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“We’re
– Alexandre Synnett, senior vice-president,
ANDREW WAITMAN CEO of the Year
PROSPECTUS
Reflections on two years of OBJ Insider
The pre-Christmas period is an essential time to reconnect and socialize with other business leaders. I’ll never get tired of asking others for an update on their companies.
In the run-up to this year’s holidays, several business leaders turned the tables on me, asking me about OBJ’s newish subscription program. They seemed genuinely curious. Given those recurring questions, I want to devote this Prospectus to OBJ Insider.
Let me start by acknowledging this fall marked the two-year anniversary of the subscription program launch. The decision wasn’t taken lightly. We clearly understood that OBJ Insider would be a giant pivot, both internally and externally.
For more than a quarter-century, OBJ’s content — both online and in print — has essentially been free to readers. While I fully appreciate that this model has great appeal to readers, it ignores the economic reality of the business. Creating unique news and data is expensive. OBJ has invested millions of dollars in local business journalism over the years.
This free content model meant that OBJ was solely funded by marketing dollars. While we continue to appreciate these marketing clients, the subscription model gives OBJ a way to diversify its revenue.
It also brings our readers into focus. After all, there is a bit of magic that happens in paid customer interactions. The business focuses on creating and delivering value. The customer reinforces that value with a financial investment and is more likely to engage and provide unvarnished input to the business.
As evidence of that pursuit of
value, OBJ Insider has evolved three times in just 24 months. Phase one was an individual subscription, built on access to premium online content and delivery of printed magazines. Phase two introduced a discounted subscription program for groups of employees. Phase three really boosted reader value with the launch of the OBJ Data Centre.
Considering the full list of benefits, we feel the value can be measured in the hundreds of dollars, far above its actual price. Nevertheless, I want to acknowledge that many people feel frustrated after a quarter-century of free content. I get it.
To the holdouts, I ask you to consider the type of information that OBJ is producing on a daily basis. OBJ isn’t regurgitating last night’s sports scores or rehashing easily accessible political news. Not at all.
Based on years of experience, OBJ is providing exclusive information in areas such as real estate and technology. In other instances, OBJ is exploring vital issues facing the local business community, fostering a common understanding of our challenges and possible solutions. Ultimately, we’re trying to help leaders make better decisions.
To OBJ Insiders, a heartfelt thanks. To future subscribers, give it a chance.
Michael Curran Publisher
Challenges lie ahead, but a lot of good news to celebrate
It’s always great to be reminded of some of the amazing things happening in our city.
Starting with the annual Best Ottawa Business Awards. Every year we recognize local companies doing amazing things in all aspects of business, from sustainability and diversity to innovation and social entrepreneurship.
As part of the BOBs, we also celebrate some of our city’s most notable leaders. I loved reading about the foundational role that Robert Merkley and Merkley Supply have played in building (literally) our city. It was also fascinating to hear about Geoff Simpson and the team at Ottawa Hydro and the role they played during the derecho. And it’s amazing to think about everything that Mark Laroche and the Ottawa International Airport Authority have accomplished before, during, and after the global pandemic. They’ve set the stage for YOW to be a true enabler of our economy.
Then there’s our CEO of the Year, Andrew Waitman. We all know that Ottawa has a proud history in high-tech. So it’s great to hear from thoughtful leaders such as Waitman and learn more about where they’ve come from and where they’re going. This issue of OBJ also features other tech leaders: Kyle Braatz, David Ross, Kevin Ford. For journalists, it’s a treat to interview such transparent and strategic executives who don’t hesitate to tell you where things went right and where things went wrong and the lessons to be gained.
Finally, this issue recaps a couple of huge real estate happenings
in Ottawa. From a massive new warehouse in Barrhaven to an innovative tech hub in Kanata North, there’s no doubt that there’s a keen interest in investing in our region, despite recent headwinds.
So let’s count our blessings. On the more worrying side, there remains a lot of work to be done to reimagine our downtown core. There are many people with the desire and the will to effect change, and yet it is difficult to identify a way forward. We have reports, plans, and agendas — even some money — but how do we bring it all together? Simple! Just get the private sector and three levels of government on the same page. A tall order, but especially so with a federal election in the offing and potentially a provincial one as well. The charitable sector also has a huge role to play in revitalizing our downtown. That’s why it was so disappointing to see the challenges that sector — and most of our small business community — had to face this holiday season.
All this to say, take heart. At OBJ, we look forward to continuing to play our role in telling your Ottawa business stories.
Anne Howland Editor in Chief
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REAL ESTATE
Nokia unveils plans for first phase of new Kanata North campus
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
Nokia is building nearly 600,000 square feet of office, R&D and retail space on March Road as part of its plan to turn its current Kanata North campus into a commercial and residential hub that could eventually include nearly 2,000 housing units.
According to a site plan control application prepared for Nokia Canada by Novatech Engineering Consultants, the first phase of the project at 570 March Rd. will include roughly 592,000 square feet of new construction, with completion targeted for 2027.
The 11-acre site between March Road and Legget Drive just south of Terry Fox Drive and Nokia’s current facility at 600 March Rd. is currently occupied by a large surface parking lot.
Nokia’s plans call for an eight-storey “R&D engineering hub” with 225,000
square feet of office space on the northwest portion of the property. The building will be connected to a five-storey, 345,000-square-foot R&D laboratory that will front along Legget Drive to the east.
The buildings are also expected to include about 23,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space that will face a new private street connecting March Road and Legget Drive on the north side of the property.
A design brief from architecture firm Gensler says the retail component will initially contain dining and fitness facilities for Nokia employees, but is “designed to evolve into a lively retail corridor.”
“This curated mix of retail establishments will serve both the Nokia occupants and the wider community, fostering a lively, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere,” the document adds.
Other elements of the project include a three-floor parking garage with space for
Park into a “sustainable, accessible mixeduse corporate, residential and commercial hub where nearly 2,160 local employees, Ottawa residents and businesses and Canada’s entire tech ecosystem can collaborate, innovate and drive Canadian and global well-being and prosperity.”
The company said at the time that it planned to invest more than $340 million between 2023 and 2027 to expand its current Kanata site into a “world-leading” R&D facility focused on areas such as cybersecurity, 5G networks, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
In August 2022, Ottawa city council approved amendments to the city’s Official Plan and zoning bylaws, clearing the way for Nokia to go ahead with the new campus at 570 March Rd. as well as a mixed-use development at 600 March Rd. and future development at 520 March Rd. to the south.
Nokia said later that year it expected to start work on the new campus in 2023 and finish it within three years.
The company’s long-term plan for March Road also included as many as 11 residential highrises containing up to 1,900 units. The site plan for 570 March Rd. does not include any housing but earmarks 520 March Rd. for “future development.”
Nokia’s new campus is poised to anchor a series of new development proposals that could change the face of Kanata North.
910 vehicles on the southwest side of the property, an outdoor amenity area, and a large “mechanical work yard” south of the R&D lab that will store the large batteries used to power the building.
The work yard will be “discreetly integrated” into the development, Gensler says, and will be screened from public view to “ensure operational efficiency without detracting from the development’s overall visual appeal.”
The architecture firm says the proposed development “is designed to be a catalyst for economic growth, community engagement, and sustainable urban living, setting a new standard for future projects in the City of Ottawa.”
The site plan marks the first phase of a proposal Nokia originally unveiled more than two years ago.
The Finnish telecom giant said then it wanted to transform Nokia Canada’s 26acre campus at the Kanata North Business
Several developers have filed plans to build new multi-residential housing developments nearby a trend that has accelerated since the City of Ottawa adopted a new Official Plan two years ago.
Earlier this year, KRP Properties said it plans to convert a 10-storey office building near the Brookstreet Hotel, just east of the Nokia property, into a residential complex as part of its effort to diversify its portfolio amid the ongoing shift to hybrid work.
At another site not far from the Nokia campus, Gatineau-based Brigil is ramping up a plan to build more than 1,900 residential units on 50 acres of land northwest of The Marshes Golf Club.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s Main and Main Developments wants to transform a 13.6acre parcel of land at the corner of March Road and Terry Fox Drive, just across from the Nokia site, into a cluster of mid- and highrise buildings that would include more than 2,000 residential suites.
Nokia Canada’s new campus on March Road will be anchored by an eight-storey R&D hub, site plan documents show. FILE PHOTO.
Broccolini files plan to build Ottawa’s largest warehouse in Barrhaven east
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
The developer behind two megawarehouses in the National Capital Region is planning to build another massive fulfilment centre in Barrhaven that would create as many as 2,500 new jobs.
Montreal-based Broccolini recently filed a proposal to construct a five-storey, 3.1-million-square-foot distribution facility about a kilometre southeast of the intersection of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road.
Located on three parcels of land at 2 Leikin Dr., 20 Leikin Dr. and 99 Bill Leathem Dr., the 75-acre site fronts along Merivale Road, Leikin Drive, Paragon Avenue, Bill
Leathem Drive and Longfields Drive.
The property is zoned for light industrial uses such as a warehouse. The developer is requesting a minor variance because the building’s proposed height of 29.5 metres, or 97 feet, exceeds current limits.
A site plan application prepared by Novatech Engineering Consultants says the proposed building, which has a floorplate of about 650,000 square feet, would include 59 loading docks as well as a yard with room for an additional 482 trailers. A surface parking lot would accommodate 1,185 vehicles.
Broccolini is working with GKC Architecture & Design on the proposal, which it dubbed “Project X.”
In a transportation impact assessment
filed with the site plan application, Broccolini says it plans to construct the building in a single phase and is aiming to complete the project in 2026.
The development application
Broccolini recently filed with the city touts the building’s “sustainable design elements,” which include a reflective roof and an HVAC system with “energy recovery” capabilities. It also says the facility is designed to be “solar ready” with cable pathways and a roof strong enough to accommodate solar panels.
If the project goes ahead, it would be the third and largest major fulfilment centre Broccolini has developed in the Ottawa region. The firm built a 2.8-millionsquare-foot warehouse farther west in
Barrhaven at 222 Citigate Dr. that opened in 2021. That followed Broccolini’s first major industrial project in Ottawa, a onemillion-square-foot distribution facility that opened on Boundary Road in the city’s south end in 2019.
Amazon now leases both of those facilities. The online retail giant is one of a growing number of companies that are setting up warehouses in the National Capital Region to take advantage of its strategic location between the country’s two largest population centres and its easy access to major transportation routes such as highways 416 and 417.
Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, whose ward includes the proposed building, said he has discussed the project with officials from Broccolini, but he wouldn’t reveal the names of any potential tenants that might eventually occupy the warehouse.
Lo said Broccolini has suggested the facility would employ between 2,000 and 2,500 people once it is running at full capacity The Mann Lawyers Business Law team keeps you informed about important legal requirements in business law in Ontario, even the weird ones.
LOOK AHEAD
Yukang Li executive director of the Chinatown BIA
In 2025, (Chinatown BIA’s) focus will be on beautification and place-making to enhance Chinatown’s streetscape and cultural appeal. We plan to upgrade street furniture, murals and explore artistic installations that celebrate our neighborhood’s multicultural identity. These efforts aim to create inviting public spaces that encourage foot traffic and foster community connections, ensuring that Chinatown remains a beloved hub for both local residents and tourists.
Another top priority is the revitalization of Chinatown through signature events. Building on the success of initiatives like the Ottawa Chinatown Night Market and the Chinese New Year Parade, we aim to expand our event calendar to include more culturally diverse celebrations. These events will not only highlight the heritage of Chinatown, but also showcase the broader multicultural fabric of our city, drawing in new visitors and strengthening bonds within the community.
We’re also committed to addressing community concerns around safety and public well-being. By working together, we can ensure that Chinatown remains a clean, safe and inclusive neighborhood for everyone.
These resolutions reflect our ongoing mission to celebrate culture, promote economic vitality, and foster a sense of belonging in Ottawa’s Chinatown.
David Ross CEO of Ross Video
For 2025, we’ve got some big plans at Ross Video and we couldn’t be more excited about where we’re headed. One of our main goals is to launch our new BHAG — what we call our Big Hairy Audacious Goal. It’s a bold vision to double our revenue to $1 billion by 2030. But it’s not just about the numbers, it’s about pushing ourselves
WE ASKED BIZ PEOPLE WHAT’S ON THEIR RADAR
to innovate, expand and deliver even more value to our customers.
A big part of this is working to elevate more of our product lines to No. 1 or 2 in the world. It’s an ambitious target, but we’ve got a solid plan to get there. We’re doubling down on R&D, looking at how we can refine and enhance our offerings to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it’s broadcast, live events or sports production, our goal is to create solutions that aren’t just good — they set the standard. We’re also leaning into strategic acquisitions to bring in new technologies and expertise that will strengthen our portfolio and open doors to new opportunities.
Another exciting priority for us in 2025 is finding the right private equity partner. We’re looking for someone who gets who we are and can provide the “rocket fuel” we need to accelerate our growth
without compromising our culture or what makes us unique. It’s shaping up to be a pivotal year and we can’t wait to see these plans come to life.
SabriNa Lemay executive director of
the Centretown BIA
We are now focusing our efforts on beautification, public realm and placemaking. So, in 2025, we hope to see 40 planters that are at eye view that will be
adjacent to our sidewalks, and then 15 larger planters, which will be seasonal planters that you’ll see throughout the entire BIA. We’re looking to really focus on what goes into those planters in alignment with who we are as a brand, so uncommon to the core. We’re looking at some uncommon florals that are a little bit different colours that really tie in with our new banner program.
We’ll also be adding new banners and these banners are going to be designed by
three to four different local artists within the area, really marking Centretown as one of the No. 1 art districts within the city. We’re looking to do a new mural as well. So with the banners and the murals, we’re really focusing on supporting local artists.
In addition, general maintenancewise, we’re working with the public realm division within the city. So getting our garbage cans changed, because currently they’re rusted and they don’t have lids on them. Getting that fresh new look, getting some bike racks replaced in Snyder Plaza.
We have created a miniature park and we did a soft launch of that park this year, but it will be much more active next year and utilized as a community event space. When it isn’t being utilized as a community event space, there will be opportunities to have lunch and just to go there and sit and be in a beautiful environment.
We’re doing a cold plunge event in February geared toward raising funds for Centre 507 and the Centretown Community Health Association. As our business members and members of the community pledge to take the plunge, they raise funds and those funds get distributed among the two community groups that will actually put the dollars towards impacting the community at hand.
