Eastern Ontario is a hub of manufacturing, design and construction. We zoom in on the companies, including Ross Video, that keep things growing and moving across the region.
Discover these teams that sell their goods around the world.
Ross Video lights up screens in places far and wide.
Construction Projects such as Chalk River require diverse trades. Maybe there’s a job for you.
Answer these questions to determine whether a career in design, construction or manufacturing is a fit for you.
Learn about the region’s hottest job prospects
Celine Paquette
Great River Media, PO Box 91585 Ottawa, ON K1W 1K0
STUFF Made and Built in Eastern Ontario is published by Great River Media. This publication contains information considered accurate at the time of printing. However, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the written permission of the publisher.
Have story ideas or feedback for STUFF, contact us at: Terry Tyo, 613-601-9734 or terry@greatriver.ca
Welcome to STUFF, where we showcase the booming manufacturing and building industries in Eastern Ontario by zooming in on these key questions: What is made, designed or built locally, who’s making it and what kinds of exciting jobs and careers are available?
All along the St. Lawrence Seaway and across the Ottawa Valley there’s a renaissance happening. Hundreds of new companies are popping up and our base of world-class operations is expanding. Companies such as Ross Video, in Iroquois — a soon-to-be billion-dollar company — is designing and manufacturing cutting-edge video equipment for the major sports leagues and entertainment industry. Or, Voltari, a new company in Merrickville that has recently launched its self-described Tesla of electric boats. Get the scoop on these companies and many more in our article featuring 35 surprising things made right here. (See page 6.)
In this issue, you’ll also meet some of the talented people behind these success stories: inventors, entrepreneurs and craftspeople who have recognized that change brings huge opportunities and are building new careers and companies. For example, in our focus on construction story (on page 26), we investigate what kinds of tradespeople will be needed to build Canada’s giant nuclear lab just west of Ottawa.
In this period of global uncertainty, structural changes such as onshoring (bringing local companies’ processes home) and sustainability are accelerating innovation and growth. This is opening up thousands of new career opportunities, some very highly paid. To help you understand the options, we invite you to check out our local industry workforce data (pages 34 to 39) to find out what jobs and careers pay, are in the most demand and show the most growth potential. There’s even a fun quiz to help you figure out what career might be right for you (see page 40.)
An explosion of new technologies and fresh ideas is revolutionizing what, how and why things are made and fuelling exciting developments such as the maker movement. Makers — do-it-yourselfers, inventors and crafters — are using new technologies (such as 3D printing or direct-to-consumer Shopify stores) to compete in a sector long dominated by large production factories. So, if you are a creative type, now may be the time to consider these industries. (Check out page 39 to see some of the growing array of creative careers available.)
We hope this issue gives you a fresh look at the challenges and opportunities in our region and reinforces how important these sectors are to maintaining safe and prosperous communities. Thanks to our many project partners (see page 55) for helping us collect and share this important information once again this year. And remember, whenever possible, buy local.
Eastern Ontario is famous for its diverse manufacturing base. Whether it’s food products grown and harvested in the Ottawa Valley or major industrial operations along the St. Lawrence Seaway, there’s a lot to love in this year’s list of things made and built right here.
For nearly 20 years, Competition
Composites Inc. (CCI) has manufactured composite products for, as its website promises, “pretty much anything you can imagine” for clients all over the world. The list includes panels for bus shelters, emergency shelters and utility structures, tanks of all shapes and sizes for aquaculture and hydroponics and radomes, which protect radar antennas, for use high in the sky or under water. Inside its 18,000-square foot Arnprior facility, CCI’s big push these days is narrower and decidedly regional in scope. It is building components — the hulls, decks, consoles and bimini struts — for an innovative line of carbon fibre electric boats being produced by Merrickville’s Voltari Marine Electric.
There’s a good chance that somewhere in your home, you own a product with at least one semiconductor chip made by TSMC. The Taiwanese-headquartered chip manufacturer staked its claim in business in the late 1980s when only a handful of large companies had the capacity to produce computer chips, but many more needed them. It opened its design centre in Kanata in 2007 with an initial staff of 20, and now employs a team of 60 strong. The company itself, meanwhile, is a global semiconductor giant. Its technology is used across the high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and automotive markets.
Northern Cables Inc. is a Canadianowned and -operated wire and cable manufacturer specializing in armoured cables, in copper and aluminum conductors. These power cables are manufactured across three Eastern Ontario factories — one in Prescott and two in Brockville, employing more than 270 people — and used in a multitude of commercial and industrial applications across Canada and the United States. What’s more, Northern Cables is deeply committed to supporting its domestic supply chain. It sources all of its base materials — aluminum, copper and plastics — from North America.
Accessory designer Mariclaro is on a mission. Its goal: to show the world that there’s just as much beauty to be gained — and a far better story to tell — through the use of repurposed materials. From its studio in Snow Road Station, Mariclaro’s team of four sources, designs, stitches and sells bags and accessories made from reclaimed fabrics from aircraft and automobile interiors. Each piece is unique. Those made from reclaimed luxury cars even show the vehicle identification number
and mileage of the car at the end of its service life. For its efforts, the company received a Globe Award for Environmental Excellence for best green Canadian product.
Hawkesbury’s Tulmar Safety Systems designs, manufactures and distributes engineered protective textiles, survivability and safety products for a variety of aerospace, defence and public security applications. Its products are the kind most people don’t see every day: inflatable shelters for emergency responders; nettings, tarps and protective covers for military vehicles and cargo nets for commercial airliners. The company’s newly released Galeo tactical life preserver, for example, is a personal flotation system for special operations forces in Canada and the United States. For safety of an entirely different nature, Tulmar also manufactures restraint kits for unruly airline passengers.
Cornwall’s Fieldless Farms has a goal: to help Canada reduce its $48-billion-a-year dependency on food imports, and to bolster national food security. If that sounds like a tall order, consider that the startup is starting small. It’s taking a bite out of Canada’s $500-million annual lettuce trade deficit (the largest in the world.) From its indoor farming facility on Boundary Road, Fieldless Farms grows and distributes hundreds of thousands of pounds of leafy greens annually to major retailers such as Farm Boy, and it does so in highly controlled environments, using renewable energy and without introducing herbicides or pesticides.
In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments turned to modular construction for the rapid assembly of mobile health units (MHU) that could serve those patients most affected by the virus. Ottawa’s MetaLigna was among those companies certified and contracted to supply such units. It could deploy a 200-bed MHU in just 21 days. Today, with the worst of the pandemic (hopefully) past, the modular solutions provider has turned its attention to other lines of business. From its Arnprior manufacturing facility, MetaLigna is also building threeseason homes for resorts in Ontario, Quebec and the northern United States, and is about to launch a line of tiny homes for deployment anywhere. It does all this with a novel approach founded on innovation, efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Kingston's Swidget is rethinking smart-home electrical switches and outlets. The company designs and manufactures those devices with a series of interchangeable smart-sensor inserts to serve an almost endless series of purposes. Need to dim the lights? Check. Turn on the bathroom fan once you’re in the shower? No problem. Concerned about how your elderly parents can manage in their home alone? Swidget learns their behaviour and notifies you if anything changes. The company has caught the attention of celebrity renovator Mike Holmes, who plans to use Swidget products on a forthcoming TV series. It also recently partnered with Panasonic for exclusive retail distribution of its products across North America.
Kichesippi Beer founders Paul Meek, his late wife Kelly and their son Alexander had a vision for the brewery they launched in 2010: to make enjoying one of their beers as much a part of the Ottawa experience as skating on the Rideau Canal or visiting the Parliament Buildings. That’s part of the reason each Kichesippi beer tells a story. Its flagship 1855 Amber Ale is a nod to the year Ottawa was born; the Stony Monday India Pale Ale is a salute to 1849 riots in the now ByWard Market; and Warrior Woman is a tribute to Kelly’s own life and legacy, with a portion of every sale donated to Canadian charities that empower women.
10What’s the buzz? At her small apiary in Brockville, Made
By Bees founder Priscilla Everett keeps herself busy as a, well, bee. There’s not much in the way of products from the industrious insect that she doesn’t sell from her farm and through her online store. Honey, of course, is popular. So too are Made By Bees’ lines of soaps, its beeswax wraps for storing food, and its new-to-launch line of gift baskets. Just about everything that comes off her farm and out of her shop is crafted in some way by Everett, who’s always buzzing with innovative ideas.
11Veggie eats and more Hain Celestial will soon celebrate the grand opening of a new manufacturing plant in Quinte West. The New-York based business, which manufactures organic food and personal care products, announced the opening of its newest facility in 2020. The 35,000-square foot plant just outside Belleville, which is officially run by a Canadian subsidiary, produces products for as many 25 different consumer brands. Among them are Yves Veggie Cuisine, Terra Chips and Live Clean personal care products, which are formulated with at least 97 per cent plant-based and naturally derived ingredients.
