (Non-Members $50.00$50.00 + HST+(Non-Members “We’re ahead of where we were Corporate Tables ofofTables 88 of with Signage: Corporate Tables with Corporate of 8 with Signage: Corporate Tables 8Signage: with Signage: last year,” he said. “Obviously the new $245.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $245.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $245.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $245 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) conference space is helping.” $350.00 + HST (Non-Members) $350.00 + HST (Non-Members) $350.00 + HST (Non-Members) The next phase of the hotel’s $350 + HST (Non-Members) expansion will be building another tower of rooms.

E-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca E-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca E-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca E-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca Kelly said he’d like to see another 80 to receive weekly updates on allon our events. to receive weekly updates on allevents. our events. to receive weekly updates on all our events. to receive weekly updates all our hotel rooms added to the existing 276 in the next five years.

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Note: Missing from the photo are David Bertschi and Glen Sharp, current Board Members.

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Orléans Chamber of Commerce leveraging strengths of East-end Business Community T The greatest strengths

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he members of the Board of Directors of the Orléans Chamber of Commerce would like to wish all our members, east-end businesses, community organizations, neighbours, friends and families a Happy New Year. As we prepare for another exciting and productive year, we would like to highlight some of the major successes of the Orléans Chamber of Commerce in 2017 and outline several of the key activities planned for 2018.

In 2017, the Orléans Chamber of Commerce grew by over 40 percent and we now have nearly 240 members effective December 31, 2017. This is primarily due to a very active Board, engaged committee members, strong support from our operations manager and a renewed sense of partnership with other Chambers of Commerce.

As a region, our residents and businesses also benefitted from the steadfast support and advocacy efforts of all our east end political representatives.

One of the most exciting developments of 2017 for the east end was the confirmation of funding from all levels of government for the construction of Light Rail Transit to Trim Road by 2022/2023.

It is no understatement to say that this is a game changer for our community and we are looking forward to reaping many rewards including residential intensification, reduced commute times and more businesses in Orléans and east Ottawa.

In 2017 the Orléans Chamber of Commerce: • Reached our financial sustainability goal, putting our Chamber on solid financial footing, well-positioned to best serve our current and prospective members.

• Became the first Chamber of Commerce in Ottawa to develop a business and urban planning information database that is now serving as a concrete tool for marketing and outreach to new businesses looking to locate

of our Chamber of Commerce mirror those of the community we serve in Orléans/east Ottawa or assist existing area businesses seeking to expand.

• Launched our first professional marketing campaign – Innovative Orléans for Your Business – which reached over 150,000 people. It promoted the diversity of companies present in our community, highlighted our exceptional quality of life and was a valuable tool to attract new businesses.

• Held another very successful annual Business Excellence Awards Gala and our annual Golf Tournament at Anderson Links.

• Showcased innovative area businesses at the 2nd Annual Orléans Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Symposium.

In 2018, we will build on the successes of 2017 through a variety of initiatives to engage and support our members, including: • Monthly Business Networking Breakfasts at Camelot Golf Course • Biannual new member appreciation dinners at Host India Restaurant • 2018 Business Excellence Awards Rising Stars at the Hotel Lac-Leamy, with thanks to title sponsor Pro/Com Realty Corp.

• Launch of our new marketing campaign, Orléans for Your Business • Annual golf tournament, economic symposium and Christmas party, events which help our members connect, share ideas and participate in shaping the future of east Ottawa economic development.

With an ever-increasing array of businesses and services in our community, we continually have more to offer to the residents of Orléans and our east-end neighbours. Ours is a highly educated, active community which shares in the Chamber’s excitement over new initiatives. One example is the Ski Heritage East Trail, which we were keen to see launched. We share in the community’s gratitude to the volunteer and local leadership who made this possible.

The greatest strengths of our Chamber of Commerce mirror those of the community we serve. We are friendly, helpful, welcoming and offer personal connections, a strong Francophone element and a small town feel. Our commitment to doing things differently and working both with and for our members and the residents of Orléans/East Ottawa are among the reasons we are growing and helping each other prosper.

We will be glad to share details about upcoming business activities, help you register for upcoming events and let you know about our professional development opportunities.

We look forward to continuing to support the Orléans and east Ottawa business community in 2018.

To learn more about the Orléans Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.orleanschamber.ca, email contact@Orléans.chamber.ca, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @OrléansChamber or call us at 613-824-9137.

TECHNOLOGY Amazon bid worth it despite HQ2 snub, Ottawa business leaders say Region’s ‘longshot’ effort to land multibillion-dollar facility will pay dividends down the road, politicians and economic development officials argue

BY DAVID SALI

AMAZON’S 20 HQ2 FINALISTS:

david@obj.ca

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Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin (left) and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the cities’ joint bid for Amazon’s HQ2 received ‘positive feedback.’ PHOTO COURTESY INVEST OTTAWA

of the Amazon bid at about $100,000, including staff time and in-kind services from the city and various other partners.

But Patacairk said the region can’t put a price on the amount of positive media exposure its bid generated, helping to raise Ottawa’s profile around the world.

“That’s what we wanted out of this,” he said. “We wanted attention. We wanted to win, but if we’re not going to win, we may as well get attention from other companies.

“You don’t get a whale like this very often, but what it made us do is really get focused fast as a community and to make sure that we have all the right information. So there are a lot of really great things that have come out of it. I don’t regret doing it at all.”

said Vallée at a recent Techopia roundtable.

Others believed the RFP process itself was flawed and would only spur a “race to the bottom” of which city could offer the company the best tax breaks and other economic incentives.

‘DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD’ But You.i TV CEO and co-founder Jason Flick said he would have welcomed Amazon’s presence despite the disruptions it might have caused.

The tech entrepreneur said a company with Amazon’s clout could have sparked improvements such as more international flights at Ottawa’s airport.

“There would be a double-edged sword for sure,” he said in media reports.

“The fight for talent would go higher.

The U.S. dollar is stronger to pay more.

Building space would be at a premium.

But I was definitely looking forward to it.”

Amazon says it will now work closely with each of the 20 finalists to determine which city is the ideal host for its second headquarters. Construction on HQ2 is slated to begin in 2019.

– With files from Craig Lord

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HQ2 FEVER Amazon’s request for proposals was steep, including space for a 500,000-square-foot campus, proximity to an international airport and a population of at least one million – a requirement that meant Ottawa needed to team up with its neighbour across the river to qualify.

The potential reward was significant, though: Amazon pegged its investment in HQ2 at $5 billion, and touted billions more in economic benefit for the successful applicant. In total, 238 cities applied for the chance to host the e-commerce giant.

Ottawa’s economic development

officials leaned on the region’s liveability and burgeoning technology scene, replete with post-secondary institutions for talent and R&D, an impending LRT line and an affordable housing market.

Speaking to OBJ in September, Patacairk contrasted the capital to cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, where he suggested traffic congestion and real estate prices would deter Amazon from the allure of their sizeable tech sectors.

When the joint Ottawa-Gatineau bid book was finally shipped to Seattle in October, the two mayors and Invest Ottawa were mum on what was inside.

Shortly after, though, a website and video popped up pitching LeBreton Flats as a site worthy of Amazon’s mark.

The video also highlighted the nearby nature of Gatineau Park and the cities’ cultural offerings as perks for incoming Amazonians.

The bid to attract Amazon HQ2 garnered criticism from some – Pythian CEO Paul Vallée, for example – who felt the e-commerce giant’s presence would hurt the city’s existing tech scene by siphoning talent away from smaller companies and driving up real estate costs.

“It would break my heart to go through millions and millions of dollars of inducements and tax credits in order to attract a giant into the city that would end up breaking the backs of all of the entrepreneurs here, hundreds of them that are trying to establish themselves,”

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f Blair Patacairk was feeling the sting of rejection from Amazon earlier this month, he did his best to put on a brave face.

Reacting to the news that the e-commerce giant had snubbed the National Capital Region in its quest for a second corporate headquarters, Invest Ottawa’s managing director of investment and trade chose to see the glass as neither half full nor half empty.

“I’m a realist,” Patacairk told OBJ on Jan. 18, hours after Amazon announced Toronto was the only Canadian city among its 20 finalists to be the home of its HQ2 and the 50,000 high-paying jobs that come with it. “So when I was looking at this, I looked at it through a lens that this is a bit of a longshot, but we need to go for it.”

The mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau agreed, saying the joint bid received “positive feedback” from Amazon and will pay dividends down the road.

“Although we are disappointed with the news this morning that the OttawaGatineau HQ2 proposal did not make the shortlist, we are proud of the way our two cities and the community came together to put forward a competitive bid that showcased the best that the National Capital Region has to offer,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and his Gatineau counterpart Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said in a news release.

The mayors said the intense sixweek bidding process encouraged business and community leaders from both sides of the river to collaborate and put a spotlight on the strength of Ottawa’s economy and the “world-class talent” that will ultimately draw other companies to set up shop in the region.

“This strengthened regional collaboration is a legacy of our efforts; one that will help us grow our local economy and attract jobs together in the coming years,” they said.

Watson and Pedneaud-Jobin were gracious in defeat, congratulating Toronto for making the short list. They added “there would likely be significant economic spinoffs for the OttawaGatineau region” if Canada’s largest city landed HQ2.