We also will be moving toward an expansion. So, in 2025, we will begin our expansion and that will be active and live by 2026. Part of the expansion plan is working much closer with Somerset BIA, as the expansion is to hopefully absorb the Somerset BIA as well.
Shawn Hamilton principal at Proveras Commercial Realty
There are a number of factors happening right now that are making it difficult for business owners or business leaders to
make decisions about their office, such as return to office, downtown vibrancy, community safety as it relates to the homelessness and addictions epidemic that is plaguing the city. We’re helping to do our part to increase and restore downtown vibrancy, it’s helping as an office in advanced charitable causes that help improve the situation for those less fortunate, it’s really helping to do our part as citizens of downtown and of Ottawa, to improve the perception of our city and to actually improve our city. Before the pandemic, Ottawa had strong fundamentals as it related to workforce, education and the growing technology sector. I think part of our job is to help remind people that those fundamentals still exist, so that we can create a positive narrative again and fuel the
our city’s visitor economy. This means amplifying our efforts to attract international conferences, events and leisure travellers while ensuring our tourism business operators are equipped with the tools and resources to thrive. Key to this will be leveraging new initiatives, like the sustainability and accessibility programs, to position Ottawa as a leader in inclusive and progressive tourism and event-hosting — attracting not just visitors, but also investments that bolster our local economy and elevate our reputation nationally and globally. Through programs like Think Ottawa, we also want to continue working with local leaders to bring more conferences to our city, cementing Ottawa as a hub for knowledge and innovation.
activities. Although these have been necessary and are important, I feel where I can add the most value to the company is being more focused on our customers and our product.
Don’t get too caught up in the numbers I have a tendency to focus a lot on our numbers and how we are performing toward our goals. Although this is important and we all have targets to hit, I’m going to try to limit how much this distracts me, defines me, or takes me away from building value for your customers.
Enjoy the summertime slowdown
Every summer the business inevitably slows down as our customers go on vacation, and instead of panicking thinking the business is going to fail and doing everything possible to generate momentum, I am going to try to actually embrace the slowness in the summer and take time off to rest (and golf!).
Bruce Raganold
director of business development, Welch LLP
One thing I’d like to do is focus even more on how we go to market by industry.
An example, we have a large real estate industry group, but as you add people and capacity, you see different teams within develop into focusing on sub-industries and niches. So, some groups are working with a lot of real estate developers, another group working with property managers, and another with professional firms such as architects and engineers. The more we can do this, the more value we add to our clients; they appreciate when their advisers really know how their business works. So helping our staff with the business development effort part of this journey is something fun to spend more time on. Also, I’d like to eat a little healthier this year (key word being a little)!
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS AWARDS
Brick by brick, Robert Merkley has built a lifetime of achievements
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
From the bricks used in thousands of homes to his long list of charitable endeavours, Robert Merkley has left a legacy in Ottawa that’s built to last.
Even at age 70, the head of the masonry supply company that bears his family name still talks about his hometown with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.
“I really love Ottawa,” says Merkley, who took over as president and CEO of Merkley Supply after his father retired in 1982. “I think Ottawa is a great town. I’ve been blessed.”
For more than 40 years, Merkley has been constructing a better foundation for some of Ottawa’s most important institutions — literally and figuratively.
Merkley Supply has provided building materials for many of them over the decades, including The Ottawa Hospital. Meanwhile, Merkley himself has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars for a range of local health-care facilities, including TOH, CHEO, the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and May Court Hospice.
With construction of the new Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital set to kick into high gear and CHEO launching its own major fundraising drive, it’s fitting that Merkley is the 2024 recipient of the annual Lifetime Achievement Award presented by OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
Merkley’s many friends and business colleagues say it’s an honour he richly deserves.
“He’s obviously been successful, but you’ll never get him to acknowledge that,” says Minto Group executive chairman Roger Greenberg, a past recipient of the award who’s worked with Merkley on a
number of fundraising drives. “He leads by example. He believes very, very strongly in giving back to the community.”
Indeed, Merkley’s roots in the Ottawa area run deep.
His great-great grandfather helped launch Merkley Brothers, the predecessor to Merkley Supply, in Casselman at the turn of the 20th century. The firm soon became a major supplier of bricks for some of the capital’s most prominent buildings, including the Civic Hospital.
In 1925, Merkley’s grandfather Sandy relocated the business to the Billings Bridge area, where it operated a brick plant on what is now the site of the RA Centre. In 1959, Merkley’s father Cameron took over the business and renamed it Merkley Supply.
Robert Merkley was one of four siblings. The way he tells it, he was practically predestined to take up his father’s trade.
“I was always interested in the business,” he says. “I was the one that hung around and tagged along with dad.”
After graduating from Algonquin College’s electronics technology program, Merkley worked for a local construction company for a few years before joining the family business in 1978.
He quickly made his mark, embarking on an ambitious campaign to computerize Merkley Supply’s operations.
“It was a great introduction to the business for me,” he explains. “We wrote all our programs. It’s one way to learn the business, to start from the ground up and computerize it.”
While the business thrived, Merkley, an avid boater who loves cruising the St. Lawrence River and the Rideau Canal, began dipping his toes into community causes.
In 1982, he helped organize a flotilla
I really love Ottawa. I think Ottawa is a great town. I’ve been blessed.
to mark the Canal’s 150th anniversary. Five years later, he joined the board of the Ottawa Construction Association, beginning an eight-year stint on the board that included a term as chairman in 1994.
Then the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders’ Association (now the Ottawa Home Builders’ Association) came calling, so Merkley joined that organization’s board as well — the start of a 20-year run that saw him serve three separate terms as president.
Longtime industry colleague Shirley Westeinde praises Merkley’s leadership, especially for raising funds and awareness for mental health initiatives in an industry that has often been reluctant to address the issue.
“If you got Robert on board, you knew (the effort) would succeed,” says Westeinde, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. “He always made sure that it did. He’s made a big imprint on the city.”
Health care is a cause that’s especially near and dear to Merkley’s heart.
After his daughter Rebecca, then a year old, spent 11 days in CHEO more than three decades ago, Merkley organized a charity baseball tournament to support the hospital that turned into an annual event.
“I used to kid .. that we would make money for CHEO, but we’d be an expense
at Civic because of all the injuries we had,” he says with a chuckle.
Merkley later joined the board of the May Court Hospice, and his business became a major sponsor of May Court’s Homes for the Holidays Christmas fundraiser for Hospice Care Ottawa.
He was also a driving force behind The Ottawa Hospital’s major fundraising campaign in the early 2000s, recruiting a team that included Greenberg and fellow industry heavyweight Jim Taggart to drum up funds from the construction sector.
A few years later, Merkley helped raise nearly $8 million for the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence, a facility designed to train the next generation of industry professionals.
In 2010, Merkley joined forces with two other Ottawa construction industry leaders, Minto’s Roger Greenberg and Claude DesRosiers of Boone Plumbing and Heating Supply, to create The Ottawa Hospital’s Ride for Research, a cycling event that has since raised more than $11 million for cancer research. Merkley’s company team, the Merkley Supply Brick Peddlers, has contributed nearly $1.5 million to that total.
“He just keeps at it,” Greenberg says of Merkley’s fundraising prowess. “He’s like the Eveready Bunny.”
Meanwhile, Merkley continues to be an industry leader.
The industry trade show he inaugurated in 1991 is now the largest event on the Ottawa construction sector’s annual calendar. His company remains a trusted partner to many key players in the business, providing building materials for about 60 per cent of all commercial and institutional projects and 80 per cent of all housing projects in the National Capital Region.
“A lot of people may not know us, but they see us every day with our products,” says Merkley, whose firm employs more than 40 people. “We’re a big part of the construction industry.”
Through decades as one of Ottawa’s leading businessmen and philanthropists, Merkley’s commitment to serving his community has never wavered.
“I would say that I’ve been extremely lucky. I’ve been very glad to give back because of my luck. I tell people, ‘If you give, you get more than double back. If a door opens, walk through it.’”
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS
Newsmaker of the Year: Mark Laroche pilots YOW through turbulent times
BY JEFF BUCKSTEIN news@obj.ca
Mark Laroche, president and chief executive officer of the Ottawa International Airport Authority, was named Newsmaker of the Year for 2024 by OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
The award recognizes Laroche’s success in managing the airport through the pandemic and in building it back to include additional flights, a revamped terminal, a new hotel, and a spur connecting the airport to the city’s LRT system.
“It’s humbling. I was very surprised and happy about it,” said Laroche, who recently announced he is retiring at the end of 2024 after 11 years at the airport authority.
“I’m not a person who pursues awards and recognition. I get satisfaction from getting things done. I’ve had the opportunity to accomplish a lot with our team and board of directors, which is my biggest satisfaction. To be recognized like this by OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade is quite nice,” he said.
The award recognizes a number of significant achievements by Laroche during his tenure. One is the extension of the LRT to reach the airport.
“When LRT Stage 2 was conceived, it included no connection to YOW,” recalled Laroche. “We advocated strongly, so I was pleased we succeeded, including investing heavily in the station.”
The airport’s relationship with Porter Airlines, which now uses YOW as a major hub, was another factor.
Over the past few years, Porter has become YOW’s largest airline, based on the number of non-stop destinations served and daily departing flights. The airline also launched new routes, including an expanded Florida offering as well as flights to destinations such as Las Vegas, St. John’s, N.L., and Winnipeg.
Earlier this year, Porter inaugurated
its 150,000-square-foot maintenance hangar. Porter choosing to have its fleet maintained at YOW shows the airline’s strong commitment to the National Capital Region, Laroche said.
Another project that came to life during Laroche’s tenure was the construction of the new Alt hotel, which is being built on site.
Decarbonizing operations at the airport has also been a priority. The airport has started replacing its ground vehicle fleet with electric alternatives when possible, converting from gas to electricity for heating, and installing more efficient lighting.
“We are also working on a solar project with Hydro Ottawa and private investors with intent to submit a bid to the Independent Electricity System Operator for consideration,” Laroche explained. “The 100-megawatt array being proposed on vacant airport land could provide the equivalent electricity to power nearly 12,500 homes annually. It’s early days, but if successful we hope to have a portion dedicated to airport use.”
Renovations inside the terminal have also been important in recent years.
“Renewal of our concessions programs started in 2019. We’re not through the entirety of the project due to pandemicrelated delays setting it back by at least three years,” said Laroche, who noted that many projects are now back on track, with the Canal Market Hall and Big Rig completed in 2023.
“Attention has shifted to the U.S. holdroom where the sit-down restaurant is being revamped and arrivals where a new Relay store has opened and a Bridgehead coffee shop’s opening is imminent. A new Starbucks is being completed in the domestic holdroom and we are hoping to start construction to convert an existing pub to a Zak’s Diner in 2025,” he added.
Of course, Laroche may be best known for piloting YOW through the global pandemic.
Laroche says the industry went through
I’m not a person who pursues awards and recognition. I get satisfaction from getting things done.
its biggest shock during his 11 years at the airport with the COVID-19 pandemic, when the airport lost almost all of its flights and passengers during the global shutdown. At the same time, YOW was required to remain operational for the few daily passenger flights and cargo operations, forcing it to borrow $100 million.
Laroche also noted that the pandemic caused a shift in the habits of air travellers, which required the airlines to adjust and adapt. The biggest change, he says, has been reduced business travel and more leisure-based trips, which are sometimes combined with business.
“We’re likely going to finish 2024 with around 4.6 million passengers,” Laroche said. “In 2019, we were at 5.2 million.
Now that the market has changed, we’re working with airlines to increase the number of connecting passengers to sustain routes that are challenging to sustain with origin and destination traffic alone. We’re forecasting 5.2 million next year, which is the same volume as 2019, but with a different mix of business and leisure travellers, as well as those in-transit only.”
To accommodate the market changes, YOW required a different terminal layout, he said. For example, additional departure gates will be needed because many leisure flights leave at approximately the same time.
“We need the capacity for those peak hours or connecting passengers will have to wait long periods for their next flight. This is a challenge we’re already taking steps to address,” said Laroche.
Securing more direct flights, particularly to Europe, from YOW has been another post-pandemic accomplishment.
Earlier this year, Air France announced it was expanding its direct service from Ottawa to Paris to seven days a week and upgrading the route to a larger aircraft due to strong demand for the flights.
Also this year, Air Canada announced in August it will be offering non-stop international flights from Ottawa to London Heathrow Airport beginning in the spring of 2025. The announcement came as Air Canada plans to expand its services from Ottawa to points across Canada and sun leisure destinations this winter. The airline plans to operate up to 229 weekly flights to and from Ottawa in 2025.
As for the added personal time coming his way, “I’m an avid outdoors person, skiing, biking, hiking, paddle boarding, anything outside,” said Laroche.
“I will be spending more time in Mont Tremblant. And I’ll just take it from there and see what the future holds. My wife, Marie-Hélène, recently retired and so we’ll be able to spend more time doing activities that we enjoy together,” said Laroche.
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS AWARDS
CEO of the Year: Andrew Waitman takes Assent to ‘centaur’ status
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
Ten years ago this month, Andrew Waitman was at a career crossroads.
The veteran tech executive had just left IT and data analytics firm Pythian and was looking for a new challenge.
Waitman had a couple of potential irons in the fire. In the end, he found his next calling in the most unlikely of places — the boxing ring.
Waitman was among the business leaders who took part in the Fight for the Cure, a charity boxing event that raised money for the Ottawa Cancer Foundation.
As it happened, he trained with the event’s co-founder, Matt Whitteker, a young entrepreneur whose company helped manufacturers ensure that materials such as gold, tin and tungsten used in many electronics were ethically sourced and complied with regulations governing environmental, social and other factors.
Intrigued by the small firm then known as Assent Compliance, Waitman moved into an office at the company’s headquarters.
In September 2014, he agreed to become CEO of the organization, which had about 25 employees and annual revenues that barely cracked the sevenfigure mark.
A decade later, the firm now known simply as Assent helps some of the world’s largest manufacturers ensure their suppliers are complying with an ever-growing list of government laws and regulations on everything from human rights to health and safety standards.
Fuelled by hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital, Assent employs in excess of 1,000 people and has seen its annual recurring revenues more than double in the past three years.