Ottawa’s Dustbane Products has a long history of innovation behind it. Launched in 1908 by one of the city’s more famous entrepreneurs, Chester Everett Pickering, the company hung out its shingle on the strength of a floorsweeping compound called Dustbane. More than a century later, it’s evolved to offer more than 125 products and more than 110 pieces of equipment to customers across a variety of sectors: retail, office and government, industrial, education and more. The company has developed a line of products that are effective against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, as well as a number of other products that are environmentally friendly, non-toxic or biodegradable.
Most people probably wouldn’t associate the word “innovation” with the word “bacon,” but the staff at Olymel’s food-processing plant in Cornwall certainly do. With an employee base of more than 600, the plant produces several kinds of bacon — regular, hickory and low-sodium — in fresh-sliced and pre-cooked formats for consumer retail as well as institutional markets. Work at the plant happens with the use of stateof-the-art technology that not only makes manufacturing safer, more efficient and of a higher quality, but which also help to reduce carbon emissions. All that for breakfast!
3M is known for its lines of products: adhesives, cleaning products, office and school supplies and much more. The company has a strong presence in Eastern Ontario, with six plants employing 600 people. Four of those plants are located in Perth. Collectively, they produce a range of consumer products, such as Scotch Brite sponges and lint rollers, as well as a variety of highstrength tapes, filament tapes and packaging tapes. Across its remaining plants in Brockville, 3M’s focus is more industrial. Here is where the company produces personal safety products such as N95 masks, powered-air purifying respirators, as well as masking tape and the backing adhesive for its Post-It Extreme Notes.
Kruger Products proudly boasts that it is the No. 1 manufacturer of tissue products in the country. From its plant in Trenton, about 200 employees produce the company’s line of away-from-home products. These include facial tissues, kitchen towels, bath tissue, napkins and hard-wound towels (the kind often found in bathroom towel dispensers) for commercial applications, the majority of which are made from recycled fibres. Although business dipped when the COVID-19 pandemic forced people away from commercial spaces, Kruger has doubled its capacity in Trenton in the past five years and is always looking to hire.
Got vinyl? Cornwall’s Morbern certainly does. The company has more than 50 years' worth of experience designing and manufacturing coated fabrics — such as decorative vinyl upholstery — for the contract, health care, hospitality, automotive, trucking, transportation and marine markets. There’s a long history of innovation at Morbern. The company counts a series of breakthroughs in its locker, including its latest release, Koolfab, which, as the name suggests, stays cool by reflecting the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them. For its efforts, Morbern was named among Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2020 and 2021.
You’ll likely know the Fulton family name for its sugar shack and maple farm in Pakenham. The family has been tapping maples on the property since 1840. A lot has changed since then and a lot has changed even in the past two years. The family has adapted its business model to include a greater focus on online sales and wholesale distribution of gourmet products. Of course, its popular maple syrup still anchors the business; alongside are bath and body products, BBQ sauces, granolas and pancake mixes. And everything at Fulton’s is still proudly local, with the company preferring to source from, and supply its products to, businesses across Eastern Ontario.
Roseburg Forest Products is comparatively new to Pembroke — the company expanded into town in 2018 — but it has made a giant impact in a short time. With a workforce of more than 200, it is one of the largest local employers. And for every job created at its plant, the company estimates it influences 10 others in the community, from suppliers to caterers to retailers. Roseburg’s main focus in Eastern Ontario is on creating medium-density fibreboard products that are then sold to other manufacturers who turn them into cabinets, flooring, shelving, furniture and more. Plus, every product at the Pembroke plant is made from waste from other manufacturers, meaning that 100 per cent of its inputs come from pre-consumer recycled materials.
If you’ve eaten an egg recently, chances are good it came from Burnbrae Farms. The company is a sixthgeneration, family-owned and operated business that is one of the largest egg farmers in the country. Burnbrae employs more than 1,000 people across five provinces, with more than 300 working in its head office in Lyn and processing facility in nearby Brockville. Shell eggs are, of course, the biggest product line coming out the Brockville facility. Also popular are Burnbrae’s sous-vide EGG Bites!, Simply Egg Whites and pre-cooked EGGS2go.
There’s a lot going on at the KI Canada plant in Pembroke. For one, this is a stand-alone division of KI International, which is a major manufacturer of custom furniture and wall solutions based in Green Bay, Wis. At the 265,000-square-foot Pembroke plant, the company employs more than 500 people and turns raw materials into finished products for use in commercial, contract, industrial and educational environments around the world. Those include tables, chairs, privacy screens and other workspace furnishings. The Pembroke facility has proudly been named KI’s plant of the year on several occasions, thanks in part to its commitment to lean principles and its deeply experienced workforce.
DRS Technologies Canada designs, manufactures and tests a wide range of military communications, electro-optics, surveillance and sensorsignal processing systems for naval and ground applications. The company itself is a subsidiary of Leonardo DRS, which is a major supplier of products and technologies to the United States military as well as to other government intelligence agencies and contractors worldwide. From its facility in Ottawa, DRS employs about 350 people and is a Transport Canadacertified manufacturer of cockpit voice recorders, flight data recorders and emergency locator beacons for fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Imagine cruising along the open water at a speed in excess of 100 kilometres per hour in absolute silence and without emitting a puff of pollution. Enter Voltari’s electric boat. Designed by partners Cam Heaps and Tim Markou, and constructed — to order — in Merrickville, the boats feature carbon bodies (made in Arnprior by Composition Composites) and electric motors with seven battery packs that boast a 200-mile range on a single charge and are virtually maintenance free. No wonder these men are talking about their product as “the future of boating.”
Dynamo Playgrounds believes there’s more to a playground than just a place to play. Playgrounds are spaces where kids learn, connect with nature, de-stress, make friends and go on adventures. From the company’s operations in Plantagenet, Dynamo Playgrounds designs and develops a range of play products: swings, rope courses, frame nets and rotating climbers for use in parks of all sizes in more than 50 countries worldwide. Its latest offering, the Nature’s Aura series, is made with Douglas fir for enhanced hardness and water resistance, and with a wide range of slides, spinners, panels and climbing features for optimal customization.
The trip from Eganville to Algonquin Park is maybe 90 minutes by car. So it’s not surprising that the park has been a major source of inspiration for Wild Canadian Tea founder and president Kim Elkington. It is where she drew inspiration for creating lines of herbal teas made with and inspired by the plants that grow in the park’s 1.9 million acres. The company’s Algonquin Collection features such ingredients as pine, sweet gale and raspberry leaf, all of which are ethically wild harvested, handpicked and certified organic. A portion of profits are donated to programs that help Indigenous communities access clean water.
Cornwall’s ZipGrow is all about empowerment. Their mission is to change the future of food, and they’re doing so by empowering everyday consumers to grow food anywhere they choose at any time of the year. The company’s indoor farming systems use hydroponics and centre around ZipGrow’s Tower design, which allows for significant yield indoors, where space is often at a premium. ZipGrow offers solutions for every type of farmer, from the family grower looking to access fresh, affordable produce year-round to the business producer, who would turn to the ZipPod for larger scale container farming.
It wasn’t long after microbiologist Alain Ménard and his biochemist wife Karen Clark learned they were expecting their first child that the couple cleaned house. They purged their cupboards of all the cleaning products and cosmetics that were loaded with harmful chemicals, and began making their own, all-natural products. That was in 2002. Twenty years later, Green Beaver has products on the shelves of just about every health food store in Canada, and supplies to major retailers (and e-tailers) worldwide. From a mineral-based sunscreen to the world’s first aluminum-free anti-perspirant (and more), every one of their all-natural products is formulated out of the company plant in Hawkesbury.
The Lactalis Canada site in Winchester has a legacy of more than 100 years. This is where the dairy giant produces some of its best-known, award-winning products: Lactantia Butter, Black Diamond Cheese, Cracker Barrel and Balderson cheeses. Over that century-plus of production, Lactalis has come to be known as a key employer (nearly 300 people work at the site) and an important contributor to the local economy through its support of local farmers. Balderson Cheese celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2021, and just last summer, its five-year-old cheddar took home top honours at the 2022 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition.
Frulact isn’t a name most people know, but chances are, you’ve eaten its products at least once. The global company’s business is supplying what it calls “added-value ingredients” for the food and beverage industry. In lay terms, that means making and supplying the fruit preparations, plant-based and other specialty ingredients that go into consumer products such as yogurt. From its recently expanded plant in Kingston, Frulact’s team of 90 is also deeply involved in research and development, quality control and taste testing for new flavours such as tzatziki, strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream.