Invest Ottawa pegged the total cost

RETAIL

The son of legendary Ottawa entrepreneur and sports team owner Howard Darwin, Jeff Darwin has been given the task of revitalizing the ByWard Market. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Ex-banker sold on Market’s potential As the new man in charge of overseeing Ottawa’s city-owned markets, Jeff Darwin is aiming to rejuvenate one of the capital’s biggest tourist draws

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

I

OBJ.CA

12

t might seem like a bit of a leap for a career banker to take on the task of revitalizing the ByWard Market, but Jeff Darwin has jumped in with both feet.

The 55-year-old Ottawa native sounds plenty confident as he talks about his new role as executive director of Ottawa Markets, the not-for-profit company that took over the management of the ByWard and Parkdale markets from the city on Jan. 1.

“My biggest mandate is to get more people here and at Parkdale,” he says from his office on the top floor of the historic central market building at 55 ByWard Market Square. “There’s tons of potential here.”

After 25 years as a manager and senior executive at Scotiabank, Darwin decided to strike out on his own as a consultant a few years ago. When the city came calling with the opportunity to breathe new life into the city’s markets,

he couldn’t turn it down.

“This is my town,” says the son of the late entrepreneur and former Ottawa 67’s owner Howard Darwin, who ran a jewelry store a few blocks from the Parkdale Market for four decades.

The city decided last year to get out of the market management business and create Ottawa Markets, hoping a private operator would bring a more entrepreneurial approach to livening up retail districts that had become tired.

The city owns the central market building, which is fully leased and home to 25 merchants, and the parking garage and retail space at 70 Clarence St., which includes seven businesses.

Ottawa Markets will collect all the rent from the retailers and pay all the expenses of running the retail space in the two buildings. It will also be in charge of issuing all vendors’ licences and permits at the city-owned outdoor market properties and will keep all permit and licensing revenues to help fund its operations.

The corporation has a budget of $1.575

million for 2018, with about half that total going toward staff salaries.

Ottawa Markets will provide audited financial statements to city council each year and must give a report on its finances to the city treasurer once a quarter. As part of its non-profit mandate, any surplus would have to be reinvested into its operations, but Darwin says details of who would cover a shortfall have yet to be worked out.

“We’re supposed to be self-sufficient, and I believe we can be,” he says.

REBRANDING EFFORT Darwin says he and his staff of two new hires – he’s planning to bring two more employees on board soon – are pushing full speed ahead to lure more vendors to both the ByWard and Parkdale markets. He’s also working with renowned local artist and history buff Andrew King on fresh branding and logos for the markets that reflect the areas’ past as well as the future.

Currently, about 200 farmers and artisans are licensed to sell their products

at the ByWard Market, but typically only about 150 vendors are actually peddling produce or goods on any given summer weekend. Another 35 vendors are licensed at Parkdale.

Darwin sees plenty of room for growth in those numbers.

“We have tons of space,” he says, adding the two new enclosed stands near the main building that opened last year and now house year-round stores “are working out really well.” He says the structures, which were funded by BeaverTails at a cost of $100,000, could serve as a model for enticing other types of vendors to set up shop in the Market 12 months a year.

Still, he concedes it won’t be easy, especially in the face of competition from weekly markets at Lansdowne Park and other venues.

“Trying to find those folks and interest them in coming down year round will be a challenge,” Darwin says. “The younger couples that are buying 25 acres and putting in (fruits and vegetables), they’re heading to the weekly markets, if you

HAVE A VEHICLE YOU NO LONGER USE TAKING UP SPACE?

“My biggest mandate is to get more people (to the ByWard Market) and at Parkdale.

There’s tons of potential here.”

– OTTAWA MARKETS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JEFF DARWIN

will, because that can accommodate their production. The thought of coming down every day to either Parkdale or ByWard is beyond the scope of their small operation.”

Another priority for Ottawa Markets will be sprucing up the city-owned building at ByWard Market Square, which Darwin says is badly in need of a makeover. The city has stepped up to guarantee a $1-million line of credit for capital improvements, and a new firm, Paradigm Properties, has been brought in to manage that building and 70 Clarence.

“It’s a little tired,” Darwin says of the 92-year-old central market building. “We could use some money, some investment in here.”

The company’s five-member board headed by former councillor Peter Hume is expected to present the city with a fiveyear plan in May outlining its strategies for attracting more visitors and new business.

On a typical summer weekend, about 50,000 people file through the ByWard Market area, Darwin says, a number he’s aiming to grow. Darwin says he’d love to see more events such as outdoor concerts in the area and hopes to partner with Ottawa Tourism on new ventures to draw more crowds such as the ones that flocked to the Market to witness the mechanical creatures of La Machine last summer.

“I think anything that brings more people down here like we saw this summer, 2017, if the place is jammed, you’ll find very few people complaining,” he says, adding he’s already met with a number of vendors and representatives from the ByWard Market Standholders Association to discuss ways of injecting new energy into the neighbourhood.

“I think because I’m in the honeymoon period, everyone’s happy to see me, anxious to work with me.”

O"

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— SPONSORED CONTENT —

“It’s out of your comfort zone. That’s what was good for our team.”

– PETER BANGS, PARTNER, MNP’S TAX GROUP

Team-building with a twist

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Accounting firm MNP helps Habitat for Humanity build a home for an Ottawa family in need

OBJ.CA

14

Top employers know their organization’s success depends on having an engaged and collaborative workforce.

That’s why many managers are looking for new ways of boosting morale and building stronger ties between colleagues through team-building activities that give back to their own community.

For the Ottawa office of accounting firm MNP, this meant rolling up their sleeves and pitching in on a construction site to help build a house.

Last summer, MNP staff spent two separate days on a Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa (Habitat GO) build site.

The local affiliate of the international non-profit helps families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. It relies on businesses and organizations to volunteer their labour, which many participants say is a team-building experience that provides an unparalleled level of employee engagement and connection to a cause.

“You had that real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day

that you actually did something,” says Peter Bangs, a partner in MNP’s tax group.

TANGIBLE ACHIEVEMENTS Bangs freely admits that the nature of his work means his days are typically spent inside an office.

“I’m using my brain more than I’m using my hands,” he jokes.

Habitat Build Days, however, offer teams a chance to get outside and collaborate on physical tasks.

“It’s out of your comfort zone,” says Bangs. “That’s what was good for our team.”

During Build Days, Habitat GO’s construction staff and experienced volunteers are on site to oversee the day’s work, teaching volunteer builders what to do and how to do it safely.

Participants need only show up in comfortable clothes with a willingness to work. Habitat GO provides all the relevant safety equipment, including hard hats, safety glasses and steel-toed boots.

When Bangs was on site, the team of

volunteers helped to build and erect the exterior walls of the home’s second floor.

“The wall-raising days are really rewarding for employees,” says Habitat GO’s Chief Executive Officer Alexis Ashworth. “Often people who work in an office don’t see the tangible change from when they start the day to when they finish the day. When people come on a build site and they push a wall up, they can actually see a room that they’ve built at the end of the day and that’s really satisfying for people.”

She also points out that Build Days serve as a great equalizer, where executives work alongside the rest of the team to achieve a common goal.

“Getting involved in a Habitat GO Build Day is an excellent way to boost morale and increase connection to the company,” says Ashworth.

CORPORATE VALUES The team-building aspect of Habitat GO’s Build Days is only one part of what makes the non-profit unique.

Its model of affordable homeownership bridges a gap for low-

income families, who purchase their home with an affordable, interest-free mortgage and are asked to contribute 500 volunteer hours. This includes 100 hours towards the construction of their home.

In many cases, this means the future homeowner is actually on the build site, giving volunteers a chance to meet the family whose home they’re working on.

“It increases the understanding of what we’re doing if people can talk to the family and hear a bit about their story,” says Ashworth.

For Bangs, that meant working alongside Annie Aningmiuq, a single mother whose second-storey walls he helped to raise. Aningmiuq is on track to purchase her new home in Orléans in May, along with her four-year-old son, Hunter.

“To see the excitement in her with the walls coming up and the house taking shape was pretty neat for our staff,” says Bangs, adding that it gave MNP staff a chance to reflect on their corporate values.

“I think people really appreciated that that’s the type of company that we’re trying to build.”

To learn more about how your business can support Habitat GO, contact Shawna Blanchard at 613-749-9950x233 or sblanchard@habitatgo.com.

PROFILE “I knew that I wanted a career, and it was really important to me that I had a spouse who supported that.

Work-life balance is one of the biggest challenges for women.”

– CAROL DEVENNY, OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER AT PWC LLP

Grant McDonald and Carol Devenny have had a successful 35-year marriage despite being top executives at rival firms. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

Life partners at home, rivals in the workplace Married for 35 years, Carol Devenny and Grant McDonald have managed to maintain domestic harmony while battling for business as top executives at competing Ottawa professional services firms

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

their job to build customer relationships, grow the market and win new work. It’s a career that’s been rich in both variety and new challenges, they say.

They’ve also both received the highest mark of distinction for a chartered professional accountant (CPA): the Fellows designation by CPA Ontario for demonstrated leadership, contribution to their profession and community involvement. Only about three percent of CPAs have been named Fellows.

15 OBJ.CA

NEVER A DULL MOMENT “There’s just never a moment to be saying, ‘Boy, am I ever bored today,’” says McDonald, who has for many years been national leader of KPMG’s aerospace and defence sector, travelling to cities such as Washington, London, Zurich and Madrid.