In June, Assent announced it had officially achieved the coveted “centaur”
status, hitting US$100 million in annual recurring revenues.
For all those accomplishments and many more, Waitman is the 2024 recipient of the CEO of the Year Award from OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
OBJ’s David Sali recently sat down with Waitman to discuss his career. Here is an edited transcript of their conversation.
When did you first start to realize that Assent could potentially become a centaur?
I had every intention to take Pythian to $100 million (in ARR). I’ve always been fixated on that (number). It really started to form in years three and four that we absolutely could get to $100 (million in ARR), and obviously now my aspirations are a lot bigger. But when I first joined, it wasn’t clear to me whether that was possible. If there was anything that caused me pause about joining, I would say that I wasn’t sure whether it was just a niche software that you would sell to some industrial software company or whether I could build a real business around it.
In the period from 2010 to 2020, there were a bunch of rules created that were applicable in our world. From 2020 to now, there are a whole bunch of new laws.
You could see it coming. You don’t learn about legislation the day it’s published. You are aware through your subjectmatter experts that the European Union is working on this, the (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) is working on that. There was a tailwind every year and you start to realize, this isn’t going to stop. I was starting to realize in 2017, 2018, 2019, ‘Hey, if we navigate this well, we can build a real complementary platform business.’ And platform businesses are much more valuable than niche tools. It’s not a big ‘aha,’ like when ChatGPT dropped and the world shifted dramatically. Sometimes these homogeneous tectonic shifts are massive. But we’re in a much more complex, niche market where you realize over time that companies need a new system.
Now that you’ve set your sights on $200 million in ARR, what’s keeping you up at night?
As you grow to $100 million (in ARR), you have to move from heroes to systems. The heroes are all these critical team members who do extraordinary things and help you win deals and develop products. Heroes matter and we’ve had many. But, as you grow, you can’t rely on heroes. You have to have systems. Your sales process has to be systematized; your marketing programs have to be programmatized. Meaning that you could take different people and insert them and it still works.
This is one of the most important things as you’re going from $100 million to $200 million, is how to move with agility from heroes to systems that work successfully. That requires SaaS tools that often need to be co-ordinated in some functional way. And then, do you have the telemetry to give you the feedback to improve those programs?
And then I would say No. 3 is team development and new recruiting for
(experienced staff), so that we don’t have to make all the mistakes that every other executive team made. The executive team we have today is very different to what we had five years ago and what we had 10 years ago. I would argue many entrepreneurs and founders do not make those changes along the way and that’s what holds them back. Part of the responsibility of the (investment) firm is to change the jockey if the jockey can’t scale. And the responsibility of the CEO is to make sure the team is capable. That team may need to be complemented or you may need to replace them. That’s not to say the people you’re replacing are bad people. It’s just that they may be inexperienced (in dealing with issues) at that scale and therefore with the speed at which you have to make these decisions.
How would you assess yourself as a CEO? I am an uber-collaborator. I don’t think I have it all figured out. I’m an educator CEO — I’m a big reader and I’m trying to always share (knowledge). But I’m also a big synthesizer — I’m listening to everyone a lot of the time. I want everybody’s perspective. I do understand that decisions need to be made in a timely manner, but I also think voices need to be heard. In a highly complex environment, you need somebody who encourages all the voices to come together and make good decisions as a team. John Hughes is a founder here; he still works intimately with me and is still the major non-institutional shareholder. And I listen to John even more deeply today than when I first met him, because John has excellent entrepreneurial instincts. Those instincts help me gauge the commercial likelihood of whether we should do this or that. The hardest thing as a CEO is there are always opportunities put in front of you and you’ve got to choose which ones (to pursue) because you can’t chase them all.
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS AWARDS
CFO of the Year Geoff Simpson: Keeping the lights on during challenging times
BY JEFF BUCKSTEIN news@obj.ca
Geoff Simpson, chief financial officer of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc., has been named the CFO of the Year for 2024 by the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
“I appreciate the recognition,” said Simpson. “But it’s also a recognition of the work the team and the company has done in growing and changing and being ready for what’s going to come next,” he added.
The criteria for this award include: notable actions to maximize an organization’s financial strength and growth during the period; a demonstrated commitment to achieving best practices in accounting; success in overcoming significant financial challenges; and an overall contribution to the community.
“I had a chance to sit on the board of Hydro Ottawa for six years and work with Geoff Simpson fairly closely,” said Cyril Leeder, president and chief executive officer of the Ottawa Senators.
“I always thought Geoff was a real astute leader and calm under fire,” said Leeder, who hailed Simpson’s role in steering Hydro Ottawa through two floods, a “once-in-100-year derecho” and the COVID pandemic in recent years.
Leeder said Simpson’s business acumen keeps him on top of Hydro Ottawa’s key drivers of business performance. Leeder also noted that Hydro Ottawa, with several business units, is much more than just a regulated utility.
Simpson, a 56-year-old Ottawa native, received his commerce degree from Carleton University in 1991, earning majors in both finance and accounting.
His first position was with the City of Ottawa, filling in for an employee on maternity leave. “I had a manager who was a mentor, who saw potential in me, but also recognized that I was likely going to
I’m proud of the performance of the company through the derecho in 2022.
hit a bit of a glass ceiling if I didn’t get an accounting designation,” he recalled.
Simpson earned his CGA designation in 1997. By 2000, he was the city’s chief accountant. Following the amalgamation of 10 municipalities into the larger city of Ottawa in 2000, he was manager of one of the mega-city’s financial support units, responsible for transportation, utilities and public works.
In 2006, a new opportunity arose with Ottawa Police Services (OPS) as director of finance and materiel management. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Ottawa police. It was an industry that inspired me and was a new and different challenge,” Simpson recalled.
Simpson stayed with the OPS until 2008,
when he became the director of finance for Hydro Ottawa Limited, the regulated distribution company responsible for keeping the lights on.
“Shortly after joining Hydro Ottawa, we re-organized how we supported the entire company financially, and before long I became the director of finance for Hydro Ottawa Holdings Inc., which meant the regulated distribution electricity company (and) the other two subsidiaries at the time, which offered energy services and power generation,” said Simpson.
He remained in that position until he became director of finance in 2013. Several accomplishments in that position over the past 11 years stand out for him.
“I’m proud of the performance of the company through the derecho in 2022,” said Simpson, adding that was a “devastating moment” for the community.
In addition to his accounting responsibilities at Hydro Ottawa, Simpson is responsible for supply chain and logistics. “One of the things we very quickly realized after the derecho was that we didn’t have enough materials for the level of work that needed to be done to restore power and repair our infrastructure. An example is poles. Under normal business operations, we have 100 to 200 poles in our yards for planned work and emergencies. Post-derecho, we needed about 500 new poles,” he recalled.
That required prompt dealings with suppliers, vendors and trucking companies for deliveries, which was made more difficult by the timing during a long weekend. When the first truck arrived and “we knew that the system was going to work, that was a moment I’ll never forget,” Simpson said.
A newer venture is Hiboo Networks, which, said Simpson, “is a local and viable option for business to business and telecom services, which leverages some of the fibre that we have in the ground.
“It also creates an unregulated opportunity for us to monetize some of those assets and provide an option for those who might be looking for a different level of customer service or even just backup for their services,” he added.
Simpson also cited the growth of Hydro Ottawa’s power generation company, Portage Power. “We have six different sites that produce power down at Ottawa’s Chaudière Falls site, as well as the ring dam itself, which diverts water. We’re really proud of that and that site is accessible to the public now,” he said, adding that it also includes a new 28-megawatt station, one of the company’s larger projects.
Simpson has two adult sons, Malcom and Owen. His partner, Tracy, works for the Bank of Canada.
He enjoys playing recreational hockey and also coached competitive youth hockey for his sons while they were growing up.
Simpson serves on the board of the Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation. He is executive sponsor of Hydro Ottawa’s charitable campaign, which has supported several different ventures over the years, including its United Way campaign.
Hydro Ottawa runs an annual charitable golf tournament which, said Simpson, has raised $1 million for The Ottawa Hospital’s breast cancer unit. The company also raises money for the Ottawa Food Bank and for the Royal Ottawa Hospital Prompt Care Clinic, he noted.
Simpson “would routinely reach out to me and the other colleagues to say, ‘What can you do to help us support our in-house fundraising efforts?’ He was there leading from the front,” said Leeder, who served on Hydro Ottawa’s board.
“It speaks highly of our community that we’ve got people like Geoff that are working here in business and he’s a welldeserving recipient of the CFO of the Year,” Leeder added.
Here are the Best Ottawa Business award winners
BEST BUSINESS: CALIAN GROUP
Calian Group, based in Ottawa with more than 500 employees, started over 40 years ago. Calian has grown 25 per cent over the past five years and continues to build upon 91 consecutive profitable quarters. With a diversified portfolio spanning Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning, and IT & Cyber Solutions, Calian’s expansion has been driven by organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Its commitment to innovation, diversity and social responsibility makes Calian a leader in gender equality and Indigenous relations.
BEST NEW BUSINESS: PLUVO (RAIN TECHNOLOGIES)
Rain Technologies, founded to bridge the gap in financial and strategic planning for small and medium-sized enterprises, has rapidly emerged as an industry leader Its product, Pluvo, integrates financial and strategic planning with AI-driven insights, enabling SMEs to make smarter, faster decisions. In just two months, Pluvo generated $200,000 in annual recurring revenue and onboarded 30 companies With a diverse leadership team and a commitment to innovation, Rain Technologies is disrupting the market, attracting top talent, and positioning itself for continued growth across North America.
BEST LEADER IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: BIOTALENT CANADA
BioTalent Canada has earned recognition as a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (IDEA), embedding these values into every aspect of its operations and culture. The Ottawa-based life sciences organization has made IDEA a cornerstone of its operating strategy for more than four years. With initiatives like the I.D.E.A.L. Scholarship Program and the I.D.E.A.L. BioScience Recognition Award, BioTalent Canada is shaping a more inclusive bioeconomy. Its commitment is reflected in employee engagement surveys, where 94 per cent of its 50 staff members feel welcomed and included. BioTalent Canada is proud to be a model for IDEA in the workplace.
BEST NON-PROFIT: ROGER NEILSON CHILDREN’S HOSPICE
As a trailblazer in pediatric palliative care in Canada, Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice (RNCH) is enriching the lives of children, youth, and families in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Fulfilling a mission to provide compassionate care for those facing life-limiting conditions, RNCH served 516 families in 2023-24. The organization recently secured funding for two additional beds, marking its first expansion since 2006. Recognized as
a leader in its field, RNCH is a mentor for other communities and is driving innovation in pediatric hospice care across Canada. With strong leadership and a commitment to transparency, RNCH continues to enhance the quality of life for families in need.
BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: BROOKSTREET HOTEL
By aligning every aspect of its service with a commitment to luxury, personalization and excellence, Brookstreet Hotel has achieved a new standard in customer experience. With a focus on luxurious accommodations, attentive service and top-notch amenities, Brookstreet ensures each guest experience reflects its brand promise. The hotel’s approach includes ongoing partner (employee) training, feedback-driven improvements, and a quarterly recognition program that celebrates exceptional service. By measuring key performance indicators such as guest satisfaction and incorporating feedback into daily operations, Brookstreet
continuously raises the bar, delivering outstanding experiences for guests while fostering a positive, empowered environment for its team.
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Best Non-Profit: Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Best Leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Biotalent Canada. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Best Business: Calian Group. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS AWARDS
its best performance yet in export while maintaining financial stability.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN HR: GIATEC SCIENTIFIC
continues to set the standard for excellence in the audiovisual industry.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN MARKETING: CANADAWHEELS
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BEST PERFORMANCE IN EXPORT: GIATEC SCIENTIFIC
Giatec, a leader in innovative clean construction technology, exports to more than 80 countries by meeting the diverse needs of clean construction technology worldwide. Giatec has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, achieving 42 per cent yearover-year revenue growth in July 2024, despite facing financial constraints and a hiring freeze. Clear goals, performance rankings, and employee recognition have driven results, enabling Giatec to exceed revenue targets and expand its customer base With a focus on operational efficiency and talent retention, Giatec has solidified its competitive edge, achieving
Giatec’s HR team has been instrumental in driving the company’s success, even amid financial challenges. From 67 employees in 2021 to 145 in 2024, Giatec’s rapid growth was supported by a high-performance culture built on clearly aligned goals, regular performance rankings, and employee recognition Despite a hiring freeze, Giatec achieved more than 40-percent revenue growth by reallocating talent effectively, redefining roles, and providing top performers with increased benefits like stock options Through strategic coaching and fostering clear communication, Giatec’s HR initiatives have been key to maintaining operational efficiency, retaining top talent, and ensuring financial stability and growth.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN SALES: BRANCH AUDIOVISUAL
Branch Audiovisual has experienced incredible growth since winning the BOB Award for Best New Business in 2021, achieving year-over-year growth of 23-30 per cent. Known for its selective approach to client partnerships, Branch Audiovisual consistently exceeds sales targets by delivering tailored, best-in-class audiovisual solutions. In 2024 alone, the company secured 26 new high-profile clients across Ontario, including Porsche Canada, Hard Rock Casino, and the CN Tower. With prestigious wins like the 2024 Mondo DR Award for Best Arena AV Project and expanding into NHL venues and hospitality, Branch Audiovisual
CanadaWheels has excelled in an intensely competitive online automotive retail market, expanding its market share to 2.3 per cent in Canada. By strategically balancing paid and organic traffic, the company achieved a 30-per-cent increase in organic traffic through enhanced SEO and targeted advertising. Its social media campaigns, educational content, and customer submission contests built brand loyalty, driving a 25-per-cent rise in repeat purchases. UI/UX improvements boosted conversions by 30 per cent, while personalized email marketing strengthened customer relationships. With successful pre-launch activities for its new USAWheels operation, CanadaWheels has positioned itself for sustained growth and increased brand visibility in both Canadian and U.S. markets.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: TEASE TEA
Tease Tea is a socially conscious brand of tea dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs. Through every product sold, Tease invests in its sister organization, FoundersFund.ca, which offers mentorship, educational events and grant funding to diverse women founders. Since 2019, Tease has raised and distributed over $300,000, supporting more than 15 businesses and hundreds of women across Canada. With its mission to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship, Tease has built a community that fosters growth, equality and support. Stocked in
Best Performance in Sales: Branch Audiovisual. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Best Performance in Social Enterprise: Tease Tea. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Best Performance in Export: Giatec Scientific. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Best Performance in Marketing: Canada Wheels. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
more than 700 retail locations globally, Tease is not only driving business success, but inspiring positive change in the entrepreneurial landscape.
