Ottawa Business Journal June 2019

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship PAGES 13-27

June 2019 Vol. 22, NO. 04

obj.ca

@obj_news

OBJNews

ottawabizjournal

ottawa-business-journal

SPONSORED CONTENT

Ottawa dispute thrusts ‘power of attorney’ authority under microscope How adult children are becoming caregivers to an aging population

JUNE 2019

T

OBJ.CA

2

hey’ve been called the sandwich generation, adults in their 40s and 50s, caught between raising their children and taking care of their aging parents.

Being a caregiver is more than taking a parent to doctor’s appointments. Children become responsible for their parents’ financial well-being, paying the bills and managing their parents’ home. This takes significant financial resources.

In most cases, siblings rally together to support their aging parents. But in some tragic cases, a child may not have the best interest of their parent or siblings in mind.

These disputes can pit family members against one another, fighting over finances and causing siblings to block access to their parents. This can spiral into elder abuse.

This scenario played out in an Ottawa courtroom a few years ago as several siblings argued over whether their mother had the mental capacity to give power of attorney to two of her children.

The story started in 2008, when an Ottawa woman – a mother of 10 – gave

two of her children power of attorney.

Her son, who is a production manager in Ottawa, was mostly responsible for his mother’s finances. Problems had already been brewing, as five of their siblings had previously pressed their mother for their inheritances while she was still alive.

In 2013, the mother moved in with her daughter. She was paid rent from her mother’s bank account, but in 2015 emailed her brother asking to transfer all of her mother’s money to her account in order to keep funds away from one of the other siblings.

The situation soon intensified. In 2015, with the mother suffering from dementia, her youngest son convinced his mother to write him a $50,000 cheque to renovate his home. The son with power of attorney confronted him and the youngest son returned the money, resolving the issue for the moment. When asked, the mother didn’t remember writing the cheque.

In April 2016, the dispute escalated further. With help from the sister who was taking care of his mother, the youngest son took his mother to a new lawyer and – despite her diminished mental faculties – had her

THEFT ACCUSATIONS The term “elder abuse” usually conjures up images of physical harm. However, it can also come in the form of financial mismanagement, with serious consequences.

One of the best forms of prevention is to ensure there’s a paper trail of all financial transactions when helping care for an elderly relative.

This issue recently came to the forefront in case involving two brothers who held powers of attorney for their parents – their 88-year-oldfather and 90-year-old mother – and helped their parents to

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

Raymond Murray, partner, Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP

pay the elderly couple’s bills and take care of the family farm.

The other siblings complained and accused the brothers of misappropriating their parents’ money. They tried to have one of them designated with new power of attorney authority and failed.

To protect the elderly person, all financial transactions should have details describing why any payments were made, how much was spent and who received any payments from the elderly person’s account.

“The person who holds a power of attorney has a duty to communicate major decisions and disclose how they are handling the incapacitated’s finances,” says Raymond Murray, partner at Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP and leader of the Estates Law Group. “This also protects the power of attorney because if there is a disagreement on how they are administering things, you can deal with it immediately.”

SPONSORED CONTENT

transfer power of attorney authority to him. The youngest son then withdrew nearly $350,000 from his mother’s bank account to buy a new home with a swimming pool.

This was a clear sign that the dispute had escalated into elder abuse, said Carol Craig, a partner at Ottawa law firm Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP. The son and daughter who previously held power of attorney authority contacted Craig in 2016 with the hope of regaining control of their

mother’s finances and personal care.

“These kind of disputes are quite common,” said Craig. “People get a bad feeling and don’t know that they have legal rights. The best thing to do is to take action.” Craig says the best way to avoid any conflict is to have transparent estate planning involving the entire family.

Craig is leading Nelligan’s new elder law practice, which complements the existing Estates Law, Family Law and

Litigation groups, to help families care for the unique needs of aging family members.

While lawyers are advocates for their clients by definition, working in elder law includes an additional dimension: Fiercely advocating for what’s in the best interest of elderly individuals.

Craig’s strategy was to prove that the mother was incapable of making decisions at the time she designated a new power of attorney, therefore making

the document invalid.

In June 2016, Craig recommended having the mother go through a capacity assessment, where a doctor would test whether the mother is capable of making complex decisions.

With the doctor’s report finding that the mother’s mental faculties had indeed diminished, Craig was ready to move forward to get a court order to invalidate the new power of attorney document. But her client wasn’t ready.

“When we put the court documents together, the daughter cried and said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’” she said. “When your siblings turn against you, it can be so hard.”

So Craig told her to wait until she was ready. In December 2017, the family went to trial.

When Craig cross-examined the youngest son, he admitted that he shouldn’t have asked his mother in 2016 to designate him as power of attorney because she’s didn’t have the capacity to do so.

The court agreed, reinstating the 2008 power of attorney authority, allowing her son to manage his mother’s finances in a responsible fashion that ensured she maintained a comfortable quality of life.

VISITATION DENIED in such cases in recent years as the elderly population grows.

The issues revolve around power of attorney. The older sister had relied on her power of attorney to say it gave her the right to decide who could visit her mother and argued that the elderly woman was bothered by her other sisters’ visits.

In 2018, Craig successfully applied in court for unsupervised visits for

the three sisters. The sisters testified that since the death of their father in early 2017, the mother had asked her daughters to come visit more often.

To prevent these situations, Craig urges parents to write out their care wishes – including visits from their children – before they reach an advanced age.

“Parents have a right to see their kids,” she says.

JUNE 2019

CAROL CRAIG, partner, Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP

Three sisters received a shock in December 2017 when they tried to visit their 92-year-old mother, suffering from dementia, in her Orléans nursing home. When they arrived, officials at the nursing home barred them from entering on the instructions of a fourth sister.

Carol Craig, partner at Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP, wasn’t completely surprised. She says she’s seen a rise

3 OBJ.CA

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

PROSPECTUS The enduring popularity of Forty Under 40

IN THIS ISSUE OBOT CONNECT! is a joint publication

ISSUE NO. 4

Businesses bet on Vanier’s future as Montreal Road revitalization breaks ground

BY CHARLIE SENACK news@obj.ca

A

• Year-round visibility of your message in print and online • Target your audience by placing your ad beside a specific industry list • Lock out your competitors by owning the list in your industry • Get broad market reach since the guide appeals to all industries Contact victoria@obj.ca or call 613.238.1818 ext. 226 for more details.

– BERNIE MYERS, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF REAL PROPERTY, THE REGIONAL GROUP, WITH KELLY RHODENIZER, THE FIRM’S DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

just say they are going to put up a few planters and change the lights and call it renovated,” he said. “They are doing it right ... having a great streetscape that will be more attractive to retailers and shops, and (creating) a more attractive community for people to live in.”

Some of Montreal Road’s current merchants echo those sentiments.

While Finnegan’s Pub owner Drew

Dobson said he predicts that he will lose around 15 per cent of business during the revitalization project, he’s hopeful that his patrons will quickly return once work wraps up.

“Vanier is going to grow and prosper and you are going to see a positive outcome,” he said. “(The Montreal Road revitalization) is going to increase economic activity and it is going to clean the neighbourhood up.”

37 OBJ.CA

Michael Curran

“We saw Vanier’s proximity to downtown and knew it was only a matter of time before it was rejuvenated.”

JUNE 2019

@objpublisher

candlestick maker. We are hoping that the changes will bring about new developments and certainly new businesses.”

For more than a decade, Vanier’s business leaders have worked to promote the neighbourhood’s affordable land prices, short distance to downtown and diverse population.

Despite these efforts, Vanier has so far failed to see a wave of gentrification that’s reshaped other inner-city Ottawa neighbourhoods such as Hintonburg.

However, some local businesses are making long-term investments in the community with the belief that Vanier’s time has come.

In 2015, The Regional Group – an Ottawa-based property developer and manager – purchased and then revitalized a five-storey, 45,000-squarefoot office building at 214 Montreal Rd., several blocks east of the Vanier Parkway.

“We saw Vanier’s proximity to downtown and knew it was only a matter of time before it was rejuvenated,” said Bernie Myers, senior vice-president of real property at The Regional Group.

While he concedes that four years of construction can be a long time for merchants and other businesses, Myers said he expects the project to pay longterm dividends.

“The city is wise enough to not

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

s the $50-million overhaul of Montreal Road gets underway, business leaders are looking ahead at how the major revitalization project can attract new businesses, shoppers and residents to Vanier.

With work scheduled to break ground in May, the four-year project running between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard includes new sewer and water lines, as well as unsightly hydro lines being buried below ground.

Most of the above-ground work will start next year and include the road being reduced from four lanes to three as well as the addition of bike lanes, larger sidewalks, public art, new community spaces and parks.

The head of the Vanier BIA says she hopes the dramatic facelift will prompt more entrepreneurs and business owners to consider making Montreal Road their home, diversifying the street’s retail offerings.

“The kinds of businesses that we currently see on Montreal Road aren’t exactly the mix we are hoping for – meaning that they are not the typical stores you would see on a traditional main street,” said Nathalie Carrier, executive director for the Vanier BIA. “There is no butcher, no baker, no

CONNECT!

JUNE 2019

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE

FOCUS ON OTTAWA EAST

REACH THOUSANDS OF KEY BUSINESS DECISION-MAKERS IN THE BUYING PROCESS

OBJ.CA

from the Ottawa Board of Trade and OBJ that explores business news and issues in various communities around the city. This edition, which starts on page 37, focuses on Ottawa East and looks at the long-term impact of the $50-million revitalization of Montreal Road in Vanier as well as La Cité’s efforts to forge deeper ties with Ottawa’s business community. www.ottawabot.ca

MARKET YOUR BUSINESS IN OTTAWA’S BUYING GUIDE

4

Talk about expanding.

This June issue of OBJ counts 72 pages.

In publisher parlance, I call that a “brick.”

Last fall, OBJ shifted to this new format, which we call a newsmagazine. The regular publication also took on a monthly publishing schedule, new content and new design. I’m completely thrilled with the result.

The popularity has copies disappearing as soon as they hit the street. So a couple of reminders.

First, you can check out www.obj.ca/locations to find nearly 300 pickup locations across the city.

Second, if you want VIP treatment, visit www.obj.ca/delivery. For a nominal monthly fee of $8, you can get a bundle of OBJs delivered by courier to your office. (Thanks to local company Fusebill for its e-commerce engine to power this monthly recurring delivery fee model.)

Read all about it.

www.ottawabot.ca

Of everything that OBJ does (and it’s a pretty long list) few things, if any, match the enduring popularity of Forty Under 40.

Started way back in the late 1990s as a simple newspaper feature, the awards have grown tremendously.

Here are a few numbers to back that up.

This year, there were 275 nominations started and more than 160 formally submitted. An independent panel of judges then reviewed 80 finalist nominations for about 100 hours in total.

On April 25, when OBJ posted the 2019 list of recipients to its website, traffic spiked. That article has now been read more than 17,000 times.

All of this begs the question: why all of this interest?

I think the answer is plain to see for anyone who reads the Forty Under 40 profiles in this issue.

More specifically, I would pin the popularity on three simple facts: remarkable achievements at an early age, overcoming significant life obstacles and, of course, the continuing sense of potential.

It’s not easy to single out recipients, but take the story of Alex Dorward, the youngest recipient and

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

the only twentysomething to make the list this year.

Significant achievements? Yep, a C-level technology sector executive who has already sold a startup for a 400 per cent return.

Obstacles? Very candidly, Alex disclosed, “For much of my twenties, I struggled to maintain good mental health.” You can read the rest yourself – it’s equally jarring.

Sense of potential? Alex really summed it up with a pithy quote: “Open every door in front of you.”

If you’re like me, meaning you’re no longer in the Forty Under 40 cohort, the profiles are still inspiring to read, more than 20 years after the awards were created.

And, as I’ve mentioned many times before, I think the recipients continue to personify a sense of excitement for what lies ahead in Ottawa’s expanding economy.

ORDERING FOR OBJ DELIVERY Want this great publication conveniently handdelivered to your office each month? Well, now that’s a lot easier.

Thanks to a partnership with local tech company Fusebill, you can now guarantee your regular monthly delivery of OBJ through an easy online system. Simply visit www.obj.ca/delivery to place your order. It’s a nominal fee of $8 per month to get 1-25 copies of OBJ hand-delivered. Pick the number of copies that you need. It’s a flat delivery fee. Use the promo code PROSPECTUS for 50 per cent off the delivery fee for three months.

JUNE 13 MAY 30

Everyone is talking about the world-changing potential of artificial intelligence. Part of its development is happening right here in Ottawa. The people behind the city’s top AI startup will host Impact AI, a conference at the end of May. With a theme of “The Humanity of AI,” conference chair Eli Fathi says: “As the only technology that reaches into everything we do, close enough to mimic human behaviour and surpass our limitations, AI carries our values with it.” Explore how AI and humanity intersect. Visit www.impactaiconference.com.

MAY 31

A world-famous flying eye hospital will visit Ottawa for four days starting May 31. The one-of-a-kind airplane (an MD-10 aircraft) tours the world to promote better eye care. The visit is being called a “once-in-a-decade opportunity for Orbis to showcase this innovative, high-tech aircraft to our Canadian donors, partners and supporters who help make our mission possible.” For details, visit can.orbis.org.

JUNE 11

Survey says? Yes, that’s right, the results of the fifth annual Ottawa Business Growth Survey will be BUILDING BUSINESS unveiled in early June, aggregating CONFIDENCE the economic outlook and opinions of nearly 800 local business leaders.

Under a new format this year, the results will be unveiled at a networking cocktail event at the Westin TwentyTwo. Come for breathtaking views of Ottawa-Gatineau and valuable insights into the local economy. Plus, this event serves as the kickoff of the inaugural City-Building Summit, which follows the next day. Visit www.ottawabot.ca for details.

2019

AN EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON THE OUTLOOK AND ATTITUDES OF OTTAWA’S BUSINESS LEADERS

HOW MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE RADICALLY CHANGING THE CAPITAL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

WWW.OTTAWABUSINESSSURVEYREPORT.CA

If you’re a business owner or executive with a keen interest in the economic future of Ottawa, circle this date on your calendar. OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade are organizing the first-ever City-Building Summit. Ottawa is undergoing profound changes. Topping one million in population.

Record-breaking public transportation investments. A hotly contested development plan for LeBreton Flats. The need to rejuvenate the ByWard Market. On top of this, powerful external factors from sharing economy technology are forever changing the business landscape. Peer into the future, get informed and join an exercise in city-building.

Tickets can be combined with the previous night’s Ottawa Business Growth Survey for a total package. Full details at www.ottawabot.ca.

JUNE 21

They are among the best and brightest of Ottawa’s young business leaders. And it’s almost time to celebrate their accomplishments and potential. It’s the annual Forty Under 40 awards gala, where OBJ and the Board of Trade shine the spotlight on 40 rising young business leaders who are notable for their business achievements, expertise and community involvement. This high-spirited event captures the energy of its recipients and takes place at the Hilton LacLeamy. Visit www.ottawabot.ca for tickets.

Contact Jennifer Bedwell for ideas that bring your brand to life

jennifer@silverstarswag.com 613-226-7755 x223

5 OBJ.CA

TO KICKSTART YOUR NEXT PROMOTION

JUNE 12

JUNE 2019

TIME

Women, Wine & Wisdom.

Need we say more? The Board of Trade is organizing this event, dubbed as a “candid conversation about leadership, life balance and legacy.” Enjoy a beautiful dinner, share real stories and be inspired by powerful women who are known for “owning it.” Visit www. ottawabot.ca for tickets.

EXECUTIVE BRIEFS TOURISM

Domestic travel elevates traffic at airport Passenger volumes continue to climb at the Ottawa airport in 2019 as domestic traffic surged in April.

The Ottawa International Airport Authority reported 421,607 people travelled through the local travel hub in April, an increase of six per cent over a year earlier.

Domestic passenger volumes saw the largest year-over-year spike, as roughly 14,000 additional travellers passed through YOW to or from Canadian destinations. U.S. traffic was up nearly 7,000 passengers and

international traffic up some 3,500 over the same period last year.

Year-to-date, just under 1.7 million people have travelled through the Ottawa airport in 2019. At this point in 2018, total passenger volumes stood at roughly 1.65 million.

The airport authority said earlier this month at its annual general meeting that YOW’s record passenger volumes of 5.1 million last year were driven largely by increases in transborder travel. Airport authority CEO Mark Laroche told OBJ after the meeting that he believes traffic across the U.S. border will be the biggest driver of passenger growth in the coming years.

Transborder traffic is up by roughly 8,000 travellers so far this year compared with the first four months of 2018.

TECHNOLOGY

Shopify to add 750 employees in T.O. Shopify is doubling down on Toronto’s talent market.

The Ottawa-based e-commerce firm announced in mid-May it plans to double its workforce in Canada’s largest city to 1,500 by 2022. The news came following the company’s longanticipated move into the King-Portland Centre, where Shopify occupies some 158,520 square feet of space as the anchor tenant in the complex.

Shopify will have room for the extra 750 employees at The Well, a forthcoming development from Allied Properties REIT and RioCan REIT. Shopify announced last September it will invest $500 million in the new project, which when finished in 2022 will add 433,752 square feet to its Toronto footprint.

Shopify, which has about 4,000 employees globally, said in a news

JUNE 2019

The Westboro Village BIA is in search of

OBJ.CA

6

Please contact: admin@westborovillage.com

SAT. AUGUST 17 - SUN. AUGUST 18

REAL ESTATE

There will be some things that we won’t be able to get done in 2019 because of this.

–​ OTTAWA TOURISM BOARD MEMBER STEVE BALL, ON THE PROVINCE’S DECISION TO CUT $3.4 MILLION FROM THE ORGANIZATION’S BUDGET (SEE PAGE 48.)

release it is focused on building Toronto into an R&D hub, hiring roles such as developers, data analysts, designers and product managers.

Shopify employed some 850 people in Ottawa as of its last headcount update last August. The firm announced two years ago it was planning to hire an additional 2,500 people in its hometown with a 325,000-square-foot lease at 234 Laurier Ave. That lease gave the commerce giant space for roughly 3,600 employees in the National Capital Region.

Montreal builder plans 25-storey mixed-use tower A Montreal developer is proposing a new highrise apartment complex in the heart of Ottawa’s burgeoning downtown “urban tech” district.

Place Dor​ée Real Estate Holdings says in a site plan filed with the city it plans to build a 25-storey mixed-use tower at 81 Slater St. that would include 196 rental units and about 830 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

A two-storey parking garage and restaurant currently occupy the property and would be demolished to make way for the new building. The site is directly south of the Capital Hill Hotel and Suites at 88 Albert St., which Place Dor​ée purchased last summer from Beacon Realty.

The plan calls for parking for 105 bicycles, but includes just 18 spots for cars –​ all of them reserved for visitors.

Place Dor​ée says the structure will be integrated into the existing 12-storey hotel on Albert Street, which will remain open. Apartments on the first 12 floors of the new building will be targeted at short-term tenants, the developer added.

Pending city approval, the builder says it hopes to start construction on the project early next year.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Sciemetric expands in Kanata North Landlord KRP Properties finds creative solution to create new home for growing tech firm

had previously been separated across three floors in Sciemetric’s old space.

“When you’re making custom products, you need your entire team together,” says Kuhn. “I like being able to walk on the floor and speak with our engineers about their ideas. It helps with collaboration.”

While he initially explored other office locations in Ottawa’s west end and Bells Corners, Sciemetric’s employees wanted to stay in Kanata North to stay in close proximity with their local customers and be well-positioned to recruit top talent and staying with a landlord they had a respected relationship with.

Kuhn was “blown away” by the new open-concept design. The east side of the building features floorto-ceiling glass windows overlooking a neighbouring pond and new, bright lunchroom to host company parties. In the large meeting room, built-in speakers installed in the ceiling and a large flatscreen help to facilitate video conferencing.

“This is a first-class boardroom,” says Kuhn.

“When you’re recruiting, space is so important. It’s great to bring people here.”

JUNE 2019

A few years ago, Sciemetric’s Kanata North facility was bursting at the seams.

Riding a wave of demand from manufacturers looking for deeper analytical insights into their assembly line operations, the software and instrumentation firm increased its headcount but quickly ran into a space crunch that forced the company to convert boardrooms into offices and hold client staff meetings with clients in nearby coffee shops.

While the short-term fix allowed Sciemetric to keep growing, the company realized it was an

unsustainable solution and quickly began looking for alternatives. The tech firm – which has offices around the world, including in Michigan, the U.K., India and China – also wanted to give its Kanata hub a distinctive, modern look, said Derek Kuhn, Sciemetric’s senior vice-president.

He and his team turned to their landlord KRP Properties who came up with a solution.

Sciemetric occupied nearly 17,000 square feet on the first floor of 359 Terry Fox Dr. in Kanata.

By relocating existing tenants within the building, Sciemetric would expand and relocate to the opposite end of the building on the first floor – giving the tech firm an extra 10,000 square feet without the need to endure a disruptive fitup.

KRP also offered to do renovations of the entire first floor so that Sciemetric could have a vibrant, modern, clean space to work in.

But the move wasn’t just about adding more space.

Kuhn wanted to seize the opportunity to facilitate more collaboration between teams working in product development, engineering and manufacturing, which

7 OBJ.CA

UP CLOSE

Members of Ringside for Youth’s organizing committee are staging the popular boxing fundraiser’s 25th and final event on June 6. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

Punching above its weight

JUNE 2019

Twenty-five years after it began as a small charity boxing event, Ringside for Youth is retiring a winner with over $3.5M raised for the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa

OBJ.CA

8

BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

I

n sports, it’s considered a virtue to go out at the top of one’s game.

That’s why, after years of entertaining the masses and raising funds for charity, Ringside for Youth is hanging up its gloves for good.

The popular boxing dinner will be celebrating its 25th and final year when it returns to the Shaw Centre on Thursday, June 6, featuring celebrity guest “Sugar” Shane Mosely. It will retire knowing it has raised roughly $3.5 million for the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, along with boosting awareness and support for the non-profit organization.

In the beginning, nobody thought Ringside would go the distance, recalls event founder Steve Gallant, a vicepresident and investment adviser with CIBC Wood Gundy.

“I was told by my friends that it wouldn’t work,” he acknowledges during an interview at the firm’s Ottawa office at 150 Elgin St. while joined by several

longtime Ringside committee members.

Gallant wanted to organize a benefit that was different from the typical fundraising walks, golf tournaments and charity auctions. He proposed a dinner that featured amateur boxing bouts involving fighters from the Beaver Boxing Club in Ottawa. The funds would help the Boys and Girls Club with its after-school and weekend activities for at-risk kids living in Debra Dynes, one of the most troubled community housing neighbourhoods in Ottawa at the time.

The organization has a clubhouse in that area on Prince of Wales Drive.

Ringside started off as a lightweight, drawing only 140 people and raising just $10,000 in its first year. Today, it carries considerable heft on the charity gala

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RINGSIDE FOR YOUTH

1

Last year, Ringside had to compete with voting night for the Ontario election. In 2016, a giant sinkhole opened up on nearby Rideau Street one day before the event. There was also the time its former venue, the Aberdeen Pavilion, was hit by a giant bolt of lightning during the fights.

2

Dick Cooper played tour guide to one of the greatest trainers of all time, Angelo Dundee, after he arrived to town four days early. He took the celebrity guest everywhere, including to different gyms, where Dundee –​ who trained Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and actor Russell Crowe for Cinderella Man ​– kept insisting Cooper throw a punch.

Cooper didn’t want to, but he finally gave in. He probably wished later that he hadn’t, judging by Dundee’s response: “That’s pathetic.”

