Ottawa Business Journal July 3, 2017

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Inside Ottawa’s galas, fundraisers and networking events

Talent, passion and ambition have proven to be an incredibly successful recipe for Stephen Beckta > PAGE 12

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July 3, 2017 Vol. 20, NO. 18

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Back to his roots

Analytics firm CENX’s new chief executive might be based south of the border, but he has plenty of connections to Canada’s capital. > PAGE 7

Carleton University industrial design student Will Fletcher shows off one of nine 3D printers at MadeMill, Ottawa’s newest makerspace. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

MadeMill’s technology a cut above Innovation Centre’s new makerspace gives entrepreneurs all the tools they need to succeed With everything from VR goggles to a water jet that cuts through steel, $5M facility takes prototyping to a whole new level > PAGES 4-5

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Chamber of Commerce OBJ.qxp_Layout 1 2017-06-27 9:11 AM Page 1

THE OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The voice of business through the ages The Ottawa Board of Trade, now known as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, is a leading character in the story of the economic, civic and social growth of the City of Ottawa.

For the past 160 years, the Chamber has been one of the most active and vocal groups participating in the commercial evolution and transformation of our region—a resilient pioneer whose origins predate Queen Victoria’s proclamation that Bytown (as Ottawa was then called) had been chosen as the Capital City of the “Province of Canada.”

This is the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce’s story...

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

Left: The Byward Market in the late 1800s with farmers of the district packing the open stalls with their horses and rigs. (Black and white photo courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen, Board of Trade 100th Anniversary Supplement, May 9, 1957, Page 19). Right: The Byward Market in recent years (Photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism).

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Launched to support our rapidly expanding lumber town

Forward-thinking business development

In the years between 1832 and 1857, our region was a burgeoning lumber town whose population grew from 4,000 to well over 10,000. During this time, shipments of dry goods, tea, sugar, wines and liquors, salted fish, wheat, flour, beef, pork, oak, iron, and more were arriving via the Rideau Canal. In 1847, Bytown became a legally designated town and within seven years, in 1854, it was incorporated as a city.

From the very beginning, the Ottawa Board of Trade understood that building a thriving community required the utmost dedication, careful planning and active engagement to drive results. As our city’s population continued to grow, new buildings, homes, schools, hospitals, bridges, and roads were constructed. The Ottawa Board of Trade contributed to improvements such as the first public abattoir and a proper system of garbage collection. By arousing public opinion, the Board facilitated the introduction of tap water to residents via the Thomas C. Keefer plant in 1875.

On June 10, 1857, an Act of Parliament launched the Ottawa Board of Trade.

The Board’s mandate was to protect and advance economic prosperity, industrial opportunity and quality of life throughout our region. The association began with 50 members and was led by John Bower Lewis—the second Mayor of Bytown, the first Mayor of Ottawa, and a Member of Parliament from 1872 to 1873.

Into the 20th century and decade by decade, the Ottawa Board of Trade was relentless in its pursuit of opportunities to help our region advance, thrive and grow. Maintaining and expanding railways and highways was a priority, as was the widening, levelling and straightening of existing local roads. During the 1930s when jobs and money were scarce,

the Board launched the Ottawa Junior Board of Trade to develop future leaders aged 20-35.

Turning its attention to public safety, it conducted a survey of traffic and parking conditions, followed by a survey of housing conditions.

Investing in existing and future industries and businesses At the municipal level, the Ottawa Board of Trade’s influence grew. In 1954, it helped organize and fund the Eastern Ontario Board of Trade, later renamed the Eastern Ontario Development Association (EODA), whose mandate was to encourage industrial location in Ottawa.

The Board then proposed, successfully, that the City of Ottawa should not only give the association a grant, but also adopt it as its industrial agent. In the years that followed, the Board worked closely with the EODA, the municipal government and many other groups to invest in initiatives that could better attract new industries and businesses.

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Adaptable to the most pressing issues of the day In an era before Internet searches and digital information, the Ottawa Board of Trade was a magnet for local and foreign enquiries. These included requests for directions to businesses, introductions to potential clients, questions about the costs of housing or schooling, and appeals for advice or assistance to resolve business problems. There were also requests for contacts in the business world in other cities or countries, and enquiries from tourists who wanted to know what to see, what to do, and where to stay.

The sheer number of committees in earlier years is a testament to how much work was being taken on. These included committees dedicated to community development, industrial exploration, agriculture, civic affairs, traffic, tourism, fire prevention, department stores, specialty shops, the Public Appeals Review Board, civic affairs publicity, special events, motor vehicle fleet training, provincial affairs, national affairs, membership, and even forestry (reforestation).

The proof is all around us

What this means for our future

For the past 160 years, what is now known as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of business—a conduit of advocacy, dialogue and connections.

It has been instrumental in conceiving, sponsoring and/or advocating for the establishment of what have become historic and defining mainstays in Ottawa: the Sparks Street Mall, the Canadian Tulip Festival, the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill, and the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology (now Algonquin College), to name a few.

Today, we are surrounded by modern conveniences and comforts borne by the sacrifices of previous generations. With roots firmly planted, our future is more about strengthening foundations and reaching for new heights.

The Chamber has been at the forefront of advocacy for leadership, learning and technological advancement. It has developed courses for businesses, guided decisions about taxation and pension reform, and participated in diplomatic relations. The Chamber has also administered group insurance plans, monitored budgets at every government level, and obtained funding for business, social and charitable causes far and wide.

A membership with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce isn’t just about attending functions, accessing information and services, and networking for our own professional advancement. It’s a means to deepen our connection with our sense of citizenship and community.

Being an active member further demonstrates a respect for everything it took to build what we have—and it confirms our distinct awareness that we need to keep pursuing economic, civic, social and cultural transformation in an everchanging world. As history has shown, our identity is shaped not only by what we inherit, but also by what we pioneer.

Did you know?

In 1599, the first modern Chambre de Commerce was launched in Marseilles, France. Semi-governmental in nature, the idea spread across France and Europe. Associations in Great Britain preferred a more arm’s length relationship with government, and it’s this model that inspired the Canadian Boards of Trade—the first of which was established in Halifax in 1750, with two more launched in Quebec City and Montreal at the turn of the 19th century, and the Ottawa Board of Trade being the eleventh association to become incorporated in 1857.

The earliest Canadian Boards of Trade were empowered by provincial legislation to establish a board of arbitration to hear financial and business disputes (providing all parties agreed to it). Their decisions were as binding as a court of law. Boards of Trade also had the right to establish a board of examiners to screen potential inspectors of flour, meal and other goods. Originally, Boards of Trade had a local focus. Over time, this focus expanded to include interests and input into provincial, national and global matters.

During a speech delivered in 1884, a certain politician is alleged to have made this statement 12 years before becoming Prime Minister of Canada: “I would not wish to say anything disparaging of Ottawa, but it is hard to say anything good of it. The capital is not a handsome city, and does not appear likely to become one either.”

Another future Prime Minister was far more optimistic: “We may not have the largest, the wealthiest or the most cosmopolitan capital in the world, but I believe that with Ottawa’s natural and picturesque setting, given stately proportions and a little careful planning, we can have the most beautiful capital in the world.”

Note: Every attempt has been made to research and present accurate information to tell the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce’s story.

Any errors, inaccuracies or omissions are therefore unexpected and unintentional.

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The concept of a Board of Trade, also known as a Chamber of Commerce, is thousands of years old. The genesis can arguably be traced back to the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, where industry, trade and commerce officials were counted among the king’s most trusted advisors.