From its operations on Fenton Road in Ottawa, HealthCraft Products designs and manufactures a wide range of assisted devices that not only help prevent falls, but also allow people to move about their homes and living spaces with confidence. Its range of poles, grab bars and rails can be installed just about anywhere, while lines of bath and bed safety products target more specific needs. HealthCraft sells direct to consumers, while also working with medical equipment stores, access remodelers, occupational therapists and architects. The company estimates its products have helped nearly two million people worldwide prevent more than 900 million falls.
Canarm is a global marketer and manufacturer of lighting and air-moving products for the residential and agricultural markets. The company operates what it calls its HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) centre of excellence from its facility of nearly 150,000 square feet in Brockville. This is where Canarm designs, tests and builds ventilation equipment for industrial, commercial and residential applications across North America. Think blowers, jet fans and controls. It’s proud to boast one of the best manufacturing lead times in the industry, and is targeting further growth across North America.
Business at Cornwall’s Laminacorr is booming. The company, which is the only Canadian-owned independent manufacturer of corrugated plastics, recently completed the acquisition of a Texas-based business. The purchase has given Laminacorr an extra 200,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space south of the border. Closer to home, Laminacorr designs and creates plastics for packaging products in industries as diverse as automotive, medical, construction and agriculture. It also produces its FluteCorr Graphics product — a line of plastic boards found in just about any application you care to name, from election lawn signs to trade show booths.
Ottawa’s Viral Clean stormed into the personal protective equipment market in 2020 when it became the city’s first manufacturer of medical masks. The company’s mission: to provide people and businesses across the city and around the country with quality, affordable Canadian-made masks in a variety of prints to help to reduce
the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Along the way, the company created a second mission of supplying masks and proceeds of some of its sales to charity. To date, Viral Clean has donated more than 750,000 masks to charitable organizations across the country.
There’s a cool win-win vibe at Ottawa’s Off The Path Provisions — formerly Back Country Wok. On one level, this a company producing healthy on-thego Asian-style meals for everyone from outdoors enthusiasts to busy professionals. Add hot water and in minutes you’re diving into Thai Green Curry, Original Fried Rice or Bibimbap Korean Fried Rice. On the other level, this is a company with a conscience. Founder
Melanie Ang wants the products she produces to be delicious as well as environmentally sustainable. Each meal is made using local, in-season produce and packaged in compostable materials.
At Alstom’s rolling stock manufacturing facility in Millhaven, light rail is big business. Since the international company acquired the assets of Bombardier Transportation in early 2021, the Kingston-area plant has been a hub of production for light rail vehicles. Specifically, 15 Flexity Freedom trains built at this plant and the factory in Thunder Bay are in service along the ION rapid transit line in Kitchener/Waterloo, while a further 41 are planned for use on Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown subway system and Edmonton’s Valley Line. With 45,000 square feet of manufacturing space, the Millhaven facility employs about 400 engineering, manufacturing and administrative staff.
Vintage is hot, a fact not lost on Elmira Stove Work. The Arnpriorbased company, which was recently acquired by Plaintree Systems, has been manufacturing full lines of antique and retro-styled ranges, refrigerators, microwaves, wall ovens, range hoods, splashbacks, dishwashers and woodburning cookstoves since 1975. The Northstar line is a throwback to the 1950s Americana, with all the technology you’d expect from the 2020s. The Antique line, meanwhile, throws back to the 1850s, custom crafted
acquisition, Elmira’s manufacturing hub remains very much in Arnprior, with an
Meet two companies — one based in Plantagenet, the other in Hawkesbury — selling their products all over the planet.
BY PHIL GAUDREAU
Think of the playgrounds you enjoyed as a kid. Swing? Check. Slide? Check. Fireman’s pole? Teeter totter? Something to climb? Check, check, check. But what if, instead of being bored after 20 minutes of play, you experienced something new every time you visited the playground?
That’s the vision of Dynamo Playgrounds. Based in Plantagenet, east of Ottawa, Dynamo has been making some of the world’s most exciting, unique and challenging playgrounds for nearly 30 years.
“We want to be the Harley-Davidson of the playground industry,” said founder and CEO Richard Martin. “Our playgrounds look significantly different, are more challenging and more inviting — especially to older kids.”
In the years since its founding, Dynamo grew to a pre-pandemic peak of 63 employees. While Canada is its second largest market, the majority of Dynamo’s playgrounds are shipped around the world to countries with fairer year-round weather, such as the southern United States, China and Australia. Its website features projects from places such as Mesa, Arizona; Yonkers, New York; and Xiamen, China.
Playground projects often begin when a school or municipality requests a quote from Dynamo directly or posts a public Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a new playground.
When Dynamo responds to these RFPs, they compete against the large national and international players manufacturing
- FOUNDER AND CEO RICHARD MARTINhome of the playground — which could be halfway around the world — is suitable for the design (and vice versa). That’s when the six- to nine-month manufacturing process begins. All parts are designed, engineered, manufactured and painted at Dynamo’s Plantagenet facility. To ensure it could continue designing and selling through the pandemic, the company had to increase its stock of raw materials to ensure it didn’t experience too much downtime in its manufacturing shop.
Of course, it wouldn’t be safe to simply design a new playground and send it to a new country without testing. Martin and his team have an in-house group of certified inspectors, and the inspectors themselves must undergo annual testing.
“Because of our unique product, we helped to write new standards for playgrounds in Canada and the U.S.,” he said. “We significantly influenced the industry and, as a result, a lot of our portfolio was copied. We’re still known as the ‘oh my word, what are they coming out with now?’ company.”
more traditional parks. So, Dynamo has to find ways to set itself apart from the competition through customization.
Dynamo’s staff members work with their clients to understand their goals and budget to find an ideal configuration of parts, pieces and play structures that match the job. Naturally, the design must suit the standards for playgrounds wherever it’s being shipped.
After wading through what can already be a lengthy bidding process to be selected for the job, the Dynamo team and the client fine tune the design and work with a landscape architect to ensure the future
Once it’s certain the playground is safe, the Dynamo team begins loading the heavy pieces onto trucks or boats to be sent to their destination.
Upon arrival, Dynamo and its client work with local installers to set up the playground. Installations have been slowed through COVID, often due to a shortage of skilled tradespeople in the communities where Dynamo has sold playgrounds. While their custom playgrounds don’t come with manuals, in some cases the designer of the course may be sent to the site to ensure it is set up correctly.
After all that work, the playground is ready to open and the fun can begin with years of enjoyment and new experiences every time kids come to the park.
We want to be the Harley-Davidson of the playground industry.
Tulmar manufactures training and safety equipment for airlines all over the world. Shown at centre is a wet evacuation slide. At left and above, workers sport Tulmar gear and the men above right are wearing frozen hazardous duty jackets.
Even if you’ve never heard of Ross Video, you’ve probably benefited from its technology.
TV shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Sunday Night Football; famous high-tech landmarks such as Times Square; newsrooms all over the world; stadiums such as the cutting edge SoFi in Los Angeles, Calif, and stadium performers such as Taylor Swift broadcast using Ross hardware, some of which originates from its manufacturing centre in Iroquois, south of Ottawa. The company specializes in software, screens, cameras and control room equipment for companies and organizations in the live event and video
Ross was founded in 1974, and, despite its global expansion, it has maintained its family ownership and its roots in Eastern Ontario. Despite the shutdown of so many events during the pandemic, Ross continues to grow, hire and expand its facilities.
Keeping up in a competitive and fast-moving industry means investing in research and development. It’s why Ross hires well-connected professionals who are attuned to this industry — many of them former Ross clients. This helps the company stay on top of the latest innovations in the field and ensure its products stay ahead of their customers’ needs.
“The person who’s in charge of our newsroom management system product was a news anchor,” says Martin Soukup, Ross’ VP of product development. “We understand what our customers and users are actually experiencing out in the market. We are technology experts that figure out what technologies would apply to a problem that we see or that our customers see in the market.”
Soukup was hired by Ross during the pandemic. He was drawn to the company for the opportunity to work with some of the biggest brands in the world and to work with a company he describes as having the broadest technology base of any company in Canada.
Ross Video, based in Iroquois, brings your favourite live experiences to life and employs diverse manufacturing specialists. Read on to learn what their careers entail.
You've got to think outside the box. A lot of people don’t like to read manuals and they just want to push buttons.
Ross Video helped light up the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
“We do everything from plastics engineering to software in the cloud, and that’s awfully broad for people like me who like technology,” he said.
Soukup’s role gives him a unique perspective on what Ross could be manufacturing next as he and his team speak to customers and analyze the trends. Once they identify a need in the market and determine whether they can make money on the product, Soukup and his team — which numbers roughly 400 — then take the idea to the manufacturing team led by Jeff Poapst.
Poapst has been with the company for about 15 years and has seen it grow tenfold in that time. When he first joined the company, he worked to bring in lean manufacturing principles and keep a rigorous focus on quality, which is crucial to customers in Ross’ target markets who don’t want to experience awkward downtime in their broadcasts or live events.