3

Organizers had a scare when celebrity guest Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini disappeared while they were having a drink at the Prescott before the Ringside event.

They eventually found him talking recipes with the kitchen staff.

4

Ringside wanted to bring in Muhammad Ali, but he couldn’t commit for health reasons. George Foreman was too expensive, and Arturo Gatti died before they could make it happen.

5

Jeff O’Reilly, the general manager of D’Arcy McGee’s pub on Sparks Street, has been chairing the committee for the past seven years. “It’s a role that I’ve been so proud to do,” says O’Reilly.

The group also includes: Sheryl Bennett-Wilson, Mark Bonneau, Michael Bowser, Phil Chin, Brian Cooper, Jane Denny, Scott Doubt, Lyne Faucher, Erin Fraser, Monica Gallant, Tony House, Heather Johnson, Ron Loves, Chris Paine, Virgilia Partridge, Isabelle Perreault, Jill Perry, Tony Rhodes, Imre Rohonczy, Sean Sisk and Steve St. Jean.

“It’s shocking to see how long people have been able to commit to being on the committee,” O’Reilly adds. “The longevity speaks to the passion they have toward the charity and the event.”

WHAT LEGAL ISSUES WILL SHAPE THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR IN 2019?

Watch the Ottawa Real Estate Show Visit Ottawahttp://bit.ly/OttawaRealEstateShow Business Journal on YouTube

170 METCALFE ST. OTTAWA’S LEADING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

613.759.8383

UPSCALE URBAN APARTMENTS NOW RENTING SUMMER 2019

9

D I S T R I C T R E A LT Y. C O M

OBJ.CA

circuit, attracting annual crowds of 1,200 and easily raising six-figure amounts. It’s also sanctioned by Boxing Ontario.

In attendance as a guest and sponsor that first year was Tom Hicks, co-founder of software maker Jetform. He offered

LONGEVITY AND PASSION

Ted Mann is the managing partner of Mann Lawyers

JUNE 2019

Ringside wouldn’t be the same without the participation of Canadian sportscaster Rod Smith, emcee Angelo Tsarouchas and former American heavyweight Gerry Cooney. Cooney is Ringside’s longtime ambassador and has a Canadian connection –​ his dad was from Newfoundland.

to help Gallant after the inaugural dinner and to quote him verbatim: “The bastard said yes.” Hicks has been on the committee ever since.

“We grabbed a hold of the event and ran with it,” says Hicks. “It was our event, and it’s a huge source of pride to say we went from 140 people to 1,200 people now.”

Also in Ringside’s corner from the beginning has been musician Dick Cooper from the country-rock band The Cooper Brothers. He often maintains a behindthe-scenes presence because he’s so busy producing the big night.

The evening resembles something out of Vegas, with its bright lights, big screens and live entertainment. Musical guests have included jazz vocalist Kellylee Evans and guitarist Colin Linden, among others.

The ring is positioned smack dab in the middle of the Shaw Centre’s expansive Canada Hall. It’s surrounded by giant banners showcasing the names of past celebrity guests, from Sugar Ray Leonard to Lennox Lewis to Roy Jones Jr. Ringside was traditionally a guys’ night out, but women now make up about 30 per cent of the attendees. The evening remains a popular business networking night and counts former Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson among its major sponsors.

“I never imagined that this would last beyond five to seven years,” says Gallant, who instead predicted volunteer burnout.

“Somehow, we manage to go 25 years. Our committee has somehow stuck together through thick and thin.”

GO GLOBAL With the support of this unparalleled group of strategic investors, we look forward to fuelling the expansion of You.i TV’s global footprint, developer community and reimagining the ad experience.

– JASON FLICK, YOU.I TV

You.i TV reaches for the Sky British communications giant invests in Kanata firm’s bid to become an international force in sports media streaming market

JUNE 2019

Y

OBJ.CA

10

ou.i TV’s bid to become the dominant software platform in the sports media market is getting a boost from a broadcasting giant.

The Kanata-based firm announced in May that British media and communications conglomerate Sky has come on board as an investor, part of a US$23-million series-C funding round You.i TV landed last November. Financial terms of Sky’s investment were not disclosed.

Targeting a market disrupted by the emergence of streaming services such as Netflix, You.i TV develops software platforms for smart TVs and over-the-

top streaming services. It has deals with several major professional sports leagues, including the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and its other customers include National Geographic, Fox and AT&T. Since its founding in 2008, You.i TV has garnered significant interest and investment in its multi-screen solution, which allows media companies to host their apps on a variety of devices and streaming platforms with a single foundation of code. The company now has more than 200 employees and said earlier this year its revenues for 2018

surpassed its sales for all previous years combined.

Its series-C round was led by Massachusetts-based Causeway Media Partners, which backs growing companies in the sports media and technology space. Previous investors Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, Vistara Capital Partners and WarnerMedia also participated in the round.

You.i TV chief executive Jason Flick said adding Sky –​ Europe’s largest media company with 23 million pay-TV subscribers and 13.6 billion euros in annual revenue –​ to that list will further accelerate his firm’s growth in global markets.

“The backing of Sky, alongside our existing strategic investors, highlights the fact that You.i TV is at the forefront of the trend solving the world of device fragmentation as consumers demand content everywhere,” Flick said in a statement.

“With the support of this unparalleled group of strategic investors, we look forward to fuelling the expansion of You.i TV’s global footprint, developer community and reimagining the ad experience.”

BOOSTING BENCH STRENGTH David Beazley, director of software engineering at Sky streaming service NOW TV, will join You.i TV’s board of directors. In a statement, he said both companies will benefit from the new partnership.

“Sky and You.i TV share a vision to

connect customers to great content, via easy, frictionless user experiences,” Beazley said. “Through this investment, both Sky and You.i TV will be able to share learnings and gain insights into how world-class viewing experiences can be easily replicated across multiple devices.”

After cutting its teeth in the Canadian market, You.i TV has recently focused on expanding its foreign customer base.

The company said nearly a third of its sales in 2018 came from its international market segments. Flick told OBJ last year that You.i TV would put some of its new funding towards further developing its global business pipeline.

Earlier this year, the firm hired two new heads of sales covering Europe and Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

You.i brought in Lara Lerville, who has spent more than two decades helping broadcasters embrace new technologies, to head up its European sales team. She joined You.i TV from the Android TVfocused 3 Screen Solutions.

Ghali Belghali, Lerville’s counterpart in Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, previously worked at video software firm Accedo, where he helped build international sales pipelines for the You.i TV competitor for the past eight years.

The new hires join Simon Leadlay, also previously of Accedo, who was brought on board in late December to lead the firm’s global pay-TV business development efforts. ​– OBJ staff

SPONSORED CONTENT

Natural Partners Fullscript lands major funding round

BY CRAIG LORD craig@obj.ca

O

M

of the Canadian Airports Council – says this will allow the industry to set outcome-based targets. This is common at airports in other countries, such as London Heathrow Airport, which has performance standards that include screening 95 per cent of passengers in five minutes or less.

The new model would also allow the board to direct the new screening authority to invest in R&D. As an illustration, Laroche mentions innovations in minimally intrusive screening technology and gives the hypothetical example of floor-based sensors that scan luggage as passengers roll their bags down a corridor.

Laroche is also keen to see the new agency explore intelligence-driven, riskbased approaches to passenger screening that leverages existing trusted traveller programs. This could see, for example, a passenger on a last-minute, one-way ticket to a conflict zone face more scrutiny than a frequent flyer enrolled in the Nexus program.

It all adds up to a dramatic rethink of how passengers are screened.

“The new screening authority will be just as secure, but with a greater emphasis on the customer experience,” Laroche says. “We want passengers to travel from the curb (outside the terminal) to the aircraft cabin as seamlessly as possible.”

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

11 OBJ.CA

ajor changes are coming to the organization tasked with airport security screening – a move aviation officials hope will be the first step towards a more seamless “curb-to-cabin” experience for passengers.

The federal government recently announced plans to transition the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), a Crown corporation created in the wake of 9/11, into an independent not-for-profit entity regulated by Transport Canada.

Operating under a similar model as NAV Canada, a new screening authority has the potential to shorten lineups, make increased use of advanced technology and place a greater focus on customer service – all while maintaining a highly secure system staffed by welltrained professionals.

“Airports will be relentless in demanding that passenger screening service standards be world-class,” says Mark Laroche, the president and CEO of the Ottawa International Airport Authority.

While CATSA successfully operates a secure screening system, its current funding and governance model can hinder its ability to act nimbly and establish long-term goals, Laroche says.

Under the proposed changes, the new screening agency will be overseen by a nominated board of directors that includes representatives from airlines and airport authorities. Laroche – who also chairs the large airports caucus

JUNE 2019

ne year after doubling in size through a major merger, Natural Partners Fullscript is primed to expand again after landing US$25 million in a series-B round.

California-based equity group Kayne Partners is leading the investment in the local health-tech firm, born out of a merger between Ottawa-based Fullscript and Arizona’s Natural Partners last June.

Founded in 2011, Fullscript rose to prominence with its online dispensary for health-care professionals to prescribe natural health supplements – the burgeoning firm twice topped OBJ’s fastest-growing companies list in 2016 and 2017. The firm was largely bootstrapped before its merger, save for a few million in funding from local angel investors.

Kyle Braatz, co-founder of Fullscript and now president of the merged company, said Kayne Partners initially reached out to his firm back in 2015 and the two companies maintained a relationship over the years. Since Fullscript’s management team had kept the prospective investor in the loop as it set – and surpassed – its growth goals in the meantime, Kayne was a natural fit when it came time to raise a major financing round.

“We were able to build that relationship and build trust with them over a long period of time, both where we trusted them, and they obviously trusted us to execute,” Braatz said.

Today, Natural Partners Fullscript stands at a total of 262 employees, 135 of whom are based in Ottawa.

Braatz said he expects the company will again double its total headcount in the next year.

Most of the firm’s customers are located south of the border, where Braatz says health-care organizations are increasingly looking to rein in costs by encouraging patients to engage in healthier lifestyles, including using natural supplements when warranted, in an effort to keep them out of the hospital.

In the past couple of years, Fullscript has stepped up its efforts to recruit practitioners of what Braatz calls “integrative medicine” – the 250,000 health-care professionals in North America who not only treat symptoms but put special emphasis on the role of diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and supplements in maintaining a patient’s well-being.

The company’s growth plan revolves largely around integrating with electronic health records providers that physicians turn to for information when determining a patient’s prescription.

Partnering with these health records companies allows Natural Partners Fullscript to build up a database of research on nutritional supplements and thereby make its nutraceutical solutions more attractive to doctors and other health-care providers.

“We’re investing heavily in that side of our business,” Braatz said.

The future of passenger security screening at the Ottawa airport

OBJ.CA

12 JUNE 2019

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Chantal Hackett Sing House Studios Joanne Kudakiewicz Yorkville Asset Management Steve Lavigne Opin Software

Brandon Malleck Bentall Kennedy

Executives in burgeoning tech fields, up-and-coming real estate moguls and a slew of community-minded young achievers: They’re all represented in the 2019 Forty Under 40 awards, a joint initiative of the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade recognizing accomplished and rising business leaders under the age of 40 in the National Capital Region.

More than 160 applications were submitted, and this year’s recipients represent a wide range of backgrounds and industries.

From craft brewers to musicians, they are an eclectic and compelling group. To find out what makes them tick, read on.

2019 RECIPIENTS: Stephanie Appotive Howard Fine Jewellers & Master Goldsmiths

Matt McEvoy MaxBounty Ron McLester Algonquin College Aliasgar Morbi Brash Inc. Alex Patrick Take the Shot Productions Jacob Shabinsky Glenview Homes Ali Shafaee DNA Presents Candace Sutcliffe C.A. Paradis Liam Swords Plum Realty

Francois de Bellefeuille Spiria Digital

Erin Fenn 1VALET

Elias Theodossiou EVOO Greek Kitchen

Ian Bingeman Youth Ottawa

Heather Desjardins The Open Door Educational Services

Amy Friesen Tea & Toast

Christopher Thompson Whitewater Brewing Co.

Katie Black Caza Saikaley LLP

Alex Dorward Simple Story

Josh Garellek Arctic Leaf

Danya Vered StrategyCorp

Chantal Boyer-Casey 4té

Jana Dybinski Rebel.com

Sacha Gera Ribbon Communications

Hamed Zadeh SINIX Media Group

Krystal Cameron Assent Compliance

Kelly Elliott Dentons LLP

Elliott Gillespie Gold Bar Whiskey

Joelle Zagury Merivale Vision Care

Joseph Carpinone Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton

Kara Eusebio Invest Ottawa

Sender Gordon Regional Group

John Zinati Zinati Realty

13 OBJ.CA

Mostafa Farrokhabadi BluWave-ai

JUNE 2019

James Ciesielski Rewind

Alexis Ashworth Habitat for Humanity

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Cindy MacKay Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Biggest influences: My father is a

Biggest obstacle overcome: I was

feminist and comes from a long line of strong women. He has always encouraged me to work hard and to go for it. My mom is an artist and has taught me so much. She has encouraged me to create and to think outside of the box. I am very grateful for both of them and their influence.

24 when I became executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Halifax. I had no experience with construction, leadership or management. What I had was a passion for the cause and an entrepreneurial drive to succeed.

The organization was building a home every two years when I joined, and when I left four years later we were building five homes per year and had opened a social enterprise, the ReStore.

Biggest influence: Mark Rodgers, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.

He is a strong leader who isn’t afraid of change and is constantly looking for ways to improve our organization.

First job: I started my first “business” in Grade 6, making and selling scrunchies and hair bands.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Lao Tzu said: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” I have a high sense of urgency and still need to remind myself to exercise patience in accomplishing goals.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Excellence is not a

Stephanie Appotive

39, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, OWNER, HOWARD FINE JEWELLERS & CUSTOM DESIGNERS Education: Bachelor of arts, McGill University (2003)

Biggest business achievement: Developing and retaining our worldclass team.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Achieving an equitable and successful family business succession plan.

destination, it is a journey that has to be travelled every day. Maintaining a level of excellence requires a team of experts who have passion, empathy, vision, communication skills, respect, strong work ethic, grit and resilience.

First job: Hostess at the Ritz Clarence Street.

Favourite pastimes: Being with my family. I love sunny days outside in the garden watching the kids play and having a glass of wine with my husband.

I’m currently reading: Educated by Tara Westover Favourite song: Fire and Rain by James Taylor

Alexis Ashworth

39, CEO, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER OTTAWA Education: MBA, concentration in international development management, Carleton University (2013)

Biggest business achievement: Since I became CEO in 2014, Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s build numbers have increased from an average of two per year to eight per year in 2019.

operation to reach more than 8,000 youth per year.

Biggest obstacle overcome:

Ian Bingeman

39, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOUTH OTTAWA

JUNE 2019

Education: Master of arts, University

OBJ.CA

14

of Victoria (2005)

Biggest business achievement: Taking a charitable organization with $0 in earned revenues in 2017 and adding social enterprise and earned revenues as a significant income stream in 2019 ​– while not only maintaining but also scaling our

Assuming the role of executive director unexpectedly with no formal training and little experience in the administrative side of the non-profit sector.

Biggest influences: My children. I had the great fortune of being a D.A.D. (“domestic administration dude”) for more than three years when they were small. Spending that amount of time in a nurturing role has had the greatest impact on my leadership and direction for Youth Ottawa.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Relationships are key.

You can’t operate if you can’t trust, and you can’t trust if you don’t put a big emphasis on the small talk.

Favourite pastime: Reading I’m currently reading: The Expanse series of novels by James S. A. Corey Favourite song: Springtime in Vienna by the Tragically Hip

Katie Black

37, PARTNER, CAZA SAIKALEY LLP Education: Bachelor of laws, University of Ottawa (2009)

Biggest business achievement: Co-creating the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program in the same year that I made Partner at Caza Saikaley LLP.

Biggest obstacle overcome:

Despite being a single parent, I graduated second out of 168 students

completing their third year of the English bachelor of laws program in the Faculty of Common Law. Biggest influences: My kids. They made me who I am today. In law school, they inspired me to work hard.

In practice, they have kept me humble and taught me how to listen.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Communication is key: who is going to do what and by when?

Effective litigation requires clear project management.

First job: Cook at the Green Door restaurant.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t care about the opinions of everyone, only the opinions of those you respect.

Favourite pastime: Reading.

I’m currently reading: The Right Stuff

by Tom Wolfe Favourite movie: Miller’s Crossing Favourite song: Strangers by the Kinks Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators

37, PRINCIPAL, INTERIOR DESIGNER, 4TÉ

Business: Consulting firm specializing in commercial interior design.

Education: Interior design advanced diploma, Algonquin College (2004) Biggest business achievement: The purchase and ownership of an established local business.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Completing the business succession within seven months of returning

Krystal Cameron

36, SENIOR DIRECTOR, PRODUCT MARKET ENGAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS, ASSENT COMPLIANCE Education: Bachelor of science in biological sciences, University of Alberta (2004) Biggest business achievement: As the first official employee at Assent Compliance, I’ve been part of the evolution of the customer success group over the past eight years.

Biggest obstacles overcome: Retaining customers through a period of extreme growth and technology advancements in our software platform and transitioning to the product management team with no formal background or training.

Biggest influences: My wife and boys.

I was 24 when I met my future wife and 25 when I moved across the country to be lucky enough to join the lives of her and her wonderful dudes.

That brought me to Assent, which has been the defining element in my professional career.

First job: Cashier at Dairy Queen Advice I’d give the younger me: Breathe. Failure is essential; you do not have to be perfect and you will learn so much every time things do not go exactly the way you had planned.

Favourite pastime: Hockey Favourite movie: I am a rom-com junkie! Pick one!

Favourite song: Courage by the Tragically Hip

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Chantal Boyer-Casey

early from maternity leave and balancing being a new business owner and mother of two young children under the age of three.

Biggest influences: My parents. They taught me the importance of hard work, discipline and compassion.

Most importantly, they taught me to embrace every moment with the constant reminder that “life is beautiful.�

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Challenges in business are critical to keep learning and growing.

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into your business, you’re nothing without a great team.

First job: Dishwasher at a restaurant Advice I’d give the younger me: There will always be people questioning your decisions. Be confident and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.

Favourite pastimes: Snowboarding, golf, yoga, dancing I’m currently reading: Confessions of a GirlPreneur: Life, Love, Business and Babies by Fiona Gilligan

Joseph Carpinone

38, VICE-PRESIDENT AND PARTNER, RAYMOND CHABOT GRANT THORNTON CONSULTING

JUNE 2019

15 OBJ.CA

Education: MBA, St. John’s University (2004) Charitable involvement: Christie Lake Kids Biggest business achievement: Helping grow and establish a business that enables flexibility in my life.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Leaving a secure and comfortable job to help build and grow a new consulting firm.

Biggest influence: My mother. She helped instill confidence in me at a very young age.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Controlling my emotions and finding a balance between aggression and passion.

First job: Car washer at a car dealership Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t be so serious.

Favourite pastimes: Travelling and golf I’m currently reading: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter Favourite movie: Goodfellas Favourite song: In My Feelings by Drake Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

James Ciesielski

39, CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, REWIND Business: Rewind is a data-recovery solution for business cloud services.

Education: Bachelor of mathematics in computer science and software engineering, University of Waterloo (2003) Biggest business achievement: I cofounded a company that reached $2 million in annual revenue within four years.

Heather Desjardins

JUNE 2019

39, FOUNDER AND OWNER, THE OPEN DOOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

OBJ.CA

16

Business: Specialized reading remediation for children and adults with learning disabilities.

Education: Bachelor of education, University of Ottawa (2008); bachelor of arts in English and visual arts, University of Ottawa (2007)

Biggest obstacle overcome: Convincing myself to leave a “safe” job and go for it on my own.

Biggest influence: My wife; she is all the things I am not but aspire to be.

First job: I was the backup Ottawa Citizen delivery boy for my street.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Relax ​– it’s not as bad as you think; everything works out in the end.

I’m currently reading: Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass boss without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott Favourite movie: Back to the Future Favourite song: To Be Safe, Loved & Home by Craig Cardiff Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Redblacks Favourite local summer event: Canada Day

Biggest obstacle overcome: Bootstrapping my business while going through pregnancy, having a newborn and now a toddler diagnosed with autism has been a challenge.

Biggest influences: Susan Barton has dedicated herself to raising awareness about dyslexia for parents and educators. My parents have always been a remarkable example of integrity, caring and living full and admirable lives.

First job: Cashier at Beaver Lumber Advice I’d give the younger me: Focus on the things that really matter and don’t spend so much time worrying about what others think of you and stressing out about the small stuff.

Favourite movie: It feels like my favourite movie changes every day based on my mood. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is great, though. Is it cheating that it is a trilogy?

Francois de Bellefeuille 31, GENERAL MANAGER, SPIRIA DIGITAL

Business: We produce custom software.

Education: Bachelor of science in software engineering, University of Ottawa (2009) Biggest business achievement: Since I became general manager in 2018, the company has moved from a position of debt to a position of growth while improving its office

Alex Dorward

29, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SIMPLE STORY; CO-CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, ADMISSIONSCONSULTING.CA Education: Bachelor of information systems, St. Francis Xavier University (2011) Biggest business achievement: In 2011, I created a startup with a partner and ultimately sold it in 2016 at a 415 per cent return.

culture and hiring practices.

Biggest obstacle overcome: After becoming general manager, I kept my previous role as technical director and continued to perform both roles despite having limited time and resources. In addition, as a francophone working in a largely anglophone environment, I had to improve my English skills quite rapidly.

Biggest influence: Stephane Rouleau, the president and co-founder of Spiria. He showed me that it is possible to do business while being transparent and being yourself. He leads a 150-employee company with integrity as a primary value.

First job: General manager and cofounder of software company Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t be afraid! Just do it!

Favourite pastime: Playing board games.

I’m currently reading: Speedsolving the Cube by Dan Harris Favourite movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Biggest obstacle overcome: For much of my twenties, I struggled to maintain good mental health. For a long time, I was either completely unaware or in denial of the issues, which mainly stemmed from overworking and builtup stress. This typically resulted in flareups of my Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which consequently resulted in weight loss and physical health issues. I eventually realized the situation and created a plan to tackle this.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Open every door in front of you. Every success I have had has come through accepting or pursuing seemingly insignificant opportunities that led to larger and greater ones.

First job: Basketball referee at Goulbourn Basketball Association.

Favourite pastime: Scuba diving, particularly shark diving and wreck penetration diving.

36, VICE-PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND CULTURE, REBEL.COM Education: Bachelor of journalism, Carleton University (2006) Biggest business achievement: Helping to create an amazing work culture built on bravery and contribution, and leveraging that culture to grow business and further Rebel.com’s mission.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Fear of being vulnerable as a leader.

Kelly Elliott

38, PARTNER, CANADA DIRECTOR ​ – PRACTICE SUPPORT AND OPTIMIZATION, DENTONS CANADA LLP Education: Bachelor of commerce, University of Ottawa (2005); bachelor of laws, McGill University (2008) Biggest business achievement: Leading a national practice support team at Dentons Canada, enhancing our research and innovation capabilities and helping advance the Dentons brand.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Six pregnancies (three miscarriages and three babies) in six years while on my journey to partnership!

Biggest influences: My female partners, who not only act as amazing role models but who also provide me with mentorship and sponsorship to help me succeed in my role.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Hard work pays off, even if sometimes it feels like you’re simply treading water.

First job: Stable hand on horse farm Advice I’d give the younger me: Believe in yourself.

Favourite pastimes: Spending time with my kids, horseback riding, reading, watching Game of Thrones.