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TECHNOLOGY

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

T

Carleton industrial design student Will Fletcher, an employee at MadeMill, shows off one of the facility’s new 3D printers. PHOTOS BY MARK HOLLERON

Not your run-of-the-mill makerspace

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

High-tech 3D printers, the latest VR equipment – even a water jet that cuts through steel. It’s all part of what makes the new $5M MadeMill facility at Bayview Yards unlike anything else in Ottawa

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he latest addition to Ottawa’s innovation ecosystem is giving a whole new meaning to the term “cutting-edge technology.”

Officially launched in late June, MadeMill is a makerspace and digital media lab catering to businesses and social enterprises that use equipment such as 3D printers to design prototypes of their products. But the $5-million facility’s crown jewel looks more like something out of a James Bond movie: a machine that shoots a thin jet of water with such intense pressure it can slice through seven inches of steel like a Ginsu knife through a tomato.

According to the man in charge of the new makerspace, the $400,000 “water-jet cutter” was far and away the No. 1 item on potential clients’ wish lists when asked what equipment they most wanted to see at MadeMill.

“The water jet came up time and time again because it’s the perfect intersection of high capability and high speed,” says Janak Alford, CEO of prototypeD, the organization that runs the new facility in the Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards.

“It can cut with a level of quality that you just can’t match with other things. It’s not as accurate as maybe a laser cutter, for example, but you can also cut through six inches of solid steel, which you’re not going to do with a laser cutter. We use it for everything. It’s an amazing piece of technology.”

That last phrase sums up almost everything about MadeMill, which is funded by FedDev Ontario, the provincial government and the City of Ottawa.

The 5,500-square-foot space includes the latest in 3D printing technology, with nine devices that print in 16 types of material ranging from biodegradable corn-based plastic to carbon-fibre and high-strength Kevlar. In addition, its advanced digital media lab allows users to “design” products using virtual reality

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“It makes it easy for a small company to bring their ideas to life.”

—

INVEST OTTAWA CEO MICHAEL TREMBLAY, ON THE INNOVATION CENTRE’S NEW MAKERSPACE AND DIGITAL MEDIA LAB

tools and film promotional material on the latest videography equipment, while the industrial makerspace includes computer-controlled milling technology, traditional mills and lathes, along with welding, carpentry and mould-making tools – and, of course, the aforementioned water-jet cutting machine.

Mr. Alford says MadeMill provides a venue for enterprises large and small, both for-profit and non-profit, to get their products right before taking them to market.

He explains that a drone manufacturer, for example, could produce a lightweight carbon-fibre prototype of a new design on the facility’s industrial-grade printers – at a much lower cost than building it in a traditional factory.

“It makes it easy for a small company to bring their ideas to life,” says Invest Ottawa CEO Michael Tremblay, whose economic development agency houses dozens of startups at the innovation centre, many of which are expected to become prime customers for the new makerspace.

Users pay an hourly rate to rent equipment, ranging from $2 for a basic 3D printer to $70 for the water-jet cutter,

or an all-inclusive price of $95. Staff train clients how to properly use equipment, offer guidance with projects and host workshops and seminars for the public on topics such as 3D printing, virtual reality game creation and 4K video production.

As part of its funding from FedDev Ontario, MadeMill also provides credits to institutions such as non-profit accelerators and Ottawa’s four main post-secondary schools to help cover labour and equipment costs for lowerincome clients.

Mr. Janak says prototypeD and its partners constitute “a dream team of capability” for companies looking to turn ideas into reality. Among the prospective clients he’s already heard from is a Kingston-area company that is looking at using MadeMill’s equipment to build a GPS collar that tracks the movements of cattle.

“We are already getting demand from not just Ottawa but across Ontario as well,” he says.

Local entrepreneur Amir Ghods, who toured the new facility the day it opened, says it’s yet another element that helps make the innovation centre a “one-stop shop” for startups aiming to successfully grow their business.

Mr. Ghods, the founder of Invest Ottawa portfolio company Smats Traffic Solutions, says he hopes to use MadeMill’s 3D printers to help him design his next-generation technology.

Smats makes sensors that track vehicles or people using Bluetooth or WiFi signals emitted from wireless devices such as smartphones. Among its clients is the Canada Border Services Agency, which is testing the sensors as a way of more effectively managing traffic flow at

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“As a startup, the resources are limited for you,” says Mr. Ghods, whose two-year-old firm employs a staff of six at an office just down the hall from MadeMill. “When it comes to design and manufacturing, for sure we need help from somebody. When it comes to industrial design, (MadeMill) can actually (guide us) through from the very beginning to the end of the product development.”

COMMENTARY Settling the age-old question of discrimination

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

Columnist Michael Prentice is taking the side of a major bank in its dispute with a retired Ottawa professor who claims he was unfairly denied travel insurance. On this issue, he argues, the “big guy” is in the right

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I rarely take the side of “the big guy” in a dispute with “a little guy.” But in this case I am sticking up for the Bank of Nova Scotia in a dispute with a dissatisfied customer who claims he was unfairly denied traveldelay insurance.

The customer – a retired university teacher and administrator in Ottawa – is taking the bank to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, claiming age discrimination. The 78-year-old retiree has the backing of CARP, formerly known as the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.

I won’t identify the complainant, because this column is not about him; it’s about the issue he has placed before the human-rights panel.

First, the facts: In February 2016, the man was on vacation in South America when a storm caused cancellation of his flight home. Due to the delay in getting home, he incurred extra costs, including a hotel stay. He estimates these costs at between $2,000 and $2,400.

The man has a ScotiaGold Passport Visa credit card. Among the card’s benefits, it provides travel interruption or cancellation insurance – but only to cardholders under the age of 65.

The man complained to the bank that this was discrimination on the basis of age. He told the Ottawa Citizen: “The bank’s lawyer sent a letter saying it’s not a lot of money and we’ll give you $2,400 on condition that I drop the complaint. That’s not my concern.”

The man has now hired a lawyer, and the case is expected to go before the human-rights panel later this year.

I am not a lawyer, and the human-rights panel could rule either way in this case. But my sympathy is with the bank.

It is incumbent on anyone making an expensive trip, either at home or abroad, to ensure that he or she is adequately insured if anything goes wrong. Contrary to some media accounts, the Bank of Nova Scotia’s brochures state very clearly that persons aged 65 or over are not covered for medical or travel-delay insurance with the ScotiaGold Passport Visa card.

The credit card even offers a discount of $45 a year for seniors. Card-holders under 65 pay $110 a year while those 65 and over pay $65. That has to say something. What it seems to say is that working-age people are paying that extra $45 a year for medical and travel insurance.

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It is incumbent on anyone making an expensive trip, either at home or abroad, to ensure that he or she is adequately insured if anything goes wrong People of retirement age and beyond must pay a lot more for medical insurance when travelling abroad than younger people pay. No sensible person would argue that is age discrimination. It’s common sense.

If the Bank of Nova Scotia chooses not to offer travel-interruption insurance to seniors, surely that’s the bank’s business, is it not? The bank appears to believe that seniors are more likely than younger people to make claims when they incur unexpected expenses while travelling. And they could be right.

I am a senior. I was recently forced to cancel a planned weekend in New York when I had a minor health scare on the

day before departure. The doctor told me I must not fly for a week. I thought I had travel insurance for the cost of the flight and the hotel booking in New York. But apparently it did not include my getting sick at home before the trip began, and we lost the price of the plane tickets and the deposit on the hotel room.

I believe the Bank of Nova Scotia was generous in offering to pay the retired professor’s extra costs resulting from his flight cancellation. It shows it pays to seek compensation when things go wrong.