KNBA BEST INNOVATION: ROSS VIDEO
Ross Video’s Artimo is a groundbreaking robotic camera system designed to revolutionize TV studio production. With its advanced two-stage lift, customizable panels, and cutting-edge features like LiDAR positioning and a 360-degree on-air light, Artimo delivers both unparalleled flexibility and stunning aesthetics. Launched at the 2024 NAB Show, Artimo quickly earned the prestigious Best of Show TV Tech Award, solidifying its position as a game-changer in broadcast technology. Already attracting nearly 50 orders, Artimo’s innovative design and functionality are setting new standards, offering studios a powerful, all-in-one solution for both technical excellence and set enhancement.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: CFT GROUP
CFT Group has set a new standard for environmental sustainability in the commercial and industrial construction sector. With a strong focus on recycling, especially in auto and scrap metal, CFT utilizes advanced technologies to maximize resource recovery and minimize waste. In 2024, it surpassed
sustainability targets, processing more than 13,500 metric tonnes of metal, saving 16,500 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, and reducing air and water pollution by over 80 per cent. As a proud member of the Recycling Equipment Manufacturers
Association, CFT’s commitment to the circular economy and eco-friendly practices drives innovation and positions it as a leader in environmental stewardship.
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Hydro Ottawa congratulates Geoff Simpson, CFO of the Year
Hydro Ottawa is proud to celebrate Chief Financial Officer, Geoff Simpson, for being named 2024 CFO of the Year by the Ottawa Board of Trade.
Geoff’s strategic vision and financial stewardship has been instrumental in guiding Hydro Ottawa through a transformative restructuring, positioning the organization for long-term growth and sustainability.
Geoff’s leadership extends beyond financial success, championing community causes that uplift Ottawa families, and power a brighter future for all.
On behalf of the entire Hydro Ottawa team, congratulations Geoff on this well-deserved recognition and leading with impact. Bryce Conrad, President and CEO, Hydro Ottawa
KNBA Best Innovation: Ross Video. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
BEST OTTAWA BUSINESS AWARDS
DEAL OF THE YEAR: RETAIL
Carlingwood Shopping Centre, one of Ottawa’s largest retail shopping malls, was sold to a pair of real estate firms that plan to build a new residential development at the 30-acre site. Vancouver-based Anthem Properties Group and Toronto’s Streamliner Properties Inc. partnered to acquire the 632,700-square-foot retail complex on Carling Avenue, which is anchored by the country’s largest Canadian Tire store. Opened in 1956, Carlingwood has 90 stores and services, including marquee tenants such as Loblaws, Rexall and Dollarama. The mall, which is also home to a fitness centre and three banks, attracts more than 280,000 visitors a month.
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BEST CO-OP: WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY
When it comes to golden opportunities for co-op students, Warner Brothers Discovery has long been actively engaged
with Algonquin College’s Co-op and Career Centre. It has provided a diversity of roles for students in its technology programs, offering students opportunities to work with marquee projects and develop program-specific skills. Data and student feedback demonstrate the lengthy, meaningful and substantive
commitment that Warner Brother Discovery has made to its co-op students. In 2024, 14 students were hired and jobs were posted for the following programs: computer programming, computer engineering technology — computing science, bachelor of technology, web development and interactive media design.
New flights, new facilities, and a farewell
DEAL OF THE YEAR: TOURISM
Air Canada will offer non-stop international flights from Ottawa to London Heathrow Airport beginning March 31, 2025. Flights will operate four times weekly as part of Air Canada’s Dreamliner fleet. The flights will connect Canada’s capital to one of the world’s
With expanding flights to Canada, the US and Europe, a new hotel and LRT station, and the retirement of our President & CEO Mark Laroche after 11 years of leadership, YOW was the 2024 BOBs Newsmaker of the Year. YOW and Air Canada were also awarded the Deal of the Year (Tourism) for the return of Air Canada’s non-stop service from YOW to London Heathrow next spring. Keep your eye on us for more to come in 2025.
Finance Deal of the Year: Telesat. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
main international travel hubs, London Heathrow. The new flights in Ottawa also promise to be a boost to tourism in the city.
DEAL OF THE YEAR: FINANCE
Satellite operator Telesat received a Canadian government loan worth $2.14 billion to help the company build its broadband satellite constellation.The Quebec government also loaned the company $400 million to build its satellites near Montreal. The funding will help create 2,000 jobs in Canada. Ottawa-based firm Calian Group will also benefit by developing
and deploying the software system that will manage much of Telesat’s Lightspeed lowearth-orbit satellite constellation.
DEAL OF THE YEAR: REAL ESTATE
Local business leaders hope a new live music and entertainment venue at the former Chapters building on Rideau Street will give a jolt of energy to Ottawa’s downtown core. Live Nation Canada signed a lease to operate the new entertainment hall at the former bookstore. The National Capital Commission, which purchased the
building at 47-57 Rideau St. late last year, announced the new music hall is expected to open in late 2025 after renovations.
KNBA COMPANY OF THE YEAR: FIDUS
The Kanata North Company of the year is Fidus Systems. Founded in 2001, Fidus is North America’s leading provider of custom electronic system design and development services. Headquartered in Kanata, Fidus also has design centres in Kitchener-Waterloo and Silicon Valley. In July, Fidus announced that it was selected
Breaking barriers, building futures:
At BioTalent Canada, diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Thank you to our incredible team, partners and industry for the continued support.
as the AMD Adaptive Compute Partner of the Year. This prestigious recognition underscores Fidus’s long-standing partnership with AMD. Fidus competed against 39 other AMD Premier Partners for this coveted recognition. Commenting on the award, the CTO of Fidus said “our latest work, including its powerful AI engine, has been met with an incredibly positive reception.”
#NEXTBIGTHING: BLOKS #NEXTBIGTHING: ENURGEN #NEXTBIGTHING: SPARROW BIO
KNBA Company of the Year Fidus. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Think Ottawa: Positioning Canada’s
capital as a premier global conference destination
From financial support to event planning, Think Ottawa partners with local Leaders for unforgettable conferences
Ottawa stands as a hub of groundbreaking technology, academic brilliance, and innovation across diverse sectors. Thanks to Think Ottawa, a unique partnership between Ottawa Tourism, Rogers Centre Ottawa, and Invest Ottawa, local experts in their respective fields are invited to think Ottawa as the ideal place to host conferences — and then receive comprehensive support to deliver an extraordinary event in Canada’s capital.
From assembling a local organizing committee to crafting a coordinated bid, Think Ottawa offers support and resources for identified local leaders. In return, participants gain enhanced visibility within their field, the opportunity to showcase their expertise on the global stage, and a seamless event experience that elevates their industry’s profile.
“There are tremendous economic benefits to hosting a conference for the city because there are profits from the conference, but beyond that, when you see researchers, the academics, the hospitals, when they host a conference it’s typically because they’re leaders in that field or sector and so they’re really able to put their work on the world stage when they host an international conference,” says Lesley Pincombe, vice-president, business and major events with Ottawa Tourism.
That’s why Ottawa Tourism is urging industry leaders to think of Ottawa when they are planning conferences.
Think Ottawa
“People hop on a plane every year and go to their annual international conferences, and usually they don’t think, ‘Maybe I should host this or put up my hand next time it’s coming around to Canada.”
While hosting national and international conferences brings clear benefits — such as economic growth and increased tourism visibility — Think Ottawa’s powerful trio of partners brings even more value. Conferences are a way to highlight the tremendous achievements of people who may not otherwise gain recognition.
“Many researchers and staff are deeply engaged in their work within hospitals and research facilities, and they don’t typically make the natural connection to hosting conferences,” says Pincombe.
This is where Think Ottawa enters the picture with a range of support for industry leaders. This includes bid development, venue and accommodation support, government and community backing, financial assistance, and marketing and promotional materials.
“We can take the request for proposal, send it out, we get the pricing and availability, we help them visualize how the event would look and take place in the city, and then from there, it allows the client to garner support from their sector and to host the conference to build up a little bit of profile and some momentum,” Pincombe says.
To further solidify Ottawa’s reputation as an unforgettable conference host, Ottawa Tourism hosts the Think Ottawa Gala. The prestigious event, scheduled for December 3, 2024, celebrates local Leaders who have brought high-impact events to the city, showcasing Ottawa’s conference hosting excellence.
Pawel Hawrylak, a professor of physics at uOttawa and one of the awardees, shares his experience organizing the 2024 International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors with Think Ottawa earlier this year.
“Think Ottawa certainly helped to interface between the scientific part of the conference and the social part of the conference,” he says, adding that it is important for researchers to be recognized. “It increases visibility of the scientific community here in Ottawa and Canada in general.”
Ottawa’s world-class facilities, breathtaking beauty, and vibrant attractions, coupled with a seamless support system, make it a natural choice for conference organizers seeking an incredible destination. Positioned to lead the way in global conference hosting, Ottawa can rise to the top of every planner’s list.
From world-class to worrisome: The challenges facing Ottawa transit
Exploring bold design solutions to transform Ottawa’s struggling transit network
This has been an incredible year for news. There are many contenders for Ottawa Newsmaker of the Year: Michael Andlauer’s Senators ownership and a new arena at LeBreton flats; Tobi Nussbaum, NCC leadership and an incredible swimming season at the Ottawa River House.
I’d like to propose that the Newsmaker of the Year that had the biggest lasting impact on Ottawa is transit.
Ottawa was, not long ago, celebrated for its world class transit system. As recently as 2006, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) made Ottawa the highest transit use per capita in the country. Then, cancelled transit projects in 2006 cost the city tens of millions of dollars, and decades of austerity budgets later, we ended up with the Phase 1 Light Rail Transit (LRT) opening years behind schedule.
LRT construction resulted in years of painful delays that snarled daily life for commuters and a service that was rushed into operation. Parts of Phase 2 were awarded to bidders who failed the technical score, but were cheap, and, like Phase 1, it is years behind schedule. Phase 3, LRT service to further outlying low density suburbs of Kanata and Stittsville is stalled with no horizon for next steps.
Through it all, OC Transpo has continued to weather the challenges. The drivers and frontline staff remain committed to public service but bear the brunt of public frustration with cancelled buses and delays. It is no wonder the agency has staffing problems
Repeated challenges of non-round wheels, overly sensitive doors that caused system resets; an endless stench at Parliament Station; shut downs due to weather; derailments that have taken the train offline for weeks at a time; weekslong maintenance shut-downs in the height of summer tourist season, let alone thousands of cancelled bus trips… the list goes on and remain a regular worry for those who depend on transit.
Layered onto this is a precipitous drop in ridership that has yet to rebound. While other
cities saw ridership return to pre-pandemic levels, or better, Ottawa’s has not recovered because we haven’t put in the effort or resources needed.
The 2025 City budget continues the challenge: there is a $120-million hole in the transit budget; solutions include raising fares and raising the transit levy. Part of the cost of transit is the expected on-boarding of Phase 2 which will see higher operating costs as the system shifts from construction to operation. Thirty-six million dollars of the deficit is expected to come from federal and provincial coffers but there’s no indication that this is forthcoming. Raising fares is expected to add $15-million to the budget through a series of “nickel and dime” moves.
Behind this death spiral successive councils have created is a design problem. And we need a design problem to solve it and make public transit in Ottawa work.
As Brigitte Pellerin has written, the federal government’s “back to the office” mandate, coupled with LRT and transit unreliability, has resulted in a parking problem downtown. Parking lots and garages are packed with commuters who can’t be bothered to spend hours on expensive transit that might or might not get them to work on time.
We could design policies like a parking levy that could raise parking costs, redirecting millions of dollars towards transit to make it reliable and affordable. Eliminating free on-street parking and raising street parking rates could incentivize more people to drive less.
This is the fundamental concept of induced demand: if we make roads bigger and wider and easier to use, more people will use them. The opposite is also true: make driving more challenging and expensive, and give people a better, more affordable and reliable option and they’re more likely to use it and not drive for every errand.
Solving the transit problem needs to start with designing better funding: build it and they will come. That means a big cash investment now,
up front to show good faith that the city is serious about fixing transit.
Every year, we budget hundreds of millions of dollars for road widening and expansion projects. The next eight years see us spending nearly $900-million on suburban and rural roads. What if we designed for the future we need, for the climate crisis we declare? Maybe, because of better transit, we won’t need all those road projects and can save money AND make a better, more affordable, city.
As Neil Saravanamutto wrote, while transit users are being asked to cough up $15-million through higher fares, the city budget allocates up to $22-million for Lansdowne. Is a public subsidy to sports teams and development a need or a want? What if we designed a better solution to Lansdowne with a focus on housing and public places not dependent on ticket sales.
What if we looked at the hundreds of publicly owned lands near transit identified in the Housing Assessment Resource Tool and started building homes through innovative, creative, housing projects, like Edmonton has done. This would stimulate construction, boost the economy and build the density transit needs to be effective. Maybe its time to make better decisions, embrace design solutions, and start creating the city we aspire to be with a vision, a goal and a plan. Maybe it’s time to make better places for the people who pay the bills.
The death spiral of public transit shouldn’t be a newsmaker.
Photo Credit: Nicholas
The Wesley Clover Foundation: Supporting Kanata and Ottawa for Many Years, in Many Ways
The Wesley Clover Foundation has quietly but profoundly contributed to Kanata North and the broader Ottawa community with a focus on giving back.
By Kate Chappell, OBJ, and Veronica Farmer, Wesley Clover International
The Wesley Clover Foundation rallies around initiatives that focus on enabling technology and innovation, academic development, and entrepreneurship as well as improving the overall welfare of the local community. Over the years, these efforts have translated into millions of dollars of support for local organizations, events, and projects that serve the Ottawa area.
A LEGACY OF COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The evolution of Kanata North is intertwined with the efforts of the Wesley Clover Foundation with contributions that go beyond business and towards laying the groundwork for a community that supports both work and life.
In 2009 the Wesley Clover Foundation was founded as the philanthropic arm of Wesley Clover International with the aim to better strategize where donations and efforts should be focused to better
assist the local community. Over the years, this commitment has translated into over $30 million dollars of support for local organizations, events, and initiatives.