I’m currently reading: The Collective Wisdom of High-Performing Women: Leadership Lessons from The Judy Project, edited by Colleen Moorehead Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Redblacks Favourite local summer event: Ottawa Bluesfest

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Jana Dybinski

Leading with vulnerability and heart (especially in the tech industry) took courage and is the backbone of the work I’m most proud of. Supporting other leaders to do the same is a big part of my path ahead.

Biggest influence: My six-year-old daughter. More than anyone, she’s challenged me to evaluate how I spend my time and energy ​– and that’s driven me to do and be and create more for her and our world than I ever imagined possible.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: As in life, the only thing we truly control in business is how we show up and react to whatever is in front of us. I’ve been lucky to work with amazing leaders and mentors who’ve shown incredible grace, guts and resiliency in tough times.

First job: I washed horse blankets.

Yep. Advice I’d give the younger me: Dare to fail spectacularly – that’s what it takes to become the best that we can become.

StrategyCorp is proud of our strong team of over 50 consultants.

Public Affairs Communications Management CONSULTING

(613) 231 2630 | (416) 864 7112

Congrats Danya!

JUNE 2019

Ottawa | Toronto strategycorp.com

We are delighted that Danya Vered has been honoured as one of Ottawa’s Top Forty Under 40.

17 OBJ.CA

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Kara Eusebio

31, SENIOR MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, INVEST OTTAWA AND BAYVIEW YARDS Education: Master of public administration, American University (2010); bachelor of arts, international affairs, the George Washington University (2008) Biggest obstacle overcome: Moving to Canada two-and-a-half years ago from the United States. After applying for dozens and dozens of

Erin Fenn

JUNE 2019

37, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, 1VALET

OBJ.CA

18

Business: We develop software for the proptech space.

Education: Business marketing management certificate, Algonquin College Biggest business achievement: The relationships I’ve made. Cultivating genuine friendships, mentorships and a network to rely upon is a

jobs, the only offer I received was to do temporary data entry for Cornerstone Housing for Women, an organization that provides safe shelter for homeless women in Ottawa. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. I went on to found and chair Cornerstone’s Young Professionals Advisory Board and now sit on the board of directors. It was a wonderful reminder that great opportunities can come when you keep an open mind.

Biggest influence: My younger brother has an intellectual disability. Throughout our lives, I have seen him struggle to communicate, work and make friends.

He has taught me an incredible amount about grace and patience.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Raise your hand even if you think you’re not quite qualified and trust in your ability to learn quickly and find the right mentors to help you grow.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t be afraid of being the dumbest person in the room ​– if you’re the dumbest person in the room, you’re in the right room.

huge point of pride for me. I’ve been honoured to be part of incredibly talented, hilarious and successful teams.

Biggest obstacle overcome: It’s an obstacle I seem to truly enjoy, and that’s being first to market. Be it a product, pricing model or leadership style, I’m willing to go first. That has required a ton of learning and tenacity.

Biggest influences: My father worked hard and took pride in his career. My dear friend understands the art to the balance between working and living.

My first mentor taught me “everything is easier when you realize it’s not you, it’s all of them,” and other salacious pearls of wisdom always good for a laugh and a reality check. My favourite boss taught me the value of good process and accountability. My wise colleague tells me I’m too hard on myself. And of course, my granny (you just don’t mess with granny) for her bravery, humour and grace.

Mostafa Farrokhabadi

31, DIRECTOR OF GRID ANALYTICS AND TECHNOLOGY, BLUWAVE-AI Business: We develop intelligent platforms for modern smart grids.

Education: PhD in electrical and computer engineering, University of Waterloo (2017) Biggest business achievement: Assisting BluWave-ai in landing $4 million in government grants and private investments so far.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Getting

Amy Friesen

38, FOUNDER AND CEO, TEA & TOAST Education: Bachelor of arts in social sciences, concentration in psychology, University of Ottawa (2004); business marketing diploma, Algonquin College (2002) Biggest business achievement: Becoming the go-to senior living adviser in Ottawa.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Learning

out of my professional, emotional and personal comfort zone multiple times –​ for example, when I went to Sweden to get my master’s degree, left Sweden to come to Canada for my PhD and later moved to Ottawa to join a startup as the first paid employee.

Biggest influence: It’s hard to choose one person; Nikola Tesla and his passion for universal energy access have been a constant source of inspiration to me.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Know your audience.

First job: Engineer intern.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Think ahead.

Favourite pastime: Reading I’m currently reading: Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom Favourite movie: Interstellar Favourite song: Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen

to be confident in my vision and my abilities.

Biggest influence: My nanny. I only had a short while with her in my life, but it was impactful enough that I believe that’s where my love of seniors comes from.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Not everyone gets you.

When you take the leap to not only start a business but develop a brand new industry, many people won’t be on board. However, what you learn is to seek out the people who believe in you and your vision and build like you’ve never built before.

First job: Cashier at a drugstore Favourite pastimes: I love cooking and food photography.

I’m currently reading: Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Favourite movie: Dirty Dancing Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Fury FC

35, FOUNDER AND CEO, ARCTIC LEAF Business: We take e-commerce companies from mid-market to enterprise.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Yeshiva University (2006) Biggest business achievement: Scaling Arctic Leaf from a threeperson games development company to a 40-person digital development agency.

Elliott Gillespie

39, PRESIDENT, GOLD BAR WHISKEY

38, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, CLOUD PRODUCTS, RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS Education: MBA, Ivey School of Business, Western University (2009) Biggest obstacle overcome: Figuring how to serve in a demanding executive position while being an attentive husband and father to our triplet children. There is no cookiecutter recipe or shortcut, and no one

Sender Gordon

31, DIRECTOR OF INVESTMENT AND LEASING, REGIONAL GROUP

19 OBJ.CA

Education: Bachelor of talmudic law, Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim-Lubavitch (2010); rabbinical ordination, Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim-Lubavitch (2010) Biggest business achievement: With the support of a fantastic team, I have created a new division within the company, effectively creating

a startup within the firm, and have overseen its growth into a leading financial contributor.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Truthfully, I don’t feel that I have faced any obstacles. Every day brings its challenges; however, I see them as learning opportunities. As a fourthgeneration family member in a family business, I am always focused on earning my own credibility and not getting painted with the brush of nepotism.

Biggest influence: My mentor and teacher, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, who taught me that no mountain is too big to climb.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Failure is not an option. A creative solution can always be found.

First job: Camp counsellor Advice I’d give the younger me: There will always be a solution; don’t be scared to try an innovative solution nor be afraid to fail.

JUNE 2019

Education: MBA, Fudan University, Shanghai (2008); master of arts in economics, Hamburg University (2007); bachelor of commerce, Carleton University (2004) Biggest business achievement: Taking an idea to market, then bringing that product to more than 25 countries in less than three years.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Learning an industry from scratch and then building a global network of partners one by one.

Biggest influence: My mother Felice.

She is an entrepreneur, comedian, public speaker, charity fundraiser, artist and all-around amazing person.

She shows me every day that it is never too late to follow your passions.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: It is all about relationships.

Few things can be achieved over the phone; meet people face to face.

First job: Serving Beavertails on the canal.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Listen and slow down. Things will work if you are patient.

Favourite pastime: Being with my two sons aged two and three.

I’m currently reading: The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz Favourite movie: The Princess Bride

Sacha Gera

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Josh Garellek

Biggest obstacle overcome: One of my ventures in which I invested a significant amount of my time and money failed in November 2018. I needed to step away from it for my own sanity. I had to learn to accept that failure and learn from it.

First job: Sales and marketing coordinator Advice I’d give the younger me: Follow your gut!

Favourite pastime: Playing street hockey with my brothers.

I’m currently reading: The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators Favourite summer event: Ottawa Bluesfest

degree, course or mentor can prepare you for it.

Biggest influence: Bono of U2. His passion and his ability to leverage his celebrity and his drive to make an impact on global poverty and HIV/ AIDS while remaining a family man and a larger-than-life rock star is inspiring.

Most important lesson you’ve learned in business: People and relationships are the real assets behind any successful business. Employees will go the extra mile if you are empathetic and take the time to listen to them.

First job: Scanning inventory in the fibre-optic tech labs and stockrooms at Nortel.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Success comes from the intersection point of one’s passions and strengths ​ – aim for the bullseye and the rest will follow.

I’m currently reading: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

JUNE 2019

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

SPONSORED CONTENT

OBJ.CA

20

Mid-career COO heads back to school to push her boundaries Forty Under 40 alumni finds Telfer Executive MBA to be her missing link

T

iming is everything. This was certainly true for Janice Siddons when it came to pursuing her Telfer Executive MBA. Janice was introduced to the Telfer Executive MBA in 2013, when she was a Forty Under 40 recipient. She decided the program would be the ideal way for her to grow, both as an individual and as an executive.

THE FINAL PIECE OF HER PUZZLE “I had a post-secondary education, I had worked with two amazing tech companies that gave me years of hands-on leadership experience and earned me industry recognition and awards,” Janice said. “But I had the nagging question of how I was going to push myself further.”

Janice is the COO of a rapidly growing managed technology services company, Fully Managed. It took five years before she and her CEO were confident that Fully Managed was on a sufficiently sound footing that she could afford to divide her focus between work and Telfer.

Janice was drawn to the Telfer Executive MBA for three distinct reasons – strategic business leadership, global experience and mindset – as well as bringing value to their community. The program simulates C-suite life over 21 months. Candidates commit to seek the best of themselves as they balance professional, personal and academic demands.

BECOMING A BETTER LEADER Janice has always considered herself a natural leader and loves having the opportunity to empower others. Now, at the halfway mark of the program, Janice is just as enthusiastic about her decision to continue her leadership development. She is already re-investing her new-found learnings through the exposure to best practices and strategic methodologies in the classroom, she immediately applying these concepts back to her COO role with Fully Managed.

“Go for it and don’t be afraid. You have to go all in with an honest and open heart, almost make yourself vulnerable, and be open to feedback.”

AND A BETTER TEAM PLAYER It’s not just the hard-skills, but the people, too. The Telfer Executive MBA breaks the cohort down into working teams for the duration of the program and purposely mixes diverse personalities, experiences and skillsets to expand the learning experience. Candidates learn to leverage the diversified strengths of their peers to complete the program’s six real-world consulting projects. This simulates team dynamics experienced in the business world.

“I am 45 years old, in the middle of my career, and this has been an amazing tune up, an amazing refinement, of myself and my abilities,” Janice said. “We are all growing together and making great friendships, building bonds and expanding our networks.”

PLOUGHING THROUGH LIMITS What advice does Janice offer to anyone considering an Executive MBA? “Go for it and don’t be afraid. You have to go all in with an honest and open heart, almost make yourself vulnerable, and be open to feedback. Much of the focus is on making you challenge your boundaries, to plough through and achieve things you may have never thought possible.”

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

IS IT YOUR TIME FOR TELFER? Telfer Executive MBA was globally recognized as CEO Magazine’s #1 Global Executive MBA in 2017 and 2018 and was recently ranked among the top Executive MBAs world-wide in the Financial Times’ Executive MBA rankings.

Learn more about the globally recognized University of Ottawa’s Telfer Executive MBA here in Ottawa at www.emba.uOttawa.ca.

FABULOUS FORTY UNDER 40 FACTS

TT BU U

BUSINESS ROLES:

ONE-THIRD are owners of the firms they work for

35% are executives at their workplaces

Chantal Hackett

33, CEO, SING HOUSE STUDIOS Education: Bachelor of arts in communication, University of Ottawa (2009) Biggest business achievement: Moving my business from my home to a commercial space in 2017.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Blending my artistic self and business self to an entirely new degree.

Most important lesson I’ve learned

55%

work for companies with at least 20 employees BIRTHPLACES:

48% of this year’s recipients were born in Ottawa

ONE-THIRD

20%

Business: Boutique investment firm that provides customized investment management and insurance solutions.

Education: International development and relations at McGill University Charitable involvement: I co-founded Recovery Matters and am the vicechair for the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport.

CONGRATULATIONS

JACOB SHABINSKY The Ottawa Business Journal is excited to select Jacob Shabinsky as a recipient of the 2019 Forty Under 40 Award. He is honoured to be part of an outstanding class of aspiring business leaders, who share a commitment to business success, personal growth, and community involvement in Ottawa. Jacob attributes Glenview Homes’ rise to success to the cooperation of his outstanding team of aspiring ‘young’ innovators within the organization.

As Managing Director, he is driven by success, incorporating Glenview Homes’ Smart & Stylish brand values to ensure the highest level of innovation, craftsmanship and homeowner experience to differentiate Glenview Homes‘ within Ottawa’s homebuilding industry.

We congratulate Jacob Shabinsky on his achievements and discipline for success.

21 OBJ.CA

were born in other countries

36, WEALTH ADVISER MANAGER, YORKVILLE ASSET MANAGEMENT

Biggest business achievement: Developing a new division within an already existing organization.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Developing a new financial services division while helping design and build our home and caring for an incredible five-year-old daughter has been an adventure. Finding a work-life balance that works for me and my family has been incredibly important both professionally and personally.

Biggest influences: My parents. They left their businesses in Poland and moved to Canada with two young kids, barely speaking the language, so that we could have a better life.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: To be patient. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but with dedication and hard work you can accomplish almost anything.

First job: Server at Tim Hortons Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy every moment.

Favourite pastime: Playing ultimate frisbee.

2019 AWARD RECIPIENT

JUNE 2019

were born in other parts of Canada

Joanne Kudakiewicz

in business: Delegate and make time for yourself. During my first year after moving into my commercial space, I eventually burned out. Now, I say no a lot more and yes to the right opportunities so that I can have as balanced a life as possible.

First job: Music teacher when I was 14. My first student was 45!

Advice I’d give the younger me: Your most important relationship is with yourself. Practise more self-love.

Favourite pastimes: Hanging out with my husband, friends and three puppies and watching live music with a cold beer.

Favourite song: That is a VERY tough one. I am Light by India.Arie or In Da Club by 50 Cent.

Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Redblacks

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Many of this year’s recipients are homegrown talents who own their own businesses. But that’s only part of the story, as the statistics below show.

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Steve Lavigne

37, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY, OPIN SOFTWARE Education: Computer programmer analyst diploma, Canadore College Biggest business achievement: Becoming an executive at OPIN and being given the opportunity to help the company grow.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Being a husband and father, I have always had to find the right balance between my professional life and my personal

Brandon Malleck

JUNE 2019

33, MANAGER, TECHNICAL SERVICES AND PROJECTS, BENTALL KENNEDY

OBJ.CA

22

Education: Bachelor of applied science, University of Waterloo (2008) Biggest business achievement: Shifting the conversation and focus from energy to carbon in commercial real estate.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Leading a very experienced team with limited

life. I am a bit of a workaholic and work doesn’t always feel like work, so finding that balance is something I have had to overcome.

Biggest influences: There have been two main ones. First, my family has always encouraged me to follow my intuition and has pushed me to achieve greatness in my professional life. Second, my CEO at OPIN, Chris Smith. He continues to challenge me in my role, while at the same time allowing me to learn and mature.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: The importance of learning from everyone around me, from interns to CEOs. Everyone in an organization has something different to offer and, in most cases, has a different perspective on any given topic.

First job: Gymnastics and trampoline coach Favourite pastime: Fishing.

I’m currently reading: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari

professional experience.

Biggest influences: My mom for giving her life to grow and nurture the core of who I am. My dad for his excitement and unending support for my career and development. Peter Halsall for creating an amazing place to work (Halsall Associates) for my first career.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Emotions cloud rational judgment; stick to the facts and don’t let personalities affect the logic (or a good night’s sleep).

First job: Paperboy with lots of help from dad – he would push the papers and phone books in a wheelbarrow and I’d run them to the houses.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Life is about the moments, not the goals.

Favourite pastime: Spending a quiet Saturday morning with my kids playing Lego in jammies.

I’m currently reading: The BFG by Roald Dahl (with my eight-year-old daughter)

Cindy MacKay

39, FUND DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR, ORLÉANS-CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE Education: Developmental services worker diploma, Algonquin College (2008); undergraduate studies in psychology with a minor in sociology, Carleton University Biggest business achievement: In 2012, I negotiated a partnership with Paul Rushforth Real Estate to join our

Matt McEvoy

34, CEO, MAXBOUNTY Business: We are an internet performance marketing agency.

Education: Business marketing diploma, Algonquin College (2005) Biggest business achievement: Working with the founders of MaxBounty to facilitate the sale of our company two years ago.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Transitioning our business to new ownership while ensuring that

two golf tournaments and create the “must-attend” charity tournament of the summer for Ottawa. This event now provides the OCCRC with 80 per cent of the annual funds it raises.

Biggest obstacle overcome: We are a very small organization with a small geographic service area. Finding ways to grow our donor database and community support without creating donor fatigue is always an issue.

Most important lessons I’ve learned in business: Surround yourself with people who challenge you to do more and be better. Ensure you take time to think things through before committing.

First job: Babysitting.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Listen more. Also, don’t wait ​– complete that assignment early, go on that trip and explore the world while you are young.

And even though you do not think you are qualified, apply for that job ​– you just might surprise yourself!

I’m currently reading: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

our staff and clients continued to have confidence in our business throughout the entire process.

Biggest influence: My former professor, Bill Garbarino. From my time as a student at Algonquin until now, Bill has offered valuable insight and knowledge.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: The importance of trust.

Be true to your word and keep the promises you make.

First job: Yard worker at Builder’s Warehouse Advice I’d give the younger me: You can’t do everything yourself; it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t know everything, and it’s okay to rely on other people and learn from them.

Favourite pastime: Playing hockey.

I’ve been a goalie since I was a kid and still play twice a week in a recreational hockey league in east Ottawa.

I’m currently reading: Age of Union: Igniting the Changemaker by Dax Dasilva

39, VICE-PRESIDENT, TRUTH, RECONCILIATION & INDIGENIZATION, ALGONQUIN COLLEGE Education: Master’s program in executive leadership, University of Guelph (2015) Biggest business achievement: Promoting the ongoing inclusion and embedding of Indigenous knowledge into the organizational fabric of Algonquin College.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Indigenous

Aliasgar Morbi

37, MANAGING PARTNER, BRASH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Business: We provide end-to-end hardware and software product development services.

Education: PhD in mechanical engineering, Carleton University (2013) Biggest business achievement: In just two years, Brash has scaled from a team of three to 15, has worked with clients all over the world and helped

our clients launch products that are projected to generate more than $10 million in revenue.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Pivoting and persevering through financial struggles, family obligations and self-doubt.

Biggest influences: My parents. They have taught me the importance of hard work and sacrifice in reaching for your goals.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: There is no single path to success. In my first startup, we had many advisers and mentors, all of whom genuinely supported us. But some pushed us in opposing directions and shared advice that was strongly dependent on their own perspectives and experiences. It took a few years of testing, pivoting and constantly reinventing to understand that each entrepreneur’s journey is unique.

First job: Server at an ice cream shop Favourite pastimes: Watching movies and tinkering with electronics and robotics.

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Ron McLester

work has only recently become attractive to mainstream stakeholders.

Finding an organization willing to explore this has not been an easy task.

Biggest influences: My parents.

They pushed me when I needed to be pushed. They pulled me when I needed to be pulled. They led by example and taught me the value of having a good mind.

Most important lessons I’ve learned in business: My first executive leader told me to always remember three things: be friendly, be firm and be fair.

First job: Pumping gas at a fullservice gas station.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Never forget about those who have paved the way for you; never forget about those who will come afterward.

Favourite pastime: Laughing.

I’m currently reading: And Grandma Said... by Tom Porter Favourite movie: The Return of the Living Dead Favourite song: All My Loving by the Beatles

“We are all Indigenous. We all come from earth, breathe the same air and share the same future.”

- Ron (Deganadus) McLester

Algonquin College congratulates

Ron (Deganadus) McLester on being recognized as one of Ottawa’s 2019 Forty Under 40 recipients.

JUNE 2019

We are grateful for Ron’s leadership as we navigate our journey to Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization. An outstanding teacher and guide, Ron has helped us better understand our past, celebrate our present, and prepare for the future.

23 OBJ.CA

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Alex Patrick

34, PRESIDENT, TAKE THE SHOT PRODUCTIONS Business: We develop and produce TV series and films.

Education: Juris Doctor, Queen’s University (2010) Biggest business achievement: Financing the TV series Frontier with a global rights sale to Netflix in 2015.

Ali Shafaee

JUNE 2019

39, DIRECTOR, DNA PRESENTS

OBJ.CA

24

Business: A full-service event and concert production company Education: Algonquin College, 2001 Biggest business achievement: Reaching the 10-year milestone with Escapade Music Festival.

What started out as a one-day parking lot concert with a few hundred attendees has turned into

Biggest obstacle overcome: Convincing Bell Media and Netflix to co-finance Frontier despite the fact that they are fierce competitors.

Biggest influence: My grandfather, John Sylvain. He taught me how to be a gentleman.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: That even the biggest obstacles or challenges have solutions.

First job: Camp counsellor at Ottawa Athletic Club Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t fear failure.

Favourite pastime: Playing road hockey with my children.

I’m currently reading: The Dead Celebrities Club by Susan Swan Favourite movie: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Favourite song: 1901 by Phoenix Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators Favourite local summer event: Ottawa Bluesfest

a nationally recognized festival with more than 30,000 attendees.

Biggest obstacle overcome: In 2016, Escapade suffered a big blow during the festival when adverse weather caused us to close down our main stage with more than 12,000 people already on site. With the help of city officials, local partners and a strong team, we managed to relocate festival-goers into the TD Place arena and continue the event with minimal impact to performing artists and fans.

First job: Working as a cook at a fastfood restaurant.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Trust the process. It always works out.

Be supportive and dedicated to my family and friends even in the busiest of times.

Favourite pastime: I’ve played football since I was six and still play on a weekly basis.

Favourite movie: Napoleon Dynamite

Jacob Shabinsky

34, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLENVIEW HOMES Education: Master’s degree in professional accounting, the University of Texas at Austin (2008) Charitable involvement: Chabad Student Network of Ottawa Biggest influence: My father, Mark, for his grit and determination.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in

Candace Sutcliffe

39, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CO-PROPRIETOR, CA PARADIS/THE CHEF’S PARADISE Business: Purveyors of fine kitchenware.

Education: Bachelor of arts in film studies, Carleton University Biggest business achievement: Becoming part-owner of a 100-yearold business while simultaneously starting an independent design

business: Always act with integrity. It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.

First job: Working at the welcome desk at the Ottawa Athletic Club.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t take yourself so seriously.

What’s left to do: Hopefully lots!

Continue raising a family and growing the business in a sustainable way.

Favourite pastimes: Spending quality time with my wife and boys.

I’m currently reading: Getting Things Done by David Allen Favourite movie: The Godfather Part II Favourite song: Touch of Grey by The Grateful Dead Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators Favourite summer event: Ottawa Bluesfest

company.

Biggest obstacles overcome: Fear and self-doubt.

Biggest influence: Pierre Paradis. He has taught me invaluable business lessons which cannot be learned on paper and has supported both my professional and personal growth.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Transparency, integrity and humility will win every time.

First job: I started working in clothing and giftware retail at 13.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Embrace the unknown and learn to listen to the universe.

Favourite pastime: Listening to music and dancing like no one is watching.

I’m currently reading: Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future by Jeff Howe and Joi Ito Favourite movie: Little Miss Sunshine Favourite song: No Scrubs by TLC Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Redblacks Favourite local summer event: CityFolk

37, BROKER OF RECORD/OWNER, PLUM REALTY Education: Bachelor of arts in economics, Carleton University (2004) Biggest business achievement: Growing Plum Realty from five employees to 25 in the first six months.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Moving out of day-to-day sales

Elias Theodossiou

39, OWNER, EVOO GREEK KITCHEN AND MATI RESTAURANT Education: Confederation High School Biggest business achievement: Developing a strong management team, culture and processes at EVOO so I could focus on building a new brand and restaurant at Mati. This required about six months away from EVOO to achieve this.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Building and operating two successful

restaurants while continuously battling Crohn’s disease.