Michael Prentice is OBJ’s columnist on retail and consumer issues. He can be reached at news@obj.ca.

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

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TECHNOLOGY CENX hires ex-Newbridge executive Ed Kennedy as CEO

BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

D

espite spending most of his life in the United States, Ed Kennedy feels a strong connection to his neighbours to the north.

The longtime tech executive had a sixyear stint as vice-president of marketing at Newbridge Networks from 1989-95. A couple of those years were spent in Ottawa, where he learned first-hand what it took to be a successful businessperson from a master of the craft, Newbridge founder Terry Matthews. His wife is also from here, making his bond with the city even more personal.

So when the 62-year-old was offered the role of chief executive at fast-growing software firm CENX – a company with a significant presence in the National Capital Region – it just felt right. Mr. Kennedy takes over for chief financial officer Kim Butler, who’d served as interim CEO since former

chief executive Ed Ogonek Pennsylvania-based smartretired last July. grid solutions company. He “It’s kind of like coming will continue to live at his back home,” he told OBJ in current home in Fairfax, Va., an interview after officially but plans to spend several assuming the job late last days a week in Ottawa when month. “It couldn’t be a he’s not travelling in an effort more exciting time to join to drum up new business. the company.”

A graduate of Virginia CENX has become Tech with a degree in a major player in the electrical and electronics field of lifecycle service engineering, Mr. Kennedy orchestration, helping comes to the job with an Ed Kennedy, CEO of CENX. mobile, wireline and cloud extensive background in PHOTO PROVIDED data service providers marketing that includes manage reams of big data stints with multinationals to provide more reliable services more such as Alcatel-Lucent. He said a big part quickly to their customers. Based in New of his role will be to build on a strong core Jersey, the firm now employs more than of customers and channel partners that 250 people in North America, Europe and already includes communications giants Asia – 210 of them at its main R&D facility Ericsson and others. in downtown Ottawa.

“We’ve got a lot of good accounts that Before joining CENX, Mr. Kennedy we’re working with globally,” said Mr. was CEO of Tollgrade Communications, a Kennedy. “We’ve got a lead against our

competitors, so I think we’re in a pretty good spot. The focus now will be to get the product out and just scale organically, scale with partnerships.”

Europe and the United States will continue to be major markets of focus for CENX, he said. But the company is also casting its net farther afield to South America and Asia.

“The population down there is a young population; there’s a lot more Internet traffic, a lot of mobile traffic, which causes a lot more back pressure on the networks,” Mr. Kennedy said of South America, adding that the Asian market offers an abundance of growth opportunities for the firm as well.

“We’ll just have to figure out what’s the best way to go attack it.”

CENX executives are also spending a good chunk of the summer meeting with major communications carriers in a bid to strengthen customer relationships and gain more insight into the network problems clients want solved.

“That gives us a tremendous leg up, and that’s an investment that’ll pay for itself time and time again,” Mr. Kennedy said.

A successful entrepreneur as well as executive, Mr. Kennedy co-founded Ocular Networks, an optical networking technology provider that was acquired by Tellabs in 2002.

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

Avoid a head-on collision between marriage and business Mann Lawyers advises business owners to have a contract with their spouse

F

“There is a perception that not getting married offers protection to the business, but there is case law that proves this won’t necessarily be the case.”

Wright and van Baal are both part of Mann Lawyers’ family law team.

What are the consequences to a business owner of not excluding their business interests from an equalization claim? They may be forced to sell their stake in the business – to the detriment of the business and any co-owners. Their lifestyle may have to drastically change. There may also be serious repercussions for retirement plans and savings.

“I’ve seen one case

LEFT TO RIGHT: OLIVIA KONEVAL, KATHLEEN WRIGHT AND CASPAR VAN BAAL, FAMILY LAW LAWYERS AT MANN LAWYERS.

where someone had to sell off the family business and that business basically just disappeared,” Wright said.

The key is to be proactive and define an agreement that is fair and equitable for both spouses. For example, say one spouse is a civil servant and the other a business owner, they can agree the business owner will make no claim against the civil servant’s pension benefits and the civil servant will make no claim against the business interest.

“Too often, clients come to us when they should

have come much sooner,” van Baal said. “Now their business is at risk and negative emotions are running high. Be proactive, see a lawyer, and make appropriate plans when times are good.”

Caspar van Baal, Kathleen Wright and Olivia Koneval make up the Family Law Team at Mann Lawyers. Mann Lawyers serves clients across Ontario with a team of 25 lawyers and 29 support staff.

It also has lawyers who are licensed to practice in Quebec.

To learn more, please visit www.mannlawyers.com.

07 OBJ.CA

Why? In Ontario if a couple splits, married spouses are entitled

to apply for an equalization of net family property (or NFP). This allows for the growth of the spouses’ net worth accumulated from the date of marriage to the date of separation to be equalized. Unless otherwise specified through a binding legal agreement, such as a marriage contract, that can include interests and ownership stakes in a business.

Even couples who are not married can be subject to claims against their business interests at separation, added lawyer Caspar van Baal.

“Even in common-law relationships, claims can be made against the other partner’s property,” he said.

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

or lawyer Kathleen Wright, it just makes good business sense to have in place a marriage contract (if married) or a cohabitation agreement (if in a common-law relationship).

“It’s admittedly not a nice topic to talk about – you’re just getting married and already talking divorce,” Wright said. “But if you look at it from a business perspective and the simple fact that about 40 per cent of marriages do end in separation or divorce, it only makes sense to take steps to protect that business.”

OBJ.social

PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos

by Caroline Phillips

From left, Sprint Courier president Eddy Cook with Larry O’Brien, chairman and CEO of Inquisit Solutions, at the June 30 Kick Off for Kids benefit for the IBD Centre at CHEO. The event was held at team president Jeff Hunt’s condo at Lansdowne Park on the night of the RedBlacks’ season opener.

From left, Elizabeth Figueroa, Eddy Cook, Michelle Begin, Jeff Hunt and Sandi Cook at a tailgate party benefit hosted by Hunt, president of the Ottawa RedBlacks, at his condo at Lansdowne.

FUNDRAISER

RedBlacks mascot Big Joe, looking very photogenic, with, from left, Colleen McBrideO’Brien, Angus Albinati and Liam Bishop at the June 30 benefit for CHEO’s IBD Centre.

Tailgating with Jeff Hunt: RedBlacks prez hosts party to launch 2017 season

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

How fitting that there were grey skies to go with the defending CFL champion RedBlacks’ season home opener – in a year that will see the Grey Cup game played in Ottawa.

Dozens of guests packed the condo unit at Lansdowne belonging to RedBlacks president Jeff Hunt for the June 30 Kick Off for Kids tailgate party, held in partnership with the IBD Foundation, for From left, Annette Quinet with Bernie Myers, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre at vice-president at Morguard Investments, Deanna the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Fleck and Ken Fleck, vice-president with Modern It was the second year Hunt, who is Niagara Group, and Mike Fleming, CEO of Fleming Property Management, and Claire Fleming at the also a partner with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, hosted the Kick Off for Kids benefit.

fundraiser to help children who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The event ambassador was 11-year-old Angus Albinati. He was seen admiring the 2016 Grey Cup ring worn by Hunt, who promptly slipped it off his finger for the boy to try on.

Guests mingled on the spacious terrace overlooking the football field while Ottawa’s grilling-gourmet chef, Steph Legari, fired up the barbies to cook bourbon whiskey ribs, grilled sirloin with a roasted-corn salsa, Cajun shrimp served with bocconcini and fresh dill, and other mouth-watering goodness. The RedBlacks’ mascot, Big Joe,

dropped in to show his perma-grin while two members of the team’s cheer and dance team also paid a friendly visit.