“I always joke that by the time I

retire, I’ll have worked 40 years, but I’m sure it will feel like 60 or 80 because the intensity level is very high.”

In OBJ’s latest Book of Lists, PwC is ranked as the second-largest accounting firm in Ottawa, followed closely by KPMG. The subject of the firms’ ranking leads to a passing disagreement between the pair. They resolve the issue like pros, agreeing that the standings are virtually tied.

McDonald and Devenny, both 57, first met during their second year at Queen’s University while travelling over the Thanksgiving weekend from Kingston to Ottawa on a student-run discount bus service. They realized they were in the same commerce program (it was their matching university jackets that tipped them off).

Continued on page 28

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

H

ere’s a question you’ll never hear asked over dinner between Carol Devenny and her husband Grant McDonald: “So honey, how was your day at work?”

That’s because they each hold the same position as office managing partners in Ottawa at two different global professional service firms that compete against one another for business every day. She’s with PwC LLP. He’s with KPMG LLP. “We don’t talk about work,” says Ms. Devenny in one of the boardrooms of PwC Ottawa’s newly renovated offices, which take up the seventh and eighth floors of the Sun Life Financial Centre

at 99 Bank St. Just a few blocks away is KPMG, which occupies the 16th to 18th floors in a landmark office tower with Shopify at 150 Elgin St. The secret to this Ottawa power couple’s 35-year marital success is that they understand the demands and pressures of the job, whether it’s out-oftown travel, late nights or work that spills into the weekend. As well, neither has ever tried to hold the other back.

Coincidentally, their careers have travelled on similar trajectories. They both made partner in 1995, at age 35. He was promoted in 2011, and she in 2012, to office managing partner.

That’s the highest formal job title given to a senior partner in charge of a firm’s local practice, management and day-to-day operations. They serve as the “face of the firm,” which means it’s

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

Welch LLP celebrates 100th an

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Local accounting firm marks milestone by reflecting on storied history and

OBJ.CA

16

Welch LLP’s Slater Street headquarters has all the hallmarks of a modern office space: glass office walls, an open-concept cafe and views overlooking Ottawa’s busy central business district.

But look slightly closer, and one sees the signs of the accounting firm’s storied 100-year history in Ottawa’s business community.

Many meeting rooms bear the names and feature portraits of the firm’s retired partners.

Elsewhere, the Chartered Professional Accountant diplomas dating back to 1917 of firm founder George A. Welch hang on the wall of the company’s large multi-purpose room.

But far from being relics of the past, these pieces of corporate history are closely tied to Welch’s ongoing growth and close ties to the local business community.

Several of those now-retired partners honoured in the firm’s meeting rooms have children who now work at Welch. And many of the firm’s co-op students fittingly receive training in the room featuring the accounting credentials of Welch’s founder.

“It’s good for us to reflect on the people who came before us,” says Micheal Burch, the

firm’s managing partner.

That history, Burch says, gives Welch a solid foundation as it evolves in a rapidly changing industry and develops new, innovative solutions to clients.

“We’re Ottawa’s only 100-year-old startup,” he jokes.

Welch started as a one-person operation in an office off Confederation Square in 1918.

In an industry where mergers, acquisitions and rebranding are common, it’s rare in Canada to see an accounting firm reach the century mark with its core identity intact.

While Welch has expanded into new markets and evolved its service offerings, the company’s success still stems from being a trusted advisor to many of Ottawa’s homegrown businesses.

“Our focus is on the entrepreneur that owns the car dealership, the person who’s building houses, the landlord who owns and manages real estate,” says Burch. “Those are the businesspeople we focus on and they’re the ones that we’ve helped all along.”

LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIPS

Welch has grown alongside many of its clients.

For example, following the end of the Second World World, General Motors moved to open two new car dealerships in Ottawa.

In 1945, those two fledgling dealerships came onboard as Welch clients. Today, they’re known as the Myers and Surgenor Automotive Groups, respectively, and remain on the firm’s roster of dedicated clients.

Burch attributes much of Welch’s high client retention rates to the active engagement of all the firm’s partners in day-to-day operations.

“The clients benefit because they know that the person they’re talking to is an owner of their accounting firm and is accountable,” he says.

Despite competing with the so-called “big four” accounting firms, Welch is able to distinguish itself by providing added value to its clients.

“It’s not enough for us to deliver their financial statements, deliver their tax returns on time and give them a bit of financial advice,” explains Burch. “We need to give them great advice on how they can become better businesspeople.”

Going the extra mile is not lost on the

firm’s clients.

“Welch is nimble, responsive and progressive,” says Jeff Mierins, the owner of the JMM Automotive Group and a longtime Welch client. “They are the optimal size to care about your business on a personal level but are large enough to tackle the tough issues like a global firm.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The firm’s longevity can also be attributed in part to its ability to evolve as new innovations are unveiled.

In 1950, Malcolm Welch – son of founder George A. Welch – founded Welby Services Ltd., an electronic data processing company that revolutionized how Welch LLP did business. More than 50 years later, the firm is still on the frontline of new, game-changing technology.

More recently, Welch adopted an innovative diagnostic software suite called Chairman’s View as part of its business consulting group. The technology, developed at MIT, assesses a company in its entirety and generates reports to show strengths, weaknesses and areas of opportunity.

1899

“It’s good for us to reflect on the people who came before us.”

George A. Welch leaves school at the age of 10 to take up a job as a paperboy. On his route, he meets Ernest A. Larmonth, who becomes his professional mentor.

1917

- Managing partner at Welch LLP Micheal Burch.

TIMELINE

George A. Welch receives his Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

1918

The firm is founded under the name “George A. Welch, Chartered Professional Accountant and Auditor.” Its first office is located in the Elgin Chambers on Confederation Square, with George as its only employee.

1921-40

The firm continues to grow, leading to two moves and the hiring of additional accountants, many of whom stayed with the firm for the duration of their careers. The rapid expansion also leads to a name change, to “George A. Welch and Company, Public Accountants.”

1942

The firm moves its offices to a two-storey home on Laurier Avenue. Welch’s cohort of young accountants receive their CPA designations, including Deans Berry, who earned the Canadian Gold Medal for achieving the highest marks in the country.

1949

Malcolm Welch receives his CPA designation, marking the second generation of accountants to join the firm.

1950

The firm expands beyond Ottawa, opening its Cornwall branch. The 1950’s also saw Welch begin to offer bookkeeping services to its clients. It’s also around this time that Malcolm Welch founds Welby Services Limited.

nniversary in Ottawa innovative future

In July 1899, life took a sharp turn for 10-year-old George A. Welch. It was then that the young Ottawa native lost his father, and was forced to leave school in order to work to support his family. He found a job as a paper boy and one of his routes brought him downtown, delivering to the city’s many businesses.

Among the offices he delivered to was Ernest A. Larmonth’s, a Chartered Professional Accountant and wellestablished local businessman. Shocked to see the young boy not at school, Larmonth asked into young Welch’s circumstances. Upon learning the 10-year-old’s story, the accountant offered him a job on the spot, delivering important financial documents to clients for a higher wage than his paper route paid.

As the years went on, Larmonth encouraged the young boy to complete his education and eventually to pursue his Chartered Professional Accountant designation. Welch cut his teeth working in Larmonth’s firm and the two parted ways amicably in 1918 when the young accountant decided to strike out on his own.

1968

The firm celebrates its 50th anniversary and George A. Welch is made a life member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants.

1970

Betty Wilson is admitted to the firm as its first female partner.

1979

George A. Welch dies at the age of 90. He continued to work at the firm until shortly before his death.

1990

The firm’s name changes to “Welch & Company.”

1998

New legislation involving corporate partnerships requires the firm to change its name to “Welch & Company LLP.”

2007

“Welch LLP” becomes the firm’s name.

2011

Welch LLP opens its Toronto office, accomplishing a lifelong dream for George A. Welch.

2017

Welch LLP named “Best Business” at the Best Ottawa Business Awards

2018

The firm celebrates its 100th anniversary, boasting a talented staff of over 300 people across Ontario and Québec.

17 OBJ.CA

OBJ gratefully acknowledges the research contributions of Marianna Burch to this piece.

Welch expands into the construction business, purchasing shares of Peerless Houses of Canada Ltd. In 1963, the firm made the decision to break its financial ties with the construction sector.

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Burch explains that Chairman’s View has been a boon to the firm’s small business clients, who may not otherwise have the budget for large-scale financial or HR assessments.

“That created a fairly new entry into the Ottawa market,” says Burch.

In the future, he expects software to continue to change the accounting industry, pointing to Ottawa’s own MindBridge AI as a prime example. The Kanata-based firm – which is working with Welch – developed an artificial intelligence tool that can quickly detect fraudulent claims within a company’s books.

This eliminates the need for “ticking and bopping,” an accounting term for the laborious work of manually auditing a business’s financial records.

This frees up Welch staff to spend time on what really matters: helping the firm’s clients succeed. The firm’s ability to embrace new leading-edge technology sets the company up to succeed for generations to come.

“We’d like to say that when we turn it over to the next group of partners it’ll be slightly better than it was when we got it,” says Burch.

Where it began

1949-63

OBJ.social

PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos

by Caroline Phillips

CULINARY EVENT

Sibling owners and chefs Simon Fraser and Ross Fraser of Fraser Café at the Ottawa Magazine Restaurants Event held in the National Arts Centre’s new Canada Room.