“Quality is paramount,” Poapst says. “Our equipment has to work well and has to
recover in predictable fashions.”
As the business case for a new product is made, the design and manufacturing teams partner to transition from idea to design and then into the manufacturing cycle to determine how the product can be manufactured consistently, predictably and with high quality. The largest team running this kind of project features as many as 50 engineering staff with another 20 from manufacturing.
Collectively, that group would be responsible for determining how to prototype and test the new project, and how to deal with errors and returns and the other logistical challenges associated with any new product.
Along the way, there are always improvements, large and small, that are identified during manufacturing.
“Recently, I submitted a request for changing a wire on a modem to use a thicker wire,” said Charina Chestine Alcazaren, a manufacturing engineering specialist with Ross. “The operators were concerned about the original
configuration because it’s kind of hard to solder it, so I tried to look for a thinner wire.”
Alcazaren joined Ross in the spring after completing a graduate certificate in supply-chain management. She also brought a degree in industrial engineering from her native Philippines to her work. As part of the 200-person strong manufacturing team, it’s Alcazaren’s job to catch and suggest little tweaks and improvements like these that help ensure Ross’ products are reliable and easy to use while also being careful to manage cost.
While a small wire change might seem minor, for Alcazaren it’s about thinking through what is best for its customers and making things as efficient as possible for those operating the equipment.
Ross doesn’t only manufacture hardware, however. Thalia Hartwig is doing an internship as a software developer with Ross while she completes her electrical and electronics engineering degree at Carleton University.
“My team has been developing features, and I’ve been writing the verification software to make sure the feature is doing what they want it to do,” she says. “You’ve got to think outside the box. A lot of people don’t like to read manuals and they just want to push buttons, so you have to think that same way when you’re verifying… What could someone do that the program might not like, and then see how the program reacts to ensure it continues to work afterward.”
The size of a new project can vary depending on whether it involves software, off-the-shelf hardware or new custom hardware. So, the production of something new at Ross could take as little as a few months or as long as four years before it reaches the market. Custom hardware manufacturing constitutes the largest part of Ross’s business, where its team starts with metal and circuit boards and turns them into screens, cameras, servers, switchers and software solutions.
Before anything of it can leave the factory, Ross also needs to be prepared for situations such as warranty claims, software updates and returns or replacements. It even stocks
replacement parts near its customers for emergency situations, such as a government legislature that might find itself unable to broadcast if equipment stops working.
The Ross team also produces training resources that are available for clients purchasing more complex products, especially ones that feature ongoing software updates.
While you might expect the company to have experienced some downturn and layoffs through the pandemic, the increase in virtual events and the lengthy timeframe for some of Ross’s projects helped insulate the company. Some of its clients even used the downtime from the pandemic to upgrade equipment while they were less busy.
But even if business had taken a turn, as Poapst says, the company doesn’t believe in layoffs, because it knows that beyond gadgets, gizmos and programs, one of the most important things it produces is its employee culture.
“Our operation is successful based on our people and everything revolves around having the right people, the right skills and the right locations supporting them appropriately,” said Poapst. “We look for fit and we look for the right background where we can get it. It’s very important that each person who joins Ross Video understands our expectations, takes care of customers and respects each other.”
Opposite page: Craig Hodgson, a printer circuit board assembler at Ross Video, holds a tray of in-process printed circuit boards. Brittney Winters, a printer circuit board assembler at Ross Video, uses an oscilloscope to inspect the solder on a printer circuit board at the Ross facility in Iroquois.
This page: Debbie Pearson, a printer circuit board assembler at Ross Video, uses an oscilloscope to solder a printer circuit board.
Living in the Ottawa Valley is the life-changing opportunity you’ve been looking for. Live and work in an inspirational environment with a limitless backyard at a very affordable cost of living.
Commercial real estate and manufacturing investors will find growing municipalities, rapidly expanding multi-lane highways and a broad range of properties and business opportunities.
Come for a visit to see and experience what Renfrew County has to offer. Whether starting, buying or investing in a new business or career, Renfrew County offers a balanced approach where you can live rural and work global. Find out more at InvestRenfrewCounty.com
The new 100,000-square-foot Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC) at Chalk River will be ongoing until 2026 and will employ a wide range of construction trades over that period. Photo courtesy of CNL.
Construction has just begun on the $500-million Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre at Chalk River, with job openings for hundreds of trades workers.
When it comes to big-ticket construction projects in Eastern Ontario, the expansion of Ottawa’s O-Train light-rail line and the rehabilitation of the Parliament Buildings have received much attention — with good reason. These are high-profile, city-building (and arguably nationbuilding) endeavours.
Look a little further afield — about two hours’ drive into the Ottawa Valley — and you’ll find a construction project no less ambitious, no less transformative and no less economically significant.
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is just past the halfway mark of a 10-year, $1.2-billion program to transform its Canadian Nuclear Laboratories research facilities in Chalk River. Launched in 2016, the program will see 120 buildings on the 9,100-acre site decommissioned and torn down, and a fleet of sleek, ultra high-tech and environmentally sustainable ones constructed in their place.
Several have opened already. A site entrance building, which doubles as a logistics warehouse, was completed in September 2020 at a cost of nearly $31 million. Completion of the $33-million support and maintenance facility followed in March 2021, and construction of the $62-million Science Collaboration Centre is very much underway, with completion targeted for the spring of 2023.
Chalk River’s crown jewel – the ANMRC All of those works, however, pale in comparison to the now-underconstruction Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC). Valued at approximately $500 million and scheduled for completion in 2026, the project is by far the largest of those planned at Chalk River.
The scope of work calls for the construction of a 100,000-square-foot research complex that will accommodate 240 employees and consolidate several capabilities from across the campus. That's the size of two football fields.
Among other purposes, the centre will act as a hub for the examination of small modular reactor and next-generation nuclear fuels, making it a key component of greening Canada’s energy supply.
What does it take to build one of the largest nuclear research facilities in the country? Innovation, commitment and a whole lot of skilled workers.
The team leading construction includes a joint venture of general contractors Chandos Construction Inc., Bird Construction Inc. and Arnprior’s M. Sullivan & Son Limited, as well as several key engineering, design and subtrade companies, most of which maintain offices in Eastern Ontario, and all of which have been incentivized to use local resources during the project.
At peak, as many as 300 workers will be involved in work on the ANMRC project. These include people at every level — executive, managerial and field — of the partner companies and their subtrades.
STUFF spoke with officials from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and general contractors M. Sullivan & Son Limited about the tradesworkers who will be needed to bring this exciting ANMRC facility to completion.
A heavy-equipment operator, as the name suggests, is someone who runs heavy, usually earth-moving, equipment such as backhoes, bulldozers, front-end loaders and graders. Some work with all of those machines, while others prefer to specialize. These trades are usually among the first on site for construction projects, performing demolition work, digging foundations or otherwise preparing sites for construction.
In Ontario, there’s no formal apprenticeship or certification path required to become a heavy equipment operator beyond holding a secondary school diploma. Starting salaries are usually between $35,000 and $40,000 per year, and can rise as high as $80,000 for experienced operators.
Labourers perform a wide variety of physically demanding tasks on construction sites, such as preparing and cleaning up work areas, moving materials and equipment and performing demolition and excavation activities.
There is no formal apprenticeship or provincially mandated training program to become a labourer, and some companies will hire people as young as 16 who have at least Grade 9 education.
A labourer’s pay generally starts at around $18 per hour, with annual salaries rising to as much as $70,000 for more experienced workers.
Construction electrician is one of the more heavily regulated trades in Ontario.
Electrician jobs require completion of a four-year provincial apprenticeship program and a trades certifying exam.
Depending on the type of electrical work to be performed, some careers may also require union certification.
Once certified, construction electricians plan, assemble, connect, install, test and maintain electrical systems for a variety of building systems, including heat, light power, communication, control and security. It’s complicated work, and can pay between $29 and $45 hourly, depending on a worker’s ability and experience.
Steamfitters and pipefitters are the tradespeople who prepare, assemble and maintain the systems that carry water, steam and chemicals into and throughout buildings. They’re often called to cut, thread, bend and weld pipes into systems, and test and maintain those systems to ensure optimal performance.
Like electricians, the steamfitter trade is a compulsory one in Ontario, meaning that entry into the trade requires a certificate of qualification from the province. Also like electrical work, steam-fitting can pay well.
Wages start at $23 or $24 per hour, with annual salaries for experienced workers rising into the mid-$90,000s.
The construction superintendent is usually a more experienced site worker who oversees the overall day-to-day operations on a construction site. Superintendents also ensure work proceeds according to schedule, specifications and budget, help
to resolve challenges as they arise, and negotiate revisions, changes and additions to contracts with subcontractors, clients and owners’ representatives. Wages vary with experience, and can range from as little as $25 hourly to as much as $72 per hour, with annual salaries as high as $100,000 or more.