Biggest influence: My father. All the countless sacrifices he made for us allowed our family to live easier and happier.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: The importance of establishing key internal processes at the onset of opening a business. At first, my main focus was on customer satisfaction (experience, quality food, etc.) and not necessarily the back office of the business.

First job: Busboy and dishwasher at Rockwell’s restaurant Favourite pastime: Watching my son play hockey.

I’m currently reading: It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried Favourite movie: 300 Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Senators Favourite local summer event: Canada Day

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Liam Swords

into a leadership role of growing the company. I had to create a unique value proposition to attract enough highly effective realtors to join Plum Realty.

Biggest influence: My father. He possesses incredible awareness and integrity as well as the ability to relate to people from all walks of life. Being able to lean on him to get perspective has allowed me to tackle whatever life throws at me or whatever I pursue.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Take the emotion out. I was negotiating on my own behalf on a real estate deal and I got caught up in wanting to win. I lost all power and ended up “getting the deal,” although not on the terms I should have accepted. Looking back, I realize I let emotion get the best of me.

First job: Cutting grass.

Favourite pastime: Being outside.

I’m currently reading: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Favourite movie: Braveheart Favourite song: Red Eye by Vance Joy

Forty Under 40 Gala

FORTY UNDER

Friday, June 21, 2019 @ Hilton Lac-Leamy.

Celebrate the city’s rising business stars!

Get your tickets at ottawabot.ca For ticket info, email info@ottawabusinessevents.ca or call 613-236-7029 ext.135 Individual Tickets: Ottawa Board of Trade Member - $200+ HST Future Members - $220+ HST

Christopher Thompson

32, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, WHITEWATER BREWING COMPANY

Corporate Tables of 10: Ottawa Board of Trade Member - $1900 + HST Future Member - $2100+ HST

#ott40

JUNE 2019

2019 SPONSORS

25 MEDIA SPONSORS

OBJ.CA

Education: Bachelor of science in international business and entrepreneurship, Cardiff University Biggest business achievement: Providing year-round employment to a rural area.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Lack of experience.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in

business: Cash is king.

First job: Retail clerk in a cellphone store Advice I’d give the younger me: Go for it.

Favourite pastimes: Basketball, kayaking, golf Favourite movie: Toy Story Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Fury FC Favourite summer event: Canada Day

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

BY THE NUMBERS

What is the highest level of education that you attained?

A closer look at the stats that count for this year’s Forty Under 40

MASTER’S DEGREE:

22%

W

hile all members of the 2019 Forty Under 40 cohort are clearly high achievers whose impressive business accomplishments are matched by their commitment to causes in their community, it’s not a completely homogeneous group.

We’ve broken down some of the key metrics of this year’s Forty Under 40 class to find out just where the recipients stand in terms of age, education level and annual income. This statistical snapshot gives a good indication of the diversity of this year’s group.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE:

44%

22%

DOCTORATE:

8%

HIGH SCHOOL:

What is your age as of June 30?

COLLEGE/ VOCATIONAL SCHOOL:

3%

37 YRS

10

39 YRS

12

8

What is your total annual compensation value?

OBJ.CA

26

0

38 YRS

36 YRS

35 YRS

32 YRS

2

29 YRS

JUNE 2019

4

34 YRS

6

33 YRS

31 YRS

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Less than $100 K

$100K to $149K

$150K to $199K

$250K to $499K

33, VICE-PRESIDENT, STRATEGYCORP Business: Public affairs, communications and management consulting advisory firm Education: Bachelor of arts, history and world religions, McGill University (2008); master of science, history of international relations, London School of Economics and Political Science (2009) Biggest business achievement: Managing the multi-year

Joelle Zagury

37, OWNER AND OPTOMETRIST, MERIVALE VISION CARE

37, CEO, SINIX MEDIA GROUP Education: Ontario high school diploma (2002) Biggest business achievement: Receiving an Immigrant Entrepreneur Award from the City of Ottawa in 2018.

Biggest obstacle overcome: As many (if not most) companies have experienced, not all customers are quick to pay. As the owner of a mostly self-funded company (I have received some financing for large-

John Zinati

39, OWNER AND BROKER OF RECORD, ZINATI REALTY

27 OBJ.CA

Education: Entrepreneurship program, Algonquin College (2005) Biggest business achievement: Starting Zinati Realty.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I’ve often asked successful businesspeople what their biggest regret is, and the answer is always

missing out on their spouses’ and kids’ lives when they were young. I’ve made it a priority to be there for my family every day.

Biggest influences: My parents, who immigrated to Canada with nothing and sacrificed everything to provide their kids with opportunity. Knowing that drives me to succeed.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Be persistent. When I was trying to break into the commercial real estate industry, I did my research and made a coffee appointment with a well-known broker. We met, and he said he was impressed but didn’t have a job for me at the time. I continued to keep in contact and never gave up until I sold him on giving me a chance to make my own position.

Favourite movie: Elf. Basically on repeat after Remembrance Day! Favourite song: Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus

JUNE 2019

Education: Doctor of optometry, University of Waterloo (2007) Biggest business achievement: Growing Merivale Vision Care to a team of 27.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Building the business while being an attentive parent to our three children.

Biggest influences: My father, who

fostered the love of vision care and entrepreneurship at an early age. On the personal side, my husband has been the biggest influence. He is the kindest, wisest and smartest person I know.

Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Always tackle issues right away in a direct, honest way. I learned that avoiding difficult conversations or dancing around the truth does not serve anyone and can act as a barrier to progress.

First job: Selling eyeglasses at Optique Le Cartier in Montreal in 1995.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Be more assertive ​– it is possible to do so with kindness if you are wellpractised.

Favourite pastime: Listening to music with my family. Dance parties are a serious business in our home.

I’m currently reading: Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Hamed Zadeh

scale purchases), I have needed to scale my business very carefully and protect my cash flow. For this reason, purchases for new equipment or to expand my office or team have been more gradual than I would ideally like.

Given that demand for our services is growing so quickly, we are all working long hours.

Biggest influence: My dad. He has told me to never aim for second place and to treat everybody with the same respect regardless of their social standing or race. He always challenged me and encouraged me to aim higher and higher.

Most important lesson you’ve learned in business: If you consistently provide quality work with great customer service, your business will not only grow but flourish. Also, treat your employees and partners with the utmost respect and always over-deliver.

First job: Delivering pizza flyers.

Advice I’d give the younger me: Keep pushing and never give up.

Favourite pastime: Flying my drone.

Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship

Danya Vered

development of a strategic partnership among four public, private and academic-sector organizations to build a not-for-profit organization focused on creating Canada’s first digitized, interconnected and patientcentred health data network.

Biggest obstacle overcome: Learning how and when to advocate best for myself and others.

Biggest influences: My mother and late father. With six kids, their approach was always that you are only as happy as your least happy child. So you can celebrate your victories, but there is always more hard work to be done.

First job: Summer camp counsellor Advice I’d give the younger me: It is easy to get people to listen. Make sure you have something worthwhile to say every time.

Favourite pastime: Making small talk.

I genuinely love it.

I’m currently reading: I’m re-reading Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler.

DEFENCE & SECURITY

Number one with a bullet Kanata-based tech startup Kwesst says its intelligent weapons-targeting system is on target to make a breakthrough in the lucrative U.S. military market

BY DAVID SALI

david@obj.ca

JUNE 2019

A

OBJ.CA

28

local startup’s technology that helps soldiers zero in on suspected targets appears to be hitting its mark with potential military customers.

Kanata-based Kwesst was launched two years ago by Jeff MacLeod and Warren Downing, a pair of former Colt Canada executives. While MacLeod is the primary owner of the seven-person company, its investors also include a number of well-heeled angels from Ottawa and the United States.

Kwesst’s engineering team has developed a series of sensors that can be attached to weapons such as highpowered assault rifles. The sensors can pinpoint precisely where ammunition such as bullets or grenades will make contact with a target, and the impact point is then displayed on a digital map on a user’s android device.

The system effectively allows combatants to get an accurate bead on targets even when they’re behind cover, says Downing, adding the high-tech equipment made members of the U.S. Marine Corps do a double-take when

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps test Kwesst’s technology. PHOTOS PROVIDED

When we demonstrate it, it’s just like, ‘Oh my God. Where have you guys been hiding?’

– Kwesst general manager Warren Downing

they saw a demonstration last year.

Militaries from other NATO countries have also expressed interest in the technology, he adds.

He says the company’s modular approach allows the system to be tailored to each customer’s particular needs and budgets.

While it takes tens of millions of dollars to develop new small arms devices, “we give near-precision capability for about $30,000 apiece,

so it becomes a no-brainer,” explains Downing, the firm’s general manager.

“In some cases, it’s very hard for them to believe it, but when we demonstrate it, it’s just like, ‘Oh my God. Where have you guys been hiding?’”

Kwesst’s equipment makes weapons even “smarter” by allowing soldiers to share data about a target’s location instantly over a secure wireless network.

“Rather than one person engaging a target, you can have multiple people

engage a target, and therefore become more lethal,” says Downing, a former engineer in the Royal Australian Air Force who worked for various tech and defence companies in Ottawa –​ including Nortel and General Dynamics Canada ​– before helping get Kwesst off the ground.

More products are coming down the pipeline, he adds.

For example, the company plans to ramp up R&D on new technology that will deliver images of a target’s location to a display screen in a soldier’s goggles, eliminating the need to look down at a mobile device.

Downing says the firm is also working on a deal with California-based

AeroVironment –​ the top supplier of drones to the Pentagon –​ to integrate its systems into live video feeds from unmanned aerial vehicles, providing even more precise target co-ordinates.

Downing hopes to announce more details of that partnership later this summer. He says Kwesst has already heard from a couple of venture capitalists who are interested in putting money into the west-end startup once it lands some major contracts.

“It takes time to build up your reputation,” he says.

COMPLEX COMPONENTS Kwesst manufactures its prototypes in Kanata, producing many of the components on 3D printers from materials such as carbon fibre and reinforced Kevlar.

While some of the elements of its systems are bought from other sources, Downing says Kwesst often has to get creative to ensure its products are robust enough to hold up to the rigours of battle.

That sometimes means making complex components such as circuit

boards on its own equipment. Downing says Kwesst would love to bolster its arsenal of technology with the latest in 3D printers that use metal filament, but the $80,000 price tag for such a device is prohibitive for such a young venture.

“It would actually speed things up even quicker,” he notes.

But he says the company is not slowing down its efforts to hone its technology in the hope of gaining a foothold in the lucrative U.S. defence sector, where multimillion-dollar procurement deals are the norm.

“If we were relying on the Canadian market, we would have gone wheels up ages ago,” adds Downing.

The company plans to demonstrate its latest technology at CANSEC, the global defence and security trade show slated for May 29-31 at the EY Centre.

Downing says after a couple of years of keeping their nose to the grindstone, Kwesst’s founders, employees and backers are confident they’ve set their sights on the right market.

“We’re starting to come to the light in the tunnel,” he says.

and

present:

Build a stronger association The Ottawa Association Exchange is a new forum created to help associations succeed through strategies for overcoming common challenges.

New research conducted by Abacus Data surveyed of more than 100 association executives, the inaugural edition of the OAX report examines how associations are finding new revenue sources, improving board efficiency and increasing membership engagement.

Download the report at www.oaxreport.ca

The Ottawa Association Exchange is produced in partnership between Thank you to our sponsors

AUDIT • TAX • ADVISORY

Mayor’s Breakfast Series A unique opportunity to enjoy breakfast with His Worship Mayor Jim Watson and hear from business and community leaders about issues critical to Ottawa.

Guest Speaker: The Honourable Ginette C. Petitpas Taylor Minister of Health Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Location: Ottawa City Hall Registration: 7:00am Buffet Breakfast: 7:30am Presentation: 8:00am

Not our expert advice

Collins Barrow Ottawa LLP is now Baker Tilly Ottawa LLP. Still independent, our long-time local insight meets global reach.

New brand, same values

Register online www.ottawabot.ca

Event Sponsors:

Connect with us ottawa@bakertilly.ca

29 OBJ.CA

Now, for tomorrow E-mail info@ottawabusinessevents.ca to receive weekly updates on all our events

JUNE 2019

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $35.00 + HST (Ottawa Board of Trade Members) $50.00 + HST (Non-Memebers) CORPORATE TABLES OF 8 WITH SIGNAGE: $245.00 + HST (Ottawa Board of Trade Members) $350.00 + HST (Non-Memebers)

We changed our name

SPONSORED CONTENT

How training and simulation giant CAE earned its wings Global leader in pilot training flies high by remaining rooted in Canada

JUNE 2019

A

OBJ.CA

30

s vice-president of business operations for CAE, Joe Armstrong can efficiently answer almost any question thrown at him about the Canada-based global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and healthcare markets, but his eyes light up the brightest when he talks about the company’s uniquely Canadian mission.

Founded in 1947 as Canadian Aviation Electronics, CAE provides pilot training and a host of related services such as operational support in more than 40 countries around the world – yet Armstrong is careful to note that the unofficial corporate mantra is “be proud to be Canadian.”

“We’ve become like global ambassadors for Canada in our industry,” says Armstrong.

“Ultimately our mission is to help keep people prepared and safe – what could be more Canadian than that?”

These Canadian roots are much more than a feel-good story of nostalgia for Armstrong and CAE, however. The young executive points out how the company’s longstanding partnerships with the federal government and, more specifically, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), continue as corporate cornerstones.

“Our global success is absolutely predicated on Canadian government support and our Defence business being based in Ottawa,” says Armstrong.

“Personal relationships are very important for us and you simply can’t cultivate those remotely.”

Launched as a tiny repair and overhaul outfit after the Second World War by RCAF veteran Ken Patrick, CAE began with the simple objective to

Joe Armstrong is vice-president of business operations for CAE.

support Canada and its air force – a mission that in essence remains unchanged today, even though the company now trains more than 220,000 civil and defence crewmembers annually around the world and is a leading player in healthcare training.

“Pilot training was Canada’s most important contribution to both the First and Second World War efforts,” Armstrong points out.

This included initiatives such as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, a massive undertaking that took advantage of Canada’s ample air space.

The joint effort during the Second World War helped operationalize more than 130,000 trained personnel in military units from Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

Although homeland origins remain fundamental to CAE, they certainly do not prevent the firm from thinking and acting globally. As a future-focussed entity, CAE remains mindful that being a worldwide leader in training comes with a responsibility to remain at the forefront of training effectiveness.

One example: “Because today’s younger generation grew up using digital technology, the nature of training is changing,” Armstrong points out, “including the tools you use and how you evaluate success.”

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

To help stay ahead of that accelerating change, CAE is partnering with the federal government and the province of Quebec in project digital intelligence, a $1-billion research and development investment over the next five years that Armstrong says will address the fundamental question of “what does training mean?”

The project will delve deeply into technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data and augmented reality, and how to apply them to the science of learning. The objective is to revolutionize the training experience for pilots, aircrews and healthcare professionals.

CAE is also working to address the gender imbalance within the pilot profession as well as the defence industry. In 2018, the company launched its CAE Women in Flight scholarship program in collaboration with American Airlines, Aeromexico, AirAsia, CityJet and easyJet . The scholarships cover the entire cost of a cadet pilot training program.

That initiative is another example of how even as CAE remains on the leading edge of training technology and operational support, the most important element will always be the human one.

As Armstrong puts it, “Everything we design, build, and deliver is all about people, and how we can help them be better at what they do.”

DEFENCE & SECURITY capitalized within the market.”

Launched in 2014, 3 Sixty began as a security consulting firm that branched out into the cannabis transport space when one of Gerstenecker’s early clients – now a well-known licensed producer – admitted it had no idea how it was going to get its products to customers’ doors.

After consulting with as many industry insiders and logistics experts as he could, Gerstenecker purchased a couple of vehicles and jumped into a field that was wide open for business.

Like the burgeoning cannabis industry itself, 3 Sixty has been growing like a weed since pot was legalized for recreational use last fall.

Former soldier Thomas Gerstenecker is CEO of 3 Sixty Risk Solutions. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

3 Sixty delivers on market promise

Almonte-based cannabis transport firm set to challenge industry heavyweights Brink’s and GardaWorld after major acquisition

BY DAVID SALI

david@obj.ca

T

PLUS, gain valuable insights into the local economy, emerging trends and the state of business confidence.

Your registration includes great networking, a complimentary drink, delicious passed hors d’oeuvres, results of the 2019 survey, a panel discussion, with live polling and audience Q&A. Tuesday, June 11, 2019 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm The Westin Ottawa - TwentyTwo

PURCHASE TICKETS TODAY In partnership with

Audit

Tax

Accounting

Consulting

Supporting Partners

Survey Conducted By

31 OBJ.CA

Just eighteen months ago, 3 Sixty consisted of two trucks and 10 employees. The firm now has more than 600 employees and 150 vehicles across Canada.

After merging with competitor Total Cannabis Security Solutions and going public through a reverse takeover early in 2019, 3 Sixty acquired Torontobased secure cash transport company INKAS Group in a $13.75-million deal.

Gerstenecker says acquiring INKAS gives 3 Sixty the market reach to challenge leaders Brink’s and GardaWorld for national supremacy.

“We can kind of supercharge that growth and be competitors to the other two key cash-and-transit companies,” he says. “I think we are definitely positioning ourselves to be noticed.”

Like a lot of young companies in emerging industries, 3 Sixty has yet to see a profit as it invests heavily in staff and infrastructure and pursues M&A opportunities.

The company’s revenues –​ which are split almost equally among transport, guarding and consulting services ​– were $3.4 million in the first three months of 2019, up nearly 900 per cent over a year earlier. In the same period, the firm’s expenses ballooned from $400,000 to $8.3 million, leaving it with a net loss of about $4.8 million.

Continued on page 55

On the eve of the City-Building Summit, get a breakdown of the Ottawa Business Growth Survey results, hear from a panel of great speakers on what these results mean for Ottawa and participate in live audience polling.

JUNE 2019

ransporting precious cargo in highstakes situations is nothing new for Thomas Gerstenecker.

Fifteen years ago, the former member of the Canadian Forces’ elite special operations Joint Task Force 2 was working in eastern Afghanistan as a security adviser with the United Nations.

One of his tasks was negotiating with a local warlord in the middle of a poppy field so that aid could be safely delivered to civilians.

Today, Gerstenecker is still making deals to ensure valuable commodities get to their final destination.

The former soldier is founder and CEO

of Almonte-based 3 Sixty Risk Solutions, the country’s largest cannabis transport company. His firm delivers pot and related products for more than 100 cannabis operations across Canada, including Smiths Falls-based Canopy Growth, and works with clients in other industries such as oil and gas and mining.

While Gerstenecker didn’t follow the conventional route to entrepreneurship, he says his previous careers in the armed forces and the UN –​ where the stakes could literally be life-or-death –​ helped pave the way for 3 Sixty’s success.

“Being an entrepreneur, you cannot be risk-averse,” he says. “You are definitely exposed to a high-stress situation, whether it’s meeting a client’s needs or making sure that you’re well-

REVERSE TAKEOVER

Ottawa Business Growth Survey Cocktail

OBJ.CA

32 JUNE 2019

THE LIST THE LIST Company / Address Phone / Fax / Web

1

Number of local employees

LARGEST DEFENCE AND SECURITY COMPANIES LARGEST DEFENCE AND SECURITY COMPANIES CORRECTION: The original printed version of this list erroneously omitted ADGA Group. The corrected version of the list, which lists the firm as No. 2, appears below.

(RANKED

BY NUMBER OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES) (RANKED

BY NUMBER OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES)

Key local executive

Year est. in Ottawa

Major markets

Major clients

Description of specialty areas

General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada 1941 Robertson Rd. Ottawa, ON K2H 5B7 613-596-7000 / 613-820-5081 gd-ms.ca

800

David Ibbetson 1948 vice-president and general manager, General Dynamics Mission Systems–International

WND

Department of National Defence; U.K. Ministry of Defence; U.S. Department of Defense; more than 20 allied militaries around the world

C4ISR and defence electronics company producing technology-based integrated solutions for land, airborne, maritime and public safety applications.

2

ADGA Group Consultants Inc. 110 Argyle Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1B4 (613) 237-3022 www.adga.ca

600

Françoise Gagnon, CEO

1967

Public sector

Government of Canada - DND (DGLEPM, DG Space, DGIMPD, DGAEPM, DGIMTSP, et al)

Virtual and constructive modelling/simulation; project management in support of major defence procurement; space solutions; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance systems integtration.

3

Calian Group 101-340 Legget Dr. Ottawa, ON K2K 1Y6 613-599-8600 / 613-599-8650 calian.com

380

Kevin Ford president and CEO

1982

Defence and security; federal government; corrections.

Department of National Defence; Government of Canada; telecommunications companies.

Services and solutions that cover health services, training, IT and cyber security, emergency management, satellite communications.

4

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions 333 Palladium Dr. Kanata, ON K2V 1A6 613-599-9199 / 613-599-7777 cwcdefense.com

375

Cathy Pomeroy vice-president of COTS solutions

1981

Aerospace and defence

Northrop Grumman; Boeing; Lockheed Martin; Raytheon; BAE Systems; General Dynamics.

Develops rugged electronic modules and embedded systems for defence applications including C4ISR systems, unmanned subsystems, mission computing and recording and storage solutions.

5

Entrust Datacard 1000 Innovation Dr.Ottawa, ON K2K 3E7 613-270-3411 entrustdatacard.com

350

Greg Wetmore vice-president of product at Entrust Datacard

1969

Financial; citizen/ government; enterprises

State, provincial and national governments; financial institutions; enterprises.

Identity and secure transaction technologies; financial cards; passports and ID cards; authentication; certificates; PKI; secure communications.

DRS Technologies Canada 1100-500 Palladium Dr. Kanata, ON K2V 1C2 613-591-5800 / 613-591-5801 drs.com

300

Martin Munro vice-president and general manager

1990

Defence electronics; systems integration

DND; U.S. Navy; international military forces.

Designs, manufactures and supports naval communications, IRST and deployable flight data recorders; military C4ISR applications, as well as provides turn-key electronics manufacturing.

Lockheed Martin Canada 870-45 O’Connor St. Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4 613-599-3270 / 613-599-3282 lockheedmartin.ca

300

Charles Bouchard chief executive, Lockheed Martin Canada

1995

Global defence and security; aerospace

Department of National Defence; defence and commercial industries

Corporate office for Lockheed Martin Corp.

6 7

212

Jerry McLean vice-president and managing director

1984

Canada; government DND; Coast Guard; NAV Canada

Systems engineering/project management; concept definition. systems analysis; computer

engineering; software development and computer simulation and modelling; weapon/sensor systems control and integration; logistics engineering; in-service support.

9

DEW Engineering and Development ULC 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Ottawa, ON K1G 4G2 613-736-5100 / 613-736-1348 dewengineering.com

151

Ian Marsh president

1978

Defence, police services and aerospace in North America

Department of National Defence, General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, Ford Motor Co.

Largest manufacturer of ceramic composite armour protection systems in North America for military and police vehicles, military fleet life extension and re-purpose.

9

CAE Canada - Defence & Security 200-350 Legget Dr. Ottawa, ON K2K 2W7 613-247-0342 / 613-271-0963 cae.com

150

Joe Armstrong vice-president and general manager

1947

Federal government; defence and security; critical infrastructure

Federal government; Department of National Defence; Defence Research and Development Canada

Modelling/simulation and training; system and software engineering; human factors; capability engineering; life-cycle support to clients in defence, public safety and security.