From left, organizer Heather Lockwood with Jennifer Warren, co-owner of Les Fougères restaurant in Chelsea, Que., and Ottawa Magazine publisher Dianne Wing at a party hosted by the magazine.

Sage advice: Ottawa’s top restaurateurs serve up secrets of success

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017

When it comes to running a successful restaurant, there’s no secret ingredient behind it but, rather, a recipe that’s deceptively simple, like homemade whipped cream.

You need more than just a love of cooking. You have to offer excellent food and customer service and be willing to work unpredictable and strenuous hours.

And even if you have these things, you still can’t get there unless you have a strong team.

Those tidbits of advice were shared with OBJ.social on Wednesday by local chefs and restaurateurs. They’d gathered together to participate in a food- and drink-tasting event with other eateries, brewers, vintners and distillers hosted by Ottawa Magazine. The evening celebrated the local culinary scene and, in particular, those restaurants that have not only survived but thrived for more than a decade.

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18

The party featured the debut of the National Arts Centre’s new Canada Room.

It’s a bigger, brighter and better version of the former Panorama Room. It has doubled in size and can now host dinners for up to 600 people or receptions for 1,200.

Some 400 people attended the event, held in support of Cornerstone Housing for Women. On hand was event planner Heather Lockwood, owner of HPL Meetings and Events, as well as Ottawa Magazine publisher Dianne Wing.

Keeping a low profile was longtime Ottawa restaurant critic Anne DesBrisay.

The monthly magazine has compiled a Top 10 Over 10 list of eateries that have been around for at least a decade in an industry that’s highly competitive and always changing.

Fifteen years ago, The Whalesbone started as a 36-seat restaurant in Ottawa.

It now has three licensed establishments, one retail outlet, a new online store and a

catering company.

“You’ve done something right if you’ve been around for 10 years,” said owner Peter McCallum as he and his team set up Whalesbone’s stylish oyster boat serving station in anticipation of the hungry crowds soon to be arriving. “We offer what we think is a really fun environment with great food, and then we have great people working for us.

“We don’t try and do a lot of things; we’re always an oyster bar, first and foremost.”

Also on the list is Coconut Lagoon.

Its award-winning chef and owner, Joe Thottungal, remembers earning $60 a day when his restaurant on St. Laurent Boulevard first came on scene, serving a unique menu of South Indian cuisine.

Today, it’s a very popular place to eat.

He says the secret to success is his passion. He constantly works the floor to ensure smooth service and provide a

personal touch, typically putting in 11- to 12-hour days.

“It’s stressful, but we’re happy to be around,” said Thottungal. “Fourteen years is a long time.”

And 25 years is even longer. That’s how long the Les Fougères restaurant in Chelsea, Que., has been open. It’s owned

by Jennifer Warren and Charlie Part and employs about 40 full- and part-time staff. The business runs a store, makes natural prepared foods and recently had its restaurant undergo major renovations.

“It’s been full of ups and downs,” said Warren. “It’s amazing that we’re still standing, to be honest, but it’s because of that great team that we are. It’s all about the team. Absolutely.

“We believe in what we’re doing, the role that good food plays in our lives. Our times around the table are often our most precious and intimate.”

Continued on page 27

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CELEBRATION

ARTS COUNCIL TOASTS 2018 AT LEVEE A holiday season hounded by bitterly cold temperatures didn’t stop dozens of artists and arts supporters from bundling up and heading over to the Annual New Year’s Levee hosted by the AOE Arts Council on Jan. 7, at its main office in the east-end Shenkman Arts Centre.

Guests of the casually fun and upbeat reception included Orléans MP Andrew Leslie and Orléans Coun. Bob Monette, along with Sean Crossan, board chair of the Orléans Chamber of Commerce.

Featured was the Faces & Places: Neighbourhood Arts 150 photo exhibit by Ottawa’s Andrew Alexander. His images have skillfully captured the 12 arts projects that the AOE Arts Council launched in neighbourhoods across the city last year, from West Carleton to Cumberland to Greely and everywhere in between.

The Neighbourhood Arts 150 project scored funding from the federal government as part of the 2017 sesquicentennial celebrations, as well as from the province. It saw local artists work with residents of all ages and backgrounds

Université d’Ottawa

|

in various forms of theatre, dance and visual arts.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity to be involved, looking from the outside in on these projects,” said Alexander, who also produced video to help document the positive impact the activities had on participating communities.

The community-based arts organization has received a threeyear grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to continue its artistic involvement in local neighbourhoods, building on its success from the Canada 150 celebrations.

“This is very important to the artists of the city and, of course, to us,” executive director Victoria Steele told guests. “We’re very committed to community-engaged arts. We strongly believe that arts really help build strong communities. This is very, very exciting.”

Steele said the organization plans to take the Neighbourhood Arts project to another level by scaling it down from 12 to four major activities, with each having a

Claudia Salguero poses with Andrew Alexander’s photograph of the Harmony in Cultures mural installed on the Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre as part of the AOE Arts Council’s Neighbourhood Arts 150 project.

artists involved with Neighbourhood Arts 150. She led the project to craft a giant mural consisting of 18 independent art pieces. It was recently installed on the Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre. She and more than 40 members of the community spent four months working together on the project. It represents regions of the world from which they emigrated, along with images that reflect the freedom and beauty Canada has to offer.

University of Ottawa

2018 Physical and Cyber Security Conference Readiness and Resilience in the Age of Disruption World’s security experts converge on Ottawa for this inaugural conference

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

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.

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017

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.

Seats are limited

deeper and more profound impact on its respective community.

The reception was sponsored by BOS Law, represented by law partners David Bertschi and Debbie Orth, the latter of whom sits on the AOE Arts Council board. Its president is businesswoman Lisa Cruickshank, who told everyone how 2017 exceeded the organization’s expectations.

“It’s been an extraordinary year of community-engaged arts,” said Cruickshank, owner of State Farm Insurance in Orléans.

Cruickshank also took a moment to laud the AOE Arts Council for its accomplishments.

“The magic they do on the staffing and budget they have comes from their passion for the arts,” she said.

Musical entertainment was provided

by Latin jazz singer Claudia Salguero, accompanied by Cuban jazz pianist Miguel De Armas and Juan-Luis Vasquez on percussion.

Salguero was also one of the dozen

19 OBJ.CA

OBJ.social

PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos

by Caroline Phillips

FUNDRAISER

From left, Mad Radish employee Casey Allen with its founder, David Segal, employee Cierra Webster, Shopify COO Harley Finkelstein (who’s very tight with Segal), and Charlotte Halliday at the Taste in the Glebe, an annual food- and beverage-tasting benefit held at the Glebe Community Centre.

Food fans gobble up tickets for Taste in the Glebe

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017

Tickets to this year’s Taste in the Glebe sold out faster than ever before in the 20year history of the popular community fundraiser.

We’re talking a matter of hours for the main event in the Glebe Community Centre on Jan. 18, while spots for the premier (and pricier) seated tasting held downstairs vanished like smoked salmon canapés from a party tray.

The high demand for tickets to Taste in the Glebe is in keeping with the downtown neighbourhood’s cemented

status as a go-to destination for eating, shopping and entertainment. The evening featured yummy samples from dozens of restaurants and food shops – mostly from the Glebe – along with wineries, breweries and distilleries.

“I think our area is, in many ways, stronger than ever, better than ever,” Andrew Peck, executive director of the Glebe BIA, told OBJ.social in the days leading up to the big night. “There’s just so much going on, constantly.”

The Glebe, which counts the Rideau

some point,” said Peck, who’s expecting another influx of visitors to the Glebe during the Winterlude celebrations in February.

The Glebe BIA has just wrapped up its most successful Glebe Spree yet.

The annual campaign encourages local shopping over the holidays by rewarding one lucky Glebe customer with a $10,000 shopping spree. The total number of submitted ballots increased this year by 68 per cent from 19,000 to 32,000.

Peck does hear his share of complaints

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Canal among its neighbours, has always been a desirable and walkable ‘hood to live in. It’s home to about 12,000 but serves more like 60,000 from within a two-kilometre radius of its centre.

The Glebe/Lansdowne Park and downtown Ottawa/Centretown are considered the best areas of Ottawa for shopping, restaurants and entertainment, according to 2016 market research study done by Environics.

“There’s a reason for practically everybody in the city to come here at

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we’re all play

From left, GNAG staff member Clare Rogers with Glebe businessman Jim McKeen (McKeen Metro Glebe), Taste in the Glebe chair Tahera Mufti, event volunteer Nicole Allen and GNAG executive director Mary Tsai.

Mayor Jim Watson (left) tries one of Kettleman’s Bagel Co.’s new smoked-meat egg rolls with owner Craig Buckley at Taste in the Glebe.

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Spotted in the thick crowd were such prominent Glebe business folks as Jim McKeen (McKeen Metro Glebe), Caren von Merveldt (Von’s Bistro/Flipper’s Seafood Restaurant) and Craig Buckley (Kettleman’s Bagel Co.). Also present were such hugely successful young entrepreneurs such as David Segal, founder of DAVIDsTea and Mad Radish restaurant. He and his young family also live in the Glebe.