In collaboration with the city and the local business community, the Wesley Clover Foundation has played a role in shaping Kanata North and its transition from a rural industrial park into a vibrant tech hub. Some of this transformation can be traced back to the services and amenities required by the large footprint initially laid down by tech giants Mitel and Newbridge Systems. It is the collective efforts of the Foundation and its community partners such as, the Kanata North Business Association, Hub350 and Ottawa philanthropic organizations that have assisted in helping to support those in need.
“A physical footprint of amenities naturally began to happen in Kanata North to ensure the right conditions for business success,” says Martin Vandewouw, President of KRP Properties. “Space was needed for employees to work, companies also needed places for customers and partners to stay and eat when visiting and as business opportunities grew, conference and meeting spaces were required.”
Recognized as Canada’s largest tech park, Kanata
North brings technology, talent, and innovation together. The Kanata North Tech Park stands as a testament to the long-term efforts of many, not just in technology but in fostering a robust community to live, work, play, learn and innovate.
FUNDRAISING EVENTS THAT STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY
Giving back to the community lies at the heart of the Foundation’s mission. The Foundation supports local philanthropic organizations and their events including the Capital City Condors, Christie Lake Kids, Maddy’s Gala, the Ride for the Rideau, Mud Girl and RBC’s Race for the Kids. It is also signature events such as the Lumière Charity Gala, Spurs & Sparkles, the Red Dragon Charity Golf Tournament, and the Magic of Lights, to name a few, that have donated millions to causes close to home. These events bring together corporate leaders, community members and volunteers in a shared effort to raise funds for charities such as, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, CHEO, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, the Ottawa Heart Institute, the Sens Foundation, Camp Quality and the Kanata Food Cupboard.
It’s the entire community that comes together to make a difference.
“It’s the entire community that comes together to make a difference and support these initiatives,” says Nyle Kelly, General Manager of the Brookstreet Hotel and Marshes Golf Club. “The Foundation may provide a platform, but it is the participation of so many – our volunteers, attendees and corporate sponsors – that makes these events and their impact possible.”
Over the years the cumulative effect of the philanthropic partnerships and efforts has had an important positive impact on the local community. Supported by many generous donors and sponsors as well as in kind contributions, these events demonstrate the collective power of the community to raise awareness and create lasting change.
BUILDING A LASTING LEGACY
The philanthropic focus of the Wesley Clover Foundation extends beyond events with initiatives like Wesley Clover Parks, a not-for-profit, four-season outdoor recreation and learning hub dedicated to promoting health and education in the National Capital Greenbelt that encircles the City of Ottawa.
“The important aspect of play was answered by a focus on giving back to the community in the form of green spaces, walking paths, biking and cross country skiing trails and golf courses.”
Working with KRP Properties, the Foundation has also focused its efforts to directly help the Kanata North community in supporting local organizations by providing free temporary space for youth groups, sports clubs, and educational programs as well as subsidized tenancy for not-for-profits who provide vital services to the community such as, the Kanata Food Cupboard, Matthew House, the Kanata Research Park Family Centre and Boy Scouts.
The impact of the Wesley Clover Foundation on Kanata North and Ottawa’s social fabric is undeniable, and it is due in large part to the shared vision of countless individuals who work in partnership with the Foundation and the local philanthropic organizations and community groups to make a difference year after year.
The 2024 Lumiere Gala raised over $120K for the Queensway Carleton Hospital. PHOTO BY LINDSAY GERMANO.
The 2024 Red Dragon Golf tournament raised over $48K for Camp Quality.
Spurs and Sparkles 2024 raised over $100K for the Queensway Carleton Hospital.
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
Ross Video CEO and majority shareholder David Ross says he is putting plans to take the company public on the back burner and is now leaning toward securing a private investment partner to help fund the firm’s future growth.
In an interview in November with Techopia, Ross said he reconsidered his goal of launching an initial public offering in 2025 after talks with potential investors led him to conclude his Ottawa-based company would not achieve the valuation he had hoped for in the public markets.
Ross Video CEO rethinks plans to take firm public in 2025
“I would say that while the IPO is potentially still on the table, I’m focusing more of my time right now on seeing what the private-equity side of things has to offer,” he explained.
Ross revealed the change in direction after his company closed out its latest fiscal year on Oct. 31 its 33rd consecutive year of revenue growth.
Ross Video’s revenues grew nine per cent over fiscal 2023 well below its average of 17 per cent year-over-year growth during the past three-plus decades. Ross said he was “disappointed by” the latest figure, even though he conceded he “kind of engineered it” himself.
Although Ross Video’s longtime chief executive traditionally hasn’t been shy about pouring money into R&D and acquisitions a strategy that’s allowed his firm to gobble up market share from its competitors he said he felt compelled to dial back spending in recent quarters in an effort to boost Ross Video’s EBITDA margins.
Ross noted public markets put a heavy emphasis on EBITDA earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization when evaluating a company’s worth. The higher a company’s EBITDA, the higher its opening stock price is likely to be when shares go on sale.
But Ross said maximizing earnings comes with a cost.
“I think we’ve been a little bit more cautious recently,” he said. “I found that to increase EBITDA past a certain point, you have to start pulling levers back to slow down R&D and sales and marketing expansion. I’ve been doing that for a little while, and I’m finding, to be quite honest, it doesn’t match my personality. I’m used to just going for it.”
While Ross and his executive team haven’t staged an official “road show” to introduce the company to potential investors, he said he’s talked to enough of them to conclude an IPO might not be the best route for Ross Video.
For example, one potential investor described the company as a “middling investment” because it wasn’t delivering annual growth in the 22-25 per cent range the investor was looking for, Ross said.
Others questioned his preference for investing in homegrown R&D rather than bolstering IP by acquiring other companies, arguing that spending on research lowers a firm’s profit and EBITDA margins and, by extension, its value on the public markets.
“The response that started to come back was, ‘You’re worth less now for telling us that than you were five seconds ago,’” Ross explained. “I’m like, ‘How does this make any sense?’ In the end, we are going to grow, we’ve got the formula. We know how to do it. This is not rocket science for our company. It’s business as usual.”
Ross said the emphasis for publicly traded companies to hit quarterly targets is at odds with his philosophy of making investments in people and technology that are designed to pay off over the long haul.
“The public markets have a tendency to drive mediocrity. Being consistent is almost more important than growth, and if you miss a quarter you’re going to be in the doghouse for a year or two,” he said, adding he’s hoping to “find a partner that is a little bit different that is excited about saying, ‘I’m going to be here five years from now or seven years from now.’”
Ross also suggested that Ross
The public markets have a tendency to drive mediocrity. Being consistent is almost more important than growth, and if you miss a quarter you’re going to be in the doghouse for a year or two.
David Ross
Video doesn’t fit the image held by a lot of investors of a successful public company.
“I guess maybe I naively hoped that people would look at Ross differently because of our growth profile,” he said. “One of the challenges in some ways is we go up the middle. We’re not a utility that will just stamp out cash and profits and dividends, where it’s zero risk; we are not a rocket growth company that is seeing 100 per cent growth year-over-year into a trillion-dollar (total addressable market). We are a solid, 17 per cent year-over-year growth, internally funded, profitable company.”
Still, as Ross Video pushes toward half a billion dollars a year in annual revenues, Ross remains as optimistic as ever about the company’s future.
As a relatively new CEO 15 years ago, he challenged what was then a niche broadcasting equipment provider to aim higher, setting out a BHAG a “big, hairy audacious goal” of more than doubling revenues from $46 million to $100 million within five years while boosting profitability.
“I think laying that (billion-dollar revenue goal) down gives a little bit more meat on the bone for the investor we’re looking for,” he said. “Somebody who gets excited about that is the one that we’re going to partner with.”
Ross Video, which does most of its manufacturing in the Eastern Ontario town of Iroquois, now offers “at least a dozen product lines” that are first or second in global market share, Ross said.
He sees no reason why that number can’t be much higher.
Ross Video accomplished that and then some, reaching $112 million in revenues by 2014. Now, its CEO is throwing down the gauntlet once again, with a new goal he refers to as B1B, for “the BHAG one billion.”
Simply put, Ross wants his company to go from projected revenues of $460 million next year to $1 billion by 2030 all while becoming even more profitable.
“We’re moving the decimal place one over,” he said with a smile. “In 2030, we expect to exceed a billion dollars (in revenue).”
The math, he explains, is pretty straightforward. If Ross Video can match its three-decade growth average of 17 per cent for the next five years, the BHAG will be a reality.
Ross crunched years’ worth of numbers to see if there’s a correlation between higher R&D spending and more revenue growth. To his delight, he concluded there is a finding that has reinforced his belief that a private-equity partner is the right choice for Ross Video.
“We have probably two or three times that many that aren’t (No. 1 or 2), but are contenders,” he added. “When we started the BHAG back in 2009, we had no product lines that were No. 1 or No. 2 in the world. What we need to do is continue the existing trend that we have where we elevate product lines that have been brought on either organically or through acquisition to the No. 1, No. 2 position in the world, right beside all the other product lines we have for the exact same customers that are already one or two in the world.”
To that end, as much as Ross values his firm’s R&D acumen, he’s never been afraid to spend money on acquiring new product technology if a deal makes sense.
He’s currently putting the finishing touches on the 21st acquisition of his career and is already scoping out deal No. 22. And it sounds like there’s plenty more to come.
“We’re going to continue to buy technology and talent and turn them into world-beating businesses.”
The changing landscape of termination clauses: What employers need to know
How recent legal rulings are reshaping termination clause compliance
An annual review of your company’s termination clause might seem like an afterthought in the day-to-day running of a business, but it could save thousands of dollars and many headaches.
This advice comes from Samara Belitzky, an employment lawyer with Emond Harnden, who has seen an uptick of cases surrounding termination clauses since an important provincial court of appeal decision in 2020 created a new landscape.
“The law on termination clauses has changed significantly over the last four or five years,” Belitzky says, “and so if an employer is using an employment agreement template that is older than that, it’s very important that they have it reviewed and updated because it may not comply with current law.”
Termination clauses set out entitlements for employees when they are relieved of their position. These include notice and termination pay, among others.
Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000
Often, an employer’s existing agreement contains a termination clause that sets out an employee’s entitlements upon termination. Employers have some flexibility to implement their own terms of termination unique to them, but the language must comply with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000. However, if there is something in that termination clause that’s no longer compliant with the current law and violates the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, it will be null and void. As a result, the employee will be entitled to common law notice, which means
that they will be able to claim entitlements upon termination that go beyond those intended by the employer.
“Every couple of years lately, we’ve been seeing a case come out where a more novel legal argument is accepted and endorsed by the court to nullify a termination clause that would have otherwise been enforceable,” Belitzky says.
Employment relationships in Ontario are governed by the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, which sets out obligations for an employer when they decide they must terminate an employee. (There are also federally regulated jobs, such as banking and telecommunications, Belitzky notes, which are governed by the Canada Labour Code instead).
Before an employer arrives at the decision to terminate an employee, there are many necessary steps if a lawsuit is to be avoided. For example, the path to terminating an employee for cause is a long journey with a high bar that must involve as much documentation, both written and verbal, as possible.
Termination for cause
“What’s important for employers to understand is that when we’re talking about cause, if an employer wants to assert that they have cause at the time of termination, it has to be based on serious misconduct that’s been committed by the employee,” Belitzky explains.
In order to be owed absolutely nothing under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, such as no notice and no termination pay,
SamaraBelitzky, EmploymentlawyerwithEmondHarnden
the employee has to have engaged in wilful misconduct, disobedience or neglect of duty, that is not trivial and has not been condoned by the employer, Belitzky explains. This is a higher threshold compared to that of “just cause” at common law, the latter of which does not necessarily require the employee’s misconduct to be intentional. When an employee is terminated for just cause at common law, they will be entitled to receive only the entitlements prescribed by the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, unless the employee’s misconduct also meets the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 threshold.
And then, if an employee is engaging in misconduct, they should receive a warning, ideally written, Belitzky says, and employers should implement progressive disciplinary action.
If there is no misconduct present or no misconduct that would constitute cause, it is classified as termination without cause, which is where the analysis must take place in terms of an employee’s termination entitlements, and where employers can run into problems if not handled correctly.
“Sometimes employers will terminate for cause where cause does not exist, which can expose an employer to liability for damages, so it’s really important that you seek legal advice from an employment lawyer if you are contemplating a potential termination,” Belitzky says.
The bottom line for employers is that termination is a complex decision that should be guided by a lawyer, potentially saving money, time and stress.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Breaking the dress code: Tips for gender non-conforming employees in the workplace
BY MIA JENSEN mia@obj.ca
I
n the everyday runway of the corporate office, fashion trends are changing and that’s a positive development for gender non-conforming employees and those who like to blur the lines of gender when it comes to how they dress, says one Ottawa professional.
Kathleen Ingleston, development coordinator at Dress for Success Ottawa, said the definition of “professional” has changed significantly since the pandemic when it comes to how people dress for work.
“It’s shifted towards a lot more comfort, inclusivity, more personal expression,” she told OBJ. “It’s very flexible. We want people to bring their authentic selves to work. While some traditional areas of work still adhere to more formal standards, the trend is generally moving towards a more relaxed and adaptable approach to fashion.”
Dress for Success works with individuals to not only connect them with career services to support their professional success, but also to help them dress the part in a way that’s empowering to them.
For gender non-conforming people meaning those whose gender identity or expression does not match masculine or feminine gender norms the more rigid dress code of the pre-pandemic corporate office posed a number of challenges. But now, that’s changing, Ingleston said.
“The challenge in these kinds of environments is that some people may feel the need to wear a skirt when they don’t want to,” she said.
“In the past, women weren’t allowed to wear pants. Now suits are considered gender-neutral. It does depend on the style; some jackets are styled towards a
female silhouette, but the cut of a lot of suits are neutral, which makes it easy to play around with style.”
The more relaxed standards of the present day have allowed workers of all stripes to put their personality on display by integrating more casual items with their business wear, Ingleston said. Shoes and bold jewelry have become popular items to play around with while piercing, tattoos, and hair dye have become more accepted in some workplaces.
But while casual elements are increasingly accepted, Ingleston said that when traditional standards pop up, it can be hard for those who are gender non-conforming to balance their gender expression with the binary nature of offthe-rack office wear.