A commissioning manager is someone who oversees the construction, startup and calibration of the mechanical, electrical and process systems on a project. This person will review the work of various trades to ensure they comply with construction drawings and specifications, and identifies risk and ensures trade contractors are performing to their scopes of work. Given that this is a more senior position on a construction project, wages can start in the low $90,000s and range well into six figures.
A construction safety officer is arguably one of the most important positions on any site. They evaluate and monitor a site’s unique health and safety hazards, and develop strategies to keep workers safe. They will also routinely inspect sites to ensure workers follow safety regulations. No formal certification is needed to become a safety officer, but most will hold
Whatever choice you make, whatever career interests you, keep in mind that construction employers throughout Eastern Ontario are eager to find new recruits.
at least one designation from an outside organization and have some experience working on construction sites. A safety officer’s wages can start at $23 per hour, rising to as much as $55, with annual salaries as high as $110,000 or more.
Work at the ANMRC will require the input and expertise of countless other construction, design and managerial positions: drywallers, concrete finishers, civil engineers, architects, project managers and more.
Whatever choice you make, whatever career interests you, keep in mind that construction employers throughout Eastern Ontario are eager to find new recruits. There’s arguably never been a better time than now to work in this diverse and challenging sector.
Previous page: Construction at the new 100,000-square-foot Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC) at Chalk River is now underway, with completion targeted for 2026. Photo courtesy of CNL. This page: Renderings of the new buildings and labs. Once complete, the ANMRC will accommodate as many as 240 employees and consolidate key operations from aging facilities across the Chalk River campus. Photo courtesy of Merick & Company.
SHSM facilitates the ‘what next’ decision-making process by providing students, and more importantly, also their families with a window into the multitude of career opportunities available.
SHSM provides flexibility to students with their post-graduation transition to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace, with the option to shift between pathways, should their goals and plans change.
Opportunities. These are what students today are looking for when they are choosing their career path. It isn’t a linear path but one that crisscrosses and constantly evolves. Students, and their parents and guardians, are keen to understand and explore the options before zeroing in on what suits them best.
This is where the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) diploma opportunity comes in. This provincial program supported by the Ministry of Education and delivered through the local school boards in partnership with industry partners, helps students explore a career path that matches their skills, interests and talents while earning a Specialist Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
This program helps students engage with industry partners, focus on learning in a specific sector, and gain relevant experience while getting the credits they need to graduate. It helps students gain employment, apprenticeship, college or university after graduation. For the employer, it provides them with a qualified workforce that is ready to hit the ground running.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board currently offers 45 programs across 13 SHSM sectors including manufacturing, construction, business, arts, horticulture and more. SHSM facilitates the ‘what next’ decision-making process by providing students, and more importantly, also their families with a window into the multitude of career opportunities available.
Even if students choose not to pursue their choice, it’s an easier, quicker and less expensive way to explore their options than enrolling in a post-secondary program, for example. Those who do continue are more likely to complete college or university because they know it’s what they want to do.
The SHSM program focuses on experiential learning combined with
developing a mindset suitable for 21stcentury careers. The program fosters design thinking, showing students how to go from an idea to a complete product and beyond. Students can bring fresh eyes and ideas, offering creative ways to approach a problem or a challenge offered by their industry partners.
It also helps teachers deliver the curriculum in an authentic way, without it being just about the textbooks. Students get to see how school translates to the real world and they discover there can be a purpose to their lessons.
Industry partners gain from this partnership just as much as a student does. SHSM enables students to obtain sector-recognized certifications, complete training courses and gain valuable onthe-job experience. Not only does the industry get access to the bright minds coming out of high school but they are also gaining a workforce that is already skilled, certified, and well immersed in the industry culture. Employers don’t need the additional time or training to get their new hires up to speed.
Choosing a career for a high school student is not a straight path but more of an exploration expedition. Parents and guardians are essential companions in this journey. SHSM students going home and sharing their experiences help both generations understand the multitude of opportunities available beyond the traditional roles like a doctor or a lawyer. SHSM introduces and reinforces the belief among students, parents and guardians that there are many career paths that can be just as beneficial and lucrative. Curtis Van de Ligt • OCDSB SHSM Lead
Build Relevant Industry skills; Industry Recognized Certifications at no cost; Authentic Experiential Learning with Industry partners;
Reach Ahead Opportunities (Dual Credit, OYAP); and Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship Opportunities.
• Fresh set of eyes and ideas;
• Instant access to prospective employees;
• Workforce with sector-specific certifications and training;
• Access to bright minds coming out of high school; and
• High-school graduates who can hit the ground running.
See which manufacturing, construction and design jobs are most in demand in Eastern Ontario and how much you can expect to earn in each.
Eastern Ontario is a hub of construction, manufacturing and, increasingly, design jobs, but which ones will reward you most richly financially, and which are most in demand? Thanks to the Ottawa Employment Hub, the charts that follow answer those questions. Among the highest-paying jobs we list in the construction sector are architectural technologists and technicians, who make $147,500 a year or $70.91 an hour while in manufacturing, it’s professional engineers who make top dollar, at $81.73 an hour or $170,000 a year. There are high-skilled jobs and low-skilled ones and this year, we’ve added some non-traditional careers to the lists. Read on to see how a baker, artisan or theatre designer might fare in these sectors.
Home building and renovation managers
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Electricians (except industrial and power system)
Construction managers
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
Residential and commercial installers and servicers
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
Administrative assistants
Transport truck drivers
Construction estimators
Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Administrative officers
Manufacturing managers
Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
Plastics processing machine operators
Material handlers
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Welders and related machine operators
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
Other metal products machine operators
Shippers and receivers
Transport truck drivers
Industrial electricians
Technical sales specialists - wholesale trade
Chemical plant machine operators
Metalworking and forging machine operators
Electrical and electronics engineers
food and beverage processing
assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
in food and beverage processing
Electricians (except industrial and power system)
Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
Home building and renovation managers
Administrative assistants
Residential and commercial installers and servicers
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
Electrical power line and cable workers
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Construction
Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
Painters and
(except interior decorators)
Concrete
Roofers and
Ironworkers
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
Furniture and fixture assemblers and inspectors
Retail and wholesale trade managers
Plastics processing machine operators
Manufacturing managers
Artisans and craftspersons
Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners
Other wood processing machine operators
Supervisors, other mechanical and meta products manufacturing Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing Supervisors, forest products processing
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
Sawmill machine operators
Industrial electricians Chemists
Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Labourers in food and beverage processing
Administrative assistants
Supervisors, printing and related occupations
and courier service drivers
20 fastest-growing jobs in the construction industry (between 2021 and 2023)
Electricians (except industrial and power system)
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
Home building and renovation managers
Construction estimators
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
Electrical power line and cable workers
Furniture and fixture assemblers and inspectors
Other wood products assemblers and inspectors
Residential and commercial installers and servicers
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
Concrete finishers
Gas fitters
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
Managers in agriculture
Furniture finishers and refinishers
Power system electricians
Additional jobs between 2019 and 2021
Plastics processing machine operators
Manufacturing managers
Supervisors, other mechanical and metal products manufacturing
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
Industrial electricians
Supervisors, forest products processing
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
Other wood processing machine operators
Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing
Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing
Labourers in mineral and metal processing
Dentists
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Delivery and courier service drivers
Industrial designers
Woodworking machine operators
Additional jobs between 2019 and 2021
20 most in-demand jobs in the construction industry by online job postings
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Carpenters
Other business services managers
Construction managers
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
Software engineers and designers
Administrative assistants
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Material handlers
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Home building and renovation managers
Human resources professionals
Other customer and information services representatives
Transport truck drivers
Production logistics co-ordinators
Plumbers
Retail salespersons
Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics
Property administrators
20 most in-demand jobs in the manufacturing industry by online job postings
Software engineers and designers
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Retail salespersons
Other business services managers
Retail sales supervisors
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
Material handlers
20 jobs with the highest advertised salaries in the construction industry
Architectural technologists and technicians
Information systems analysts and consultants
Mechanical engineers
Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
Financial and investment analysts
Librarians
Database analysts and data administrators
Software engineers and designers
Chemical engineers
Professional occupations in business management consulting
Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
Plumbers
Executive assistants
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Concrete finishers
Construction managers
Human resources professionals
Financial managers
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
$147,500 $170,000 $112,954 $170,000 $111,280 $130,000 $105,498 $127,700 $98,343 $114,688
$98,343 $112,500 $95,000 $109,824 $86,528 $109,487 $85,000 $109,056 $84,366 $101,104
$84,366 $100,864
$84,366 $99,840
$83,200 $98,812
$80,449 $90,324
$80,128 $89,242
$78,848 $89,088
$77,568 $88,832 $77,568 $88,662 $75,000 $88,576 $72,960 $84,292
Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
Information systems testing technicians
Information systems analysts and consultants
Other customer and information services representatives
Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
Corporate sales managers
Human resources professionals
User support technicians
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
Administrative assistants
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
20 jobs with the highest advertised salaries in the manufacturing industry
Other professional engineers, n.e.c.