The most loyal attendee remains Mayor Jim Watson, who’s missed the event only once in 20 years. He has a soft spot for the benefit because he organized the first couple with his staff when he was preamalgamation mayor from 1997 to 2000.

He wanted to help the Glebe Community Association raise funds for much-needed renovation work.

“It’s gotten bigger and better,” Watson told OBJ.social at this year’s event. “It looks a lot more sophisticated than ours did.”

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017

when a new business pops up that’s considered out of character for the Glebe, however.

Last year, McDonald’s arrived on the scene at the corner of Bank Street and Fifth Avenue. More recently, it was Boston Pizza, which took over the former LCBO location on Bank near Powell Avenue (this might be a good time to salaciously slip in the eyebrow-raising opening of the Stag Shop adult fun store just up the street).

Boston Pizza is a Canadian chain and its owners are a local family, said Peck.

“If it serves a consumer’s need and it doesn’t lose money, then it has a legitimate reason for being there.”

Taste in the Glebe, which continues to be chaired by volunteer Tahera Mufti, raises funds for the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group, an invaluable organization that runs everything from before- and after-school care, summer camps, cultural and sports activities and youth dances.

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According to a recent poll conducted by Leger and commissioned by ergoCentric Seating Systems, 57per cent of Ottawabased office workers sit between 5 and 8 hours a day and another 11 per cent sit more than 8 hours a day. It’s no wonder over half of those office workers (61 per cent) share that they feel discomfort after sitting in their office chair for an entire day.

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It is also important that employees receive proper training from their employers to understand all the features of the chair.

Teaching people how to properly adjust a chair to fit them can make a big difference in the user’s comfort, yet just 3 in 10 (34 per cent) office workers reported that their

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

FACTBOX:

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Tips for a healthy workspace and a happier workday: Sit, stand and move: Try and get up from your desk for a few minutes at least every hour to give your body a quick break. Use this time to move around and stretch your neck, back and legs to relieve tension (and stress).

Invest in the right equipment: It’s important to think about the ergonomics of your workspace. Work with an ergonomist to get yourself a proper ergonomic chair that fits your body and adjust it so you can sit upright in an open (greater than 90 degree) position that supports your posture. And, ensure your feet are flat on the floor. Position your monitor at eye level, move your whole arm when you use your computer mouse, and keep your keyboard at elbow level to avoid straining your wrists.

employer taught them how to properly use their office chair (38 per cent for Ottawa).

PREVENT HEALTH ISSUES According to the ergoCentric poll, 69 per cent of Ottawa office workers believe the office chair they sit on at work directly impacts their health, and they are correct.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety found that sitting on chairs that don’t adequately support your body type or needs can pose significant health risks that affect blood circulation, organ function and cause nerve damage.

Not to mention, just overall discomfort – whether it’s your back, legs or neck – the wrong chair can make a person feel low on energy at the end of their workday.

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Pam Grills founded ErgoPrime Inc. in 1998 and is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist with over twenty years’ experience making workplaces healthier and more productive. She received a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology/Ergonomics from the University of Waterloo and has extensive experience in both industrial and office ergonomics.

Continued from page 5 “It’s not your grandfather’s Rideau Club,” says 34-year-old James Hanington, CEO of Stiff, an Ottawa-based strategic communications agency. He joined the club a year ago.

“This is not grey-haired old people falling asleep in wing-backs, although it’s a really nice thing to do if you have the time.”

For Hanington, the club provides him with an opportunity to meet other likeminded young professionals.

“It’s called a social club and it very much feels like that,” he says.

He’s particularly happy the place has become more family-friendly. He has two daughters, ages three and four, whom he brings with him on occasion.

It nostalgically reminds him of his own childhood visits to private clubs with his grandfather, an admiral in the navy who survived a torpedo attack by a German U-boat during the Battle of the Atlantic.

‘EXCITED FOR CHANGE’ Because Hanington’s home is in the south end and his office in the west end, he uses the Rideau Club as his downtown work base.

“It’s the calm; that’s what I love about this place,” he explains. “I have a crazy travel schedule and a crazy work life and I have insane children, so I have very few opportunities to come to places that are so calm and relaxing. It’s like a mini-vacation every time I come here.

“It’s also nice to come to a place that has a sense of formality to it, because not all millennials need to have bean-bag chairs and ripped jeans to feel like they’re part of something.”

The Rideau Club is perched atop the Sun Life Financial Centre at 99 Bank St. It’s one designated elevator ride up to the 15th floor, where a pause-worthy panoramic view of Parliament Hill awaits.

The club was at one time located on Wellington Street, across from Parliament, until a fire in 1979 destroyed the building.

That’s the same year Jean Pigott became the first female member.

The club’s new strategic plan, unveiled

in December, also identifies a need to update the look of the place.

“The members are so excited for change,” says Goering. “Even when we talk with the older demographic, they see the need.

“If the club is going to be around for another 150 years, we need to stay relevant, but we also need to do that while respecting the traditions and history that made us the outstanding club we are today.”

Not just anyone can join the Rideau Club. To be considered for membership, a person must be proposed and seconded by current club members.

One of the perks to belonging includes reciprocal club privileges at more than 150 similar clubs in 30 cities around the world.

The Rideau Club remains steeped in elegance and history, from its Yousuf Karsh meeting room full of famous portraits by the legendary photographer to its tale of a thwarted assassination attempt on Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

A disappointed office seeker from Rimouski, Que., barged into the club one day in 1897, brandishing a revolver and looking to kill the then-prime minister, according to historian Christopher McCreery’s commissioned publication, Savoir Faire, Savoir Vivre: The Rideau Club 1865-2015. The prime minister was luckily out of town that day and the would-be assassin was apprehended by a club member, but not before twice discharging his gun.

The Rideau Club currently has a membership of 760, plus spouses, but its goal is to reach 1,000 members by 2022.

It’s never hit this maximum membership before, but it did come close a few times back in its heyday.

Sales director Ted Wagstaff has been getting the word out to young professionals that the Rideau Club is the place to be and that memberships are not as costly as one might think. The entrance fee is $500 for a person under the age of 40, followed by annual fees of $1,400. After you hit the big 4-0, the initial fee jumps to $3,000, with annual fees of $2,300.

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FAMOUS RIDEAU CLUB MEMBERS (Members in blue have rooms named after them)

Sir Robert Borden: prime minister (1911-20) Lester B. Pearson: prime minister (1963-68) Thomas D’Arcy McGee: father of Confederation;

only member to be assassinated Jeanne Sauve: first female Quebec cabinet minister,

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governor general (1984-90) Joseph Burr Tyrell: Canadian explorer, geologist,

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23 OBJ.CA

Louis Rasminsky: governor of the Bank of Canada (1961-73) Yousuf Karsh: legendary Ottawa photographer Charles Lynch: noted journalist

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MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Sir John A. Macdonald: co-founder of the club and first Canadian prime minister Sir George-Etienne Cartier: co-founder of the club Sir Wilfrid Laurier: Canada’s first francophone prime minister (1896-1911)

If your dentist is buying bitcoin…

CONNECTING TECH IN OTTAWA

Ottawa firm Bitaccess powers feds’ blockchain experiment

by Craig Lord

A

local startup is helping the federal government take its first steps into the blockchain with a pilot program to publish open data on grants and other financial contributions.

Bitaccess, the firm behind the Bitcoin ATM, has developed a platform called Catena that can help public institutions put information on the blockchain, a highly secured public ledger that acts as the foundation for cryptocurrencies – just one of the technology’s complex uses. Through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, Bitaccess has landed an enormous test subject for its product: the Government of Canada.

The pilot is being run out of the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program, a common source of funding for Canadian startups. The NRC will publish information about any awarded grants and contributions through Catena in real-time, at which point it will be secured to a blockchain platform called Ethereum.

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

So what?

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The difference between uploading data sets like these to a blockchain as opposed to a standard web page is about who has final control over the information.

Once information is hosted on the blockchain, it cannot be altered. Hundreds of thousands of nodes – computers around the world that are sustaining the blockchain – simultaneously verify the data, ensuring that no one source can change it, including the original poster.

That can go a long way for government accountability. While information can be amended, it can never be edited without leaving a clear audit trail. Bitaccess CEO Moe Adham says this makes the government’s posts on Catena “irrefutable.”

Adham says it was actually Bitaccess that approached the NRC about implementing blockchain. The federal agency was the “first to bite,” he says, perhaps because it has a mandate to explore use-cases for blockchain

Bitaccess CEO and co-founder Moe Adham says the firm’s blockchain pilot with the NRC is an important first step for digital governance. technology.

Alex Benay, the federal government’s chief information officer, has been vocal about the need for government IT to catch up with emerging technology.

“If we don’t change how we do things, we will potentially become more and more obsolete,” Benay told Techopia last May.

Experimentation

“This is very much an experiment,” Adham says of the pilot. But there are many directions this experiment could go.

Bitaccess has long been interested in a problem that’s fundamental to blockchain: Because of its decentralized nature, there’s no clear way to get authoritative data – say,

land rights – onto the ledger. With Catena, Adham says they’re hoping to establish a firm model for governments and institutions to publish that kind of information on the blockchain.

Eventually, the government and other authoritative institutions such as banks could encode more complicated contracts and exchanges using this technology.

Transfers of land deeds, getting multiple parties to sign onto a single contract, processing the payment of IRAP grants – from real estate to law, there’s a myriad of potential disruptions that Bitaccess sees in blockchain’s future.