“More formal jobs may require you to dress formally, like law,” she said. “You’re always going to want to go for a more polished look. Casual clothes can be more accessible for a lot of folks, so it can be difficult dressing for a more formal industry.”
While masculine styles such as suits
have become increasingly popular over the decades, the trend has not yet developed in the opposite direction.
For those who present more masculinely but would like to dress more femininely, there continues to be stigma, she said.
While women have been wearing pants in the office for years, it is not common to see men in skirts or dresses.
While Ingleston said it would be great for people to go all out, there are subtle ways to bring a more feminine flavour to a professional look for those looking for ways to branch out.
“Men’s fashion is deemed to be sort of the standard now,” she said. “That may make some folks feel uncomfortable, seeing men or masculine individuals present that way.
“But I think there are ways to incorporate more feminine aspects into an outfit. Layering garments and adding jewelry and accessories can really help with that.”
Ingleston said her No. 1 piece of style advice for young professionals is always to dress for the job they want.
But she added that approaching a wardrobe from a fashion point of view rather than a gendered one can alleviate a lot of the stress of dressing for the workplace when you don’t fit a traditional mould.
“Whatever makes you feel good in your skin, that’s what you should wear,” she said. “First impressions really matter, so dressing professionally can help you make a lasting impression that gives you more confidence.
“Look good, feel good, even when you’re nervous. If you feel your outfit really aligns with you, it can certainly have a positive impact on how you carry yourself.”
TOP FIVE STYLE TIPS FOR GENDER
NON-CONFORMING PROFESSIONALS
1 PLAY AROUND WITH SILHOUETTES
“You can try oversized or even tighter clothing to create ambiguity to your natural body shape and to emphasize different parts of your body. You don’t necessarily need to create focus on your waist or have bigger shoulders. It’s really up to you and there’s no standard. Play around with different silhouettes and different sizes of clothing to create the look you’d like,” said Ingleston.
2 COMBINE BASICS AND STATEMENT PIECES
“Build your collection of basics and find statement pieces to show your personality. You of course need your basics of blacks, whites, creams and other neutrals. But then also have some pieces in your favourite colours, unique patterns and things that really speak to you,” said Ingleston.
3 LAYER A MORE GENDERED ITEM OVER A BASIC BASE
“Using different gendered pieces as well as layering different garments of clothing can add more interest to your look. You can make it easier to incorporate a more masculine or feminine piece that way and build your confidence to dress more in that way,” said Ingleston.
4 DON’T BE AFRAID TO ACCESSORIZE
“An outfit isn’t done until you accessorize. Play with makeup and see what you like. Use jewelry, belts, different kinds of shoes, and there’s a million ways to tie a scarf,” said Ingleston.
5 BREAK OUT THE FORMAL ATTIRE FOR EVERYDAY LOOKS
“Mix your casual and formal. I like to have two-thirds of the outfits be more formal and one piece to be more casual. I find it really creates a good smart-casual outfit and that can be done with both gendered clothing types,” said Ingleston.
Kathleen Ingleston, development co-ordinator, Dress for Success Ottawa.
Why it is vital to register your trademark — and what can happen if you do not
When an aesthetic nurse in KitchenerWaterloo named her new business “Kraftwurk,” it was partly an homage to the region’s rich German heritage. But she likely did not realize it would also trigger a legal battle with the German electronic band of the same name.
“She had worked so hard for her business and chose that name so carefully, that she wanted to fight them” after the band Kraftwerk opposed the filing, says Richard Whissell, a partner and trademark agent at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l..
Kraftwerk (the band) eventually lost the opposition, largely because its trademark was not found to be so well-known that it transcended product lines. So what advice does Whissell, who represented the entrepreneurial nurse at the Trademarks Opposition Board, have for other businesspeople considering registering or opposing a trademark?
What is intellectual property (IP)?
There are two basic forms of intellectual property (IP) in Canada: Patents and trademarks. While patents protect inventions and innovations, trademarks protect words, phrases, symbols, designs, or combinations of those that represent a business and its products.
Anyone can apply to register a new trademark, or search if their proposed trademark has already been registered, at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).
Canada is what Whissell calls a “firstto-file country,” meaning that the first person to file a trademark application is given priority even if someone else used it before; there are big benefits from being first to register a trademark. For one, your competitors can search CIPO’s Canadian Trademarks Database and see if the trademark is already registered—leaving them out of luck, barring a successful opposition filing.
Secondly, he says, “it gives you a right to use.” Having a registered trademark in good standing makes enforcement much easier “because your rights have been defined in your government issued registration certificate, and there is a presumption of validity,” adds Whissell, who works with a mix of Canadian and international clients.
Some trademarks are more vulnerable than others, however. Many trademarks are easier to defend for the same reason they are memorable to consumers: They are catchy, unique words that have little to do with the actual product. “Like Starbucks, for instance,” Whissell says. “It does not have the words ‘coffee’ or ‘java.’ It is a distinctive trademark.”
Why register your trademark?
Registering a trademark may not seem all that important, relatively speaking, for an entrepreneur launching a new product or service. Organizations that do not register their name often do not expect it to be used by someone else—or for that name to become synonymous with an activity or commonplace item.
But not registering a trademark can leave a business dangerously exposed:
• Not registering your trademark means someone else can register it, claim naming rights, and stop you from using the word(s) or image.
• Having a registered trademark demonstrates that a company takes its IP rights seriously, which is important if you are looking for a potential investor or buyer.
• In case of a dispute, the party without registration is required to demonstrate why their opponent’s registration should be invalidated.
While Whissell concedes there is plenty of grey area in Canadian trademark law, the bottom line is that the burden is squarely on organizations that have not registered their trademark—and as a first-to-file
country, that burden can be significant. Even companies that register their trademark but do not proactively enforce it can jeopardize their rights. “It is your responsibility to police your trademark,” says Whissell. “Not proactively enforcing your mark can be seen as a form of acquiescence.”
Even companies with wildly popular trademarks can become victims of their own success, because once a trademark is used in vernacular language, it also becomes vulnerable to what is known as trademark erosion.
“If you wait too long, it gets more and more difficult to actually police and enforce,” Whissell explains.
How to register a trademark in Canada
Registering a trademark in Canada is not difficult—especially when you have seasoned professionals like Whissell to help navigate the process. Here is how it works:
1. The trademark agent will review your website and marketing materials to get a sense of your product or service. If the mark is too generic, it is likely not registerable.
2. If there is a distinctive element to the proposed trademark, the agent will do a preliminary register search and will develop a statement of goods and
services that represents the business. In some cases, a more detailed clearance search may be needed.
3. After both parties agree on the statement’s wording, it gets filed with the CIPO.
4. You will receive an examination report from CIPO explaining which formal requirements you need to deal with before your mark is registered, or why your application has been rejected. If rejected, arguments to counter the rejection can be submitted and can often result in the rejection being withdrawn.
5. Once the application is approved, there is a two-month period during which a third party can oppose your application (published publicly in CIPO’s Trademarks Journal).
Although anyone can file an opposition, Whissell cautions that less than five per cent of trademark applications in Canada are opposed by a third party.
For the nurse who eventually won the battle against the band Kraftwerk, Whissell says it was time-consuming, but worth it.
“There was just no overlap or connection,” Whissell says, adding that that was why the nurse eventually won the opposition. “We had to file a lot of evidence and explain how we came to that trademark, and I believe the outcome was correct”.
Ottawa’s housing inventory gets a boost with the Talisman Apartments
A new five-tower complex offers affordable, high-quality rentals, aligning with the city’s 10-year housing plan.
It’s not easy to find a welcoming, comfortable home within budget for many of Ottawa’s young professionals.
But Sleepwell Property Management has entered the market with an optimally located, attractive apartment building that will help to add to the city’s inventory.
The Talisman, a five-tower apartment complex located at 1345 Carling Ave., offers budget-friendly rental prices, meeting the needs of a demographic that includes resident doctors, the military and students.
Named after the original Talisman Hotel that previously occupied the site, this five-
tower community offers modern suites, gyms, terraces, lounges and indoor heated parking, with retail commercial spaces.
The properties are managed by Sleepwell Property Management, an Ottawa-based, full-service property management company. Sleepwell provides management, real estate and renovation & development support to landlords across the city.
Sleepwell is working alongside Halifaxbased developers to provide inexpensive apartments with no hidden costs.
“Real estate in Ottawa needs significant changes. We need housing to become more
affordable and attainable,” says Conrad Pool, president of Sleepwell.
The Talisman properties come with all appliances and amenities including, in-unit laundry. Residents are also able to access their units with smart lock technology.
Bachelor apartments are approximately 444.16 sq. ft. and start at $1,535.00 per month, while one-bedroom apartments are around 567.90 sq. ft. and start at $1,750.00 per month. Besides individual electricity costs and parking, the residences are all-inclusive.
“For the same amount of rent, you are getting much more square footage than other places in the city,” says Pool.
Central location and accessible costs
The Talisman is the perfect home for students and young professionals due to its central location and accessible costs. Students attending Carleton University, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa not only benefit from the complex’s locality, but its quality. The apartments are also close to government buildings and hospitals, including the future Civic Campus. It is an ideal location for young professionals seeking a short commute to work.
The project is currently in its second phase. The second phase will see the construction of the three remaining towers. Occupancy for the first two constructed towers is nearly at 100 per cent.
For those seeking to move into the Talisman, the wait will not be long. Foundational digging began in spring of this year and by May of 2025, one more tower will be completed. Three of the towers will have over 20 floors, while the two smaller towers will have eight floors each.
“The construction of these buildings has been quite quick compared to other developments,” says Pool.
Pool hopes the Talisman sets a precedent for other rentals in the city by proving that high-quality housing can be accessible without a premium price tag.
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Calian on track to become a ‘multibillion-dollar global company’
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
Kanata-based Calian Group is laying the groundwork to become a “multibillion-dollar global company,” CEO Kevin Ford said after the firm reported its seventh consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth.
Fuelled by acquisitions and rising demand for products in areas such as health care, military training and cybersecurity, Calian is predicting doubledigit growth again for 2025.
Calian’s most recent three-year plan set a goal of reaching $1 billion in annual revenues by 2026.
Ford told analysts Calian won’t rest on its laurels as it gets closer to achieving its objective.
“I want to be clear here. The $1-billion (target) is not where we stop the company,” he said.
“The key element to me is that … $1 billion is a goalpost. And I believe that we have all the ingredients to continue to grow not just to a billion, but to a multibilliondollar global company.”
Still, Calian faced a few headwinds in fiscal 2024 — particularly cuts in Canadian government defence spending that softened revenues in its training division and affected the company’s overall performance.
Ford said Calian remains on track to hit the targets set out in its three-year growth strategy as recent acquisitions continue to expand its customer base and its geographic footprint in the United States and Europe.
FILE PHOTO.
Acquisitions have been a key plank in Ford’s growth strategy since he was hired as CEO in 2015. Nearly 85 per cent of Calian’s revenue growth in 2024 came from newly acquired companies, and Ford clearly wants to keep that momentum going.
Calian has created a new position — vice-president of mergers and acquisitions — to spearhead its M&A strategy and will announce who’s filling that role in the near future, Ford said.
“We are going to continue to lean in on our M&A agenda, because we believe it is working,” he said.
“It’s helping us to innovate, it’s helping us to diversify, and the companies we are bringing in are excellent.
“When I came to Calian, I’m not sure people viewed us as a growth company. I hope we’re putting that to bed.
“We’re not a company that’s talking about growing — we’re a company that’s growing, and doing it the right way.”
Later in the call, Ford conceded Calian still struggles to articulate its value proposition to some customers due to its diversified product lines that are the basis of what the CEO often calls its “fourpiston engine” — advanced technologies, health, learning, and IT and cybersecurity solutions.
The company needs to do a better job of identifying and capitalizing on cross-selling opportunities that result from its breadth of service offerings, Ford added.
“We have to move away from talking about this company as four distinct, separate segments and start talking about the unique opportunity Calian has to take those capabilities to customers and offer comprehensive solutions,” he explained.
For example, Ford argued that few companies can match Calian’s capacity to “knit together” a bunch of different services for military customers, such as training simulations, cybersecurity software, engineering know-how and health-care solutions.
“Who does all of that? We do. And we’ve got to celebrate that,” he said.
Calian CEO Kevin Ford says the company is on track to reach its goal of earning $1 billion in annual revenues by 2026.
“I personally think Fullscript has the potential to be in the same conversation as FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google), the same conversation as Shopify, the same conversation as all of the big dogs.”
– Kyle Braatz, co-founder and CEO of Fullscript
Acquisition puts Fullscript on track for US$1B in revenues: CEO
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
As his 40th birthday approaches, Kyle Braatz need not look far to find reasons to celebrate.
The co-founder and CEO of health-tech pioneer Fullscript has piloted the Ottawabased company to a position of dominance in North America’s burgeoning wellness industry. After acquiring competitor Emerson Ecologics two years ago in a deal that doubled its sales overnight, Fullscript surpassed US$700 million in revenues in 2023 and is quickly zeroing in on the coveted $1-billion milestone.
Helming a billion-dollar company would put Braatz, who was named Ottawa’s CEO of the Year in 2022 by OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade, in elite company among the city’s corporate leaders. But Braatz already joined another ultra-exclusive local business club last fall when Toronto businessman Michael Andlauer, who bought the Ottawa Senators, invited him to be part of the NHL team’s ownership group.
“It’s like you’re on this massive mission — you’re trying to do something really incredible,” says Braatz. “We’re one team trying to win a Stanley Cup. I’m a very,
very small part of that, but at least there’s a community that I can be a part of where we’re growing together and excited about the same thing.”
The University of Ottawa graduate is every bit as passionate about Fullscript’s quest to help change the way health-care treatment is administered.
The company that began 13 years ago as an online platform for dispensing vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements has morphed into an industry trailblazer in a field Braatz describes as “whole-person medicine.”
More than 100,000 physicians, nurses and other wellness professionals now use Fullscript’s technology platform to prescribe supplements and create personalized nutritional regimens and other treatment plans for 10 million patients across Canada and the United States.
With 800 employees and multiple distribution centres on both sides of the border, Fullscript is a bona fide juggernaut.