Attendees included Jim Durrell, former mayor of Ottawa and a big-time football fan.

“I never miss a game,” said Durrell, who’s chairing the 2017 Grey Cup Festival.

Also seen were marijuana industry trailblazer Chuck Rifici, former Grey Cup champ Jed Tommy and Hunt’s fiancée, Vanessa Richardson (he proposed on their flight together to Paris).

Also on hand were Michele Hepburn, president of the IBD Foundation, and co-organizer Colleen McBride-O’Brien, a sales representative with Royal LePage (she’s also married to entrepreneur and former Ottawa mayor Larry O’Brien).

An endearing Albinati got everyone into the spirit of giving to the tune of $17,000 (with more donations still coming in). He spoke of the fundraising lemonade and cookie stands that his pal Liam Bishop, 10, has set up to fill their joint piggy bank with $165.

“For kids, that’s a lot of money,” added Albinati.

The boy was diagnosed last year with Crohn’s.

“Some may think, because I have IBD, they want to feel sorry for me, but the truth is, because of all the help I’ve gotten from CHEO, I’m feeling like Angus again,” he told the room.

Dr. David Mack, director of CHEO’s IBD Centre, was there. The room heard how the children’s hospital is getting a new IBD treatment room, slated to open in January, but that it now needs to stock up on specialized pediatric equipment.

The centre has seen a “massive increase” in its number of child patients since its humble beginning some 17 years ago, said Mack. The good doctor expressed his best wishes for a successful football game that night and for a second Grey Cup win to earn Hunt a companion championship ring.

“I saw the first one; it’s really good, but it looks lonely.”

Later that night, the RedBlacks took on the Calgary Stampeders in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup. The two teams played to a 31-31 tie.

Is the most valuable perspective the one you don’t have? ey.com/ca #BetterQuestions

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From left, Forty Under 40 recipient Craig O’Brien, a partner at Nelligan O’Brien Payne, at the awards gala with his father, Al O’Brien.

2017 Forty Under 40 recipient Gordon Cudney, centre, a lawyer at Gowling WLG, is surrounded by, from left, Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health president and CEO Mitchell Bellman, Nicole Loreto, Tracey Welsh and Ernie Laporte, chair of the board for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, at the awards gala at the Hilton Lac-Leamy.

Mr. Cudney is also vice-chair of the Royal Ottawa Foundation board.

Ian Mendes from TSN 1200 emceed the 2017 Forty Under 40 awards dinner held at the Hilton Lac-Leamy.

EVENT

OTTAWA’S BRIGHTEST YOUNG BUSINESS STARS SHINE AT FORTY UNDER 40 GALA

From left, Megan Wallace, a business lawyer with Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall, and Jennifer Stewart, president and CEO of Syntax Strategic, were among the recipients of 2017 Forty Under 40 awards handed out at a gala dinner in June.

From left, Michael Tremblay, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa, with Patrick Dion, a former Forty Under 40 recipient and a member of this year’s judging panel, at the gala awards dinner.

pinnacle of his career.

“We’re just getting started,” Bisson said of the escape room company that he and his partners began in November 2014.

“We have lofty goals.”

The company is shooting for 20 locations. Currently, it has three spots in Ottawa, along with pop-up partnerships.

It’s also branched out to Regina and Brisbane, Australia.

Bisson has followed in the footsteps of business partner Billy Rogers, who scored a Forty Under 40 award last year.

“It’s an accolade that belongs to our entire team,” said Bisson, referring to the dozens of behind-the-scene employees and managers. “To say that our success belongs to one person is wrong, but I’m happy to receive the award on behalf of the company.

“I think this award helps leverage our position,” Bisson also said before adding (with no pun intended), “and helps open

some doors.”

If anyone appreciates how much commitment goes into starting a business, it’s Jordan O’Leary. He opened his first Morning Owl Coffeehouse in 2009 on Rochester Street in Little Italy, targeting the weekday, nine-to-five public service crowd.

There are now six Morning Owls in the city, three of which he owns and another three that he’s franchised out.

He’s also a co-owner of the Raw Pulp + Grind juice and smoothie bar on Preston Street.

“I’m super honoured,” O’Leary, 34, told OBJ.social of his Forty Under 40 recognition.

“I really wanted this award, but I didn’t think I was going to get it (so young).”

The most challenging part of running a business, he said, is that the work never ends.

“You’re always an entrepreneur, 24-7. It doesn’t shut off.”

But all the time and energy feels worth it, he added, when something like the Forty Under 40 comes along.

“It shows that a lot of the hard work has paid off and that people do appreciate what I’m doing,” he said.

The gala was co-hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal.

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Renfrew native conceded. “Now we’re starting to reap the rewards.”

Stewart was looking forward to a night of networking and mingling with her fellow entrepreneurs, while enjoying the recognition and validation that comes along with winning such an award.

“It can be lonely sometimes when you’re burning the midnight oil,” she said.

As for what she’ll do with the hardware, her three- and five-year-old children have already claimed it for themselves.

Craig O’Brien, a commercial litigation partner at Nelligan O’Brien Payne, joked that he was getting his award just in the nick of time – he’s 39. He was nominated by his firm, where he began as an articling student nearly 12 years ago and where his father, Al O’Brien, is a senior partner.

In his spare time, O’Brien also volunteers with United Way Ottawa on its revenue committee.

“It’s certainly humbling,” he told OBJ. social of his Forty Under 40 honour.

“It’s actually quite advantageous to be a lawyer winning this award because I get to share it with so many young entrepreneurs. They are exactly the type of people I want to be servicing as they continue to grow their business.

“It’s wonderful to build more bridges into the community.”

Recipient Chris Bisson, one of the owners of Escape Manor, shrugged off any notion that the award could mark the

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

An eager and ecstatic group of young entrepreneurs was out to prove that Ottawa isn’t just a government town, but a city full of big dreams worth chasing, at the 20th Forty Under 40 awards gala at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in late June.

The prestigious awards dinner, emceed

by Ian Mendes from TSN 1200, saw a crowd of 550 come together to recognize the capital’s rising business leaders during an evening that offered a decidedly young and hip vibe. Popular at the cocktail reception was an oxygen bar ready to revive anyone not yet feeling the end-of-the-week Friday-ness. And there was no shortage of dapperly dressed men and glittering ladies.

Culling the list of 200-plus nominees for the 2017 Forty Under 40 awards was no easy task, but all applicants passed over for the honour should remember: There’s always next year (provided you’re still very much thirty-something).

The third time was the charm for recipient Jennifer Stewart, 32, who landed an award after a couple of years of trying.

“I was persistent,” the plucky young chief executive of Syntax Strategic told OBJ. social at the cocktail reception.

Since starting her Ottawa-based strategic communications firm seven years ago, Stewart has hired seven employees and become a mother of two (her husband uncommonly took the parental leave).

There have been challenges trying to grow the company while bringing in new staff and finding the right team, the

From left, Neil Schwartz, Billy Rogers, Chris Bisson and Steve Wilson, owner of The Escape Room, at the Forty Under 40 awards gala dinner.

OBJ.social

PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos

by Caroline Phillips

President Roseann O’Reilly Runte speaks at Carleton University’s 75th anniversary celebration at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

Carleton University chancellor Charles Chi, with his girlfriend Angela Durazo.

Chris Carruthers, chair of the board of governors at Carleton University, with his wife, Donna, and lawyer Steven Levitt, right.