March Networks 303 Terry Fox Dr. Ottawa, ON K2K 3J1 613-591-8181 / 613-591-7337 marchnetworks.com

150

Peter Strom president and CEO

2000

Global security and video-based business intelligence.

Four of Canada’s top five banks; Fifth Third Bank; Bank of New Zealand; Danske Bank; Banco de Chile

Provides video surveillance and video-based business intelligence solutions used by organizations worldwide to improve security and business performance objectives.

12

W.R. Davis Engineering 1260 Old Innes Rd. Ottawa, ON K1B 3V3 613-748-5500 / 613-748-3972 davis-eng.com

135

Tom Davis vice-president

1975

WND

U.S. Army; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Navy; BAE Systems; Boeing; Leonardo Helicopters; Airbus Helicopters

Aerospace and defense; IR signature management; IR signature suppressors for aircraft and ships; specialized exhaust systems for offshore energy platforms.

13

Boeing 1220-45 O’Connor St. Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4 613-745-8111 / 613-745-9779 boeing.ca

130

Jim Barnes 1999 director of global marketing – Canada for Boeing Defense, Space & Security

Global commercial and defence

DND; PWGSC; Canadian Space Agency

Commercial and military aircraft; satellites; weapons; electronic and defence systems; launch systems; advanced information and communication systems; performancebased logistics and training.

14

Raytheon Canada 730-360 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7 613-233-4121 / 613-233-1099 raytheon.ca

120

Garry Venman, president

1956

Defence; air traffic control; highway management

Government, DND

Air traffic management; service and support of avionics and airborne radar.

15

Gastops 1011 Polytek St. Ottawa, ON K1J 9J3 613-744-3530 / 613-744-8846 gastops.com

110

David E. Muir president and CEO

1979

Defence; aviation; energy; marine

Canadian Air Force; Canadian Navy; USAF; U.S. Army; Vector; IMP; PAL; Cougar Helicopters;

Condition-based maintenance sensors systems and services; oil wear debris sensors; filter debris analyzers.

16

Med-Eng 2400 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, ON K1G 6C4 613-482-8835 med-eng.com

80

Rob Reynolds vice-president and general manager

1981

North, Central and South America; Europe; Middle East;

Military forces and public safety agencies

Bomb suits, protective equipment and sensors against explosive threats; bomb disposal and EOD robots, specialized tools and search equipment; applications.

17

Rockwell Collins Canada 104-30 Edgewater St. Ottawa, ON K2L 1V8 613-595-2200 rockwellcollins.com

69

Lee Obst president

2006

Government; aerospace

Department of National Defence; GD Canada; Thales; Bombardier; Air Canada; CAE

Communications, navigation and EW systems; simulation and training systems; avionic systems; flight management systems; data fusion and networking.

65

Brian Rich president

1981

Banking, commercial, corrections, education, energy and industrial

Correctional Service of Canada; DND; military organizations; airports; high-security sites

Supplier of outdoor perimeter intrusion detection solutions, video management systems and analytics, personal duress solutions.

11

18

Senstar WND = Would not disclose.

119 John Cavanaugh Dr. Ottawa, ON K0A 1L0 613-839-5572 / 613-839-5830 senstar.com

33 OBJ.CA

Thales Canada 1 Chrysalis Way Ottawa, ON K2G 6P9 613-723-7000 / 613-723-5600 thalesgroup.com/canada

JUNE 2019

8

SPONSORED CONTENT

WHAT IS A COMMERCIAL REALTOR? “Realtor” is not a job description. It is a trademark of the Canadian Real Estate Association and stands for service, competence and high ethical practice. OREB’s commercial members who have met those high standards are eligible to become members of OREB’s Commercial Services Network.

Commercial Realtors provide competent professional service through their extensive market knowledge. Some services include:

How the Ottawa Real Estate Board fuelled John Zinati’s success 2019 Forty Under 40 recipient gains industry contacts, market research through OREB membership

JUNE 2019

J

OBJ.CA

34

ohn Zinati says even when he was young he was interested in buildings but, when it came time to launch his career, he found himself lacking connections in the commercial real estate industry.

He needed industry credibility and knowledge of the Ottawa commercial real estate market. Through his involvement in Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) and its Commercial Services Network, Zinati has become a well-known Commercial Realtor in the National Capital Region.

In his relatively short career, Zinati – owner of commercial brokerage firm Zinati Realty – has accumulated several industry accolades, including being named a 2019 Forty Under 40 recipient. He was also recognized last year in the CoStar Power Broker Ottawa awards in four categories: top leasing firms, top office leasing brokers, top retail leasing brokers and top industrial leasing brokers.

“I’m surprised because everything came so quickly,” he says. “I thought it would take a lot longer to get here.”

Looking back, in 2007, at the age of 27, a local real estate firm hired him to work in commercial leasing and sales.

Looking to further his career, Zinati decided to become a commercial Realtor. He joined OREB in 2009 in order to gain credibility in the business community, get professional education about commercial real estate and to network with other real estate professionals.

“I saw the value of membership in the Ottawa Real Estate Board immediately,” says Zinati. “Joining at an early point in my career gave me great guidance on how to conduct myself professionally and ethically.”

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS OREB’s commercial members receive a wide range of benefits to support their businesses. Members are able to post their commercial listings on the MLS System and Realtor.ca, one of the top real estate websites in Canada.

OREB members also have access to RealTrack, a database detailing past commercial transactions.

Zinati uses RealTrack as one of his tools to compare prices in different neighbourhoods and make recommendations to clients on how to price their listings.

When it’s time to close a deal, OREB’s commercial OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

• Far-reaching marketing services through their exclusive access to the MLS System and Realtor.ca • Access to listings of thousands of other Realtors through their exclusive MLS System access • Professional advice based on knowledge, experience, and education • Tenant and landlord representation • Advice on real estate investment purchases • Property management services

members can use hundreds of legally vetted commercial forms and clauses, protecting buyers and sellers.

Zinati says every commercial transaction is different, so having access to a diverse library of clauses is important. For one client, he needed to write an environmental clause into the buyer’s offer.

Instead of drafting the clause on his own, he used a legally vetted clause that he had access to because of his membership in OREB. When Zinati started his brokerage firm in 2016, he decided to become more involved with OREB in order to network and learn more about the industry.

As a member of the Commercial Services Network – which provides education and benefits to support the Board’s commercial Realtors – he was elected in 2016 to the Commercial Services Committee, the advisory committee for the commercial network.

Zinati and his colleagues want to increase awareness, increase membership, maintain commercial standards and help to improve the MLS platform for commercial listings with the help of a specialized task force.

“It’s always nice to give your time to something you believe in,” Zinati said.

To find a commercial Realtor, visit the OREB website.

2019

ITALIAN L A V I T S E F

Event Schedule

#PRESTONSTREET

Friday, June 14

Saturday, June 15

Sunday, June 16

Retro Italian Car and Motorcycle Museum 6:00 pm - 12:30 am

Retro Italian Car and Motorcycle Museum 9:00 am - 12:30 am

Retro Italian Car and Motorcycle Museum 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Ferrari Show n Shine 6-10pm

SWRL Freestyle Soccer Jugglers Soccer Clinic 11:00-1:00 pm

Criterium Bike Race 9am-2pm

Ottawa Circus Stilt Walkers 7-7:45, 8:15-9:00 pm

Italian Car Parade 1:30-3pm

Family Yoga 10am

Arthur Murray Flash Mob 9:30pm

Ferrari Demo Zone 3-4:30pm

Living Colouring Book 4-8pm

Capital City Dance Flash Mob 7pm

Living Colouring Book 4-8pm

Ottawa Circus Stilt Walkers 5 - 5:45 6:15 - 7:00pm

@PrestonStreetBia

@PrestonStreetBia

Ferrari Show n Shine 6-10pm Ottawa Circus Stilt Walkers 6-6:45, 7:15 - 8:00pm Fireman’s Marching Band 6pm Forward Dance TBD

Preston Street | OTTAWA

More information;

prestonstreet.com

JUNE 2019

@Preston_BIA

SWRL Juggling on the street 4:30-8:30

35 OBJ.CA

SPONSORED CONTENT

Young physicians and financial health: Getting the right diagnosis Many doctors must confront questions about incorporation, business expenses

Y

JUNE 2019

oung physicians at the beginning or early stages of their careers are well-versed in the workings of the human body, but when it comes to the fundamentals of running a business ... well, let’s just say they usually have lots of basic questions.

When should I incorporate?

Do I need I need separate business and personal bank accounts and credit cards?

What types of expenses can I claim?

RRSPs? I need a receptionist and a nurse.

What are my obligations to them and the Canada Revenue Agency?

These are typical of the questions GGFL’s Claudia Rosianu hears regularly.

Rosianu, GGFL’s assurance and advisory services principal, specializes in physician finances and understands that the business of running a doctor’s office without the right financial guidance can be overwhelming.

OBJ.CA

36

SHOULD I INCORPORATE? It depends.

“Incorporation for tax-deferral purposes only works now if you are able to retain funds within the corporation,” says Rosianu. “If you are taking most of the money out to cover personal expenses, there is no difference between being incorporated and being self-employed and paying personal taxes.”

Incorporation isn’t recommended for physicians carrying high student debt into the early years of practice, she adds.

“For example, a young doctor with

$200,000 in debt and wanting to buy a house would probably have to wait five or 10 years before incorporating.

Specialists start with a higher income, so likely wouldn’t have to wait that long.”

The tax rate for net income up to $500,000 kept within a corporation is 12.5 per cent.

So how much has to stay in the corporation to make incorporation worthwhile?

The bare minimum, after all expenses are paid, is $50,000, says Rosianu, but $100,000 is the more commonly recommended amount.

It also costs money and time to run a corporation.

Legally, a corporation must have a separate bank account but incorporated or not, keeping separate personal and business bank accounts and credit cards is both wise and recommended.

I AM BUYING OR LEASING A NEW CAR. CAN I CLAIM IT? When a personal car is used for business, CRA allows claims for the

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Visit OBJ.CA/ OBJ-DIGITAL-EDITION to view the digital edition for exclusive features

“Incorporation for tax-deferral purposes only works now if you are able to retain funds within the corporation.”

–Claudia Rosianu, assurance and advisory services principal, GGFL

business use of the car, but not the car itself. For the first 5,000 kilometres of business travel, CRA allows 55 cents per kilometre and 49 cents for the rest.

If more than 50 per cent of a vehicle’s use is for business, the better option might be for the company to own or lease it.

Incorporated or not, opening a physician’s office also comes with many administrative questions – OHIP billing, payroll obligations including CPP, salaries, employment insurance and tax deductions, for

starters. Most medical services, except the solely cosmetic, are exempt from HST. “We recommended calculating everything to be paid to CRA and setting up automatic monthly direct payments,” says Rosianu. “Doctors are busy people and this is one less thing to think about.”

There are many claimable expenses, such as insurance, professional memberships, conferences, six employee social events a year (if all employees are invited) and business lunches.

But not golf club membership green fees – golfing physicians often ask that question!

“The golden rule for all expenses,” says Rosianu, “is that they have to be reasonable and they have to be incurred to earn income.”

The know-how necessary to keep physicians financially healthy might not be brain surgery, but it can be cumbersome and complicated.

The bottom line? Get professional help. It will save a lot of headaches.

www.ottawabot.ca

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE

ISSUE NO. 4

FOCUS ON OTTAWA EAST

Businesses bet on Vanier’s future as Montreal Road revitalization breaks ground news@obj.ca

A

CONNECT!

“We saw Vanier’s proximity to downtown and knew it was only a matter of time before it was rejuvenated.”

– BERNIE MYERS, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF REAL PROPERTY, THE REGIONAL GROUP, WITH KELLY RHODENIZER, THE FIRM’S DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

37 OBJ.CA

Dobson said he predicts that he will lose around 15 per cent of business during the revitalization project, he’s hopeful that his patrons will quickly return once work wraps up.

“Vanier is going to grow and prosper and you are going to see a positive outcome,” he said. “(The Montreal Road revitalization) is going to increase economic activity and it is going to clean the neighbourhood up.”

JUNE 2019

just say they are going to put up a few planters and change the lights and call it renovated,” he said. “They are doing it right ... having a great streetscape that will be more attractive to retailers and shops, and (creating) a more attractive community for people to live in.”

Some of Montreal Road’s current merchants echo those sentiments.

While Finnegan’s Pub owner Drew

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

s the $50-million overhaul of Montreal Road gets underway, business leaders are looking ahead at how the major revitalization project can attract new businesses, shoppers and residents to Vanier.

With work scheduled to break ground in May, the four-year project running between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard includes new sewer and water lines, as well as unsightly hydro lines being buried below ground.

Most of the above-ground work will start next year and include the road being reduced from four lanes to three as well as the addition of bike lanes, larger sidewalks, public art, new community spaces and parks.

The head of the Vanier BIA says she hopes the dramatic facelift will prompt more entrepreneurs and business owners to consider making Montreal Road their home, diversifying the street’s retail offerings.

“The kinds of businesses that we currently see on Montreal Road aren’t exactly the mix we are hoping for – meaning that they are not the typical stores you would see on a traditional main street,” said Nathalie Carrier, executive director for the Vanier BIA. “There is no butcher, no baker, no

candlestick maker. We are hoping that the changes will bring about new developments and certainly new businesses.”

For more than a decade, Vanier’s business leaders have worked to promote the neighbourhood’s affordable land prices, short distance to downtown and diverse population.

Despite these efforts, Vanier has so far failed to see a wave of gentrification that’s reshaped other inner-city Ottawa neighbourhoods such as Hintonburg.

However, some local businesses are making long-term investments in the community with the belief that Vanier’s time has come.

In 2015, The Regional Group – an Ottawa-based property developer and manager – purchased and then revitalized a five-storey, 45,000-squarefoot office building at 214 Montreal Rd., several blocks east of the Vanier Parkway.

“We saw Vanier’s proximity to downtown and knew it was only a matter of time before it was rejuvenated,” said Bernie Myers, senior vice-president of real property at The Regional Group.

While he concedes that four years of construction can be a long time for merchants and other businesses, Myers said he expects the project to pay longterm dividends.

“The city is wise enough to not

www.ottawabot.ca

BY CHARLIE SENACK

OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE

THE OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBERS:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Aventine Group BeaverTails Canada Inc. Brio Strategies Inc. Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Canopy Growth Corp.

CaseWare IDEA Inc. Cole Solutions Ltd. Crestcom Leadership Dreammind Entertainment Group Edward Jones Emerald Tile & Marble Ltd. Eva Wong Photography Everest Restoration (Ottawa) Ltd. Frisby Tire Co. Gees Bees Honey Co. Infinity Limousine Insurance Hotline Jaiko Cleaning Services

JUNE 2019 OBJ.CA

38

• • •

John Proctor Kaur Space Inc. Lyft Marcoon Creative Design Megan Razavi Royal LePage Merivale Vision Care Mersive Moneca Kaiser Design Build Ltd. numbercrunch Panda Vacations Inc. Premier Logistics Solutions Quest Essentials Inc. Sophia Esthetic Inc. SR Coaching Stantec Stellar Printing & Promotions SupportMyMac TELUS Business Excellence Centre The Bradley The Open Door Educational Services Vincent Dagenais Gibson LLP World Financial Group Xactly Design & Advertising

Membership in Ottawa’s single largest independent business organization has many benefits. To learn more about why your organization should join the all-new Ottawa Board of Trade, visit www.ottawabot.ca or contact Rob Campbell at BusinessDeveloper@ottawabot.ca or 613-236-3631 x200.

News from Ottawa Board of Trade members

www.ottawabot.ca

CONNECT!

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

• • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

LOCAL BREAKFAST SERIES

La Cité eyes deeper ties with business community The head of East Ottawa’s only postsecondary institution says she wants to unleash the full potential of La Cité’s Aviation Parkway and Orléans campuses and be a partner in further developing the area’s economy.

Speaking at a Local Breakfast Series event hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade and OBJ at the Shenkman Arts Centre this spring, La Cité president and CEO Lise Bourgeois said the school is looking to forge deeper relationships with businesses both across the region and in its own backyard.

“We have a special relationship with East Ottawa and will contribute to its plans and priorities,” she told attendees.

Her comments came on the heels of a final Ottawa East economic development strategy and action plan, developed by consulting firm Doyletech.

It identified several sector-specific opportunities, including: • Engineering and industrial systems; • Agri-tech, including goat products and meat processing; • Culinary, recreation, arts, culture and tourism, including

in 2013, the firm also has a clinic at 3095 St. Joseph Blvd. in Orléans.

OUT OF THIS WORLD HOME SERVICES CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY; REBRANDS BELLEFLEUR PHYSIOTHERAPY OPENS SECOND LOCATION Bellefleur Physiotherapy, named one of Ottawa’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2017, recently celebrated the opening of its second location at 2 Beechwood Ave., at the corner of the Vanier Parkway. Founded

DS Plumbing is changing its name to Out of this World Home Services. The brand officially changed on May 15, which marked its 15th year in business. The company is changing its name to reflect its expansion into new fields. The firm will soon be adding HVAC and electrical services to its offerings.

SAVE THE DATE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Visit ottawabot.ca for more information and registration details on these and other upcoming business events.

Women, Wine & Wisdom June 13, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Hilton Lac-Leamy An evening designed to create a candid conversation about leadership,

Lise Bourgeois , president and CEO, La Cité

•

•

•

•

enhanced activities on Petrie Island and the development of a Nordik Spa resort-type destination; Health, with specializations in mental health and addictions, as well as the development of enhanced retirement and seniors’ residences; Automotive, specifically a specialization in electric vehicles, enhanced distribution and recycling capabilities and winter testing capability; Government, defence and security, including specialities in cyber-defence and UAVs; and Professional and environmental services, developed through a dedicated collaborative space.

Other opportunities identified by Doyletech includes cannabis growing and processing, robotics, “green construction” as well as distribution and warehousing.

life balance and legacy. Enjoy a beautiful dinner, share real stories and be inspired by powerful women known for “owning it.”

Redblacks home opener with OBOT June 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

TD Place Stadium (Lower Log Cabin) Watch the Ottawa Redblacks play the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the Lower Log Cabin and network with Board of Trade members at TD Place Stadium in Lansdowne Park.

OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE

CHAMBER ADVOCACY

Support for free market opportunities to address high electricity prices Enable opportunities for Ontario businesses and residents to better manage electricity costs through virtual netmetering.

Policy resolution submitted by the Ottawa Board of Trade and ratified by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce at its spring annual general meeting.

electricity generation that produces power at peak-demand times, this will allow subscribers to take advantage of the “peaking” nature of the “time-of-use” period, which will significantly reduce their electricity bills.

The move to deregulate the electricity grid in Ontario was the correct one, but the province has yet to truly harness the potential of the free market opportunities that will provide businesses in Ontario with the open, fair, and competitive electricity options that will enable lower prices and long-term resiliency of the grid.

www.ottawabot.ca

Electricity prices in Ontario are the highest in the country, undercutting the competitiveness of businesses in the province and reducing the attractiveness of the province as a destination for

investment. It is the responsibility of the Government of Ontario to explore opportunities for businesses and residents to obtain relief from these pressures.

Between 2008 and 2015, due to a myriad of factors, electricity prices in Ontario rose by 71 per cent, outpacing the growth of Ontario’s economy by a factor greater than 4:1. Its impact on businesses has been well-documented.

This resolution will attempt to provide a constructive free-market solution to this challenge: virtual net metering.

Virtual net metering is a billing arrangement that allows multiple homeowners or businesses to participate in the same net metered electricity generation system and share the output

from a single facility that is not physically connected to their property (or their meter). Under this arrangement, the electricity generated from a single project creates bill credits that can be used by one or more participating customers to account for a portion of their total electricity needs.

The supplier is partnered with the local utility to ensure the monthly energy (kWh) produced by the project is netted off of the participants’ electricity bill proportionally based on their level of ownership in the project. As many of these projects deploy

Commit to continue with timeof-use pricing and investigate opportunities to enable ratepayers in the province to enter in to virtual net metering arrangement under a timeof-use/production pricing scheme.

•

Amend O Reg 541/05 (the Net Metering Regulation) to allow for virtual net metering.

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

•

CONNECT!

RECOMMENDATIONS

OTTAWA’S NEWEST HOTEL. NOW OPEN!

JUNE 2019

WHETHER IT’S AN OVERNIGHT TRIP OR AN EXTENDED STAY YOU CAN UNPACK HERE.

39 HILTON.COM

OBJ.CA

New and Contemporary | Collect Hilton Honors Points 361 Queen Street (at Lyon) | 1-613-234-6363

OBJ.CA

40 JUNE 2019

MIFO.CA

www.ottawabot.ca CONNECT!

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

OBOT MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

CaseWare IDEA grows global presence with data analysis software

An IDEA dev team reviews the latest analytics dashboard.

recent growth, expanding its headcount by more than 35 per cent in the last two years alone. Its global distribution partner network has also expanded to more than 40 countries with the recent addition of partners in South Korea, Taiwan, China, Ukraine and Senegal.

BILINGUALISM “C’est payant!”

Get your marketing material translated at a low price with the RGA. Take courses in French as a second language

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

How can our staffing services help you?

CONNECT!

When you provide services in the two official languages, we will promote it on our website.

www.ottawabot.ca

Launched as a pilot project in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada in 1984, CaseWare IDEA – an Ottawa-based software development company focused on data analytics – is now used by audit and finance professionals in more than 100 countries.

Originally developed as a tool to assist auditors analyze transactional financial data, Interactive Data Extraction and Analysis (IDEA) soon caught the attention of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, which commercialized IDEA and started to sell it to auditor-general offices and accounting firms around the world in the 1990s. CaseWare International acquired IDEA outright in 2000 and continued to develop and market IDEA as an analytics tool used to detect fraud, accounting anomalies and outliers during an audit.

The company has seen considerable

There’s no way around it; you need good people. The problem is, it takes time to find good people. The other problem is, you don’t have a lot of time.

Temporary staffing Got a big project? Short a few people? Busy season coming up?

We can find the people you need — as soon as you need them.

Direct placement

Recruitment consulting Need help with some or all parts of the recruitment process?

We’ve got just the solution.

adecco.ca

In partnership with

41 Translation & Language Solutions

OBJ.CA

Kanata: 613.599.3151 Ottawa Professional & Government: 613.244.0241

JUNE 2019

There’s a lot of pressure to make the right permanent hire. Just take that pressure and put it right on us. We can handle it.

The Heart of Orléans Improving Today, Looking toward the Future

JUNE 2019

www.ottawabot.ca

CONNECT!

Advocating for business. Fuelling the future.

O

OBJ.CA

42

rléans has transformed over the past 13 years. Back in 2006, the business community along St-Joseph Boulevard was looking for a way to promote their commercial district, which is how the Heart of Orléans Business Improvement Area (BIA) was created. Today, Orléans is poised for more transformation. Light rail is arriving by 2025, along with opportunities to realize more economic growth and a more vibrant community.

A Revitalized Centre The original “main street” of Orléans is St-Joseph Boulevard, which is home to many of the unique shops, services and restaurants that Orléans has to offer. This is the “place where community happens” in Orléans, which needs to be supported and grow over time. “Our vision is a revitalized, vibrant centre for Orléans, which is more walkable, bikeable and connected to light rail,” says Jasmine Brown, Executive Director of the BIA. Over the past 10 years Festival Plaza, along Centrum Boulevard, has become a place where people gather for arts and culture with the Shenkman Arts Centre. And we have worked hard to bring festivals to the Plaza, such as the Orléans Craft Beer Festival, the Orléans PoutineFest, and the Orléans Ribfest to name a few.