Lawyers and Quebec notaries
Professional occupations in business management consulting Security guards and related security service occupations
Computer and information systems managers
Financial managers
Software engineers and designers
Police officers (except commissioned)
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics
Web designers and developers
Information systems analysts and consultants
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
Paralegal and related occupations
Tool and die makers
Health information management occupations
Other professional occupations in social science, n.e.c.
Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
Biologists and related scientists
Careers in manufacturing, construction and design can also involve some jobs you might not have considered or thought would fit into these sectors.
Below is a list, along with the median pay you can expect with each.
Job
2021 median hourly wages in dollars
2021 median annual wages in dollars.
Artisans and craftspersons 19.05 39,629
Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners 18.36 38,191
Industrial designers 34.02 70,754
Bakers 15.00 31,198
Construction estimators 36.65 76,236
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers 27.15 56,470
Dentists 52.64 109,495
Sales and account representatives – wholesale trades (non-technical) 25.89 53,849
Software engineers and designers (construction) 41.60 86,528
Software engineers and designers (manufacturing) 52.80 109,824
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) 48.00 99,840
Information systems analysts and consultants 48.49 100,864
Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers 18.28 38,016
Architectural technologists and technicians 70.91 147,500
Information systems analysts and consultants 54.30 112,954
Mechanical engineers 53.50 111,280
Database analysts and data administrators 45.67 95,000
Chemical engineers 40.87 85,000
Professional occupations in business management consulting 40.56 84,366
Computer and information systems managers 55.14 114,688
Web designers and developers 48.61 101,104
the letter
for
what number
Cruising around and taking care of
Scouting and testing out the latest tech gadgets at Best Buy.
Tinkering with tools and gear in the garage.
Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or binge-watching HGTV.
Helping mom move a couch, fixing the sink, running the grill, setting up new TV/internet service — you seem to be able to figure anything out!
Getting a job as soon as possible.
A gap year, travelling; a little freedom.
An apprenticeship.
The least amount of postsecondary study you can do while still getting a degree.
Earning a certificate; you want to perfect a certain skill.
You enjoy solving problems and saving the day. Guess what? There are several technical professions that allow you to showcase that talent and get paid (very well) while doing so.
perfect for you:
Industrial maintenance
CNC service technician
Substation and transmission tech
Electrician
Agri-technician
You have a passion for making and building things, which may have started when you got your first Lego or after a weekend marathon of Fixer Upper. Either way, your knack for building things can lead to a high-paying career in a technical profession.
Jobs perfect for you:
Jobs in construction
CAD/CAM drafter
Tool and die maker
CNC machinist
Welder
You know your way around a toolbox. You’re handy and can fix things on your own. On-the-job training, an apprenticeship or a certificate — these training options are all you’ll need to get a job after high school.
Jobs perfect for you:
Diesel technician
HVACR technician
Agri-technician
Plumber
How-to videos on YouTube.
Fixer Upper and Property Brothers.
MythBusters.
Stranger Things and Black Mirror.
Top Gear and Fast N’ Loud.
A Know how to build and restore cars.
B Have the latest and greatest technology before everyone else.
C Volunteer with a disaster relief group during a crisis.
Build skyscrapers and hospitals.
Take a road trip across the country.
Logistics or supplychain management.
Architecture or graphic design.
Cybersecurity or software engineering.
Physics or aerospace.
Civil or mechanical engineering.
You’re a techie with a knack for mastering the latest gear and gadgets before everyone else. From Macs to PCs to internet and drones, you understand it all. Eastern Ontario companies are clamouring for pros like you.
Jobs perfect for you:
Automation and robotics
CAD/CAM drafter
Substation and transmission tech
CNC machinist
You crave freedom. Being your own boss sounds great, but four years of study is out of the question. Transportation-related jobs are a great fit for you and many local companies are hiring.
Jobs perfect for you:
Commercial truck driver
Heavy equipment operator
technician
Agri-technician
Looking for other quizzes and resources? Try these:
SparkPath Challenge Cards | SparkPath mysparkpath.com
EdgeFactor
Job Bank Career planningChoose a career jobbank.gc.ca
Gear - Ottawa Employment Hub
resources/
Let’s say you take a longer study route. Which major would you be most likely to pick?
We offer more than 100 full-time programs on our campuses in Kingston, Brockville, Cornwall and online, including fast-track delivery, graduate certificates, and four-year degrees.
“Taking the Advertising and Marketing Communications program at SLC has allowed me to improve my skills and discover my dream job. I knew I wanted to become an Event Planner, but AMC opened the door to increasing my network and learning about the industry. I really love the program.”
Discover the many programs that St. Lawrence College has to offer at our Open House events in November. Learn more: stlawrencecollege.ca/OpenHouse
“My time at St. Lawrence College has provided me with many opportunities - Such as becoming a student employee with Career Services and sitting as a Director on the Kingston Student Association Board of Directors. My favourite thing about SLC is the institution’s commitment to ensuring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as well as Belonging for all members of the college community. This is so important to ensure all students are provided with the same opportunities and experiences!”
Kalli McLaughlin-Singh Business Administration - Human ResourcesDiscover the many programs that St. Lawrence College has to offer at our Open House events in November. Learn more: stlawrencecollege.ca/OpenHouse
“I love how SLC has been very inclusive and considerate to the needs of the students, both domestic and international. Coming from a different country, I definitely felt like I belonged to a community in this school after participating with others in intramurals and clubs. The teachers and professors are awesome as well! They really care about the well-being of the students, and they truly become very valuable in starting and growing a network in Canada.”
Miggy Grau
The worlds of manufacturing and construction offer a range of exciting jobs for new graduates and with the labour shortage, there are plenty of opportunities. We profile four young people who have made it in these fields and are enjoying rewarding careers.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Current job: Estimator and project manager at Kiley Paving Ltd. in Kingston
You could say the road to Braedan Rogers’ construction career was paved for him. His father is a heavy equipment mechanic, and he worked as a summer student for local construction companies. But when it came time to pick a post-secondary program at the end of high school, Rogers wavered.
At the encouragement of his boss, he enrolled at St. Lawrence College. During his studies, he worked summers with Kingston’s Kiley Paving and, upon graduation, he joined Kiley full time. He’s now happily employed as an estimator and project manager, ensuring paving projects both large and small succeed across Kiley’s service area. He also teaches the Kiley team how to quote on any given job.
A particularly proud moment for Rogers was a project he managed by himself for the federal government at the military airbase in nearby Trenton. While not all projects go as smoothly as that one, Braedan always enjoys learning, making memories and having fun each day at work.
He regularly encourages high school students and anyone seeking to learn or try a new career to consider postsecondary training.
Program: Welding apprenticeship at St. Lawrence College
Current Job: Welding and structural steel inspector at Design & Systems in Ottawa and welding shop supervisor and instructor at St. Lawrence College
The spark for Dakota McLean’s career came from an unlikely source. While recovering from surgery and battling boredom, she tried attaching magnets to the new stainless-steel pin in her hip. It didn’t work.
To understand why, she started researching the composition of metals and soon enrolled in postsecondary studies in welding. One co-op placement later, her interest had taken shape.
“As much as I like to build things, I want to know why they are built that way.”
McLean’s work takes her to unique places — from sniper towers at CFB Petawawa to the depths of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block.
Along with her day job searching for uneven, undersized or missing welds at construction sites, McLean still picks up the welding iron to explore her creative side and she instructs welding and fabrication technician students. She is passionate about helping students to be creative, inclusive and meticulous in their trade.
“Confidence in your work is the biggest thing. Don’t walk away from a job if you aren’t happy with it. Do it well or don’t do it at all.”
Program: Carpentry techniques at St. Lawrence College
Current Job: Carpentry apprentice with Beckwith Contracting Inc.
Lyndsey Lyons has traded puzzles for plans and Lego for logs. She’s harnessed her lifelong passion for building and creation by completing an introductory program in carpentry at St. Lawrence College, and by joining a small but mighty local construction company as an apprentice.
Lyons originally went to school for architecture, and found she enjoyed the hands-on shop time within that program. The Kingston native quickly made the switch to carpentry and is now on the path to completing her apprenticeship, allowing her to become certified as a carpenter and specialize in a type of carpentry that best suits her interests.
“I enjoy finish carpentry and more detailed work,” Lyons says. “My satisfaction for putting things together has only grown bigger with bigger projects.”
Along the way, she is building on her experience with jobs involving tiling, roofing, siding and more. Lyons even helped her parents renovate their kitchen and bathroom in recent years.
She continues to enjoy her work environment, which she says exceeds her expectations by being fun, exciting and full of opportunities to try new things.