From left, Mayor Jim Watson awards the Key to the City to Carleton University’s chancellor, Charles Chi, outgoing president Roseann O’Reilly Runte and board chair Chris Carruthers at Carleton University’s 75th anniversary celebration June 18 at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

Roseann O’Reilly Runte is awarded the Order of the Crown from Belgium ambassador Raoul Delcorde at Carleton University’s 75th anniversary celebration.

EVENT

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

From left, former Carleton University president Samy Mahmoud with Peter Ricketts and Michel Gaulin.

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Marking 75th anniversary, Carleton University celebrates its ‘startup spirit’

You know it’s a special occasion when Jim Watson shows up in his mayoral “bling,” formally referred to as his ceremonial chain of office.

Our mayor presented the Key to the City – the city’s highest and most prestigious honour – to his alma mater, Carleton University, during the research and teaching institution’s Founding Day celebration held June 18 at the From left, Prof. André Plourde, dean of the Fairmont Château Laurier. The framed faculty of public affairs at Carleton University, key recognizes the university’s “75 with former Carleton president Richard Van Loon. years of transforming hopes, dreams and efforts into personal growth and lifelong success.”

Over the past seven decades, 140,000 students have graduated from Carleton.

The afternoon reception was held exactly 75 years to the day after the Ottawa Association for the Advancement of Learning gathered at the historic hotel on June 18, 1942 to create a place of higher education for Second World War soldiers upon their return to Canada. It wanted to prevent massive post-war unemployment, similar to what Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, who had happened after the First World War. is also vice-chair of Carleton University’s board “That they succeeded is a tribute of governors, with Carleton alumna Jean Teron, to their commitment and their also a member of Carleton’s advancement perseverance. Today, it might be committee.

described as their entrepreneurial spirit and, dare I say, their ‘startup spirit,’” said Carleton University chancellor Charles Chi, who graduated from Carleton in 1988 with a degree in systems and computer engineering before becoming a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He’s a former partner at pioneering Silicon Valley venture capital fund Greylock Partners and former executive chairman and CEO of imaging startup Lytro.

“In its 75 years, Carleton’s faculty, students and alumni have taken their research and discoveries – many found in the labs and classrooms on campus – and turned them into new companies, new technology and new economic opportunity,” Chi said. “Ultimately, this leads to a greater quality of life for the individual and for the country.”

Carleton’s outgoing president, Roseann O’Reilly Runte, received the Order of the Crown from Belgium ambassador Raoul Delcorde. As one of the country’s highest honours (it’s equivalent to the Order of the British Empire), it recognizes Runte’s strong support for establishing international student and faculty partnerships

between Belgium and Canada.

Runte, who has led Carleton for the past nine years and served as its first female president and vice-chancellor, is leaving this summer to head the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Chris Carruthers, chairman of Carleton’s board of governors and former chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital, lauded Runte for her “exceptional and stable leadership.”

“Her priorities have always been the students and the educational mission of the university,” Carruthers told the room. “We have all benefited from her exemplary leadership, and because of her, Carleton is strong than ever and ready to achieve even greater heights.”

The room heard how Carleton graduate Matthew Bamsey is one of 17 people selected to compete for just two Canadian astronaut positions.

“I sent him a little note and he wrote back to me and said if he hadn’t done his bachelor in aerospace engineering at Carleton University, he wouldn’t be in Germany training for that program where he’s going to lead our country in the next land of discovery,” said Runte.

In attendance were such former Carleton presidents as Samy Mahmoud, Richard Van Loon and Robin Farquhar.

Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, who is vice-chair of the university’s board of governors, was also there. So was lawyer Jacques Shore, a former board chair.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered his congratulations via video, and made at least one woman in the room swoon. “He was talking to me, right?” joked blushing emcee Patti Harper, head of archives and research collections at Carleton’s library.

FUNDRAISER

FUNDRAISER PARTICIPANTS GET THEIR KICKS WITH FURY IN SUPPORT OF MONTFORT FOUNDATION The Ottawa Fury soccer club set its game face aside to embrace a unique new fundraiser, Fury for the Heart, held June 25 in support of the Montfort Hospital Foundation.

More than 200 attendees got to leave their neckties and cocktail dresses at home for a fun afternoon of mingling in shorts, sneakers and soccer jerseys that came personalized with their corporate sponsor name on the back, while at Stonefields, a beautiful 120-acre heritage farm and event destination located near Carleton Place.

Each dinner table was paired up with an Ottawa Fury member to compete against the other teams in a soccer skills competition.

The Need for Speed Test, for example, clocked the speed of a kicked soccer ball with a police radar gun (just one of the advantages of having Ottawa’s police chief, Charles Bordeleau, there; he’s on the Montfort Hospital Foundation board).

“It was a really good time,” Fury team

captain Lance Rozeboom told OBJ.social afterward.

“It was relaxing and enjoyable. It’s good to hang out and meet new people.”

The athletes managed to resist keeping their eyes only on the prize, which, in this case, was a soccer ball trophy later handed out by Ottawa Fury president John Pugh, who’s also a partner at OSEG. “I put my competitive juices aside,” said Fury defender Eddie Edward, who was just happy to be giving back to the community, particularly since Ottawa is his hometown.

He went to St. Joseph High School in Barrhaven.

What’s a soccer event without some traditional English weather, as emcee Mike Pearson, the PA announcer for the Fury, pointed out. A rain shower interrupted the soccer contest about midway through.

No disappointment was expressed by the folks who’d yet to compete in The Gauntlet obstacle course, with its 10 daunting burpees.

The Fury’s Scottish-born head coach Paul Dalglish had this tongue-in-cheek comment about his experience out on the field: “It’s only cheating if you get caught.”

Special guests included Dalglish’s father, Liverpool and Scotland soccer hero Kenny Dalglish.

Guests kept dry in the elegant event barn and were entertained by live music from a bunch of Canterbury High School students.

What really got the crowd cheering like a lifelong soccer fan whose team had just won was the impromptu rap performance

by Fury goalkeeper Callum Irving and midfielder Sergio Manesio. Not only were they entertaining, but they raised a few bucks for charity as well.

The sold-out benefit, presented by TD, brought in about $50,000 for the hospital foundation’s campaign to raise $2.5 million for a cardiac CT scanner. The campaign is chaired by well-known defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who was also the charity auctioneer.

From left, Perry Mody with Ramon Martin Del Campo and Lawrence Greenspon at the Fury for the Heart benefit for the Montfort Hospital.

Steevan Dos Santos with Ottawa lawyer Warren Creates at the Fury for the Heart benefit for the Montfort Hospital.

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

Renfrew County redefines work-life balance Engaging career opportunities make work part of the fun of living in the Ottawa Valley

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to carve leisure time out of their day-to-day grind. In contrast, many Renfrew County residents spend their weekdays at highly engaging careers where they apply their skills by finding creative solutions to real-world problems.

and tourism operators, Renfrew County is home to leading nuclear science companies. This includes Bubble Technology Industries, a security firm that develops radiation, explosive and contraband detection systems used at Super Bowls,

Learn more at investinrenfrewcounty.ca the Olympics and global political summits.

Renfrew County also features manufacturing facilities such as fibreboard producer Pembroke MDF, which initially drew Mr. Ackman to the area.

A native of downtown Montreal, Mr. Ackman moved to Renfrew County with his family by way of Sault Ste. Marie in 2001 to work as a plant engineer.

As he later did at Ensyn, the engineer spotted an opportunity

HELP WANTED

Looking for fresh career opportunities? A lifestyle change? Renfrew County can lead you to your next job.