East End Economic Corridor Revitalization also means smart redevelopment and intensification around light rail. Already we are seeing an increased interest in the potential for transit-oriented development, and the economic and job growth this can bring. Light rail will help to create an economic corridor for the east end of the city.

“The BIA is bringing a renewed focus to its work, particularly around economic development, as we look to the future,” says Pascale Bazinet, Chair of the Orléans BIA. Bringing Balance to Orléans With light rail and revitalization, Orléans needs to have a more balanced work base compared to the rest of Ottawa.

Even though Orléans has one of the most educated and bilingual workforces in the city, we export most of our workers every day. And there is an imbalance across the city - for example, Orléans has fewer than 50 federal jobs, compared this to 13,100 federal jobs in the Kanata/Bayshore area. There is a similar disparity in large employers and knowledge-based jobs.

“ Jasmine Brown, Executive Director, Heart of Orléans BIA

Concept of potential development.

Our vision is a revitalized, vibrant centre for Orléans Orléans also exports its workforce each day. Each morning about 80 percent of traffic is leaving Orléans, while only 20 percent is coming to Orléans.

Balance Orléans is an initiative to bring more community awareness to this issue and rally support for major employers, and is working with the Capital Task Force 2020.

We believe Orléans will become a place where residents can work in their own community, and people from all parts of the city can take light rail to work at knowledge-based jobs and large employers, right here in Orléans.

One of the most sought-after characteristics of workers today, particularly millennials, is to live in a neighbourhood where they can live, work and play. Creating more mixed use developments in this area, with a mix of retail, office space and residential will be a key goal as we look to the future.

Stay Connected Stay connected with what is going on in Orléans! Subscribe to our free, bilingual e-magazine, The Beat / le rythme - your monthly digest of all things Orléans.

heartoforleans.ca/thebeat

SPONSORED CONTENT

Is your corporate team up to the Army Run challenge?

Deloitte’s Operation Green Dot sets example for others to follow

T

here are plenty of reasons why a corporate team might decide to support a signature Ottawa event like Canada Army Run - morale and team spirit, a healthier and more productive workplace or supporting a worthy cause.

For the Ottawa offices of multinational professional services firm Deloitte, their reason began with a chat one day amongst employees. Manager in Consulting Amanda Hillock had recently relocated from Deloitte’s operations in her native New Zealand, where the Deloitte team is active in all sorts of team and community activities outside of work. When Hillock heard about Canada Army Run, she asked why there wasn’t a local Deloitte team taking part.

Hillock’s colleagues and superiors quickly rallied around the idea and Operation Green Dot was born. For

Photo credit: Alex McAvoy, official event photographer.

the 2018 edition of Army Run, Deloitte’s team members challenged themselves to raise $10,000 for the charities supported by Army Run – Support Our Troops and Soldier On. They smashed that target and are back for more in 2019 with 40 runners now on the team.

“It surprised me how much it snowballed,” Hillock said. “It signals to our people that whatever you want to do to stay healthy, we support that.”

“Our berets are off to this great bunch of people,” said Maj. Dave Tischhauser, Army Run Race Director.

“We applaud and salute Deloitte for all their great efforts to support a great cause. We would love to see more companies and corporate teams jump on board.”

Since its inception 11 years ago, Canada Army Run has grown into a world-class event with more

than 20,000 participants, thousands more spectators and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. More than $3.1 million has been raised to date for Support our Troops and Soldier On. Through Army Run, Canadians can show their support for the men and women of Canada’s Armed Forces, challenge themselves, and share in the camaraderie and esprit de corps of serving in uniform, Maj. Tischhauser said.

GET INVOLVED To learn how your team can get involved and give those folks from Deloitte a run for their money, please visit www.armyrun.ca or contact info@armyrun.ca Read the full story: http://bit.ly/Army-Run-2019

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

LONDON IS CALLING From Hyde Park to the London Eye, discover all that London has to offer with our non-stop, year-round service from Ottawa to London Heathrow.

Book now at aircanada.com

De Hyde Park au London Eye, découvrez tous les attraits de Londres grâce à nos vols sans escale offerts toute l’année au départ d’Ottawa à destination de Londres Heathrow.

43 OBJ.CA

Réservez maintenant sur aircanada.com

JUNE 2019

LONDRES VOUS APPELLE

companies to watch 2019

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

How the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group hires for ability Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care assists with onboarding

M

JUNE 2019

ost of us know TD Place as Ottawa’s downtown destination for live sports and concerts. But for many who struggle with disabilities, it’s a facility that provides a connection to the community and a better life.

One such person is Francis Ménard. He’s been working as a ticket-taker at TD Place since it opened in 2014 and, to the thousands of guests he’s served at the facility, Ménard is an ambassador for inclusivity.

Ménard uses a wheelchair to maneuver city sidewalks and buildings, which means accessibility is a critical issue for him. It means he is either welcome or blocked from participating in the day-to-day activities of life in our city.

In 2014, as Ménard was passing by TD Place, he noticed it was an accessible facility and thought it might be a good place to work. At the time, with the Redblacks football team preparing to kick off its inaugural CFL season, hundreds of part-time jobs needed to be filled and Ménard submitted his application.

TD Place is managed by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and staff combed through thousands of resumes and conducted hundreds of interviews to identify candidates that could serve guests and make them feel welcome. Anne-Marie Villeneuve, OSEG’s vicepresident of guest experience and operations, conducted two interviews with Ménard and determined he was a good fit.

OBJ.CA

44

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Visit OBJ.CA/OBJ-DIGITALEDITION to view the digital

edition for exclusive features

Front row, from left Paul Ausman, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) event services Manager; Francis Menard, OSEG ticket taker and Mitch Craig, OSEG event services coordinator.

Back row, from left: Melanie Silver, OSEG staffing coordinator; Anne-Marie Villeneuve, OSEG VP guest experience and operations; Joël Daze, Performance Plus Rehabilitative Centre job developer and Bianca Molnar, assistant manager events services.

Villeneuve then enlisted Ménard’s disability support service provider, Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care (PPRC), to help with his onboarding.

Joël Daze from PPRC worked with Villeneuve and Ménard to identify and overcome issues that could inhibit his on-the-job performance.

Through that process, OSEG placed Ménard in an area where he could easily maneuver his wheelchair to direct fans to their seats after scanning their tickets.

“We want good people on our staff, people who reflect our values and our commitment to customer service,” said Villeneuve. “Francis is a great fit. We get the benefit of his life experience as a person with a disability and it makes us all a better team.”

The relationship between employee and employer has been extremely successful. His coworkers describe him as fun, full of energy, very reliable and bilingual – a key requirement for the service industry in Canada’s capital city.

“He is a reliable worker and a great ambassador for TD Place,” said Melanie Silver, OSEG’s staffing coordinator. “Francis was one of our first hires and he’s been terrific.”

Even though he uses a wheelchair, Ménard comes to work through rain, snow, sleet or sun.

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

“I remember at the Trevor Noah concert last January, the snow was particularly heavy and scores of staff were calling to say they couldn’t make it in,” says Silver. “Not Francis. He was able to navigate through the snow in his wheelchair and make it to work on time with a smile on his face.”

Ménard recalls, “it felt like I was doing a mogul run on a ski hill.”

His co-workers say they have learned a lot about accommodation from Ménard. He’s identified which doors require the automatic function and which washrooms are less accessible for those who require assistance.

“I see how little things can make a big difference,” said Bianca Molnar, OSEG’s assistant manager of event services. “Francis has been a great help in making all of us more aware of the challenges faced by so many and how easy it is for us to help overcome them.”

PPRC provides employment services to people like Ménard at no cost to employers. They help companies find and hire suitable candidates. They also help clients navigate the world of inclusivity and accommodation. If your company is looking to hire great people, contact PPRC at www.pprc.ca or call 1-800-427-6214 for more information.

companies to watch 2019

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

How Ottawa’s Business Sherpa Group guides growing businesses to success Business Sherpa Group provides portfolio of services: finance, HR, executive search, recruitment and key strategic services

W

hen a small business hits a roadblock, bringing in a part-time contractor is an affordable solution that can give growing organizations a boost.

Margo Crawford, President & CEO, founded Business Sherpa Group (BSG) in 2008 after spending 25 years working as a business operations leader in start-ups and as an HR leader in a number of corporations. During that time, she noticed a need to create affordable solutions for small organizations.

“When you’re running a small business, you don’t have time to worry about the non-core business functions because you’re so focused on serving your customers,” she says.

BSG provides operational and strategic consultants for small and medium sized businesses in finance, HR, executive search, recruitment, strategy & governance, marketing & communications and family business.

A “Sherpa” spends time up front to understand the business before making recommendations that are customized for the client. All of BSG’s 90+ associates are available “fractionally” for clients and are either independent contractors or employees who’ve previously worked in a corporate environment but

Visit OBJ.CA/OBJ-DIGITALEDITION to view the digital

edition for exclusive features

For more information, please visit the Business Sherpa Group website at www.businesssherpagroup.com.

45 OBJ.CA

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

specialists are available to work part-time or for shorter periods through unique projects. For example, “we have Sherpas who have become the part-time virtual chief marketing officers for their clients who think about the bigger marketing strategy and oversee execution of the plan, or business leaders that lead strategic planning or business reviews over several months and support implementation of their plans”.

Many of the organizations BSG works with are family run businesses with their own unique sets of challenges. BSG’s family business coaches work to identify owners’ values, goals and vision for their family business, which can vary amongst family members, and ultimately help align these with what is happening in the business. “We want the family and business goals not to work against each other,” she says. Succession plans that intersect with business strategy help each family member know their role and see the path to the future.

As Crawford and her colleagues continue to make deeper inroads in Ottawa’s and Eastern Ontario’s business community, she’s increasingly seeing an opportunity to make an impact that goes beyond her firm’s individual clients. “From an economic perspective, employment and GDP mostly comes from small businesses,” Crawford says. “If we can help these businesses be more successful, that will have a huge impact on our local economy.”

JUNE 2019

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

are looking for more flexible and part-time work. Each associate is part of a team with a leader supported by a network of professionals to connect with and share knowledge with. “This is an important piece – having connections and support alleviates the worry of supporting a client alone and for the client knowing that business continuity is de-risked by having a team surrounding the assigned associate,” says Crawford.

Often the consulting work begins in the finance area where the critical nature of financial transactions and reporting are time sensitive and important to get right. The client may want to start with a bookkeeper or a CFO depending on what they believe their most urgent challenges are, but Crawford frequently recommends a combination of both at first to get a clear financial picture and to get the lion’s share of the transactional work in shape. Getting to full financial reporting and up to date on invoicing and paying the bills are essential for any business to operate effectively and make key strategic decisions.

Once a company has a better understanding of its finances, the CFO can partner with the owners to plan and execute on their future business strategy.

As most businesses have employees, the dynamics and challenges of being an employer points to the need for HR leadership – this is the other most common support requested of BSG. HR associates can step in, much the same way as bookkeepers and CFOs, to become a part-time member of the team and quarterback the HR function. If a business decides they do need a new staff member, BSG can guide the company through the hiring process with their ondemand recruitment specialists and executive search experts who become part of the internal team to help hire critical talent in an effective and affordable way.

There are times when a business needs help through critical business phases or challenges and

SPONSORED CONTENT

HOW LANDLORDS CAN MAXIMIZE THE ROI FROM MIX-USE PROPERTIES Strategic investments, right tenant mix will make the blend of commercial and residential units work

T

JUNE 2019

ake a walk through some of Ottawa’s most popular urban neighbourhoods, and you’ll often see residential apartments sharing the same building as ground-level offices, restaurants, and shops.

For landlords, managing a mixed-use building means catering to the unique demands of commercial and residential tenants. It can be a tricky balancing act that can lead to conflicts over parking, noise and even odours drifting up from a commercial kitchen.

Experienced property managers know how to prevent such disputes and minimize conflict between tenants. Conrad Pool, the president of Sleepwell Property Management, says it starts with open and transparent communication with prospective tenants before they move in about issues as simple as store or restaurant hours.

Sleepwell is one of Ottawa’s largest third-party property management firms. Over its 15-year history, it has developed an expertise in helping property owners generate the maximum return from their commercial and residential units.

Mixed-use buildings present a unique opportunity for investors to diversify into multiple asset classes, reducing risk.

When working with the right property manager, real estate investors can find creative ways for the residential and commercial units to complement one another – ultimately leading to greater long-term returns.

ATTRACTING TENANTS Real estate experts advocate that owners of mixeduse properties look for opportunities to create a cohesive sense of community. The right restaurant or service provider, such as a drycleaner, can benefit from potential customers who are literally just a few steps away. Similarly, amenities such as a coffee shop, bakery or yoga studio are a lifestyle bonus for many prospective residential tenants.

Although the maintenance rules may differ for

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Visit OBJ.CA/OBJ-DIGITAL-EDITION to view the digital edition for exclusive features

OBJ.CA

46 OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

commercial and residential units, Pool says keeping a storefront in good repair makes the adjoining apartments more appealing to prospective tenants.

Sleepwell advises its investor clients on costeffective upgrades that enable a unit to command higher rental rate. The firm can paint a full picture of the property, including future costs for major repairs such as the roof and HVAC system, the current market for similar units and the potential to create additional value in the coming years.

Here are some of the pieces of advice that Sleepwell commonly offers clients: • Bring the building up to code – electrical, plumbing and fire systems all need to pass current safety standards; • Remove any old signage, logos or other distinctive features so the new tenant can get their business façade and signage designed and in place as soon as possible; • Clean the building – inside and out, including the parking areas; • Add a new coat of white paint. White allows tenants to imagine what they can do with the space; and • If the floors are damaged, install a subfloor in preparation for a commercial tenant to install a finished floor to their liking.

“Investing in your properties attracts great tenants, higher rents, and improves the neighbourhood”, Pool says, predicting that the popularity of mixed-use buildings will continue to rise as more Ottawa residents choose to live and work in centrally located urban neighbourhoods.

ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES SATISFIED & ENGAGED?

Visit www.EmployeesChoice.ca now Deadline to get involved is June 14th JUNE 2019

47 OBJ.CA

TOURISM We’re not taking our foot off the gas.

We will get through this.

– Ottawa Tourism CEO Michael Crockatt

Ottawa Tourism board member Steve Ball says the province’s cuts will hurt. FILE PHOTO

Ottawa Tourism mulls new priorities following funding cut Marketing organization putting budget under the microscope after province eliminates $3.4M annual grant

BY DAVID SALI JUNE 2019

david@obj.ca

OBJ.CA

48

T

he province’s decision to eliminate its funding to Ottawa Tourism is a “significant hit” that will force the local marketing organization to make tough spending choices, its leader said after the cuts were made public in May. CEO Michael Crockatt told OBJ the $3.4 million in provincial funding the

organization was slated to receive this year represents about 15 per cent of the group’s overall budget.

About three-quarters of Ottawa Tourism’s funding comes from a four per cent municipal accommodation tax, with the remainder from city grants and private partners.

Crockatt said his group was informed of the cut on April 12, the day after the provincial budget was announced, and

has been putting its programs under the microscope since then.

He said everything from Ottawa Tourism’s mobile phone contracts to its employee travel expenditures are being scrutinized to find potential savings. A plan to redesign the organization’s logo this year has already been put on the back burner, Crockatt added.

“This is a pretty significant hit to us,” he said. “We’ve been doing prudent things and everybody (is) looking carefully at their budgets and their work plans for 2019 and trying to identify places where we can reduce our costs, but not at the cost of our core sales and marketing and destination development activities. We’re trying to focus on those things that will have the least negative impact on our core services that we provide.”

Ottawa Tourism has 42 employees.

Crockatt would not comment on potential job cuts, adding he’s still hopeful that the province will come up with an alternative funding plan for agencies such as his when it unveils its new tourism strategy in the next few months.

‘IT HURTS RIGHT NOW’ “We believe the story is still being written about this,” he said. “Yes, it hurts right now to have a big piece of our funding taken away, but some time soon they will release their provincial tourism strategy, and we hope and we believe that there’s going to be some positives in there for our industry about the direction that the province wants to go.”

Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association president Steve Ball, who sits on Ottawa Tourism’s board of directors, said he was expecting the province to reduce its funding to the organization, but the scale of the cuts surprised him.

“I didn’t think we’d be taken right down to the knees,” he said, adding he realizes the province is grappling with a $15-billion deficit. “There will be some things that we

won’t be able to get done in 2019 because of this.”

PROMOTIONS AT RISK? Ball noted that the organization is “heavily engaged” in marketing the provincially owned Shaw Centre, the city’s largest downtown convention space. He suggested Ottawa Tourism might have to revisit its priorities and focus more on municipally backed tourist attractions and initiatives.

“All I’m saying is we need to analyze all of our current programs and make sure that they’re as efficient and effective as possible,” he said. “We may have to look at just how we support sales and marketing for provincial assets when there’s no funding to support us.”

As part of its mandate as a provincially funded organization, Ottawa Tourism currently helps promote the industry in nearby regions such as PrescottRussell. Ottawa Tourism vice-president of destination development Catherine Callary said that while marketing rural areas within Ottawa’s boundaries will still be a key priority, promoting events and attractions beyond its municipal borders might have to be curtailed.

“Without that mandate, without that funding, we have to look at that,” Crockatt said.

“What is the appropriateness of using municipal tax money in Ottawa to do marketing activities outside of Ottawa?”

Ball said the cutbacks could have a “silver lining” if they lead to cost efficiencies. He also suggested the cuts could spur the organization to expand its partnerships with private-sector sponsors and pursue new agreements with the federal government.

“Just because the province is stepping back, doesn’t mean there aren’t others that might step up,” he said. “We really haven’t pursued our federal relationships as much, and being in a capital city maybe we should.”

Undaunted, Crockatt said he’s keeping his chin up.

“We’re not taking our foot off the gas,” he said. “We will get through this. I’m confident that we’re going to be stronger on the other side of this.”

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Startup hub OneEleven shuttering Ottawa office Accelerator backed by OMERS Ventures launched downtown facility last year in bid to help local companies attract scaleup financing

BY DAVID SALI

david@obj.ca

L

HIGH-PROFILE TENANTS

be one of the measures I’m going to be looking at.”

Invest Ottawa executives refused to comment on the closure, saying they wanted to wait until an official announcement was made.

Startups currently l​easing space at OneEleven’s Ottawa office include Mad Radish, a quick-service restaurant chain launched a couple of years ago by DavidsTea founder David Segal, online auto accessory retailer CanadaWheels ​ – which recently placed eighth on OBJ’s 2019 list of the city’s fastest-growing companies –​ and Canopy Rivers, a cannabis investment firm backed by potproducing giant Canopy Growth Corp.

OneEleven, which has two full-time

employees in Ottawa, is now working with its tenants to find them alternative office space.

After announcing its move into Ottawa early last year, OneEleven doubled the size of its Toronto office to 100,000 square feet and announced plans to expand to Vancouver, London, Berlin, Boston and other cities. OneEleven initially said it planned to open its West Coast location before the end of 2018, but that proposal never materialized.

The organization did launch its first European office in London in early 2019, but that venture reportedly failed to gain traction with startups in the British capital’s ultra-competitive co-working environment.

49 OBJ.CA

“The idea is to get (companies) to that series-A, maybe series-B, and then they’re ready to roll,” he said last June. “We haven’t done as many (IPOs) as we should (in Ottawa), and I think that’s going to

OneEleven has operated on the third floor of 66 Slater St. since last summer. PHOTO BY DAVID SALI

JUNE 2019

ess than a year after it launched a downtown accelerator aimed at taking local startups to “the next level,” Torontobased OneEleven is closing its Ottawa office.

Sources have confirmed to OBJ that the nine companies now operating out of OneEleven’s site at 66 Slater St. have been told they have until the end of July to find new homes and vacate the space.

According to tech news outlet BetaKit, the organization –​ which is backed

by OMERS Ventures, the provincial government’s Ontario Centres of Excellence and Ryerson University – is also closing its office in the United Kingdom that opened to great fanfare earlier this year.

Sources said OneEleven has decided to focus on its original Toronto location.

OMERS Ventures founder and former CEO John Ruffolo, a champion of OneEleven’s expansion plans, left the organization last year.

OneEleven officials did not respond to OBJ’s requests for comment. CEO Dean Hopkins told BetaKit earlier this week that the organization’s Toronto operation has “grown significantly” in the past two years and it wants to double down on its efforts there.

“Toronto is the fastest-growing tech market in North America, so we’re focusing on supporting our community at home for now,” he said.

Launched in 2013, OneEleven now hosts more than 30 companies at its main

office on Front Street in downtown Toronto.

The organization provides mentorship, office space and other services to fledgling firms that have already received one or two rounds of VC funding, generally have between 10 and 30 employees and are poised for major growth.

Ottawa was OneEleven’s first expansion site. When the organization announced its decision to open an office in the nation’s capital last spring, it said it was the first step in a long-term plan to spread its reach across North America, Europe and Asia.

Hopkins, an Ottawa native who previously helmed Osprey Labs, told OBJ last April his hometown was a logical choice for OneEleven’s first foray outside Toronto.

“Ottawa has a history, a long legacy of entrepreneurship dating back to the very early days in tech,” he said. “When we looked at the markets, we said this was a great market for us to first expand into.”

OneEleven tapped veteran tech entrepreneur Brad Forsyth to head the Ottawa office. Forsyth, the founder of software firm Mxi Technologies, said at the time he hoped OneEleven would become part of a “feeder system” that would help graduates of incubators such as Invest Ottawa and L-Spark scale up to the “next level.”

OBJ.CA

JUNE 2019

HAS BECOME

50

Fully Managed & CareWorx, two of Canada’s top IT specialists, have merged to form a Managed Services powerhouse creating technology peace of mind for Ottawa businesses.

MANAGED IT SERVICES | ENTERPRISE SERVICE MANAGEMENT | 24x7 IT SUPPORT SECURITY & BUSINESS CONTINUITY | COMPLETE SENIOR CARE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS HARDWARE, SOFTWARE & CLOUD SOLUTIONS JUNE 2019

FIND OUT MORE AT FULLYMANAGED.COM/OTTAWA

51 OBJ.CA

SPONSORED CONTENT

Building bridges between Ottawa and Gatineau When designing our next interprovincial crossing, we must think about how it will function and last for the next century, writes Ottawa architect Toon Dreessen

JUNE 2019

R

OBJ.CA

52

ecent flooding has forced officials to close a vital link between Ottawa and Gatineau: the Chaudiere Crossing, parts of which date back more than 100 years.

To the east, the Alexandra Bridge – another critical interprovincial connection – is slated to close for renovations and is pushing 120 years old, having been adapted for cars after the removal of railway crossings two generations ago.

The Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, constructed in 1963, is a regular traffic snarl, connecting a highway in Gatineau with a boulevard in Ottawa, forcing truck traffic through a once-vital neighbourhood.

The Portage Bridge is from 1973, but is a poor truck route, since it is not connected to any major road systems in Ottawa suitable for the more than 3,000 trucks that cross the Ottawa River each day.

With the exception of the pedestrian and bicycle boardwalk on the side of the Alexandra Bridge, none of these routes accommodates pedestrians or cyclists well, despite a 30 per cent increase in commuting by bike in the last decade.

It’s telling that none of these crossings are less than 40 years old, with most far older. And it’s no wonder: Building a new interprovincial bridge is likely a $1 billion exercise, and no one wants a new bridge in their backyard.

But earlier this year, the federal government announced funding for to update studies for a sixth interprovincial bridge – a surprise move that’s set to kick off a fresh round of contentious debates.

WHAT TO DO? Several years ago, the National Capital Commission determined that a new bridge at Kettle Island would be best, but this was opposed by municipal political leaders

at the time and remains a non-starter with current politicians.