But Braatz says resting on its laurels is not an option for his company, which continues to push the boundaries of technology and is currently developing AI-powered diagnostic tools designed to
help wellness practitioners come up with nutritional plans in a matter of minutes based on lab results and other patient data.
“When you look at the tailwinds behind whole-person medicine, this is where health care is moving,” he says. “I think we’re at the forefront of this entire shift. The innovation that we’re investing in right now is going to be the standard of how whole-person medicine is practised.
“The moment we finished the integration with Emerson Ecologics, this company transformed right back to a startup. It was innovation time, and we have just knocked it out of the park. The comment one of our board members made last meeting was, ‘This is a completely different company than when I started two years ago.’”
As health-care systems across North America shift their focus toward preventing illness and disease, Fullscript seems to be in an ideal position.
Its technology is directly integrated into leading U.S. health-care delivery platforms such as Boston-based Athenahealth, whose cloud-based services include digital recordkeeping and self-scheduling systems. The number of practitioners using Fullscript has risen more than 40 per cent in the past two years, and its revenues are growing at a rate of 20 per cent annually.
But Braatz warns Fullscript can’t get complacent if it wants to cement its status as a leader in integrative medicine.
“We’re crossing that chasm,” he says. “I think we can grow faster.”
To that end, the company keeps unveiling new products, including software that is designed to give physicians deeper insights into lab results and help them prescribe better treatment plans.
Meanwhile, Fullscript recently boosted its leadership ranks with new hires aimed at accelerating its scaleup push and helping the firm attract more top-tier talent.
The company announced earlier this month it has added three new members to its executive suite: chief people officer Dennis Richter, whose background includes senior roles at Meta and Google; chief commercial officer Christopher Catallo, who has extensive experience working in the U.S. digital health industry; and general counsel Steven Eisenberg, who spent more than a decade doing similar work for prominent health-care providers in Ohio.
In addition, Heather Tyrie, who had been Fullcript’s chief talent officer since 2021, has moved into a new role as vicepresident of talent engagement.
“These are individuals who believe in the mission and believe in each other,” Braatz says. “I think we have the right mix.”
Braatz believes annual revenue growth of 30 to 40 per cent is well within reach for Fullscript. Hitting the top end of that range would put it close to the same territory that another high-flying Ottawa-based tech firm, e-commerce powerhouse Shopify, was in at the same stage of its existence.
Maybe it’s no coincidence, then, that Braatz doesn’t hesitate to mention Ottawa’s biggest tech darling of the last decade when he muses about Fullscript’s long-term prospects.
“I personally think Fullscript has the potential to be in the same conversation as FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google), the same conversation as Shopify, the same conversation as all of the big dogs,” he says.
“We can be one of the biggest companies in health care. If I believe that, then, I mean, $10 billion (in annual revenues) has to be a reality, right? Maybe $100 billion has to be a reality. But that’s a little further away.
“I know there’s so much room in this market, and we’re ripe to win,” he says. “The sky’s the limit in this business.”
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How uOttawa empowers local startup success through R&D collaborations
Building trust through collaboration: how Edge Signal and robosafety thrive with uOttawa’s R&D support
In the world of entrepreneurship, trust in partnerships can be the key to turning ideas into impactful solutions. For Edge Signal, part of the Wesley Clover portfolio, this trust was built through a transformative Research and Development (R&D) collaboration with the University of Ottawa through the lab of Dr. Burak Kantarci, full professor in the school of electrical engineering and computer science. This collaboration allowed the company to tackle significant challenges in edge computing technology, aligning with uOttawa’s commitment to fostering industry-driven innovation.
Performing data-intensive AI operations on edge devices required immense compute power, a hurdle that would have been difficult to overcome without academic expertise. “We knew there had been a lot of academic study on the subject, and we wanted to partner with a knowledgeable researcher,” says Arda Ozgun, CEO of Edge Signal and VP of Product Management at Wesley Clover.
From research to real-world impact
Through its collaboration with uOttawa, Edge Signal not only refined its AI-at-the-edge technology but also successfully commercialized it. The support provided by uOttawa was essential in making the technology secure and scalable, enabling Edge Signal to serve industries like retail, hospitality, and other businesses.
This R&D partnership also unlocked major opportunities, such as a $3M project with the Department of National Defence and collaborations with global companies, including DHL and retail firms.
The collaboration extended to academia as well. Along with other researchers, Ozgun and Dr. Kantarci co-authored a research paper on large language model (LLM)-based edge intelligence, published in IEEE Xplore, showcasing the innovative breakthroughs resulting from their work. Beyond technical advancements, Ozgun emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration. “You can’t put a price on that kind of face time, especially in the age of remote work,” he explains. “Sometimes they come to our office to work, and sometimes we go to their office. That kind of communication—having coffee together or going for a walk—only strengthens the collaboration.”
Given the impact of this collaboration, Edge Signal has
now moved to strengthen these ties with uOttawa even further by partnering to establish a University Research Chair in AI-enabled secure networking for smart critical infrastructure held by Dr. Kantarci to support continued collaborations.
Driving R&D in autonomous safety
For Robosafety, a company specializing in autonomous systems safety engineering, a chance meeting at TCXpo 2023 with Sean Geddes, uOttawa’s Director of Innovation and Partnerships, opened doors to transformative R&D opportunities. “I saw the great work they were doing at uOttawa’s Kanata North campus,” says co-founder Mary Yazdani. “Since then, we’ve started collaborating, and so far, three master’s students have joined us for R&D projects.”
This collaboration has been pivotal for Robosafety. uOttawa’s support allowed the company to access Mitacs funding more efficiently, giving them a head start on critical R&D initiatives. Beyond funding, uOttawa also positioned Robosafety as a thought leader in its field by inviting the company to participate in talks and presentations, connecting it with key players in the industry. One such introduction led to a partnership with Canada Drone Operations, further solidifying Robosafety’s leadership in autonomous safety innovation.
It happened that one of Robosafety’s collaborators, Dr. Burak Kantarci, is the founding director of uOttawa’s Smart Connected Vehicles Innovation Centre (SCVIC). These state-of-the-art facilities at the Kanata North Campus offer Robosafety access to cutting-edge computing labs and collaboration spaces that drive their R&D efforts forward.
Innovation support that delivers
At the heart of these collaborations is the dedicated uOttawa Kanata North team, which works closely with innovative companies like Edge Signal and Robosafety to support their growth. By offering access to advanced facilities and fostering connections within a thriving ecosystem, the team helps drive the success of these partnerships. Alongside them is uOttawa’s Innovation Support Services (ISS) team, which focuses on connecting industry partners with academic expertise and resources, ensuring research and innovation are brought to life through impactful collaborations.
Michael Bitz, Senior Director of ISS, explains, “Whether it’s navigating funding, providing internships, or fostering research collaborations, our goal is to create meaningful partnerships that contribute to our partners’ success.”
ISS works across diverse fields, from AI to quantum computing and autonomous systems, ensuring companies like Robosafety and Edge Signal receive tailored support to address their specific challenges. The R&D efforts at the uOttawa Kanata North campus and the work of ISS align towards a common goal: bridging the gap between academia and industry to empower startups and businesses to make a positive impact.
For his part, uOttawa’s Bitz says a successful partnership is measured by the University in one main way: when the industry partner keeps coming back for more collaboration. “That’s how we qualify success: When they’ve had a great first shot, and keep coming back to work with us,” he explains. “The whole idea is, what are we incrementally contributing to their product. That’s how we come at it.”
The role of trust in R&D success
For startups like Edge Signal and Robosafety, trust and agility are at the heart of successful collaborations with uOttawa. By fostering open communication and working closely with partners, the University helps drive cutting-edge R&D and enables local businesses to thrive globally.
Through its Innovation Support Services and the collaborative efforts with the Kanata North Campus team, uOttawa continues to strengthen the bridge between academic research and industry, ensuring that startups and businesses are equipped to create solutions with a lasting, positive impact.
Learn more about partnering with the University of Ottawa by visiting their Partner with us | Research and innovation page to explore opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Easy, right? Alexandre Synnett helps the feds tackle AI, fix the Phoenix pay system
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
No can accuse Alexandre Synnett of easing his way into the National Capital Region’s tech scene.
After a decades-long career in senior finance roles at the National Bank of Canada and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in his hometown of Montreal, Synnett decided 18 months ago it was time to take on a new challenge.
In June 2023, Synnett joined global IT giant CGI as senior vice-president of its Ottawa office. The 48-year-old executive — who briefly played professional hockey in France before returning to Canada and eventually earning an MBA from the University of Montreal — now splits his time between his hometown and the National Capital Region.
Not surprisingly, one of Synnett’s biggest clients is the federal government, which is working with CGI on a series of key files, including replacing the troubled Phoenix pay system and implementing AI strategies.
Recently, Synnett took part in a live discussion on LinkedIn focused on how AI is affecting the delivery of public services. The panel also included the senior federal official in charge of overhauling Phoenix, Public Services and Procurement Canada associate deputy minister Alex Benay.
Synnett spoke with Techopia’s David Sali about CGI’s role in helping the government implement AI and fix Phoenix. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
DS: Tell me a little about CGI and your role at the company.
AS: We often say that we’re one of the bestkept secrets (in tech). When we tell people that we’re one of the largest independent
IT and business consulting groups in the world with 91,000 partners, people go, ‘Oh, wow. I didn’t know that.’
I am responsible for all activities that go through the (National Capital Region). We are structured by physical region. It enables us to have a better understanding of the clients and our ecosystem needs in terms of digital transformation, in terms of technology expertise. When we engage with the public sector, we want to be seen as bringing the experts to the table and accelerating their digital transformation for the benefit of Canadian citizens around innovative technology such as AI. At the end of the day, there are three elements we’re trying to achieve: modernize the government; (implement) AI and innovative technologies; and run a digitalfirst modernization of the operation of the government.
DS: From your perspective, what are the biggest issues facing the feds as they try to implement AI?
AS: The key elements for public-sector (clients) across the world are three things: AI; digital modernization — how to be cheaper, faster, better; and cybersecurity. These are entangled together. If you don’t
a lot of data, so that’s a key element. The second one would be around our ability to do proof of concepts. The government has been trying to use some of these AI innovations and test them. The question is: which ones have been followed through up to the implementation phase? This is where it gets a little more tricky, but I think it can be solved. We’ve worked with Alex Benay on a data tool that is in production right now and is being monitored and tested. To be fair, it takes a lot of work. We need to remove some of the (roadblocks) to get these innovations (implemented). All of the guardrails need to be in place so that the focus is on the right things.
DS: There is, of course, typically a lot of red tape involved in dealing with the government. What challenges does that pose when trying to implement new technologies?
“We’re helping civil servants to get the proper pay — it’s a key for us.”
have a defined modernization road map, it’s hard to build an AI (strategy). All of these things relate to one another. That’s what we’re trying to solve. For AI in the public sector, one of the key elements is data — making sure data (has strong) foundations, so that you have the ability to get the right data at the right time with the right level of quality to do these analyses. The type of AI they want to use will require
AS: One of the key challenges is the procurement process. I think the government could leverage the expertise of its partners a lot more to define solutions. To find solutions, how do we leverage all the expertise that’s available? I think there’s an opportunity for the government to do that in a different manner than what’s being done right now. The procurement process is very rigid, and it’s there for good reasons. But to have better solutions at the end for all Canadians, we need to make sure we leverage all the expertise around the table.
DS: What’s going on with the process of replacing Phoenix?
AS: Working on (solving the problem) is not an easy task, with all the chaos that was going on. But for us, we felt we had the right team and the right expertise to help with this. We’re helping civil servants to get the proper pay — it’s a key for us. The PSPC group has done a lot of fully transparent sessions, with questions from the public and civil servants. The algorithm that we are using and all the coding is being published. Everything has been done with 100 per cent transparency. In that case, I think it’s the right thing. The team from the government is extremely talented. It’s a good partnership and a great team. With (help from) our experts, they will be able to solve this backlog. We are fully aware of what happened, and we are happy to be here to help make this a better situation than it is right now.
Winter differently on Prince Edward Island
Province declares itself an undiscovered gem for a different kind of Canadian winter.
Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) is a special place in the minds of visitors known for its iconic landscapes, traditions and characters. Whether it’s the red soil and rolling hills, sandy beaches, world-class potatoes and oysters, or Anne of Green Gables, P.E.I. has a unique appeal. Now, the province is inviting visitors to discover a new side of its charm: the magic of winter on Prince Edward Island.
Traditionally known as a summer tourist destination, more P.E.I. operators are choosing to extend their seasons or stay open year-round, offering experiences in all seasons.
“If they’re not open year-round, they’re open longer into the shoulder seasons on each side,” says Al Douglas, photographer and P.E.I. resident. Douglas was born on the Island and still calls it home. He’s noticed in the last few years that the tourism sector has evolved to offer more winter attractions, catering to people of all ages with events, food, and outdoor activities.
“We get plenty of snow here, and we do a good job of enjoying it,” says Stephanie McQuaid, part time RN, photographer, and longtime resident. “P.E.I. has amazing trails for cross country skiing, winter biking, or just being out in nature on a winter hike.” She notes while the Island doesn’t have mountains, there are still hills for skiing and snowshoeing (loaners available from provincial libraries, rec departments and participating places to stay).
For those looking to relax and rejuvenate, winter retreats provide the opportunity to indulge in a Nordic spa experience, join a restorative yoga class, be guided on a therapeutic forest walk or simply cozy up in front of a fire or snuggle a goat at a local farm.
Whether you seek outdoor adventure, winter culinary, family fun or all the above, Prince Edward Island offers the perfect winter getaway.
Oyster capital of Canada
As the oyster capital of Canada, P.E.I. fishers keep harvesting even after the water freezes. “Oysters are best in the winter” according to McQuaid, who recommends Tranquility Cove Adventures. “They’ll take you out onto the ice, cut a hole, and let you tong the oysters yourself. You learn to shuck them right there in your own personal ice shack. It’s honestly the best oyster I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve had plenty.”
In January, Winterdine offers up exquisite three course meals at restaurants throughout the capital city. Menus feature local produce prepared by some of the best chefs in the country. Did you know that P.E.I. is home to a host of talented chefs, many of whom perfect their skill at the renowned Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown.
In late February, the P.E.I. Beer Festival unites brewers from across the east coast for a celebration of the craft, with food, music, and endless brews to sample.