Program: Civil engineering technology at St. Lawrence College
Current Job: Field engineer and project co-ordinator at T.A. André & Sons in Kingston Having two engineers in the house probably made Luigi Burjato’s career decision a foregone conclusion. So did watching high-rise buildings under construction out his bedroom window growing up.
He found the work fascinating and thought about the possibility of one day driving by and pointing out a building he had worked on.
Since graduating from a civil engineering technology program at St. Lawrence College, Burjato’s work hasn’t been quite so local, however. His job takes him across Eastern Ontario working on dams for Ontario Power Generation, one of his employer’s clients.
“Every single dam is different and [each] has its own challenges. It’s neat seeing a 100-year-old dam and how it was built versus how we do it today.”
Burjato was surprised by how much work goes on behind the scenes before construction can begin, including planning, design and approvals. But, now that he’s been exposed to it, he hopes to be involved in more of that work in the future. Burjato is looking at eventually going back to school and possibly pursuing graduate studies as part of his career aims. In the meantime, he continues to enjoy his work including the travel, meeting new people and time outdoors.
A good job can change a life. It gives all of us the kind of confidence you get from being independent and in charge of your own life.
However, finding your dream career can be difficult. For those living with a disability, the job search can pose even more challenges. That’s why the role Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care (PPRC) is playing across Eastern Ontario is so important.
PPRC is a local coordinator for the MentorAbility program, an initiative spearheaded by The Canadian Association for Supported Employment that facilitates mentoring between employers and people experiencing a disability. With this program, PPRC matches people with disabilities to employers looking for talent. The mentorship can either be virtual, a half-day or a full day at the workplace. If the first match doesn’t pan out, they’ll keep at it until they find success.
“We give the people we work with some hope,” said Linda Simpson, director of rehabilitation services at PPRC. “A little bit of success builds enough confidence to go on to the next step in their employment journey.”
A young man with autism, Michael Bastow, 27, is one of their recent success stories.
Today, Bastow is a team member at Fieldless Farms in Cornwall, Ontario, where he sorts through vegetables, discards any waste and then prepares and packages indoor-grown lettuce and other fresh veggies for shipment to retailers like Farm Boy.
“MentorAbility allowed me to spend a day with a mentor at Fieldless Farms and this helped me to decide if this was the type of work that I was interested in doing,” said Bastow. “After that, I told Fieldless Farms I was interested in applying for a position and they offered me a job in July of 2021.”
At PPRC, it’s not just about placing students on job sites, but ensuring both the employer and employee have the tools they need to thrive. Throughout the employment process, Simpson and her team will provide coaching services to the young people and if they have learning issues PPRC has all kinds of technology at its disposal to help them out, such as reminder apps.
For Bastow, the help he received was about ergonomics. “PPRC purchased an anti-fatigue mat to help improve my comfort when standing,” said Bastow. “And they worked with Ready Willing and Able (RWA) to help me get transportation to my job when I first started.”
“We eventually phase ourselves out at the worksite,” added Simpson. “However, if we’re working with someone who needs more intensive support, we can go to one of our community partners for additional funding.”
While the kind of support PPRC provides is always successful, the talent crisis is making their services an even bigger value-add.
“There are a number of manufacturers in Eastern Ontario who can’t find the workers — especially in smaller communities,” said Simpson. “They’re coming to us and saying, ‘Well I’m ready to hire from your talent pool. Have you got anybody?’”
And luckily, there are several participants like Bastow who are ready, eager and willing to partner up with businesses to try their hand at a skilled trade or career path.
At the end of the day, Bastow’s advice to those considering the opportunity, like PPRC’s programs, is simple but effective.
“Give it a shot!” he said. “Overall, I had a very positive experience and it’s very exciting to be working with Fieldless Farms, which is at the forefront of the indoor farming industry.”
Are you an employer looking for talent, or a student looking for opportunities? Visit www.pprc.ca or call 613-748-3220.
The Bay of Quinte Region is home to a large cluster of manufacturing and food-processing facilities including many well-known multi-national corporations. Strategically located, the region is known as a prime Canadian logistics and manufacturing hub, that provides fast access to major Canadian and US Markets.
With a regional population of almost 225,000, this dynamic region provides excellent career opportunities and an exceptional quality of life.
To learn why industry works here and see all the stuff that’s Proudly Made in Bay of Quinte visit QuinteDevelopment.com
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At Central Precast, we're always looking for original ways to use precast concrete to solve our customers' most challenging requests. That's why we invest so heavily in our staff: our solutions are only as good as our team. We've fostered a family feel with a forward-looking environment where workers are encouraged to challenge the status quo and come up with the highest quality products.
When you work at Central Precast, you can be sure you'll receive excellent training, continual investment in your personal development and a clear path to growth. We're always on the lookout for team players who are positive, motivated and willing to learn.
For over 65 years, Central Precast has been a leading manufacturer of precast concrete products, from concrete infrastructure to unique aesthetic solutions. Central Precast is also the largest and most diversified dealer of landscaping and masonry products in Eastern Ontario.
Modular buildings, architectural, in sulated and structural precast panels, bleachers, site furnishings (planters, benches, bollards, parking curbs, pil lars and columns, tree grates, waste and fence systems), custom signs and custom products. We are a dealer of landscape and masonry products.
We work directly with public and private sectors in the general construction indus try such as the City of Ottawa, National Capital Commission (NCC), Enbridge Gas, EllisDon, PCL, Broccolini, Bird, HEIN, Minto Group, Mattamy Homes and Uniform Urban Developments.
Fast-paced work environment, which focuses on ensuring our people have the proper training and support to have a fulfilling career and go home safe each
evening. We are committed to inclusion, maximizing differences and giving back both locally and globally.
We strive to empower the future genera tion of leaders, building a long rewarding career for our employees. We value our employees, this has been proven with many employees who have been with us for 20, 25, and 50-plus years.
25 Bongard Ave. Ottawa, ON 613-225-9510 centralprecast.com
Ross technology is behind everything associated with live broadcasting, from the world’s biggest sport events to leading news programs. If you’re watching a sports event, the jumbo screen at a concert or an international crisis unfolding on the news – chances are, you’re seeing Ross technology in action.
Ross is a family owned company that treats its workforce as an extended family. We are a diverse, inclusive, and supportive group of professionals who truly care about one another.
Ross Video designs, manufactures, and delivers advanced technology and services that power live video productions. This includes switchers, robotic camera systems, routing systems, LED screens, video servers, and more. We also offer creative services, including broadcast graphics, animation, arena displays, virtual sets, and augmented reality.
Here’s a partial list: NBC Sports, HyperX E-sports Arena, RedBull Media, ESPN/ Disney, Eurosport, SoFi Stadium, BBC World, Google YouTube Space London, Nokia Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and China’s eSports powerhouse VSPN. Our client solutions have won us three Emmy Awards!
At Ross, we have an open and collaborative people-first culture. We are proud to be the first-ever certified Canadian Compassionate Company (CCC). We are
focused on taking care of our people and being a CCC is a big part of what makes Ross a great place to work.
Ross provides educational assistance, extensive training, and mentoring so that our employees continuously evolve their skills and move up in the organization. Employees are encouraged to explore other career paths within Ross, and we strive to have cross-training opportunities wherever possible.
8 John Street, Iroquois Ontario rossvideo.com/company/careers
Cathy McCallion cmccallion@rossvideo.com
613 228-1198 ext. 4229
• Surface Mount Technology Operators
• Electronics Test Technicians
• PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Assemblers
• Electronics Assembly Tester
• Supply Chain Management
• Process Development Engineers/ Technicians
• New Product Introduction Specialists
• Manufacturing Engineers and Technologists
• Test Development Engineers and Technologists
Ross offers generous benefits and paid time off. Benefits include (but are not limited to) matched RRSP contributions, medical and dental, short and longterm disability, Employee Assistance Program, Employee Ownership Options, and a wellness/fitness allowance.
The Ross manufacturing team has great social activities and employee appreciation events. These team builders are important to us, as this is when memories and connections are made.
Located just west of Ottawa and home to some of the region’s top manufacturing and building companies, the Carp Road Corridor hosts more than 250 businesses and employs more than 3,500 people. They make (and bake) just about everything in the Corridor.
From skilled and general labour jobs at the many trade companies along Carp Road, to a career as a fibre optics engineer and everything in between, there’s a wide range of jobs for you in the corridor.
The Carp Road Corridor is Ottawa’s largest light industrial business area. We have more than 900 acres of vacant already zoned land, as well as space for lease and many “build to suit” opportunities. The corridor is zoned for light industry and highway commercial and is located just west of the Canadian Tire Centre.
All kinds. The Corridor is home to more than 250 businesses and most of them are hiring.