Many of the Ottawa Valley’s growing companies are looking to hire individuals for a wide variety of exciting opportunities.

These positions include openings for industrial millwrights, engineers, accountants, hydrogeologists, industrial hygienists, scientists, editors, writers, welders and jobs in the healthcare and administration sectors.

The economic development team at the County of Renfrew will connect prospective jobseekers with employers.

Contact Alastair Baird, the manager of economic development at the County of Renfrew, at 1-800-2730183 x466 or abaird@ countyofrenfrew.on.ca.

11 OBJ.CA

And, once the workday is over, the area’s outdoor lifestyle awaits with activities that include paddling the Ottawa River, cycling on scenic country roads or through forest paths as well as tackling ski hills and trails in the winter months.

Mr. Ackman is among the growing number of skilled workers in Renfrew County employed by some of Eastern Ontario’s most innovative companies.

Alongside agri-businesses

to improve Pembroke MDF’s operations by applying some innovative thinking.

Pembroke MDF generates large volumes of wood dust during the fibreboard manufacturing process. Mr. Ackman asked what could be done with the by-product and helped turn it into heat by burning it, displacing natural gas used at the plant.

“We took a raw material that used to be considered waste and turned it into a valuable product,” he says.

Outside of work, Mr. Ackman says he’s developed a love for the outdoor lifestyle Renfrew County offers, namely skiing in the winter and golfing in the summer.

“Every time I go back to the big city, I think it’s great for about five minutes. But then I get stuck in traffic,” he jokes.

“Here, we have a quieter and more relaxed lifestyle.”

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

ike Ackman is developing a knack for finding value where others see waste.

He’s the Renfrew-based general manager of Ensyn Technologies, a clean-tech company producing renewable fuels from forestry residues.

That fuel is sent through a filter before it’s sent to customers. Traditionally, the filtered materials were sent to a landfill.

But Mr. Ackman is working on a process to burn it instead to heat the facility’s dryers used to remove moisture from wood before it’s turned into biofuels.

He figures he could cut Ensyn’s natural gas bill by a whopping 60 per cent.

“We’re going to take our own by-product, combust it and reduce our consumption of natural gas,” says Mr. Ackman.

Some people define “work-life balance” as desperately trying

PROFILE

“Look, I’ve been more successful than certainly my background should ever have allowed me to become. I have a great team, three amazing restaurants, wonderful partners, an amazing wife, a beautiful son and a sense of financial security. I have already won the lottery.”— STEPHEN BECKTA, MAJORITY OWNER OF OTTAWA RESTAURANTS BECKTA, PLAY AND GEZELLIG

Life’s a banquet for master restaurateur Ottawa native Stephen Beckta dishes on his humble beginnings, his passion for the restaurant business and why there’s no such thing as an unreasonable customer

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He’s a political junkie. “Politicians are, to me, right up there,” says Mr. Beckta.

“They’re as exciting as having a Mick Jagger in for dinner.” Whom he’s had at his restaurant, by the way. There’s a wine bottle signed by the Rolling Stones perched on the same shelf as autographed bottles by Jean Chrétien, Jack Layton, Paul Martin and Tom Mulcair.

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

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He, along with his executive chef and business partner Michael Moffatt and prominent caterer Sheila Whyte, are organizing Canada’s Table on Aug. 27.

It’s a sold-out, four-course dinner with wine pairings for 1,000 people to be held outdoors on a closed-off, four-block stretch of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill. Twenty chefs will participate, half of whom are locals and half of whom represent five distinct regions of Canada. The dinner is part of a series of events happening in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.

He’s board chair of the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. The non-profit organization played an important role in his own childhood.

caroline@obj.ca

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BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

ere’s a recipe for becoming a successful restaurant owner: Take a generous amount of talent, passion and ambition, let it simmer for three hardworking decades, and then garnish it with a personality that needs no extra seasoning.

At age 43, Stephen Beckta is the majority partner of the iconic Beckta Dining and Wine and of its two sister restaurants, Play and Gezellig. Beckta Dining and Wine landed on the 2017 list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, which was voted on by leading chefs, restaurateurs and critics from across the country, and all three are on TripAdvisor’s Top 10 list of places to eat in Ottawa.

Mr. Beckta is also an Algonquin Collegetrained sommelier who’s worked in some of the finest eateries in New York City.

If mastery is a matter of practice, then Mr. Beckta has certainly put in his time to become one of the best in the biz.

He started in the industry at age 13.

While attending Cairine Wilson Secondary School in Orleans, he took on full-time hours to bus tables, wash dishes and cook, as well as serve once he was old enough.

Simply put, he fell in love with the restaurant business.

“It was the first place where I felt successful at something,” said Mr. Beckta during an interview at his flagship Beckta restaurant at 150 Elgin St., where hanging on the walls around him are paintings by local artist Andrew King.

For a kid who came from a broken home, the restaurant community was like his family.

Mr. Beckta worked at a variety of joints, from the now-defunct Malibu Jack’s to Dunn’s Famous Deli.

“I loved the restaurant business more than school,” he said.

That might explain why he technically became a high school dropout. He was too busy to complete his final English

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STEPHEN BECKTA:

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Among the local entrepreneurs who inspire him are his friends Tobi Lütke and Harley Finkelstein from Shopify, as well as Bridgehead owner Tracey Clark. Mr. Finkelstein has his own table at Beckta with a plaque that reads #hustle.

5 PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

course. It was only recently that he received his diploma in the mail after the school principal learned of his story and figured that his life’s work compensated for the missing credit.

In the 1990s, a broken heart sent Mr. Beckta on a one-way trip to Europe. He ran out of cash in Amsterdam and took a job selling tickets for Boom Chicago, a 250-seat American comedy dinner theatre.

So successful was Mr. Beckta that the owners promoted him to food and beverage operations manager. To prepare for the job, he read management books and watched VHS recordings of Star Trek: The Next Generation to learn about leadership from Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.

Mr. Beckta made his bosses a ton of money. But they fired him for his approach to handling his staff, who he says often showed up late and weren’t interested in their work but were, unfortunately for him, related to the owners.

Getting sacked taught Mr. Beckta his most important lesson: The means are just as important as the ends, and if you build a great restaurant culture, the profits will follow.

“I should have used persuasive skills, rather than yelling or screaming to get

people to show up on time,” he conceded.

One of the traditions Mr. Beckta has established at each of his restaurants is a communal lunch and dinner involving the employees. They discuss the day, along with the menu specials and available wines.

“It’s a big cost to feed all of our staff every day,” Mr. Beckta acknowledged. “But it really sets the tone and the culture and the idea that people can never really care for others if they don’t feel cared for themselves.”

Beckta left Amsterdam following a minor bicycle accident (and his realization that he was living in a foreign country without medical insurance). He returned home before moving to the Big Apple to work for the likes of renowned Chef Daniel Boulud, followed by famous restaurateur Danny Meyer.

He came back to Ottawa for good, however, after meeting his future wife, management consultant Maureen Cunningham, at a wedding at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

In 2003, he got married and opened his first restaurant, Beckta, at its original location on Nepean Street in Centretown. A couple of years later came son Seanan, now 11.

Mr. Beckta’s second restaurant, Play,

Mr. Beckta was the general contractor for Beckta, Play and Gezellig and does regular maintenance on his restaurants, proving that he’s as handy with a hammer as he is with a corkscrew.

debuted in 2009, followed by Gezellig in 2012.

In 2015, he moved Beckta to the heritage building that it currently occupies.

The relocation was meaningful to the restaurateur, who spent his early childhood living in apartments on and around Elgin Street.