A tunnel is an expensive option – likely double the cost of a bridge – and may not be able to accommodate all the material that’s shipped by truck through our region, depending Ministry of Transportation regulations. It would also send a significant number of trucks down the Vanier Parkway from Highway 417, something that would affect surrounding communities at least as much, or more, than sending them down the Aviation Parkway to Kettle Island.

Closing our eyes to the problem isn’t going to work.

We can wish for a day when we don’t have heavy truck traffic, but that’s unlikely to materialize in the near future.

We need to have a public conversation about the route that makes the most sense, and achieves the best result for the most people.

A STRONG VISION FOR THE CAPITAL We cannot afford to wait for another generation to make the decision while more pedestrians and cyclists are killed on our streets.

Any new connection must have a high design quality, and create a positive pedestrian and cycling link, while serving as a gateway to our city.

We need a vision for how to route truck traffic, create streets for people and connect our communities. This could include: • Investing in the Prince of Wales and Alexandra bridges as part of a continuous loop of transit, linking Ottawa, LeBreton Flats, the ByWard Market, museums, residential and commercial hubs with frequent, free, hop on/off services to benefit tourists and residents alike; • Using the same loop, create strong pedestrian and cyclist networks to boost multi-modal ways for residents to work, play and shop; • Terminate the truck route off-ramp and remove the Nicholas Bypass, rebuilding King Edward Avenue and reconnecting our communities, removing this scar on the landscape as a truncated highway through our city; • Create at least one new bridge, and plan for the OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

replacement of existing bridges, with a focus on the best public value for trucking routes, linked to existing highways and major industry; • Set a vision for existing needs and growth so future generations have a roadmap, and funding, for bridge construction and repair; • Establish a long-term design vision to connect our population growth projections with design vision for high quality, public investment in the built environment. This allows gradual funding, consensus building, and sustained planned growth to support a long term vision.

DESIGN MATTERS: when we design a bridge, we have to think about how it will function and last for the next 50 or 100 years.

We need to imagine how we can create sustainable reinvestment in our existing infrastructure to adapt to new uses and set safety, beauty and quality on equal or better footing with shaving a few minutes off a commute.

We need to plan, create, fund and reinvest in our built infrastructure to create the society we aspire to.

We need to have public conversations on the role of the built environment in society, culture, the economy and environment. This is, in large part, the role of architects and purpose of an architecture policy for Canada (#riseforarchitecture). This can’t simply be a traffic engineering exercise, nor designed to the minimum standard.

We need to galvanize attention on action, not just more studies that fan the flames of division. The time is now.

Toon Dreessen is president of Ottawa-based Architects DCA and past-president of the Ontario Association of Architects. For a sample of Architects DCA’s projects, check out the firm’s portfolio at bit.ly/DCA-portfolio. Follow @ ArchitectsDCA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

YOU ARE NOW A MEDIA COMPANY In the digital age, your association needs high-quality content on a regular basis to tell your stories and grow your membership.

content marketing & digital services JUNE 2019

How does your association’s content stack up?

Find out with a free content analysis.

Call 613-238-1818 x268.

53 OBJ.CA

PHILANTHROPY

Healthy support for Royal Ottawa

OBJ.CA

54

PHOTOS BY MARK HOLLERON

JUNE 2019

OBJ was recognized by the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health at a reception on May 7 for fulfilling its $100,000 fundraising goal. OBJ raised the funds over several years, mainly through charitable raffles at events such as Forty Under 40.

On hand at the reception were Michael Curran, OBJ publisher, Dr. Joanne Bezzubetz, the Royal’s president and CEO, Dr. Zul Merali, president and CEO of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, and Mitchell Bellman, president and CEO of the Royal foundation.

The event took place in the Royal Ottawa’s occupational therapy kitchen, which was designed and equipped by Astro Design Centre as part of its 20th anniversary. It was catered by a social enterprise connected with the Royal called #Bakeology.

Bellman said mental illness is coming out of the shadows, thanks to community efforts such as the Royal’s high-profile “You Know Who I Am” advocacy campaign.

“There was a time not long ago when people were embarrassed to say they (suffered from) mental illness, and now we’re changing that,” he told OBJ. “Today, we have the largest fundraising breakfast in the city ... and people are more proud to be able to say they support mental health as an important illness. We believe in our research institute that we will find the cures and better treatments that will get more people better, faster.”

DEFENCE & SECURITY Almonte-based firm eyes U.S. expansion ATMs, Gerstenecker notes.

Vehicles must not only be armed and armoured if necessary, but also climatecontrolled so as not to kill or damage their precious cargo. The company keeps tabs on every truck and van with sensors that deliver second-by-second data on factors such as temperature and humidity to drivers and the operations centre in Almonte, allowing security personnel to respond quickly if anything goes awry.

Gerstenecker says he expects the firm to climb out of the red by the third quarter, an “aggressive” timeline but one he’s confident 3 Sixty can meet. Next on his to-do list is a strategy to expand his operations south of the border, where cannabis is legal in one form or another in more than 30 states.

“In a very short period of time, you’ll see us in multiple states,” he says.

CHICAGO THE ROOTS JUDITH HILL TERRILYNE

C A R R I N G T O N A N D

BRAD MEHLDAU

QUINTET

FEATURING

Continued from page 31 Gerstenecker doesn’t sound concerned. He says 3 Sixty keeps adding to its cannabis customer base and now controls more than 60 per cent of the Canadian market. In addition, the firm has landed lucrative deals to provide security guards for high-profile clients that include the LCBO and is looking to partner with police forces that are starting to outsource “non-core” tasks such as transporting prisoners and providing court security.

“Given the skill set that’s required for that, it fits nicely within our overall framework,” Gerstenecker says.

As a former elite soldier, he’s used to thinking on his feet. That ability has come in handy while building a new business model from the ground up.

Delivering cannabis is a much more complex process than trucking cash to

S O C I A L

S C I E N C E

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, JOEL FRAHM, JOE SANDERS, & LEON PARKER

OMARA PORTUONDO WITH THE N A T I O N A L A R T S CENTRE ORCHESTRA

LEE FIELDS &

E X P R E S S I O N S

JUNE 2019

............ 55 ´

OTTAWAJAZZFESTIVAL.COM @OttawaJAZZ

OBJ.CA

............

T H E

SPONSORED CONTENT

Downtown Ottawa landlords expand cycling infrastructure as popularity of bike commuting grows With connections to Rideau Canal and cycling lanes, 1 Nicholas features showers and bike storage facilities

JUNE 2019

I

OBJ.CA

56

magine arriving at work happier, energized and with more money in your wallet.

Sound like a dream? That’s the reality for a growing number of Ottawa professionals who travel to work on two wheels instead of four, opting for a bicycle as their transportation method of choice.

The ability to have a sustainable, predictable and cost-effective commute is becoming more attractive to employees, making workplaces that are deemed “bike-friendly” increasingly sought-after by employers.

“Being out in the fresh air is one of the best ways to start my morning,” says Michael van Aanhout, chairman of Stratos, a consultancy located at 1 Nicholas St., at the corner of Rideau Street. “We live in a beautiful city, and both the benefits of exercise and sustainability are major motivators to get on my bicycle.”

Stratos, which has called 1 Nicholas home for the past 20 years, is focused on sustainability. This means cycling to work is closely aligned with the company’s values.

Noting that the city-installed bike racks at Nicholas and Besserer streets were consistently full, District Realty – the building’s property management firm – installed additional racks in a loading area monitored by security cameras.

“It was important for us to be able to provide our tenants with sufficient cycling infrastructure, so we went out and purchased more,” says Michael Morin, a commercial property manager at District Realty.

In addition to the recently expanded bike lockup area, the building also features shower facilities, lockers and a changing area for tenants.

Morin says District Realty is also looking at designating indoor space for a swipe-access bike lockup that would come at no extra charge to tenants. That’s something van Aanhout says would be welcome.

“Many of us cycle to work or run along the canal at lunchtime, so having facilities that support those activities is really appreciated.” Michael van Aanhout, chairman, Stratos – a management consultancy headquartered at 1 Nicholas St. in downtown Ottawa “Most of our staff are pretty active,” says van Aanhout. “Many of us cycle to work or run along the canal at lunchtime, so having facilities that support those activities is really appreciated.”

Offering such bike-friendly amenities is exactly how property owners can help promote cycling to work, says Heather Shearer, president of Bike Ottawa, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for safer cycling in the capital.

“Biking to work is becoming a pretty normal thing to do,” says Shearer as May, the city’s official Bike to Work Month, comes to a close. “The main thing commercial property owners can provide to tenants who choose to cycle to work is a safe place to store bicycles. Some place that is protected from weather is ideal and well-lit to accommodate those that work later into the evening.”

A report on employee productivity produced by commercial real estate advisory firm Newmark Knight Frank states that with all other factors being equal, work environment could very well tip the scale for an employee’s decision whether to stay with their current company or accept a new position.

Shearer agrees that belonging to a bike-friendly workplace is “huge” for cyclists. “People are looking for a predictable commute time,” says Shearer, noting that cyclists also save money on gas. “Biking to work means employees arrive in a good mood. It gets you moving and has incredible physical and mental benefits.”

For van Aanhout, Stratos’ location at 1 Nicholas can’t be beat.

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

“The expansion of the Rideau Centre, the newly renovated Ottawa Art Gallery, and our proximity to the ByWard Market, bike paths, the canal and our downtown clients means our location just keeps getting better and better.”

There are currently several blocks of space available for lease inside 1 Nicholas St. Companies and organizations interested in office space options in the heart of downtown Ottawa can explore their options at http://bit.ly/District-1-Nicholas.

OBJ.social

OBJ.Social is supported by the generous patronage of Mark Motors, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, Fondation Bruyère Foundation, the Shaw Centre and Sparks Dental. STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

FUNDRAISER

WILD WEST BENEFIT ROUNDS UP DONATIONS FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE accommodate 25 pent more clients by increasing its number of beds from 24 to 30. On average, it takes almost 20 days to get to the top of the waiting list.

“For a family in crisis, that feels like eternity,” said Beauchesne.

The first phase of the project –​ preparing the land for development ​

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE Visit

OBJ.CA/ OBJ-DIGITAL-EDITION

to view the digital edition for exclusive features

57 OBJ.CA

committed to spending $3.8 billion over the next 10 years for mental health and addiction strategies across the province.

“We’re hoping we’re going to make that priority list and maybe some money will flow through that,” said Beauchesne.

Guests included Paul Chiarelli, president and chief operating officer of Terry Matthews’ global investment management firm Wesley Clover, along with the plaid-wearing gang from familyowned Scrivens Insurance and Investment Solutions, and an all-female team from Telus, including its new senior manager of fundraising development, Shannon Bain.

As well, Ottawa South MPP John Fraser, interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, dropped in.

Back to emcee the benefit was TV personality and podcast host Lianne Laing. She managed to raise an extra grand for the cause by giving first dibs on the buffet to those attendees willing to pay the most amount of money. The dinner was catered by Lone Star.

The new facility will be able to

JUNE 2019

Some 230 supporters of the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre saddled up May 16 and headed to the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park for the fifth annual western-themed benefit to build a new residential addiction treatment facility for youth in Ottawa.

Unfortunately, the inspiration behind it all, Dave Smith, 86, was still recovering from a recent fall and couldn’t make it to his eponymous Wild Wild West benefit.

The longtime community builder helped to bring the first treatment centre for youth to Ottawa more than 25 years ago.

It’s been his dream to consolidate the centre’s three scattered facilities under one roof in Carp. Still required is another $7 million toward the $14-million project.

“An organization our size doesn’t have the capacity to raise that type of money,” executive director Mike Beauchesne told OBJ.social. “We’re still going to raise as much as we can, but we’re going to need some government investment to make this critical need a reality.”

The Ontario government has

– is pretty much done. So too are the architectural plans. All that remains is building the darn place.

Beauchesne remains hopeful that it will happen.

“I feel optimistic,” he said. “The question is when. I like to think that, ultimately, this facility is going to get built because we need it, the kids need it. We don’t just serve local kids; we serve kids from across the province.

“For us, it seems like an easy sell.

If these kids aren’t here, they’re going to jail, they’re going to the emergency room, they’re dropping out of school, they’re going on welfare, they’re going on disability.”

The vast majority of the centre’s clients also suffer from at least one mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.

The room heard from Cindy Manor, the facility’s new senior director of philanthropy. She first got involved after her son received help there three years ago to overcome his drug addiction. He’s now doing well, studying at Carleton University and working part-time at Farm Boy. Manor left her long career of 20-plus years in publishing, advertising and marketing to become a professional fundraiser for the treatment centre four months ago.

“This centre saved my son’s life, and, in turn, it saved mine,” she said. “I want nothing more than to give every youth the opportunity to get treatment and to have a safe place for a fresh start.”

OBJ.social

OBJ.Social is supported by the generous patronage of Mark Motors, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, Fondation Bruyère Foundation, the Shaw Centre and Sparks Dental. STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS EVENT

Blueprint for longevity: Hobin Architecture celebrates 40 years in business

JUNE 2019

Ottawa business leaders turned out by the truckload on May 9 to help Hobin Architecture celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The party was held at one of the firm’s recent redesign projects, the Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards, a former industrial building-turnedinnovation centre located just west of downtown.

Evidence of the firm’s commitment to the community was seen through its decision to have the shindig catered by the Ottawa Mission’s food services

OBJ.CA

58

training program, which gives people a second chance to turn their lives around by teaching them the skills to work in a commercial kitchen. Hobin Architecture partner Gord Lorimer is on the board of the Mission, which was represented at the party by its executive director, Peter Tilley, and manager of food services, chef Ric Allen-Watson.

Popular local band The PepTides provided live music throughout the night.

Firm founder Barry Hobin delivered

a speech that was thoughtful and contemplative as he took to the stage to formally welcome guests and thank some key people –​ including his wife, Nancy Hobin. There were moments of levity, too, like when he referenced that Seinfeld episode when George Constanza famously pretends to

AN SUV BORN FROM A RACING PEDIGREE. ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Alfa Romeo Ottawa

616 St. Laurent Boulevard 613-740-1001

SPARKADVOCACY.CA

be an architect.

Many of Hobin’s friends attended, from talented graphic designer Dave O’Malley, with whom he shared downtown office space when they were both starting off, to his pastor, Parkdale United Church Rev. Anthony Bailey.

Life Changing Care…

happens here.

Life Changing Research...

happens here.

Training the next generation of Life Changers…

happens here.

bruyere.org/give Ottawa’s Finest Portfolio of Luxury Homes 613.842.5000 | dreamproperties.com

Rockcliffe Park - $5,745,000

JUNE 2019

59 OBJ.CA

Hobin stressed the five principles –​ design, service to clients, community, collaboration and office culture ​– that are key to the success of the awardwinning firm. Hobin Architecture has a team of 39 and is led by five partners: Hobin, Lorimer, Sandy Davis, Wendy Brawley and Doug Brooks.

Some of the firm’s current projects include Chaudière Island’s redevelopment into a sustainable mixed-use waterfront community, named Zibi, as well as the redevelopment in Old Ottawa East of the former Oblates land to create the new Greystone Village. The company was also involved with the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.

Hobin Architecture has worked with a number of non-profit organizations, including Cornerstone Housing for Women, Multifaith Housing, the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa and multiple seniors’ and long-term care homes.

Hobin made a convincing argument as to why architecture is a lot like –​ of all things ​– football.

“What do these two things have in common? Teamwork,” said Hobin, who played varsity football back when he was an architecture student at Carleton University.

When it comes to being a good designer, said Hobin, it’s important to communicate fluently in words the client understands rather than in “architecture language,” which can be complex and confusing.

“If you don’t learn that it’s not about you, it’s about how you interact, you’re going to be in trouble.”

OBJ.social

OBJ.Social is supported by the generous patronage of Mark Motors, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, Fondation Bruyère Foundation, the Shaw Centre and Sparks Dental. STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

FUNDRAISER

MORNING WIN: BREAKFAST RAISES BIG BUCKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB The Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa’s new Tomlinson Family Foundation Clubhouse is a lot like a Joni Mitchell song, in reverse: They unpaved a parking lot and put up a paradise.

The beautifully renovated clubhouse played host to the non-profit organization’s 10th anniversary charity breakfast in early May, drawing its biggest crowd of early-morning risers ever.

Nearly 400 business and community leaders turned out for the event, which was co-chaired by celebrated philanthropist and longtime board member Gary Zed and his partner, Liza Mrak, co-owner of presenting sponsor Mark Motors.

Their goal was a highly ambitious one:

meet our menu

JUNE 2019

A new season brings new food and a new menu to the Shaw Centre with fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients. Chef Patrick Turcot works with local suppliers to secure the very best in farm to table produce. Our talented kitchen creates incredible, palate-pleasing dishes with élan and flair. Prepare to be wowed as Canada’s Meeting Place becomes Canada’s eating place!

OBJ.CA

60 shaw-centre.com

to raise $500,000. The preliminary amount was well in excess of $300,000, with more money still coming in.

The breakfast has cumulatively raised more than $3 million over the years.

The keynote address was delivered by a gifted speaker and raconteur Fahd Alhattab, who’s also an alumnus of the club.

The Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa provides free programs for children and youth, both after school and on weekends.

They’re geared toward education, physical activity and healthy lifestyles, leadership and creative arts. The organization’s seven clubhouses are located in areas of the city where children are vulnerable to negative influences.

2019 Share your creative, clever and inspiring work spaces.

Eye-catching designs, colourful details and innovative layouts are just some of the elements that create an engaging work space. What is your story?

Contact Wendy Baily 613.238.1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca | bestofficesottawa.ca

JUNE 2019

61 OBJ.CA

SPONSORED CONTENT

In search of safer cities, University of Ottawa researchers eye new uses for big data and vehicular crowd-sensing Potholes detection, collision severity assessments among potential applications

R

esearchers at the University of Ottawa believe the potential of vehicular crowd-sensing extends far beyond navigating roads and highways.

Connected vehicles, they argue, can help the city prioritize pothole repairs, notify first responders to collisions and identify the quickest routes during rush hour.

Burak Kantarci, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Engineering, and his team are focused on Internet of Things and big data analytics, and see an opportunity to take advantage of the visual and digital sensors on connected vehicles to make roads safer.

“Connected vehicles have so much potential,” says Kantarci. “It is a communication hub, sensing server and a data storage unit. It can be a great resource to make our infrastructure work better.”

Potholes slow down traffic and damage vehicles.

Researchers have developed intelligent algorithms to collect and analyze crowd-sensed data from various built-in sensors. Crowd-sensed data can also be used

JUNE 2019

VISUALIZING BIG DATA

OBJ.CA

62

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Engineering that can interpret inputs from virtually any information source.

Typically, visualization systems such as GPS are designed based on the type of data. Associate professor Verena Kantere and her team created a system, which implements novel algorithms and techniques, which can visualize any type of large linked dataset in an interactive chart.

Kantere says most visualization systems must pre-load data onto a device in order to work. For example, a user would find it difficult to zoom in on individual streets in a map showing a province’s interconnected transportation system. That information wouldn’t be pre-loaded so the processing time would be slow. For large datasets, such systems require a prohibiting amount of memory and rely on expensive infrastructure failing to scale for multiple users

to detect potholes, identify which ones are the most urgent and contact the City. Currently, the city relies on residents to report potholes but lacks the ability to objectively determine which potholes are the most dangerous or most disruptive to traffic flow. Kantarci says the city can be more efficient in its approach to pothole repairs by analyzing crowd-sensed data.

Similarly, sensors embedded within connected and autonomous cars can also detect when surrounding vehicles have been involved in a collision. Kantarci and his team are currently analyzing various accident images to assess the severity of a crash by using deep neural networks in order to figure out which first responders are needed, and in what number. They want to extend their current work to develop integrated solutions to analyze photos taken by a vehicle “When there’s a car accident, police, ambulance and fire trucks show up,” says Kantarci. “Sometimes you only need police. If we can figure out who should respond, that will free up resources and cause less traffic.”

or machines with limited computational resources.

Other systems, in order to cope with large datasets use sampling and aggregation techniques to visualize what they interpret as important information or visualize a limited number of elements based on the user requests. While such systems have few requirements regarding the dataset, they present a limited part of the information to the user hindering the overall understanding of the available information.

“Many diverse types of datasets consist of interrelated data elements like links on a Wikipedia page,” says Kantere. “It’s very hard to make that efficiently interactive without preprocessing the data.”

The solution is to pre-process the data beforehand, and link related data elements together.

There are also tradeoffs. A visual program tracking Ottawa traffic could be accurate, showing traffic patterns for every street but might not be so fast.

“State-of-the-art systems can’t offer both,” says Kantere. “We want to see how far we can go.”

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

Burak Kantarci 5G NETWORKS To collect and preprocess visual data, we will need lots of communication and computing power. Kantarci says new 5G networks will make acquiring the data quicker, and this will consequently enable accurate on-the-fly decisions. .

Another advantage to crowd-sensed data is real-time analytics of traffic patterns, road conditions and weather. This data can be used to determine the safest and quickest exit routes to get out of rush-hour traffic, as well as direct motorists during emergencies such as major flooding. Kantarci’s team developed an algorithm for ambulances that can optimally switch between alternate routes considering the traffic and the situation of a patient.

The major challenge to utilizing this data is making sure there’s enough processing power. The terabytes of data collected from millions of connected devices will need to be stored in the cloud. Not all the data will need to be analyzed in real time, but can be stored for future uses.

There’s also the environmental and operational impact. Large amounts of data are stored, processed and distributed through data centres, which use large amounts of energy. Kantarci and his team have also designed energy efficient communication protocols for IoT-fog systems.

“We’re still going to need data centres but we want something that’s flexible, close to the end user and cost effective,” he says.

Learn more about uOttawa’s research at engineering.uOttawa.ca.

CONNECTING TECH IN OTTAWA

The Straight Dope: VCs share tips for the perfect pitch As six Ottawa startups prepare their pitches for AccelerateOTT in June, Techopia talked to Mistral Venture Partners’ Code Cubitt and Panache Ventures’ David Dufresne to get their dos and do-nots when pitching for early stage capital

BY CRAIG LORD craig@obj.ca

THE PROBLEM

THE TEAM

When you’ve got only a few minutes on stage, there are no free seconds to waste on irrelevant information.

Dufresne advises founders to avoid the spectacle of TV-style pitches and leave transactional details out of the slidedeck.

Equity stakes are never negotiated on the pitchfest stage, he notes, so save those offers for due diligence after the fact.

“I blame things like Shark Tank and Dragons’ Den. Like they’ll say, ‘We are raising $500,000 for 15 per cent of the company.’ Like, that’s not true. The transaction hasn’t been negotiated, so leave that out,” he says.

THE STAGE VS. THE BOARDROOM

WHO’S PITCHING AT ACCELERATEOTT 2019?

• • • • • •

RVezy CybernetIQ BlackBox Hoppier (formerly Desk Nibbles)

GoFor GenM

about total market size or some eyepopping metrics about month-to-month growth, Cubitt says VCs aren’t going to invest in numbers – they’ll invest in people.

“Metrics are a little like a GPA on a

There are a few other key differences between the on-stage pitch and the private meetings that follow.

“At a pitchfest you want to create some FOMO and you’re really just trying to get your first meeting. You’re just trying to set the hook, keep it thin and light and catchy,” Cubitt says. “And then when you’re one-on-one and you have an hour of direct facetime, it’s a totally different dynamic.”

Dufresne notes the goal of a pitchfest is often different from the closed-door meetings, because onstage, you’re not just pitching to VCs. Potential customers and future hires could be in the audience, so those five minutes are your chance to promote your brand with the hopes of landing a business card or two later in the day.