“That’s a noble goal, but to get there, it’s going to take steps like this,” Adham says.

Bitaccess got its start by giving people an easy way to set up digital wallets through its intuitive Bitcoin ATMs. But co-founder and CEO Moe Adham says he’s “somewhat concerned” by the fervor he’s seeing around the digital currency’s explosive rise.

He turns to an old adage in finance: “When your dentist is buying something, you should be selling it.”

That’s why when he began getting calls from his aunt about what exactly cryptocurrencies are, the young entrepreneur knew the bitcoin game was getting risky.

“It’s healthy that there’s more interest in these technologies, but I fear there’s a little bit of irrational exuberance in people thinking they can play this like a lottery.

That’s not what this is,” Adham says.

The problem, he suggests, is that users are treating Bitcoin like an investment when they should see digital currencies as what they are: a technology.

The hype around innovative technology is understandable, but when people begin buying into the hype rather than the tech itself, well, that’s when your dentist starts to look for bitcoin between your teeth.

Recap

TECHOPIA LIVE

Take a look back at some of the most memorable quotes from the past two weeks of Techopia Live.

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.

It was time to hand it over to someone who could actually grow the business, and that wasn’t my strength in the past. …

Rationally, it was an easy decision to make – a little hard emotionally.

- InitLive co-founder Debbie Pinard on stepping down from the CEO role

Despite more deals, Ottawa VC funding down in 2017 Canadian companies secured a record $2.7 billion in venture capital this past year, though Ottawa firms brought less to the table, according to a new report by Craig Lord

O

ttawa firms raised $79 million in a total of 20 venture capital deals last year, according to PwC Canada and CB Insights’ annual MoneyTree Canada Report.

That’s good enough to put the city in the top five for money raised, after Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Waterloo.

Ottawa did edge out Waterloo for total number of deals.

But despite securing three more deals than the year before, Ottawa firms’ total venture financing was down 29 per cent in 2017.

Perhaps local companies stumbled at the finish line: Ottawa was hampered by a rough Q4 that saw only three deals

in 2013, the city’s firms captured only $66 million in 2014. Ottawa firms would bounce back slightly the following years.

In terms of sectors, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and fintech were all big winners in 2017. Mobile and telecom firms also did well – bringing in $434 million, an increase of 66 per cent over 2016.

Canadian cities by total VC deal size, 2017: (In USD, millions) Montreal:..................... $800 (63 deals) Toronto:.......................$779 (115 deals) Vancouver:....................$372 (51 deals) Waterloo:.......................$182 (16 deals) Ottawa:........................... $79 (20 deals)

Total venture capital investments in Ottawa

20 17

15

If you have a highly purposed mission within your project, the level of support you get is very different.

- iBIONICS co-founder and CEO Suzanne Grant

14

13

13

$90

$177

$66

$101

$112

$79

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Investmests ($M)

I think along the way we captured the imagination of a lot of people who see the benefit of coming together as a community.

As opposed to competing as islands, they see the advantage of competing together. That, to me, is hardening. That was really what I was after.

Deals

All figures are in USD. Data via PwC Canada/CB Insights.

7

7

5

5

5

3 3 2 $20

$51

$20

$16

$35

$8

Q2 ‘16

Q3 ‘16

Q4 ‘16

Q1 ‘17

Q2 ‘17

Q3 ‘17

Q4 ‘17

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Qi ‘16

$40

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

- Invest Ottawa president and CEO Mike Tremblay on the organization’s five-year strategic plan

worth a total of $8 million. Compare that with Montreal, where firms secured $325 million in the fourth quarter alone. (All figures in USD.) Indeed, Montreal and Vancouver led Canada to raise a record $2.7 billion in venture capital in 2017, a seven per cent increase year-over-year.

Ottawa, Waterloo and even Toronto all saw their total deal values drop, while Montreal and Vancouver increased by 64 and four per cent, respectively, raising a combined $1.2 billion.

Last year’s VC value was among the lowest in recent years for the capital. After a massive series-C round from Shopify led local companies to raise $177 million

2018

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FEBRU RY

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

EVENT LISTINGS

Meet me on Preston !

Winterlude Festival 2018: Start your festivities on Preston Street Feb 2nd - 19th

There’s no better place to meet up with family and friends for Winterlude than on Preston Street, steps from the Rideau Canal.

With activities planned at Dow’s Lake, Preston Street is a perfect meeting place to celebrate winter in Ottawa.

Ice Dragon Boat Festival Feb. 10, 8 a.m., Dow’s Lake

The world’s largest ice dragon boat festival is returning to the nation’s capital for its second year. This event will once again be a Winterlude highlight. This outdoor event has no site admission fee and is open to the public. For more details, go to www.icedragonboat.ca.

Something for everyone in February Landscape Art Show until Feb. 10 Featuring work by Sara Alex Mullen, Katherine Muir-Miller, and Grant Morden Santini Gallery, 169 Preston Shakespeare’s Othello February 2 to 10 The eternal tragic tale of race, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Suitable for ages 12 and up. The Gladstone Theatre, 910 Gladstone Ave. Carnevale dei Bambini February 25th A traditional Italian event for the whole family with fun and surprises for kids from 0-12. St. Anthony’s Soccer Club on February 25th from 2:00 - 6:00 pm.

Magic Fridays Turning Tricks magic show featuring Michael Bourada, Friday’s @ 8:30PM The Prescott, 379 Preston St. Comedy, Theatre, Jazz, Country, Pop, Soul Go to prestonstreet.com for complete listings of your favourite live venues including GigSpace, The Prescott, Heart and Crown, Absolute Comedy and more

At the museums in February DreamWorks Exhibition Features rare and never-before-seen artwork and interactive displays from DreamWorks much-loved animated classics. Museum of HIstory, 100 Laurier, Gatineau She Who Tells A Story and From the Cold War to Today, Two new exhibits on now at the War Museum, 1 Vimy Place.

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum Experience life on the farm. Meet the animals, make cheese. Enjoy the outdoor skating rink all throughout February. Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday 901 Prince of Wales Dr.

Visit prestonstreet.com for more details.

To have your event listed, contact us at prestonbiainfo@gmail.com

Preston BIA Presents:

Disco Skate DJ Skate Nights

Whether you’re skating or spectating, you’ll be sure to enjoy this all ages throwback event. Show off your disco fever with costumes, themed era wigs, glow sticks and other accessories while kicking up your skates, or take a rest in our hay bale seating area.

Highlights include; outdoor ice skating, a live DJ, disco lights, projection art, giant tree of light, interactive light tunnel, photo booth and fire poi entertainers.

Admission is free.

Donation of new, warm socks for Socks for the Homeless project are highly encouraged. A limited number of children’s skates are available on loan from the Plant Recreation Centre.

Appropriate Winter attire recommended.

February 9th & 10th @ 7:00PM - 11:00PM

Plouffe Park (Somerset Ave./Preston St.)

Continued from page 18 Patrick Garland has built a strong reputation at Absinthe on Wellington Street West by creating a busy bistro with good, timeless cooking. It’s been a Hintonburg hotspot for the past 15 years.

“It’s elbows on the table, wear Wellingtons if you want to. Eat too much, drink too much, laugh out loud, enjoy yourself,” said Garland, who also happens to really like what he does for a living. “It’s a restaurant of the people, for the people.”

Fraser Café on Springfield Road, along with its neighbouring private event space, Table 40, is another popular haunt, serving as a culinary mainstay for New Edinburghers. It was the young’un on the magazine’s list. It’s been open for a decade as of this year.

“We haven’t forgot our purpose; we’re here to serve customers,” said Ross Fraser, who co-owns the place with his brother, Simon Fraser. “They want to come in, they want to have a good time and they want to leave full. Value is something that was in our original business plan and we’re proud of the value that we still offer guests.

“We’re very lucky, touch wood, because it can fall out from underneath you in, like, months,” added Fraser, who made a point of touching wood as he said this.

COMMITTED TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY Jesse Papastavros and the team from The Whalesbone shuck oysters at the Ottawa Magazine Restaurants Event.

The brothers also run The Rowan restaurant in the Glebe.

The most seasoned restaurant on the list is C’est Japon A Suisha on Slater Street. It was formerly Suisha Gardens, until employee Mike Arai took it over in 1995. The traditional Japanese-owned restaurant still serves some of its original customers, as well as second- and thirdgeneration customers. Teamwork has also been a key to its success.

“We have to work together, otherwise people change (jobs and) it’s no good; we cannot do quality business,” said Arai, who, by the way, never stopped working for a second while he and his team served guests that night.