His modest beginnings play a role in shaping his opinion on the topic of difficult diners (you know the type; they complain about everything).

For him, there’s no such thing as an unreasonable customer.

“You can’t look at it like that,” he opined.

“It’s reasonable in their mind, and that’s the only mind that matters.

“Look, I’ve been more successful than certainly my background should ever have allowed me to become. I have a great team, three amazing restaurants, wonderful partners, an amazing wife, a beautiful son and a sense of financial security. I have already won the lottery.

“The idea that somebody is trying to take advantage of me just doesn’t compute. I feel like I have so much to give, so it’s very easy when someone tries to take from you. You just give to them, and then they don’t need to take from you anymore.”

We’re Back

at GreyHawk Golf Course!

Double-shotgun tournament

When: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 12:30 p.m. - Shotgun Start

Location: GreyHawk Golf Club 4999 Boundary Road, Cumberland, ON

Sponsors:

Registration Fees: Individual Players Ottawa Chamber Member: $200 + HST Non-Member: $225 + HST

Foursome Ottawa Chamber Member: $800 + HST Non-Member: $900 + HST Presented by:

REGISTER TODAY @ OttawaChamber.ca Don’t miss this fun-filled day on the greens!

13 OBJ.CA

• Fun contests & great prizes • BBQ lunch • Networking cocktail reception • Delicious dinner

MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

For golf information, e-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca or call 613-236-7029 ext. 136

THE LIST 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017

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17 19 19

Company/Address/ Phone/Fax/Web Smith 300-490 St. Joseph Blvd.

Gatineau, QC J8Y 3Y7 888-222-8870 smith.co McMillan 541 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z6 613-789-1234 / 613-789-2255 mcmillan.com Banfield Agency 35 Armstrong St. Ottawa, ON K1Y 2V4 613-722-6832 / 613-722-7151 bsl.com Acart Communications 600-171 Nepean St. Ottawa, ON K2P 0B4 613-230-7944 / 613-232-5980 acart.com bv02 Inc. 103-858 Bank St. Ottawa, ON K1S 3W3 613-231-2802 / 613-822-8340 bv02.com Xactly Design & Advertising 204-311 Richmond Rd. Ottawa, ON K1Z 5H8 613-745-2225 / 613-745-3861 xactlydesign.com Mediaplus Advertising 103-141 Catherine St. Ottawa, ON K2P 1C3 613-230-3875 / 613-230-1458 mediaplusadvertising.com Orkestra Marketing Inc. 37 St-Joseph Blvd.

Gatineau, QC J8Y 3V8 819-205-1782 orkestra.ca Accurate Creative 100-57 Auriga Dr. Ottawa, ON K2E 8B2 613-723-2057 / 613-228-0145 accurate.ca Alphabet Creative 1053 Somerset St. W. Ottawa, ON K1Y 3C4 613-244-0858 alphabetcreative.com Blackiron Agency 400-300 Richmond Rd. Ottawa, ON K1Z 6x6 613-236-5444 blackiron.agency TRUEdotDESIGN 43 Eccles St., 1st floor Loft Ottawa, ON K1R 6S3 613-749-9449 truedotdesign.com Marketing Breakthroughs 202-2255 Carling Ave. Ottawa, ON K2B 7Z5 613-721-3335 / 613-721-3337 marketingbreakthroughs.com Stiff 101-9 Gurdwara Rd. Ottawa, ON K2E 7X6 613-683-4100 stiff.ca Jackpine 704 Somerset St. W. Ottawa, ON K1R 6P6 613-680-7463 jackpine.co B Media Shop 342 Maclaren St. Ottawa, ON K2P 0M6 613-237-5757 bmediashop.com/ Cyan Solutions 200-58 Arthur St. Ottawa, ON K1R 7B9 613-860-4444 cyansolutions.com The Bytown Group 2-326 Somerset St. W. Ottawa, ON K2P 0J9 613-562-1861 / 613-562-0987 bytowngroup.com Kaboom Communication Design 14 Jeanne d’Arc St. Gatineau, QC J8Y 2H2 819-772-4621 / 819-772-1629 kaboom.ca MediaStyle 131 Bank St., 3rd floor Ottawa, ON K1P 5N7 613-369-5006 mediastyle.ca

LARGEST ADVERTISING AGENCIES (RANKED BY NUMBER OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES)

Number of local employees

Year established in Ottawa

90

1995

75

1996

42

1973

Principals

Notable current clients

Services offered

Fab DiCarlantonio chief operating officer

AT&T; Cansel; Microsoft; Cisco; Best Buy; T-Mobile; Amtrak

Strategy and intelligence; technology - commerce; website; content management; experience design

Atos; Commvault; Donnelley Financial Solutions; HUB International; Schneider Electric; ServiceSource; United Rentals

Brand and go-to-market campaign development for B2B global enterprises

Nokia; Mead Johnson; Nutrition; Export Development Corp.; Hydro Ottawa; Canadian Medical Association; National Arts Centre

Creative; marketing; brand strategy; PR, social and content strategy; graphic design; advertising and promotional campaigns; event management; video production; web and mobile application development; media strategy and buying

Gordon McMillan CEO and chief creative officer Robert Hyams president Nancy Webb president John Charette vice-president and creative director

40

1976

Al Albania president

25

2002

Andrew D. Milne CEO

25

2002

Denis Andre Sabourin president

24

1984

24

2008

23

1988

Don Masters president and creative director Christine Kincaid vice-president and chief operating officer Colin Laramée-Plouffe Alex Van Dieren co-presidents Dominic Faucher Creative Director Diane J. Dufour president Marc Landry partner and chief financial officer

Elections Canada; The College of Family Physicians of Canada; Egg Farmers of Canada; York Region Transit; Grand River Transit; Canadian Science and Technology Museum; Ottawa Senators Hockey Club; Tanger Outlet Malls; Ontario Public Service Employees Union; Mi-Way (Mississauga Transit) Aga Khan Museum; Apple; Canadian Museum of History; Canadian Ski Patrol; CHEO; Dalhousie University; Music for Young Children; OC Transpo; Ottawa Network for Education; Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts; Students on Ice; University of Manitoba Carlingwood Mall; Greco Fitness; Domicile; Gal Power; Air Force Association; Ottawa Champions; Bytown Catering; Ottawa Construction Association; Palladium Insurance; Ringette Canada

Full-service agency including: strategic planning; integrated ad campaigns; media planning; media buying; direct marketing; branding; creative; digital media; public relations; media relations; social marketing Helps clients build and maintain digital ecosystem to support and revitalize their business goals: digital governance; digital roadmaps; web, mobile and app design; video and motion; digital marketing; performance measurement; SEO Advertising; branding; content development; desktop publishing; hosting; graphic design; mobile; online marketing; printing and promotional items; search engine optimization; social media; trade show booths and exhibits; web design and development

Ottawa Tourism; OC Transpo; Ottawa 2017; Canada Post; OSEG; Appraisal Institute of Canada; National Arts Centre; Advertising; interactive; branding Canada Science & Technology Museum; CHEO Foundation; Tartan Homes Oxford; Cominar; City of Gatineau; Mont Cascades; University of Quebec Outaouais; Outaouais Tourism; Canadian Museum of History; Canadian Museum of Nature; City of Brossard Canadian Blood Services; Hyperline Cabling Systems; City of Ottawa; Croplife Canada; Coleman; Ottawa Hospital; Titus; Government of Canada; Government of Ontario

Advertising; event specialists; street marketing; branding; design; strategic planning; media buyer Communications strategies; content development; branding and corporate identity; web design and development; motion graphics and video; print design; multimedia; exhibits; advertising; photography

Minto Communities; The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Kingston Tourism; Canadian Real Estate Association; Canadian Internet Registration Authority; Canadian Deposit Insurance Corp.; The Ottawa Hospital Foundation; The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health

Integrated marketing services: brand visioning; creative strategy; planning and execution; content marketing; digital marketing campaign development; lead generation and inbound marketing; web design and development

18

2002

Tony Lyons president and creative director

17

2001

Gerry McGillvray principal

Ottawa Internationall Airport Authority; Mark Motors Group of Companies; Windmill Developments; OSEG (67s); Ottawa Tourism; Ottawa Senators; ExcelHR; Luxe Magazine; Brookstreet; Wabano; Bell Media

Digital first creative and strategic approach. Full service agency.