Our employers span the hightech, construction, trades, general contracting, warehousing and logistics and manufacturing sectors. We are home to big local names such as OZ Optics, Lee Valley/ Veritas, Nutri-Lawn and M CON Products, as well as a host of smaller, growing businesses in need of staff.
About 3,500 people work in the corridor.
Carp Road is handy for anyone living in Perth, Smith’s Falls, Almonte, Arnprior and the surrounding area. It’s an easy drive without the traffic congestion that’s typical further east toward downtown. You can enjoy rural/country living (and more reasonable home prices) without having to spend more time in the car.
And for anyone who lives in Kanata or further east, the morning commute is often lighter than if
you were heading in the opposite direction.
What else is there to do on Carp Road?
We have the famous Cheshire Cat Pub — our version of the traditional British pub experience. Also in the corridor are Irish Hills Golf Club, the Oz soccer dome (open year around and available to rent) and, if you bring your dog to work, there is Country Canines Play Park offering a large fenced area which can be reserved for individual owner / dog use.
And then there is the Village of Carp, known for its annual Carp Fair and Garlic Festival, and its weekend Farmer’s Market that runs during the summer months. Popular spots in Carp include Alice’s Village Café and the Ridge Rock Brewing Co., as well as The Diefenbunker — Canada's Cold War Museum.
Roddy G. Bolivar 613 314-7597
Roddy.Bolivar@crcbia.ca www.CarpRoadBIA.ca
We have available shovel-ready land to accommodate needs ranging from a modest half acre to a contiguous single parcel as large as 60 acres.
We have excellent surface transportation access, direct to Hwy 417 and with Hwy 7 and Hwy 416 nearby. This makes the Carp Road Corridor an ideal base from which fleet operators can service the western half of the region or connect to the Toronto-Montreal corridor.
In addition, we have our own airport. The Carp Municipal Airport offers a state-of-the-art fuel station and on-site maintenance services. It has one 1,200-metre asphalt runway and a 672-metre gravel runway.
Land acquisition and development costs are lower, sometimes dramatically so, than in other suburban business parks in the City of Ottawa that are connected to the city’s water and sewer. Based on current listings, for example, an acre along Carp Road prices around $250,000, while a serviced acre over on Michael Cowpland Drive in Kanata is about $800,000.
If you are looking to set up a new business or relocate an existing one, let’s talk. Visit www.carproadbia.ca to learn more.
Pure Ingenuity is a Kingston-based engineering and fabrication company working in stainless steel, high-performance alloys, aluminum, plastics and carbon fibre composites. Customers bring us their manufacturing problems and we solve, design and deliver.
- Emily Hutchinson, Operations Manager
We design and manufacture high-quality, custom process equipment for a wide range of industries, working with a variety of materials to meet the needs of our clients.
Our top customers are food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers in Eastern Ontario and around the world.
Our workplace is collaborative and fast-paced. We focus on forging an effec tive partnership with each customer to develop innovative solutions. As a team, we maintain an unwavering focus on creating the best products possible in an energetic and fun environment.
Pure Ingenuity welders and fabricators receive hands-on training on the job in an apprenticeship-like system. Employees advance as they learn new skills and take on responsibility. Our setting is dynamic and entrepreneurial, valuing both techni cal and soft skills.
665 Development Dr Kingston, ON 613-389-3335
Pureingenuity.com
Nylene is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of polymers (nylon) and polymer compounds. Operating from our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Arnprior, our employees have built us into a global supplier for the automotive, packaging, wire and cable and carpet industries. As a leader in environmental initiatives, we also set the standard for nylon products with recycled content.
Since 1966, we’ve been proud to call Arnprior our home. Our facility is located right next to the Macnamara Nature Trail, which we make available to the community for the protection, study, and enjoyment of nature.
For more information on careers in Arnprior, contact us at 613.623.3191 or go to www.nylene.com
Nylene Canada manufacturing facility in Arnprior, OntarioIn addition to manufacturing, we are leaders in environmental initiatives, setting the standard for nylon recycling and nylon products with recycled content. We provide an environmental advantage for our customer’s products. Part of the international Polymeric Resources Corporation, we pioneer processes for specialty compounds for a variety of end-uses.
People know they can look forward to a long career with Nylene, enjoying a competitive salary and great benefits plus the reassurance of job security.
Our products can be found in carpet fibres, automotive parts, and low voltage cable jacketing. Nylene provides top quality products to meet specific customer requirements. We are the industry leader in the manufacture of fibres for stain resistant carpets. We are the only nylon recycling plant in North America.
With more than 55 years’ experience, we are a proven supplier to carpet mills, wire and cable manufacturers, and injection molding companies. Quality, product diversity, manufacturing flexibility, and a tradition of customer focus makes our company the global choice for many polymer needs.
Ours is a very collaborative workplace where people enjoy the challenges of our fast-paced, dynamic environment. We emphasize technical and mechanical
innovation, to support a steady stream of new products and enhanced processes. We offer service awards and teambuilding activities which are appreciated by our very loyal workforce.
We strive to promote from within whenever possible. We have a robust succession planning process whereby potential moves and promotions are identified early, with special emphasis put on training individuals to allow them to grow with the company. We also offer subsidies for external job-related training.
Nylene Canada ULC 200 McNab Street, Arnprior, ON613.623.3191
https://nylene.com/ humanresources@nylene.com
While it is not necessary, those with a chemistry background would thrive in our process engineering roles. We also have opportunities for those with a skilled trade or mechanical aptitude. Production operators, lab technicians, project engineering and maintenance are other key hiring areas. We offer competitive wages and salaries as well as an excellent benefit package. One perk enjoyed by many is the Macnamara Nature Trail located right beside our facility, which offers beautiful natural scenery and extensive hiking trails. The trail is made available by Nylene Canada for the protection, study, and enjoyment of nature.
M CON Products is a local and family owned, industrial manufacturing facility that was founded in 1989 with roots dating back to 1956. Established in Ottawa, we serve Eastern, Northern, and Central Ontario.
Our precast concrete products include reinforced circular and elliptical concrete pipe, circular and box maintenance holes, catch basins, box culverts, oil grit separators and gravity retaining wall systems.
We serve clients of all sizes. We believe that building a solid relationship with a small contractor just starting out will help them grow their business, just as many large customers today have helped us do after all these years.
Some of our larger customers are Cavanagh Construction, Taggart Construction, Tomlinson, Robert Excavating, and Gordan Barr
We have implemented 7S lean manufacturing and an everybody matters approach to manufacturing.
We believe that putting your people first will contribute to a more satisfied workforce, improve quality, and expand our customer base.
As we continue to grow our manufacturing facility and operations, we strive to invest in highly skilled professionals who approach each request with a fresh perspective. By implementing a progressive mentorship program, milestone recognition, and conducting scheduled reviews with a development plan, we foster a culture that values continuous growth and improvement.
M CON Products 2150 Richardson Side Rd. Ottawa, ON K0A 1L0 Canada www.mconproducts.com hr@mconproducts.com
We offer job stability, and a place to build a successful career.
Cornwall is a thriving Eastern Ontario city that has evolved from its United Empire Loyalist roots into a modern economy anchored by forwardthinking companies.
But it has one pressing challenge — a lack of people.
“There are simply more jobs than people — we’ve never seen anything like it,” says Bob Peters, division manager at Cornwall Economic Development. “Job opportuni ties are coming fast and furious and span a variety of occupations, skillsets and experience levels.”
Cornwall’s challenges are a result of
successful efforts over the past 15 years to attract new investment. The city’s strategic location — in addition to low electricity rates, affordable commercial land and low housing costs — have created one of the strongest economies in Ontario.
Today, Cornwall is a growing hub for warehousing, transportation and logistics as well as the light industrial and manu facturing activities that have always been its mainstay. Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Benson Group operate large
• Laminacorr started in Cornwall in 1998 with just a few employees. Today, it has over 80 employees and has grown to become the largest independent corrugated plastic products manufacturer in North America. It is recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies. For Guy Robichaud, choosing Cornwall is all about lifestyle.
Cornwall offers young people a chance to enjoy life while they are building a career. It is a great city to call home, with an amazing river lifestyle and progressive employment opportunities.”
GUY ROBICHAUD, PRESIDENT, LAMINACORR
distribution centres, while Olymel and Leclerc have established state-of-the-art food processing facilities.
These and a host of other employers in the area now find themselves in dire need of talent to fill vacancies that include skilled tradespeople, health-care profes sionals, truckers, managers, supervisors and technicians.
For Peters and his team, it’s vital to reach recent graduates, newcomers to Canada and anyone else looking for a change from big city living.
“Cornwall offers the chance to raise a family without having to worry about a
crippling mortgage or dealing with a long commute every day,” Peters says. “Our employers are creating opportunities to build careers and advance in growing sec tors of our economy.”
A list of current employment opportunities can be found on ChooseCornwall.ca.