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and unsophisticated politician who succeeded more because of luck than skill. ering financial situation. Some wrote he embarrassed the country by staying out of the war in Iraq. They criticized the Clarity

The Shawinigan Fox:

THE SHAWINIGAN FOX

nment. They often credited his successes to his finance minister, rival and successor, Paul Martin. key figures of the time and careful analysis, Chretien made the critical decisions that positioned Canada for the 21st century

FOX

The TheShawinigan ShawiniganFox: Fox:How HowJean JeanChrétien Chrétien How Jean Chrétien Defied the Elites Defied Defiedthe theElites Elitesand andReshaped ReshapedCanada Canada

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HOW JEAN CHRÉTIEN DEFIED THE ELITES AND RESHAPED CANADA BOB PLAMONDON

Bob Plamondon is the author of four nationally acclaimed bestsellers: The Truth about Trudeau, Blue Thunder: The Truth BobBob Plamondon Plamondon is the author author four of four nationally nationally acclaimed acclaimed bestsellers: TheThe Truth Truth about Conservatives from Macdonaldistothe Harper, Full of Circle: Death and Resurrection inbestsellers: Canadian Conservative Politics, about about Trudeau, Trudeau, Blue Blue Thunder: Thunder: TheThe Truth Truth about about Conservatives Conservatives from from Macdonald Macdonald and Hay West: A Story of Canadians Helping Canadians. to Harper, to Harper, FullFull Circle: Circle: Death Death andand Resurrection Resurrection in Canadian in Canadian Conservative Conservative Politics, Politics, andand HayHay West: West: A Story A Story of Canadians of Canadians Helping Helping Canadians.

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NOW NOW ONON SALE SALE

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PLAMONDON

JEAN JEAN CHRÉTIEN’s CHRÉTIEN’s critics critics have have analysis analysis and and exclusive exclusive interviews interviews Until now, the ofwith Jean as prime minister hasministers, been largely said said hehe was was astory man a man with aChrétien’s short a short time with with former former cabinet cabinet ministers, misunderstood.

Jean Chrétien’s critics have said he was a man with no vision and a attention attention span span — a—small-town a small-town provincial provincial premiers, premiers, political political staff, staff, short attention span. But while Chretien was the subject of intellectual ridicule, he was hick hick who who stumbled stumbled hishis way way to to and and high-ranking high-ranking bureaucrats, bureaucrats, quietly giving his competitors — both inside and outside of theBob Liberal party — a master become become Canada’s Canada’s 20th 20th prime prime bestselling bestselling author author Bob Plamondon Plamondon class in politics, leadership and nation-building.

His decisions, which often ranof counter minister. minister.

But But while while Chretien Chretien was was tells tells the the surprising surprising inside inside story story of to elite opinion, fundamentally reshaped and strengthened Canada as it entered the the the subject subject of of ridicule, ridicule, hehe was was thethe Chretien Chretien years, years, including including what what 21st century.

Relying on exclusive interviews with former cabinet ministers, quietly quietly giving giving hishis competitors competitors — — Chretien Chretien would would have have done done if the ifprovincial the premiers, political staff, strategists, bureaucrats bestselling both both inside inside and and outside outside of of thetheand high-ranking 1995 1995 referendum referendum had had ended ended in in a author a Bob Plamondon surprising story offor the Chretien and years.

Liberal Liberal party party —tells a—master athe master class class ininside in vote vote for separation separation and how how politics, politics, leadership, leadership, and and Chretien Chretien kept kept Canada Canada outout of of thethe nation-building. nation-building.

HisHis decisions, decisions, US-led US-led war war in in Iraq.

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Plamondon Plamondon sets sets which which often often ranran counter counter to to elite elite thethe record record straight straight and and provides provides opinion, opinion, fundamentally fundamentally reshaped reshaped compelling compelling lessons lessons about about political political and and strengthened strengthened Canada Canada as as it it leadership leadership and and problem-solving problem-solving — Lawrence Thechapter Globe andin Mail entered entered thethe 21st 21st century. century.

Relying Relying from from aMartin, critical a critical chapter in Canadian Canadian onon new new evidence, evidence, detailed detailed history. history.

Continued from page 15 McDonald, who was born and raised in Ottawa, was the first member of his family to attend university. For Devenny, it was a family tradition to attend Queen’s stretching back three generations. She grew up in Alberta but had roots and relatives in Ottawa.

Their first date was going to a Harry Chapin concert.

Each joined their respective firm straight from university. They graduated in 1982 and married the following year. Devenny remembers colleagues asking whether she planned to become a homemaker once she became engaged.

“Some people said, ‘I suppose you’re going to quit now and stay at home.’ Can you imagine? That’s when I said, ‘No, I plan to be a partner,’” says Devenny, pounding her fist on the boardroom table for effect as she tells the story.

Devenny was only 21 at the time.

There were no female partners at PwC across Canada. Although her graduating commerce class was split evenly between men and women, there were very few women in the workforce when she first entered the accounting profession.

“I knew that I wanted a career, and it was really important to me that I had a spouse who supported that,” says Devenny, who is passionate about women in both her firm

and business overall. “Work-life balance is one of the biggest challenges for women.

It’s so hard if they don’t have the support network.”

BIG COMMITMENT McDonald says he and his wife understand better than most the commitment required in each other’s jobs.

“While you’re not always happy about it, you get it,” he says. “In a professional services firm, it’s often about responding to client needs first, then balancing the other demands in the office and home, after.”

While still a manager, McDonald had an exciting opportunity to launch his career by becoming an expert in U.S. and international tax. It meant temporarily relocating to southern Florida and maintaining a long-distance marriage until his return eight months later.

By 1993 – two years before they each made partner – there was a new development in the couple’s marriage that would curtail their workaholic ways of coming home late. They had a son, Braden.

Devenny took three months’ maternity leave before returning to the office and resuming her demanding work days. She might have continued on that schedule if not for a friend who bluntly asked her why she regularly had their nanny feed her son dinner. This got Devenny thinking, and

NOMINATE ONLINE TODAY!

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FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CAROL DEVENNY AND GRANT MCDONALD

1 2

In their free time, the couple likes to get away to their vacation properties. They have also attempted ballroom dancing lessons several times, including while at Queen’s and in Ottawa.

McDonald is on the board of the National Arts Centre Foundation, Canadian Club of Ottawa, the National Judicial Institute and the Ottawa chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada. He’s also been involved with the Michener Awards Foundation, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Rockcliffe Park Foundation and Viennese Winter Ball. He was awarded a Diamond Jubilee Medal for his volunteer work.

3

Devenny is on the board of the Ottawa Community Foundation and on the executive of the Ottawa chapter of the International Women’s Forum. She’s also been involved on the boards of the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa, Alzheimer Society of Ottawa, Ashbury College, CHEO Foundation and Invest Ottawa’s forerunner, OCRI.

4 5

McDonald considered studying music at Queen’s before opting for business school.

Their son Braden, 25, is a management consultant with PwC in Toronto. He’s not interested in accounting, though. After graduating from Ashbury College, he took liberal arts at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and was executive editor of his student newspaper, The Hoya.

resulted in her changing her habits for much better work-life balance.

Motherhood did not slow Devenny down, however. She won 1999 Ottawa Businesswoman of the Year and was named one of the Women’s Executive Network’s top 100 most powerful women in Canada in 2014. She’s also earned herself every professional designation imaginable.

Interestingly, Devenny originally took

her husband’s surname but reverted to her maiden name 20 years into their marriage, purely for professional reasons when it became evident they would start competing more and more.

Some people didn’t know what to make of the change and assumed the worst.

“Sorry to hear the news,” stated condolence notes sent by people who figured the couple had broken up.

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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.

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Over 2000 sq ft of living area. Featuring 2 upper floors with solid, premium grade Ash flooring with radiant floor heating on the lower level walkout via double garden doors. This country home has been totally renovated and nearing move in condition. The impressive lands are zoned agricultural and feature 40 acres of tillable fields gently sloping to a 25 foot wide rivercreek that runs the entire width of the property. The remaining 160 acres features dense Oak, Maple and some softwood/coniferous trees that have remained uncut for over 30 years. Escape to nature but still have easy access to the city. Located just 48 km from Ottawa’s Portage Bridge, it offers the best of both worlds.

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USE CODE: OBJKF18

A D U LT

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THE LIST 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 10 12 12 12 15 15 MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

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17 19 20

Local Company/Address commercial Phone/Fax/Web agents Web Cushman & Wakefield Ottawa 700-99 Bank St. 19 Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9 613-236-7777 / 613-236-5958 cwottawa.com Avison Young 800-45 O’Connor St. 16 Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4 613-567-2680 / 613-567-2671 avisonyoung.com CBRE 333 Preston St., 7th Fl., Preston Square, Tower 1 15 Ottawa, ON K1S 5N4 613-782-2266 / 613-782-2296 cbre.ca Colliers International* 930-340 Albert St. 14 Ottawa, ON K1R 7Y6 613-567-8050 / 613-567-8035 colliers.com/ottawa Century 21 Explorer Realty* 23-2525 Carling Ave. 13 Ottawa, ON K2B 7Z2 613-253-4253 / 613-257-2593 century21explorer.ca Coldwell Banker Sarazen Realty Brokerage 1090 Ambleside Dr. 13 Ottawa, ON K2B 8G7 613-596-4133 / 613-596-5905 coldwellbankersarazen.com Primecorp Commercial Realty 301-275 Bank St. 12 Ottawa, ON K2P 2L6 613-722-2020 / 613-722-9898 primecorp.ca Royal Lepage Team Realty 200-1335 Carling Ave. 9 Ottawa, ON K1Z 8N8 613-725-1171 / 613-725-3323 searchcommercialrealestate.ca Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty 2 Hobin St. 8 Ottawa, ON K2S 1C3 613-831-9628 / 613-831-9626 firstottawarealty.com CLV Realty Corp., Brokerage 485 Bank St. 7 Ottawa, ON K2P 1Z2 613-728-2000 / 613-728-1107 clvrealty.com The Regional Group 1737 Woodward Dr., 2nd floor 7 Ottawa, ON K2C 0P9 613-230-2100 / 613-230-9880 regionalgroup.com Cresa Ottawa 1000-130 Slater St. 6 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 613-688-7200 / 613-688-7201 cresa.com/ottawa Decathlon Commercial Realty 17 Saddlebrook St. 6 Ottawa, ON K2G 5N7 613-725-7170 / 613-228-0650 decathlon.ca/Ottawa Royal Lepage Performance Realty 165 Pretoria Ave. 6 Ottawa, ON K1S 1X1 613-238-2801 / 613-238-4583 performancecommercial.ca Coldwell Banker Rhodes & Co. 102-100 Argyle Ave. 5 Ottawa, ON K2P 1B6 613-236-9551 / 613-236-2692 cbrhodes.com Jones Lang Lasalle Real Estate Services 1004-275 Slater St. 5 Ottawa, ON K1P 5H9 613-656-0145 / 613-288-0109 jll.ca Metro Suburban Realty 302-370 Churchill Ave. N. 4 Ottawa, ON K1Z 5C2 613-723-2222 / 613-723-2345 metro-sub.com Synercapital Investment Realty 500-1376 Bank St. 4 Ottawa, ON K1H 7Y3 613-860-3500 / 613-523-2931 synercapital.ca Cancorp Realty 5-2100 Thurston Dr. 3 Ottawa, ON K1G 4K8 613-233-3333 / 613-248-8131 cancorprealty.com Devencore Real Estate Services 440 Laurier Ave. W., 2nd floor 3 Ottawa, ON K1R 7X6 613-235-1330 devencorenkf.com