No matter who walks away the winner at AccelerateOTT on June 11, the mark of a successful pitch will be the promise of a future meeting and the chance to pitch all over again.

63 OBJ.CA

While some entrepreneurs might be tempted to throw up billion-dollar figures

AVOID THE DRAGONS’ DEN TRAP

JUNE 2019

If VCs like Dufresne and Cubitt were teaching Pitching Your Startup 101, students walking into the classroom on day one would probably see “What’s the problem?” written in bold letters on the chalkboard.

Whether it’s a crowd of hundreds at a pitchfest or a small room of private investors, hooking your audience early

with a massive problem is key to keeping their interest for the rest of the pitch.

Dufresne says the problem has to be big enough that potential investors could see your solution, whatever it may be, making a difference in the day-to-day lives of customers. In every pitch, he’s looking for the 10X potential: A product or service that solves problems 10 times faster, 10 times cheaper or 10 times better.

“We’re looking for painkillers, not vitamins. So it’s something that really impacts what someone does in their daily work,” Dufresne says.

resum​é – that gets you in the door,” he says. “Better VCs look underneath the story. So it’s not just about the metrics, it’s about the team. What do they know that the rest of the world has yet to learn?”

Dufresne agrees with the people-first principle. When founders walk into his office for a first-time meeting, the first question he asks is, “What got you here?”

Entrepreneurs who have a background in their target market and have felt the very pain points they’re solving often have built-in credibility, he says, and he’s likely to keep that conversation going.

Techopia Live: Ottawa’s HubStor riding a ‘flood’ of data storage demand V

JUNE 2019

irgin Hyperloop One, like many of the world’s biggest businesses, faces challenges with managing and protecting its data.

The ambitious firm looking to disrupt the way we all get from point A to point B announced last month it’s getting a little help in this department from an Ottawa startup developing software to change how the enterprise market manages data.

HubStor CEO Geoff Bourgeois joined Techopia Live recently to discuss the challenges his 25-person firm is helping Hyperloop One address. Though the Los Angeles-based firm has raised millions in financing and garnered a great deal of media attention in its quest to develop a functioning rapid-transit system, Bourgeois said that when it comes to data management, Hyperloop One is not really that different from the rest of the enterprise space.

“Their story and the challenges they face are not unique to them. Many companies are faced with similar challenges,” he told Techopia Live.

“There is a flood of data storage happening in the enterprise space … The problem is that getting to the cloud isn’t always as easy as you think it would be.”

OBJ.CA

64

TECHOPIA LIVE

delivers weekly interviews with Ottawa’s hottest startups and coolest tech execs. Visit bit.ly/TechopiaLive for the latest episodes.

Geoff Bourgeois, CEO, HubStor (left). Photo by Craig Lord Hyperloop One (above). Photo supplied

HubStor helps its customers, which also include security tech firm Axon and German manufacturer Kuka, to manage data moving through on-premise, cloud and hybrid storage systems. Its SaaS solution gives clients a singular view of data across all storage solutions, with the ability to protect and access that

information as needed.

The security layer to HubStor’s software is key for a company like Hyperloop One, Bourgeois said, as it’s moving into a heavily regulated world and needs to have a handle on its information and who has access to it. With jurisdictions across the world implementing privacy legislation in line with the European Union’s GDPR laws, the demand for secure access to data has never been greater.

HubStor’s SaaS solution helps address that worry, Bourgeois noted.

As opposed to hardware or licensed software models, SaaS firms’ abilities to quickly on-board a customer – and, if needed, off-board – can make the difference in whether a prospect gives the solution a chance. The ability to retrieve data from a management platform is critical.

“We don’t have any delusions of

grandeur that just because someone is using our software-as-a-service that we own the data,” Bourgeois said. “It’s their data. We make it very easy to on-board, but also ... (if a customer’s) business circumstances shifted, to get that data out.”

It seems counter-intuitive that the ability for a customer to quickly leave can be considered a company’s strength, but Bourgeois said he’s perfectly happy with the dynamics of the SaaS model.

The “stickiness” comes not from locking a customer into a long-term contract or a deep-rooted system, but in proving the software’s capabilities day-in and day-out.

“It puts a lot of emphasis on customer success, a lot of emphasis on good-quality software,” he said.

“I think that’s a very healthy dynamic.

We always have a good fire under our butt … to do a good job.”

SPONSORED CONTENT

Assent Compliance takes proactive approach to product training in support of hypergrowth Amid sustained expansion, Ottawa SaaS firm turns to Stratford Managers to develop strategic product training roadmap

A

s Assent Compliance rapidly expands, growing earlier than many companies, that product training is a from 15 employees in 2015 to several hundred strategic enabler of product adoption, which is critical today, CEO Andrew Waitman is bolstering his in the SaaS context. If customers don’t know how to use management team with industry veterans experienced in your product, they won’t adopt it, they won’t get value, helping companies scale. they won’t renew their subscription, and they certainly The Ottawa SaaS firm, which develops software to won’t buy more.” help companies manage supply chain data related to In addition, Assent also needed to ensure new compliance and regulatory demands, has also rapidly features and updates to its software were being grown its global customer base while introducing robust communicated to its sales team and broader employee new product features and functionality at a quick pace. base – a challenge that’s especially acute for SaaS firms “When you’re moving at such high speed, you have as they are “constantly” upgrading their products based Lauren Thibodeau, SaaS Customer Experience and to be aware of rocks in the road sooner,” says Waitman. on customer needs and feedback.

Business Strategy consultant at Stratford Managers, “As we looked ahead, we anticipated serving more customers with a richer set of product functionality.

‘INSURANCE AGAINST SUBSCRIPTION CHURN’ with Assent Compliance CEO Andrew Waitman.

Because we’re innovating and adding value so quickly, it Thibodeau started by creating a product training can sometimes be overlooked, so we knew we needed to roadmap that showed Assent’s current position and such as customers, suppliers, partners, and employees. scale our approach to product training.” where she recommended the firm should be in 12 – “Effective product training, when it’s part of a But, as Waitman reviewed 24 months given its overall holistic learning and adoption strategy, is your insurance the firm’s internal capabilities, growth trajectory and goals. against churn,” to says Thibodeau.

Break Through the Barriers Growth he realized the company would The roadmap created “Churn is one of the top three or four metrics find it challenging to build inby Thibodeau spanned that investors look at when they assess the health of a house, enterprise-level product dimensions including strategic SaaS organization,” says Waitman. “So when product training expertise fast enough alignment, people, process, training is done well, it can have a top-line impact on to maintain Assent’s growth technology, content, business the business.” momentum, and still meet and delivery model, and On the client side, Assent will soon implement the needs of its customers and operations. various initiatives that will prompt users to try new – Andrew Waitman, CEO, Assent Compliance employees.

She then leaned in to features or engage in online training. Through direct It’s here Waitman saw an coach and mentor the Assent feedback, Assent will gain visibility into actual product opportunity to bring in an team so they could execute usage, which will inform product enhancements and industry veteran and turned to Lauren Thibodeau, SaaS on the roadmap and measure progress and results. To development of additional training content to support Consulting.

Coaching.

Virtual/Interim Management.

Customer Experience and Business Strategy consultant Waitman, it was critical to create “champions” within adoption. at Stratford Managers, to evaluate Assent’s product the organization for product training so that the “A successful SaaS company has to put initiatives Stratford Managers specializes in helping businesses accelerate performance and achieve training approach and make recommendations. knowledge that was transferred doesn’t get lost. in action quickly and see what works,” says Waitman. scale. We’re trusted advisors and expert bench strength for many of Ottawa’s leading “Bringing in a subject matter expert, like Lauren, can The roadmap Take created byfirst Thibodeau features “We’re all about solving puzzles and finding solutions.” companies. the step to the next level. www.stratfordmanagers.com/scale help you defeat time and rapidly grow in specific areas,” role-based training content, delivered across multiple says Waitman. “Just like when building my leadership channels work for a | global audience, supported Sales that | Marketing Finance | Human Resources | Operations | Intellectual Property | IT team, I was looking for someone with deep domain by scalable technology that provides a combination of knowledge and industry experience relevant to the upfront foundational learning, and ongoing learning Assent context. Lauren was an excellent fit.” opportunities throughout the customer’s lifetime. It also As Thibodeau explains, “Assent recognized, at a stage efficiently repurposes training content across audiences,

SCALE

“When product training is done well, it can have a top-line impact on the business.”

JUNE 2019 OBJ.CA

OBJ360 CONTENT STUDIO

65

Kanata-Carleton MPP Merrilee Fullerton in a BlackBerry QNX vehicle; a BlackBerry QNX Lincoln MKZ prototype autonomous vehicle takes a spin around the L5 test track; vehicles are set up with specialized sensors to interact with infrastructure at the Nepean site. All photos by Mark Holleron

L5 test track off to the races

I

nvest Ottawa waved the starting flag at the L5 test track in May, giving Ottawa tech firms the green light to test their autonomous driving and connected car solutions at the $11-million private facility.

The 16-kilometre track located off

Woodroffe Avenue is designed to test driverless cars in all kinds of conditions without endangering the public. The gated 1,866-acre property – dubbed L5 to indicate it can accommodate vehicles with full “level 5” autonomy – features real streets, intersections and buildings

equipped with high-tech sensors and infrastructure such as “smart” construction cones that can detect cyclists and pedestrians.

Invest Ottawa is the lead on the project, which also includes funding support from the likes of Nokia,

Ericsson and BlackBerry QNX. The aforementioned Waterloo-based tech giant had its prototype Lincoln MKZ taking a spin around the track on opening day, running on the company’s autonomous driving software. United Kingdom-based Aurrigo will also use the site to test and validate two of its autonomous pods, designed to act as shuttles for the “first and last mile” of transportation.

Spring clean your books No job is too big or too small.

Bank reconciliations going back months or years.

JUNE 2019

Migrating from one software to another.

OBJ.CA

66

Adding tech to speedup your bookkeeping.

FOR A FREE QUOTE CALL 613-702-8019

(613) 238-2022 www.perlaw.ca

Ottawa business news

DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

STAY INFORMED AND NEVER MISS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WITH OBJ’S FREE E-NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe and win!

New subscribers are entered into a monthly draw for the ultimate smartphone charger, the PowerTrek, from Ottawa-based Powerstick.com.

It Includes a 9,000 mAh battery and built-in charging cables so you are never left searching for the right cable. Charge up to four devices simultaneously!

Draw will be held on the last business day of the month and winners contacted via email.

ENTER TODAY!

objtoday.ca

JUNE 2019

OBJToday

67 OBJ.CA

FOR THE RECORD

JUNE 2019 OBJ.CA

68

Wes Jarvis has been preparing practically his whole life for the high-pressure world of sales.

After a career playing winor-go-home games in front of thousands of people, the prospect of competing for lucrative government contracts doesn’t seem quite so daunting for the former pro hockey defencemanturned-tech exec.

“Dedication, discipline, professionalism –​ all these things that you need to succeed in professional hockey you need in the business world as well,” says the 40-year-old Ottawa native, who joined local big-data analytics firm Lixar as its new director of public sector business development earlier this spring.

“Hockey is one of those quintessential team sports. You have to be a team player. The team has to be full of team players if you’re gonna have success in hockey, and I think this is the same way. If you put in the effort, you put in the work, you see the results at the end of the day in both those types of environments.”

Growing up near the Civic Hospital, Jarvis was a minor hockey star with the West Ottawa Golden Knights before embarking on a path that took him from the Jr. A Gloucester Rangers to the majorjunior Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.

The New York Rangers then picked him in the second round of the 1997 NHL draft. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound blueliner spent a year with the Canadian national team before a five-season stint in the Rangers’ minor-league system.

The young Jarvis attended the Rangers’ training camp for five

PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Wes Jarvis/Lixar straight years but never cracked the big club’s lineup. Befitting their home base in the City that Never Sleeps, the Blueshirts of that era were a star-studded group that boasted the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Eric Lindros, Brian Leetch and Adam Graves.

“As a young guy, you’re on a team with all these hall of famers,” he says with a chuckle. “It was quite the fun experience.”

Jarvis then went back to school, winning a national hockey championship

in 2004 en route to earning a degree in political science at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. He finished his pro career with a fouryear run in Europe split between France and the United Kingdom, where he led the top British league’s defencemen in scoring in his final season with the Cardiff Devils.

But he says his European experience provided him with something much more lasting than a cool stat line: a chance to

study at the Strasbourg Business School and earn his MBA at Cardiff University in Wales.

“There is a window in everyone’s career to really take it to the next level, and I made the decision to really almost leverage hockey to get more out of it with that higher education that was always in the back of my mind,” Jarvis explains. “It’s been a good transition.”

Since returning to his hometown nearly a decade ago, Jarvis has had stops at tech heavyweights such as Veritaaq and IBM. He says that experience has left him well-equipped to navigate the constantly evolving fields of artificial intelligence and big data analytics.

“Things move so fast,” he notes.

“Once again, there are similarities to professional sports, where you constantly have to be training and updating your skill sets to be able to compete.”

Lixar has made a name for itself working with notable private-sector customers such as BlackBerry QNX, NASCAR and Bell, but the 200-person firm is hoping its newest executive team member can win it more government business.

Jarvis says there’s a “huge amount of opportunity” for Lixar to help the feds raise their game when it comes to big data analytics, adding he believes AI technology will ultimately make government more efficient and responsive to the needs of its citizens.

“I’m really excited to help drive that with a local company that has all of this experience in the private sector.”

– David Sali

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE NAV Canada has hired Mark Cooper as senior vice-president of air navigation systems technology. He will head the company’s engineering and technical operations groups and will officially take over the role in September.

Currently the lead partner for aviation technology with Deloitte, Cooper has more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. Prior to joining Deloitte, he was the managing director of Lockheed Martin’s global air traffic management and airport business.

Cameron Bishop has been named vice-president of public affairs and stakeholder relations (North America) for medical cannabis producer Organigram Holdings and will work out of the firm’s Ottawa office. Bishop previously served as director of government affairs at pot producer Tilray.

Avivagen has named Kym Anthony chief executive officer and Jeffrey

CONTRACTS The following contains

Kraws chairman of the board. Prior to being named CEO, Anthony served as interim chief executive and chairman of the board. He will remain on the board.

Tetra Bio-Pharma announced Sabino Di Paola is the firm’s new chief financial officer following the retirement of Bernard Lessard. A founding member of Tetra Bio-Pharma, Di Paola was previously CFO of several companies, including Cornerstone Capital Resources, Vanoil Energy, Majescor Resources and Everton Resources.

The Cannabis Council of Canada has appointed Hexo’s Isabelle Robillard and Jeff Ryan of Canopy Growth to its board of directors. The group is a trade association of Canada’s licensed producers of medical cannabis.

A pair of Ottawa animation studios were winners at the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in early May. Jam

information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms.

BMT Fleet Technology 311 Legget Dr. Marine management Buyer: DND $77,860,246

Scotiabank 600-119 Queen St. Deposit services Buyer: PWGSC $2,240,150

Calian 400-770 Palladium Dr. End-to-end learning services Buyer: DND $16,874,225

Adirondack HR, Amita Corporation, Artemp, and The AIM Group in joint venture 126-130 Albert St. Informatics professional services Buyer: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada $2,000,000

Kinaxis has been named a leader in Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Sales and Operations Planning Systems of Differentiation. Gartner analyzes supply-chain planning software solutions.

Get your OBJ at Hillary’s Cleaners OBJ’s monthly newsmagazine can be conveniently picked up at select Hillary’s locations, including World Exchange Plaza, Constitution Square, Place Bell, Minto Place and 1235 Bank St. in Old Ottawa South.

The Halifax Group 400-190 O’Connor St. Informatics professional services Buyer: RCMP $1,979,760

ATON E GR ATI C LO

DEW Engineering and Development 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Aircraft ground servicing equipment Buyer: DND $981,298 Ottawa Convention Centre 55 Colonel By Dr. Events planning and management Buyer: Treasury Board of Canada $946,873 Totem Offisource 1 Prom. du Portage, Gatineau Office furniture Buyer: PWGSC $738,790 DEW Engineering and Development 3429 Hawthorne Rd. Specialized ammunition handling and servicing Buyer: DND $608,561

SINGLE OFFICE FOR SUBLET Located at 250

CITY CENTRE

(adjacent to new LRT station at Bayview)

m Furnished. Room for two people. m Phones and wifi. m Access to boardroom, kitchen. m All included at $1100 per month. m 12-month minimum term.

CONTACT

space@obj.ca

69 OBJ.CA

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 330-55 Murray St. Consulting services Buyer: PWGSC $1,500,000

Inter Outaouais 164 Jean-Proulx St., Gatineau Trucks and truck tractors Buyer: Correctional Service of Canada $1,454,452

Visit www.Hillarys.ca for complete list of locations

JUNE 2019

IBISKA 1500-130 Albert St. Radio and television towers and systems Buyer: DND $3,497,429

March Networks has been designated as a cyber-secure business by Cyber Essentials Canada for a second consecutive year. Cyber Essentials certification is awarded to

organizations able to demonstrate good cyber-security practices and an ability to mitigate risks from internet-based threats in areas such as boundary firewalls and internet gateways, network configuration, software management, access control and malware protection.

HATS OFF

Graybridge Malkam 5-1309 Carling Ave. Training analysis and design courses Buyer: Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development $2,300,000

Valcom Consulting Group 300-85 Albert St. Technical engineering and maintenance services Buyer: DND $3,855,513

Filled captured awards for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series and Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program for the Nickelodeon series The Loud House. The Netflix series Hilda, animated by Mercury Filmworks in partnership with Silvergate Media, won for Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design for an Animated Program.

LAST WORD

Smart partnerships a blueprint for prosperity Roseann O’Reilly Runte says our researchers and entrepreneurs have the brain power and business know-how to bring big ideas to life – and Ottawa must seize those advantages ROSEANN O’REILLY RUNTE

JUNE 2019

news@obj.ca

OBJ.CA

70

Many successful business developments in Canada have come from the collision of scientific inquiry and entrepreneurship.

Creating clusters of expertise –​ where researchers and entrepreneurs work together to solve major challenges –​ is a promising area for growth, and one where there are ample possibilities right here in Ottawa.

Health research, for example, is being transformed. Think of Andrew Pelling’s Laboratory for Biophysical Manipulation at the University of Ottawa, where researchers are turning science fiction into science fact by asking questions as audacious as “Could we grow nerve cells inside stalks of asparagus to repair damaged nerves, or even heal spinal cord injuries?”

Communications is another area that is rapidly growing in importance with smaller, faster, easier-to-use devices with stronger, better and farther-ranging signals. Today we talk of 5G, but sixthgeneration wireless technology and beyond cannot be far away. And these developments will have significant implications in every industry. At Algonquin College, for example, a research group is applying better communications technologies to the construction industry to enhance project decision-making

and on-site collaboration using mobile technology.

Environmental remediation, reduced energy consumption and renewable energy sources will also depend on new technologies and means of extraction.

Anyone heading downtown from the Ottawa airport can see an example of research in action at Carleton University’s Urbandale Centre for Home Energy Research, the red-shuttered house on the north end of campus along Bronson Avenue. Here, researchers are putting new heating and cooling methods to the test with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the housing sector.

But how do you bring together research and development? How can we provide the spark that will ignite the engine to drive promising research and connect it to the businesses that will commercialize innovative products and services?

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL There are many theories on how to do this. Fill the skills gap. Improve policies around intellectual property. Increase private-sector investment, and venture capital too.

But let us move from theory to reality.

Educational opportunities abound.

Nearly every university in Canada now offers entrepreneurship courses. There are more than 1,500 companies located in 26 university research parks that employ 65,000 people and generate nearly $4.3 billion in GDP annually.

But there are more than 100 universities in Canada. That means three-

quarters of them still have the potential to generate additional jobs and revenue.

At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we have created the Navigator – a free online tool that connects researchers and labs with entrepreneurs and manufacturers. A company that needs an expensive, specialized piece of equipment has only to type in a few keywords to get in touch with labs across Canada willing and equipped to help.

Companies can remain in their region and prosper while accessing state-of-the-art research facilities and expertise.

But more can be done. Exploring new, international opportunities will increase sales and help startups grow beyond the local market. It will also create networks and partnerships, including regional versions of Canada’s Innovation Superclusters – the federal program that brings together innovators and researchers to develop bold and ambitious strategies to boost innovation in various sectors across the country. Finally, it enables companies to take advantage of the many business-development opportunities offered through most levels of government.

We can also consciously build a culture of collaborative exploration that encourages the talented researchers and students, business and industry leaders to come together, as they do for “Tech Tuesdays” in Kanata, to network, to imagine and to build on their discoveries.

In the end, it comes down to supporting talented people with big ideas. The Ottawa region has a highly educated population, universities, colleges and research hospitals. We are an ideas incubator. Let us work to be not just the nation’s capital, but a national inspiration.

Roseann O’Reilly Runte is president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Great River Media, 250 City Centre Ave., Suite 500, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6K7 obj.ca TELEPHONE Phone: 613-238-1818 Sales Fax: 613-248-4564 News Fax: No faxes, email editor@obj.ca PUBLISHER Michael Curran, 238-1818 ext. 228 publisher@obj.ca CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Terry Tyo, 238-1818 ext. 268 terry@greatriver.ca EDITOR, PRINT CONTENT David Sali, 238-1818 ext. 269 david@greatriver.ca WEB EDITOR Craig Lord, 238-1818 ext. 230 craig@obj.ca HEAD OF CONTENT Peter Kovessy, 238-1818 ext. 251 pkovessy@obj.ca CONTENT CREATOR & CAMPAIGN MANAGER Julie Sobowale, 238-1818 ext. 222 julie@obj.ca NEWS RELEASES Please e-mail to editor@obj.ca.

ADVERTISING SALES General Inquiries, 238-1818 ext. 228 sales@obj.ca Wendy Baily, 238-1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca Eric Dupuis, 613-266-5598 eric@obj.ca Victoria Stewart, 238-1818 ext. 226 victoria@obj.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes, 238-1818 ext. 253 creative@greatriver.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER Celine Paquette, 238-1818 ext. 252 celine@greatriver.ca FINANCE Jackie Whalen, 238-1818 ext. 250 jackie@greatriver.ca PRINTED BY Transcontinental Qualimax 130 Adrien-Robert, Parc Industriel Richelieu Gatineau, QC J8Y 3S2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We welcome opinions about any material published in the Ottawa Business Journal or issues of interest to local businesspeople. Only letters with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number will be considered for publication. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published, but they might be used to verify authenticity.

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

Ottawa Business Journal is published by

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mark Sutcliffe

PRESIDENT Michael Curran

All content of Ottawa Business Journal is copyright 2019.

Great River Media Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. Publisher’s Liability for error: The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with any advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of monies paid for the advertisement.

A guaranteed minimum of 10,000 copies are printed and distributed.

JUNE 2019

71 OBJ.CA

ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S TOP RANKING HILTON HOTELS

THE HILTON LAC-LEAMY THE ULTIMATE FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN GREATER GATINEAU-OTTAWA

• 349 guest rooms including 37 suites

• Four restaurants, bars and nightclub

• 51,000 square feet of multipurpose convention and exhibit space

• Spa, fitness centre, outdoor and indoor pools

• Multifunctional theatre

• Minutes from downtown Ottawa

JUNE 2019

• Casino Lac-Leamy inter-connected - Open 24 hours

OBJ.CA

72

• Complimentary WiFi and outdoor parking

To receive information on our special Hilton Honors signature bonus program, please contact our sales department.

819-790-6444 | 1-866-488-7888 | sales@casino.qc.ca | casinolacleamy.ca