Branding; graphic design; advertising; lead generation; video; printing; signage; web design and development; SEO, SEM, digital, social, traditional media strategy, planning, purchasing

16

2012

Shelley True president

Barry Hobin & Associates Architects; Uniform Developments; Deslaurier Custom Cabinets

Strategy; branding; marketing; graphic design; social media; public relations; copywriting; web design and programming; advertising; showroom interior design

15

1995

Stephen Klein CEO and creative director

Preston Hardware; District Realty; Greely Sand & Gravel; BEMAC Collision Group

Strategic and marketing planning; branding, advertising campaigns, web marketing; enterprise SEO and SEM; Google advertising; promotional videos; WordPress web design and development; website copywriting and maintenance; social media marketing

14

1988

James Hanington CEO

Argo Group; Canadian Fuels; CARE Canada; Hamilton Insurance Group; Office of the Governor General of Canada; Saatchi & Saatchi; University of Ottawa; Telfer School of Management; Lord Stanley’s Gift Monument; CCMTA; Cavanagh; CRTC; Spoonity

Builds and manages brands, develops communications strategies and go-to-market through traditional, digital and social communication.

12

2013

Liam Mooney CEO and founder

CD Howe Institute; Proslide; Hyatt Hotels; Claridge Homes; Ottawa 2017; Canada Council for the Arts; Earnscliffe Strategy Group; Canadian Heritage; Engineers Without Borders

Creative counsel; business strategy; visioning; urban design and placemaking; interactive design; graphic design; product and packaging design; interior design; marketing; branding; web design; videography; pubic affairs; event planning

11

2016

John Bishop president

Bushtukah; Ottawa Trainyards; Bel-Air Toyota & Lexus; A-1 Mini; Upper Room Furniture; Métis Nation; Trillium College; Slush Puppie Canada; Bell Media; Glenview Ottawa; Athletic Club; Kardish

Full-service agency including: strategic planning; integrated ad campaigns; media planning; media buying; direct marketing; branding; creative; digital media; public relations; media relations; social marketing

10

1994

Brent MacGillis president

Arctic Inspiration Prize; Amnesty International; Canadian Real Estate Association; Bell Canada; Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement; Railway Association of Canada

Full-service digital marketing and communications: strategic marketing planning; social media; content marketing; inbound lead generation; SEO; graphic design; web design and development; printing; promotional branding; video production; signage

10

1977

Bob Corrall president and owner

Solar winds n-able; Canadian Blood Services; Byward Market BIA; Wildlife Habitat; Norcan; Status of women; Kanata North BIA; Camart; Synthesis Health Systems

Full-service marketing communications: graphic design; advertising; web design and development; multimedia and video development; photography; corporate brand development and management

9

1998

Canadian Space Agency; Slush Puppie Canada; Ville de Gatineau; Canada Revenue Agency; NAV Canada; Parks Canada

Advertising; graphic design; corporate branding; web design and development; illustrations; social media strategies; marketing campaign [traditional and web]; strategic planning

9

2009

Canada’s Nurses; Egg Farmers of Canada; Canada’s Building Trade Unions; Downie Wenjack Fund; CBC’s Becoming Canadian; Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Full-service agency specializing in communications audits, plans and strategy; media relations, graphic design, digital strategies, social media management, communications workshops and training, message crafting and speech writing.

Pierre Falardeau owner

Ian Capstick Caitlin Kealey Allyson Chisnall

WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 2016 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 June 28, 2017. © 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 People on the move Kinaxis announced that Sarah Sedgman was appointed to the newly created role of chief customer officer.

Ms. Sedgman will be responsible for defining the strategies and programs that ensure continuous customer value across Kinaxis’ employees and partners.

Réjean Desjardins was named vice-president and general manager for Boone Plumbing and Heating Supply. Mr. Desjardins joined Boone in 1982 and held several positions with increased responsibilities over the years. He succeeds Claude DesRosiers, who has retired from the role.

Fluent.ai announced that renowned British artificial intelligence entrepreneur William Tunstall-Pedoe has joined the firm’s advisory board. Mr. Tunstall-Pedoe founded Evi Technologies, which is now a division of Amazon following its acquisition in 2012.

Hats off Pythian was recognized in the Leader category of the Global Outsourcing 100 awards. The company also received distinguished honours for the number of written customer testimonials received.

The awards recognize the world’s best outsourcing service providers based on a scoring methodology that includes a review by an independent panel of International Association of Outsourcing Professionals members.

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

Instrux Media Corp.

17 Savage Dr. Description: e-Learning services Buyer: Employment and Social Development Canada $27,459,000 CAE Inc. 1135 Innovation Dr. Description: e-Learning services Buyer: Employment and Social Development Canada $3,356,100 Asokan Business Interiors Inc. 25 Eddy Description: Office furniture Buyer: PWGSC $1,838,041

KPMG LLP 150 Elgin St. Description: Revision of Canada’s pricing framework Buyer: PWGSC $1,356,000

Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting Inc. 116 Albert St. Description: Internal and external audits Buyer: Health Canada $596,216

Star Group International Inc. 3971 Greenbank Rd. Description: General maintenance services for the Canadian Coast Guard College Buyer: Fisheries and Oceans Canada $1,227,160

Bradley-Kelly Construction Ltd. 5622 Doncaster Rd. Description: Electrical correctives Buyer: PWGSC $410,000

Versaterm Inc. 2300 Carling Ave. Description: ADP software Buyer: DND $796,384 LCI Engineering Inc. 36 Antares Dr. Description: Scanning and modelling Buyer: PWGSC $685,925

Bell Canada 160 Elgin St. Description: Legacy support and transition/ Network services/ Interactive voice response migration project Buyer: Fisheries and Oceans Canada $350,000

– Ontario side of Canada’s Capital Region Buyer: National Capital Commission $300,000 Advanced Business Interiors 2355 St. Laurent Blvd.

Description: Freestanding height-adjustable desks Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $268,754 Telesat Canada 1601 Telesat Crt. Description: Technical and regulatory support of Canadian procedures related to the licensing of the CSA satellite and terrestrial networks Buyer: Canadian Space Agency $258,693

Ottawa D-Squared Construction Ltd. 6906 McKeown St. Description: Asphalt patch work and repairs services

BOMA’S COMMERCIAL

SPACE DIRECTORY

COMMERCIAL

DIRECTORY 2016/2017

IN PRODUCTION:

NEW ISSUE

Book by August 28, 2017

Nation Builders

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CANADA AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PUBLISHED BY

OCTOBER 24, 2016

2017 BOOK OF LISTS All directory-listing survey responses are due July 21

15 OBJ.CA

For bookings or inquiries: 613-238-1818 x226 or victoria@obj.ca More information is available at obj.ca

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