Over the Family Day weekend in February, the Jack Frost Winter Festival transforms Charlottetown into a winter wonderland for kids of all ages. It’s like a magical snow globe with soaring tube runs, horse & sleigh rides, buskers, ice carving and live music, including Atlantic Canada’s top Taylor Swift tribute band.
Even in winter, P.E.I. is known as Canada’s Food Island where you can always choose fresh over frozen – think tender mussels, baked potatoes, rich cheeses and melted butter. Douglas, who focuses his work on food, encourages people to explore every nook and cranny of the Island for winter culinary delights to enjoy.
What makes P.E.I. winter different from the rest of Canada? According to Douglas, its charm stems
from the fact that it remains an undiscovered gem. P.E.I. is a winter destination that offers the chance to walk a snow-covered beach or two – or do a polar bear dip – and take time to reflect. “Yes, it’s cold, yes, it’s snowy, but it’s really peaceful, and that’s classic P.E.I..” McQuaid agrees, adding: “We have cool stuff happening, great food and amazing accommodations. P.E.I. doesn’t hibernate in winter.”
Whether you seek outdoor adventure, winter culinary, family fun or all the above, Prince Edward Island offers the perfect winter getaway.
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CHEO gala recognizes many achievements, looks to the future
BY MIA JENSEN mia@obj.ca
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at nine months old, Kellen Schleyer spent much of his childhood within the walls of CHEO, Ottawa’s local children’s hospital.
“I started physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy,” Schleyer, now 22 years old, told OBJ. “That’s kind of where it began. I went to the (CHEO School) for my kindergarten years, where I learned how to use different technologies. I got my first ever wheelchair and I was at CHEO for all my doctors appointments and all my surgeries. They supported me along the way.”
Schleyer was the featured speaker at CHEO’s annual gala at the National Art Gallery, an event to reflect on the hospital’s achievements, celebrate its patients, and recognize the contributions of community members who have supported the organization.
Patients, donors and CHEO representatives donned their formal suits, dresses and high heels to enjoy the cocktail hour and three-course meal with the view of Parliament Hill lit up in the backdrop.
“It’s an event that we’ve had circled on the calendar for months,” Steve Read, president and CEO of CHEO Foundation, told OBJ. “It’s such a nice opportunity to celebrate the community’s generosity and kindness towards the kids at CHEO, to share a little about our plans and what we have ahead of us.”
To support its fundraising goals, the foundation has selected a cabinet of community leaders, including three cochairs: Neil Malhotra, vice-president of Claridge Homes; Kyle Braatz, co-founder and CEO of Fullscript; and Rachel Braatz, a family law lawyer.
“I think it’s one of the most important institutions in Ottawa,” Malhotra told OBJ
“To me, youth is the most important thing. The city has more than doubled in the time since CHEO was built and kids’ issues are greater and greater every day. It’s very important that we as a community put money in to make sure we’re able to have a bright future for kids that need the help, whatever the issues are.”
The hospital is undergoing a significant redevelopment and expansion to meet growing demands for services.
“The hospital was built 50 years ago,” said Emily Jamieson, vice-president of corporate philanthropy and community engagement for CHEO Foundation. “At that time, the Ottawa community was much smaller and operated a much smaller catchment. Fast forward to today … kids are waiting longer than they ever have before.”
The expansion will see a redevelopment of the entire CHEO campus, including renovations of existing buildings, as well as the construction of a new 220,000-squarefoot building. Jamieson said this work will allow the hospital to expand its footprint by 50 per cent.
The foundation has already committed $220 million to the redevelopment of the CHEO campus. Jamieson said the entire redevelopment project wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community.
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A standing ovation for Schleyer. PHOTO BY MIA JENSEN
The CHEO Gala organizing committee. PHOTO BY MIA JENSEN
Former CHEO patient Kellen Schleyer was the featured speaker at the annual CHEO Gala at the National Gallery. PHOTO BY MIA JENSEN
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RBC’s Marjolaine Hudon receives lifetime award from Women’s Business Network
Marjolaine Hudon’s time in Ottawa may have come to an end, but the women of the local business community saw fit to send her off with one final honour.
Hudon, the former RBC regional president for Ontario North and East who is moving on to another senior position in Quebec, received the 2024 lifetime achievement award at the Businesswoman of the Year Awards Gala, hosted by the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa at the Infinity Convention Centre.
Fifteen Ottawa businesswomen were finalists across five different categories, recognizing their contributions to the community and their organizations, as well as their leadership and innovation.
The lifetime achievement award recognizes a woman who is seen by her peers and in the community as a leader and an inspiration.
“I just wanted to help people that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” Hudon said in her acceptance speech. “I feel so privileged because that is what I’ve been doing for 30 years and I had that opportunity to do this with amazing colleagues.”
LOCAL BUSINESSWOMEN HONOURED
The awards received a record number of nominations this year, according to chair Mira Yasiri
“The selection committee had an incredibly hard time trying to decide on who the finalists are,” she said. “Every year, they’re absolutely fantastic, the best of the best. I think what occurred in the last few years is that the reputation, the calibre, the recognition and just the expansion of the categories has allowed more individuals to be recognized and, as a result, it opens up the door to some of the women in our community that we otherwise never heard about.”
While women have made significant strides over 41 years since the awards began,
they still make up only a fraction of those in executive leadership positions and corporate boards, said Karen Wilson, president of the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa.
“There’s so much talent and creativity,” Wilson said. “I did a bit of a happy dance when I saw the list of finalists and it’s because I know so many of their names and their stories. This is a group of women who are just phenomenal and they deserve to be known for what they’re doing. That is, I think, one of the reasons why this is my favourite event of the year.”
Of the record number of nominations, 15 were named finalists and the winners across five categories were announced at the gala Thursday.
Wendy Leung, volunteer executive director of Foodsharing Ottawa, received the community impact award, which recognizes the volunteer efforts of women who enact positive change on their organization and community. She was
a finalist alongside Michèle Corriveau, a chiropractor and technical lead at Curavita Health Group and founder of a chiropractic clinic at The Ottawa Mission; and Christine Romulus, a hospitalist at Queensway Carleton Hospital and owner of Dr. Christina MD Clinic.
Tonya Bruin received the emerging entrepreneurial leader award, which recognizes women operating growing, profitable businesses for 10 years or less. Bruin is the founder of two companies, To Do Done Renovations and Evolta Electric Inc. She was a finalist alongside Michelle Massunken, co-owner of MindSpa Mental Health Centre; and Natalie Cox, president and co-owner of CPI Interiors.
Jenny Mitchell, founder of leadership company Chavender, won the established entrepreneurial leader award, which recognizes women with more than 10 years of experience running a successful, profitable business. She was nominated
alongside Sue Hameed, founder of Platinum Mortgages Ottawa under Mortgage Architects and Mortgages with Sue; and Diana Lidstone, a coach and consultant for entrepreneurs.
Delphine Haslé, executive director and chief development officer of Perley Health Foundation, received the award for enterprise leadership. The category recognizes exceptional leaders who drive innovation in their organization and make a difference in their field or community. She was a finalist alongside Sue Perron, the first female CEO of Intersol Ltd.; and Laura Tippett, global mobility adviser and partner at KPMG.
In the lifetime achievement category, Hudon was nominated alongside Karla Briones, founder and principal of KB Consulting; and Nancy Graham, who is transitioning from a 20-year tenure with PWL Capital.
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By Mia Jensen
From left: Wendy Leung, Tonya Bruin, Jenny Mitchell, Delphine Haslé, and Marjolaine Hudon. PHOTO BY MIA JENSEN
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REGIONAL ROADTRIPS
Regional Roadtrips is an editorial feature focused on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario. The column is supported by Star Motors, Ottawa’s original Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes Van dealer.
Picture-perfect Almonte is home to many successful business ventures
BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET news@obj.ca
If you’re looking for a photogenic destination, why not follow the lead of many movie crews and head to Almonte?
These days, renting out their homes and businesses for “meet cute” scenes is a source of extra cash for many locals.
Scott and Heather Campbell, who moved from Ottawa to Almonte at the beginning of the pandemic, are among them. The family’s 1830s stone house has served as a movie set, as has The Sterling restaurant (28 Mill St.), which they opened in 2022.
The Sterling is just one in a long line of Almonte startups. Back in 1998, local entrepreneurs Craig and Amber Hall launched fair-trade Equator Coffee Roasters. In 2019, it attained a B Corp certification. Equator’s coffee shop on Almonte’s eastern edge (451 Ottawa St.) is a pleasant place to start your day trip.
Across the road from Equator is another ethical-sourcing operation, Hummingbird Chocolate (476 Ottawa St.). Plan ahead if you want to join one of the popular
45-minute tours on Saturdays.
A two-minute drive from Hummingbird brings you to another Almonte success story. Omid McDonald opened Dairy Distillery (34 Industrial Dr.) in 2018 to make vodka from dairy byproducts. Its Almonte shop offers tastings. Leave time to meander through the shops lining picturesque Mill Street. And if you’d like to learn about Almonte’s 19th-century industrial roots, don’t miss the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (3 Rosamond St. E.).
You’ll probably work up an appetite with all of this touring. You could nosh on sweet and savoury crepes at Mill Street Crepe Company (14 Mill St.) or stop by Baker Bob’s (75 Little Bridge St.) for pastries and sandwiches. Fans of Italian fare can choose from two restaurants in heritage buildings: Café Postino (73 Mill St.) and Joe’s Italian Kitchen in a Victorian mill building (7 Mill St.).
Award-winning Ottawa travel writer Laura Byrne Paquet shares her sightseeing tips for Eastern Ontario and beyond on her website, Ottawa Road Trips.
ABOVE: Dining nook at The Sterling. PHOTO SUPPLIED. BELOW: Almonte’s Old Town Hall, now an event venue, was built in 1885. PHOTO BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET.
Tourism businesses get creative in face of warmer winters
BY JOSEPH COPPOLINO news@obj.ca
Winter tourism businesses in Eastern Ontario are bracing for uncertainty as increasingly unpredictable weather patterns disrupt the cold, snowy conditions on which their seasonal operations rely.
Shifting climate patterns, along with shorter, milder and more erratic winters, are forcing many tourism operators to rethink their strategies.
Recent data from Environment and Climate Change Canada reveal a warming trend in Eastern Ontario, with the 2023-24 winter season seeing only 60 per cent of the typical annual snowfall and temperatures
four degrees warmer than average.
These changes pose challenges for operators like Tom Irwin, who runs his namesake motorsport tour company out of Calabogie.
Irwin’s snowmobile tours, once an important part of his business’s winter offerings for the better part of a decade, have been rebranded as “winter excursions” to manage expectations.
“I tell everybody that books snowmobile tours that if there isn’t sufficient snow to do it safely, our second choice will be a winter ATV tour,” Irwin explained. “It’s just what you kind of have to do to get by.”
The impact has been significant: Irwin hasn’t made a profit from snowmobile
tours in two years, relying instead on his off-season ATV tours to cover expenses.
Up to a quarter of his regular clients from Ottawa and Toronto have stopped coming, likely due to the unpredictable snow conditions.
“People who are born and raised in Canada are used to snowy conditions and instead of booking in advance, they’re waiting until the last minute,” said Irwin. “If there’s no snow, they don’t want to go out there.”
For international tourists, however, the focus remains on having a Canadian winter experience — snowmobile or not.
“They all want to do the snowmobiles and we’ll do whatever we have to do to get them
out there because they’re only in Canada for a limited amount of time,” he said.
For Irwin, a self-identified “die-hard” snowmobiler, keeping the snowmobile tours is as much a matter of principle as business.
“As long as I can afford to do it, I’ll keep doing it.”
UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER, UNPREDICTABLE BOOKINGS
Joe Spence, owner of Blue Rock Charters in Kingston, faced a similar dilemma last winter when an early spring thaw cut his ice fishing season short. Shifting to boat tours in mid-February — weeks earlier than usual — proved challenging.
“Last winter was probably the most impactful we’ve had,” Spence recalled. “I had to work with my insurance company because they don’t normally let me run the boat super late or super early in the season.”
When the ice thinned earlier than expected, Spence cancelled several trips due to safety concerns. Ice fishing, which
Snowmobile tours have been an important part of Tom Irwin’s winter offerings for the better part of a decade. PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM IRWIN.
can accommodate groups of up to eight, shifted to boat fishing, which is far more limited.
“On the ice, I can do bigger groups at a lower cost because I just need to bring more gear,” he explained. “But in a boat, I need to get a buddy to team up with me and cover the extra costs.”
Additionally, clients often come specifically for ice fishing, especially for species like walleye in the Bay of Quinte, for which the season ends March 1. Convincing groups to pivot to boat fishing for a different catch at a later date has proven difficult.
“You have to try and convince a group of six to split up and fish for something they weren’t originally asking for,” Spence said.
Client behaviour is less predictable for Spence as well, who dealt with more cancellations than usual last winter, something he chalked up to safety concerns. Despite the ice being thick enough to safely fish, clients became reluctant as temperatures got warmer.
“I don’t normally take deposits ... but I’ve been debating whether or not I should,” said Spence, reflecting on the number of cancellations he had to deal with last season. “I can’t keep losing business.”
As for this season, Spence doesn’t take much stock in weather predictions. Every year he monitors the temperatures of his fishing lakes to get an indication of when
they might freeze over.
So far, he thinks it might be another late start to the ice fishing season.
“Right now, the water is around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius on most of the lakes; that includes the lakes north of Kingston, Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte,” Spence said. “That is really warm for this time of year.”
IN IT TOGETHER
Nicole Whiting, executive director of the Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization, the regional tourism organization that covers from the bottom of Algonquin Park to Ottawa’s doorstep, sees a sector-wide adaptation happening, with businesses focusing on the shoulder seasons rather than relying solely on the region’s traditionally cold and snowy winters.
“We’re capitalizing on the longer fall shoulder season,” said Whiting. “We’re looking at how we can diversify, how we can better anticipate that unpredictability.”
Whiting is confident the region’s tourism industry is ready for whatever this season has to bring.
“What we are hearing isn’t doom and gloom,” said Whiting. “Maybe it’s our rural character, but we have a knack for getting creative and innovative when times are tough.”
“We have a really strong industry that supports one another and explores new ideas,” added Whiting. “That’s what positions us well to adapt to the changes.”
International tourists are especially fond of snowmobile tours. PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM IRWIN.