National commercial agents

LARGEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERS (RANKED BY NUMBER OF LOCAL COMMERCIAL AGENTS)

Offices: Local / National

Local support staff

Year established

Local CEO or designated broker and title

Services offered Full service: office, industrial and retail leasing; land, multi-family and investment sales; property tax consulting; appraisal; project management; lease administration; market research; advisory and consulting services Full-service commercial: leasing; office/industrial/retail; multi-residential and apartments; asset management; property management; mortgage brokerage; investment sales; appraisal; project management; valuations

422

1 22

6

2009

Nathan Smith senior vice-president and managing director

593

1 14

5

2007

Michael Church, managing director and principal

400

1 21

6

1999

Tenant representation; office, industrial and retail leasing and sales; investment and multi-residential Shawn Hamilton, senior vice-president and managing sales; consulting/client advisory services; project management; appraisal; property management; capital markets; hotel services; workplace strategy; global workplace solutions; facilities management director

412

1 37

5

1992

Warren Wilkinson, managing Leasing (landlord and tenant representation); investment sales; real estate management services; director valuation and advisory services; project management; consulting

1

5 1

5

2004

Ralph Shaw, CEO and broker Full service: Retail and office leasing; land sales; commercial and industrial sales and leasing; agriculture; of record mortgage financing.

WND

4 19

4

1977

14

1 2

14

1998

N/A

13 0

13

2002

Kent Browne owner and broker of record

Commercial office, retail and industrial leasing; land and building sales; investment sales; multi-family sales

150

5 20

10

1994

Ross Webley (president and broker of record)

Tenant representation; office, industrial, commercial, land and retail leasing; investment sales; advisory and consulting services; business sales

N/A

1 0

2

1969

Mike Kelly broker of record

Real estate sales and leasing; property management; financial services; construction and development

7

1 0

7

1958

Steven Gordon (president and CEO)

Property and asset management; land and development; investment consulting; industrial, commercial and investment brokerage; appraisal and asset reports; assessment and property tax administration; project management

52

1 3

9

2009

7

1 0

1

2008

Philip Zunder (president and Commercial real estate sales and leasing including office, retail, industrial, hotels, apartment buildings, broker of record) retirement homes, land and syndication.

0

5 0

5

2002

Pierre de Varennes owner and broker of record

N/A

1 0

8

1940

Sarah Kiraly

90

1 8

5

2010

N/A

1 0

1

1989

Joel Freedman (broker of record)

N/A

1 0

WND

WND

John Hughes (broker of record)

0

1 0

2

2000

180

1 11

2

2002

Colin Sarazen CEO, broker of record

Multi-residential; retail; industrial; office; leasing; institutional

Nick Pantieras (broker of record); Sam Firestone; Aik Commercial real estate broker and advisory firm serving institutional, public and multinational corporate Aliferis; Steve Lerner (principal investors, private owners, major space users, developers and lenders. brokers)

Strategic planning; transaction, project and relocation planning management; facilities management; Martin Aass managing principal and broker workforce and location planning; portfolio/lease administration; capital markets; supply chain management; sustainability; sublease and disposition of record

Commercial leasing; industrial; retail; multi-family; apartments; land

Commercial sales; leasing; tenant representation; investment properties

Project and facility management; lease administration; national brokerage solutions; Ransome DrCar (vice-president tenant representation; office/industrial leasing; investment sales and management; retail sales; and practice lead) leasing and investments; land sales; multi-residential investment

Sales and leasing of industrial, office and retail properties; land and building sales; investment sales; leasing; subletting and consulting

Full-service commercial brokerage focused on apartment investment sales, market research, consulting and buyer syndication.

Sale and acquisition of investment properties (single buildings and portfolios); syndication. Apartment Jason J. Kukk, president and buildings. Sale and leasing of retail, office, industrial, commercial and institutional assets; property broker of record management; consulting.

Pat Langdon broker of record and senior Tenant representation; office/industrial/retail leasing management and negotiation; accounting and lease vice-president/national director administration; asset management; project management; client advisory and consulting services of business development

WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 2017 survey – using data from previous years.

Should your company be on this list? If so, please send details to research@obj.ca This list is current as of August 8, 2017. Š 2017 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 Contracts The following contains information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms.

Dillon Consulting Ltd. 177 Colonnade Rd. Description: Risk assessment of ship-source oil spills in northern British Columbia Buyer: Transport Canada $15,556,038 Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd. 151 Slater St. Description: Functional services Buyer: Citizenship and

Immigration Canada $5,641,863 Procom Consultants Group Ltd. 320 March Rd. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $5,581,539 TPG Technology Consulting Ltd. 887 Richmond Rd. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $5,548,027

People on the move Leonovus announced that Peter Hundal, formerly of Hewlett Packard Enterprises, is joining the firm as vice-president of strategy and solutions. Mr. Hundal has experience in the management of global corporate technology operations, strategy, planning and architecture.

L U N C H

S.i. Systems Ltd. 170 Laurier Ave. W. Description: Professional services Buyer: PWGSC $1,358,488 Excel Human Resources Inc. 102 Bank St. Description: One level 2 business transformation architect and two level 3 business transformation architects Buyer: Fisheries and Oceans Canada $998,400

Serge Dupont has joined Bennett Jones LLP as a senior adviser in the governmental affairs and public policy group. Mr. Dupont last served as Canada’s deputy clerk of the Privy Council and deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs, supporting the prime minister, the cabinet and the clerk of the Privy Council Office.

Magal-53 Canada Inc. 2710 Carp Rd. Description: Fence disturbance detection system sensor equipment and cables Buyer: Correctional Service of Canada $905,213 Bradley-Kelly Construction Ltd. 1027 Moodie Dr. Description: Electrical vault upgrade Buyer: National Research Council Canada $859,000 Totem Offisource Inc. 1 Promenade du Portage Description: Workspaces, category 1, 2 and 5 Buyer: Industry Canada $828,031 Rampart International Corp.

2574 Sheffield Rd. Description: Individual equipment Buyer: RCMP $791,000

Transpolar Technology Corp.

190 O’Connor St. Description: Channel emulator Buyer: Industry Canada $597,245 ICOR Technology Inc. 935 Ages Dr. Description: LG EOD remote mobile investigator Buyer: RCMP $571,378 Gaulec Contracting Ltd. 790 Taylor Creek Dr. Description: Fit-up L’Esplanade Laurier Buyer: PWGSC $537,650 (D.T.) Secure Technologies International Inc. 1807 St. Joseph Blvd.

Description: Communications security equipment and components Buyer: DND $458,282 EMCON Emanation Control Ltd. 360 Terry Fox Dr. Description: Communications

security equipment and components Buyer: DND $349,703 Michanie Construction Inc. 2825 Sheffield Rd. Description: Renovation rooms Buyer: Agriculture and AgriFood Canada $336,075 R+D Creative Inc. 17 York St. Description: Audio visual production services Buyer: Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development $258,411 Contract Community Inc. 860 Berry Side Rd. Description: Move coordinator Buyer: PWGSC $234,452 Ottawa Compressor Services Inc. 60 Colonnade Rd. Description: Compressed air systems Buyer: DND $226,000

S E R I E S

Topic: Social Enterprise

When: Thursday, February 22, 2018 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Panelists: Marco Pagani Ottawa Community Foundation

What: Cocktail and Canapés Networking Reception

Don Palmer Causeway Work Centre

Where: National Arts Centre 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa

Stephane Giguere Ottawa Community Housing

Individual Tickets: $30.00 (Ottawa Chamber Member) $40.00 (Non-member)

Sponsored by:

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.

Download your FREE Digital copy at www.ottawabusinessgrowthreport.ca

31 OBJ.CA

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Register online at www.ottawachamber.ca

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

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Featuring: Stephen Daze Telfer School of Management

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